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Petrescu DI, Yustein JT, Dasgupta A. Preclinical models for the study of pediatric solid tumors: focus on bone sarcomas. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1388484. [PMID: 39091911 PMCID: PMC11291195 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1388484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Sarcomas comprise between 10-15% of all pediatric malignancies. Osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma are the two most common pediatric bone tumors diagnosed in children and young adults. These tumors are commonly treated with surgery and/or radiation therapy and combination chemotherapy. However, there is a strong need for the development and utilization of targeted therapeutic methods to improve patient outcomes. Towards accomplishing this goal, pre-clinical models for these unique malignancies are of particular importance to design and test experimental therapeutic strategies prior to being introduced to patients due to their origination site and propensity to metastasize. Pre-clinical models offer several advantages for the study of pediatric sarcomas with unique benefits and shortcomings dependent on the type of model. This review addresses the types of pre-clinical models available for the study of pediatric solid tumors, with special attention to the bone sarcomas osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Isabel Petrescu
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jason T. Yustein
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Atreyi Dasgupta
- The Faris D. Virani Ewing Sarcoma Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers, Houston, TX, United States
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2
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Stribbling SM, Beach C, Ryan AJ. Orthotopic and metastatic tumour models in preclinical cancer research. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 257:108631. [PMID: 38467308 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Mouse models of disease play a pivotal role at all stages of cancer drug development. Cell-line derived subcutaneous tumour models are predominant in early drug discovery, but there is growing recognition of the importance of the more complex orthotopic and metastatic tumour models for understanding both target biology in the correct tissue context, and the impact of the tumour microenvironment and the immune system in responses to treatment. The aim of this review is to highlight the value that orthotopic and metastatic models bring to the study of tumour biology and drug development while pointing out those models that are most likely to be encountered in the literature. Important developments in orthotopic models, such as the increasing use of early passage patient material (PDXs, organoids) and humanised mouse models are discussed, as these approaches have the potential to increase the predictive value of preclinical studies, and ultimately improve the success rate of anticancer drugs in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Stribbling
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Callum Beach
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, ORCRB, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Anderson J Ryan
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, ORCRB, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; Fast Biopharma, Aston Rowant, Oxfordshire, OX49 5SW, UK.
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3
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Doyle K, Hassan AE, Sutter M, Rodriguez M, Kumar P, Brown E. Development of a Simple and Reproducible Cell-derived Orthotopic Xenograft Murine Model for Neuroblastoma. In Vivo 2024; 38:531-538. [PMID: 38418146 PMCID: PMC10905463 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.13471] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Neuroblastoma is a common childhood cancer with poor survival for children with high-risk disease, and ongoing research to improve outcomes is needed. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) are reliable models for oncologic research; however, they are resource-intensive, expensive, and require significant expertise to develop and maintain. We developed an orthotopic xenograft murine model of neuroblastoma that utilizes cryopreserved banks of human neuroblastoma cell lines, requires minimal equipment, and is easily reproducible. MATERIALS AND METHODS The neuroblastoma cell line NB1643 was obtained from the Children's Oncology Group (COG) Childhood Cancer Repository. Nod-SCID-gamma (NSG) mice underwent orthotopic injection of 2x106 NB1643 cells suspended in 10 μl of collagen hydrogel directly into the adrenal gland via an open retroperitoneal surgical approach. Mice were monitored by ultrasound and in vivo imaging system (IVIS) until the tumor reached the volume of the ipsilateral kidney. Tumor identity was confirmed by necropsy and histologic analysis. RESULTS A total of 55 mice underwent surgery. Eight died due to anesthetic or surgical complications. 39/47 (78%) survivors grew primary adrenal tumors. Average anesthesia time was 30 min. Ultrasound and IVIS successfully characterized tumor growth in all mice. Average time to target tumor size was 5 weeks (range=3-9). Gross pathologic and histologic analysis confirmed adrenal tumors consistent with neuroblastoma in all mice with adrenal masses. CONCLUSION A cell-derived orthotopic xenograft murine model can be successfully used to create an in vivo model of neuroblastoma. This model can be utilized in environments where PDX or GEMM models are not feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Doyle
- Department of Surgery, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA, U.S.A.;
| | - Abd-Elrahman Hassan
- Department of Surgery, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA, U.S.A
| | - Maria Sutter
- Center for Surgical Bioengineering, Department of Surgery, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA, U.S.A
| | - Monica Rodriguez
- Center for Surgical Bioengineering, Department of Surgery, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA, U.S.A
| | - Priyadarsini Kumar
- Center for Surgical Bioengineering, Department of Surgery, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA, U.S.A
| | - Erin Brown
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA, U.S.A
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4
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Solta A, Ernhofer B, Boettiger K, Megyesfalvi Z, Heeke S, Hoda MA, Lang C, Aigner C, Hirsch FR, Schelch K, Döme B. Small cells - big issues: biological implications and preclinical advancements in small cell lung cancer. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:41. [PMID: 38395864 PMCID: PMC10893629 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01953-9] [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: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Current treatment guidelines refer to small cell lung cancer (SCLC), one of the deadliest human malignancies, as a homogeneous disease. Accordingly, SCLC therapy comprises chemoradiation with or without immunotherapy. Meanwhile, recent studies have made significant advances in subclassifying SCLC based on the elevated expression of the transcription factors ASCL1, NEUROD1, and POU2F3, as well as on certain inflammatory characteristics. The role of the transcription regulator YAP1 in defining a unique SCLC subset remains to be established. Although preclinical analyses have described numerous subtype-specific characteristics and vulnerabilities, the so far non-existing clinical subtype distinction may be a contributor to negative clinical trial outcomes. This comprehensive review aims to provide a framework for the development of novel personalized therapeutic approaches by compiling the most recent discoveries achieved by preclinical SCLC research. We highlight the challenges faced due to limited access to patient material as well as the advances accomplished by implementing state-of-the-art models and methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Solta
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Büsra Ernhofer
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kristiina Boettiger
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zsolt Megyesfalvi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Simon Heeke
- Department of Thoracic Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mir Alireza Hoda
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Lang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Aigner
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fred R Hirsch
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
- Center for Thoracic Oncology, Mount Sinai Health System, Tisch Cancer Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Karin Schelch
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Balazs Döme
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
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5
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Wang Y, Cho JW, Kastrunes G, Buck A, Razimbaud C, Culhane AC, Sun J, Braun DA, Choueiri TK, Wu CJ, Jones K, Nguyen QD, Zhu Z, Wei K, Zhu Q, Signoretti S, Freeman GJ, Hemberg M, Marasco WA. Immune-restoring CAR-T cells display antitumor activity and reverse immunosuppressive TME in a humanized ccRCC mouse model. iScience 2024; 27:108879. [PMID: 38327771 PMCID: PMC10847687 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108879] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the major barriers that have restricted successful use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in the treatment of solid tumors is an unfavorable tumor microenvironment (TME). We engineered CAR-T cells targeting carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) to secrete anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), termed immune-restoring (IR) CAR G36-PDL1. We tested CAR-T cells in a humanized clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) orthotopic mouse model with reconstituted human leukocyte antigen (HLA) partially matched human leukocytes derived from fetal CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and bearing human ccRCC skrc-59 cells under the kidney capsule. G36-PDL1 CAR-T cells, haploidentical to the tumor cells, had a potent antitumor effect compared to those without immune-restoring effect. Analysis of the TME revealed that G36-PDL1 CAR-T cells restored active antitumor immunity by promoting tumor-killing cytotoxicity, reducing immunosuppressive cell components such as M2 macrophages and exhausted CD8+ T cells, and enhancing T follicular helper (Tfh)-B cell crosstalk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Wang
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jae-Won Cho
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gabriella Kastrunes
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Alicia Buck
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Cecile Razimbaud
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Aedin C. Culhane
- School of Medicine, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland
| | - Jiusong Sun
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - David A. Braun
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Center of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06525, USA
| | - Toni K. Choueiri
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Catherine J. Wu
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kristen Jones
- Lurie Family Imaging Center, Center for Biomedical Imaging in Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Quang-De Nguyen
- Lurie Family Imaging Center, Center for Biomedical Imaging in Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Zhu Zhu
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kevin Wei
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Quan Zhu
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sabina Signoretti
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gordon J. Freeman
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Martin Hemberg
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wayne A. Marasco
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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6
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Yue H, Bai L. Progress, implications, and challenges in using humanized immune system mice in CAR-T therapy-Application evaluation and improvement. Animal Model Exp Med 2024; 7:3-11. [PMID: 37823214 PMCID: PMC10961865 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12353] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, humanized immune system (HIS) mice have been gradually used as models for preclinical research in pharmacotherapies and cell therapies with major breakthroughs in tumor and other fields, better mimicking the human immune system and the tumor immune microenvironment, compared to traditional immunodeficient mice. To better promote the application of HIS mice in preclinical research, we selectively summarize the current prevalent and breakthrough research and evaluation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) -T cells in various antiviral and antitumor treatments. By exploring its application in preclinical research, we find that it can better reflect the actual clinical patient condition, with the advantages of providing high-efficiency detection indicators, even for progressive research and development. We believe that it has better clinical patient simulation and promotion for the updated design of CAR-T cell therapy than directly transplanted immunodeficient mice. The characteristics of the main models are proposed to improve the use defects of the existing models by reducing the limitation of antihost reaction, combining multiple models, and unifying sources and organoid substitution. Strategy study of relapse and toxicity after CAR-T treatment also provides more possibilities for application and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanwei Yue
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Animal SciencesCAMS and PUMCChao‐yang District, BeijingChina
| | - Lin Bai
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Animal SciencesCAMS and PUMCChao‐yang District, BeijingChina
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7
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Habowski AN, Budagavi DP, Scherer SD, Aurora AB, Caligiuri G, Flynn WF, Langer EM, Brody JR, Sears RC, Foggetti G, Arnal Estape A, Nguyen DX, Politi KA, Shen X, Hsu DS, Peehl DM, Kurhanewicz J, Sriram R, Suarez M, Xiao S, Du Y, Li XN, Navone NM, Labanca E, Willey CD. Patient-Derived Models of Cancer in the NCI PDMC Consortium: Selection, Pitfalls, and Practical Recommendations. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:565. [PMID: 38339316 PMCID: PMC10854945 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030565] [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] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
For over a century, early researchers sought to study biological organisms in a laboratory setting, leading to the generation of both in vitro and in vivo model systems. Patient-derived models of cancer (PDMCs) have more recently come to the forefront of preclinical cancer models and are even finding their way into clinical practice as part of functional precision medicine programs. The PDMC Consortium, supported by the Division of Cancer Biology in the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, seeks to understand the biological principles that govern the various PDMC behaviors, particularly in response to perturbagens, such as cancer therapeutics. Based on collective experience from the consortium groups, we provide insight regarding PDMCs established both in vitro and in vivo, with a focus on practical matters related to developing and maintaining key cancer models through a series of vignettes. Although every model has the potential to offer valuable insights, the choice of the right model should be guided by the research question. However, recognizing the inherent constraints in each model is crucial. Our objective here is to delineate the strengths and limitations of each model as established by individual vignettes. Further advances in PDMCs and the development of novel model systems will enable us to better understand human biology and improve the study of human pathology in the lab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber N. Habowski
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Long Island, NY 11724, USA; (A.N.H.); (D.P.B.); (G.C.)
| | - Deepthi P. Budagavi
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Long Island, NY 11724, USA; (A.N.H.); (D.P.B.); (G.C.)
| | - Sandra D. Scherer
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
| | - Arin B. Aurora
- Children’s Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX 75235, USA;
| | - Giuseppina Caligiuri
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Long Island, NY 11724, USA; (A.N.H.); (D.P.B.); (G.C.)
| | | | - Ellen M. Langer
- Division of Oncological Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Jonathan R. Brody
- Department of Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Rosalie C. Sears
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | | | - Anna Arnal Estape
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA;
| | - Don X. Nguyen
- Department of Pathology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; (D.X.N.); (K.A.P.)
| | - Katerina A. Politi
- Department of Pathology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; (D.X.N.); (K.A.P.)
| | - Xiling Shen
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA;
| | - David S. Hsu
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA;
| | - Donna M. Peehl
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; (D.M.P.); (J.K.); (R.S.)
| | - John Kurhanewicz
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; (D.M.P.); (J.K.); (R.S.)
| | - Renuka Sriram
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; (D.M.P.); (J.K.); (R.S.)
| | - Milagros Suarez
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; (M.S.); (S.X.); (Y.D.); (X.-N.L.)
| | - Sophie Xiao
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; (M.S.); (S.X.); (Y.D.); (X.-N.L.)
| | - Yuchen Du
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; (M.S.); (S.X.); (Y.D.); (X.-N.L.)
| | - Xiao-Nan Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; (M.S.); (S.X.); (Y.D.); (X.-N.L.)
| | - Nora M. Navone
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (N.M.N.)
| | - Estefania Labanca
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (N.M.N.)
| | - Christopher D. Willey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
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8
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Thompson J, Saad MI. Patient-Derived Xenografts: Historical Evolution, Immunocompromised Host Models, and Translational Significance. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2806:1-8. [PMID: 38676791 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3858-3_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) represent a critical advancement in preclinical cancer research, wherein human tumor samples are implanted into animal models for evaluation of therapeutic responses. PDXs have emerged as indispensable tools in translational cancer research, facilitating investigation into tumor microenvironments and personalized medicine. This chapter elucidates the historical evolution of PDXs, from early attempts in the eighteenth century to contemporary immunocompromised host models that enhance engraftment success.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Thompson
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Mohamed I Saad
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
- South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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9
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Bhattacharya A, Alam K, Roy NS, Kaur K, Kaity S, Ravichandiran V, Roy S. Exploring the interaction between extracellular matrix components in a 3D organoid disease model to replicate the pathophysiology of breast cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:343. [PMID: 38102637 PMCID: PMC10724947 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02926-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In vitro models are necessary to study the pathophysiology of the disease and the development of effective, tailored treatment methods owing to the complexity and heterogeneity of breast cancer and the large population affected by it. The cellular connections and tumor microenvironments observed in vivo are often not recapitulated in conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. Therefore, developing 3D in vitro models that mimic the complex architecture and physiological circumstances of breast tumors is crucial for advancing our understanding of the illness. A 3D scaffold-free in vitro disease model mimics breast cancer pathophysiology by allowing cells to self-assemble/pattern into 3D structures, in contrast with other 3D models that rely on artificial scaffolds. It is possible that this model, whether applied to breast tumors using patient-derived primary cells (fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and cancer cells), can accurately replicate the observed heterogeneity. The complicated interactions between different cell types are modelled by integrating critical components of the tumor microenvironment, such as the extracellular matrix, vascular endothelial cells, and tumor growth factors. Tissue interactions, immune cell infiltration, and the effects of the milieu on drug resistance can be studied using this scaffold-free 3D model. The scaffold-free 3D in vitro disease model for mimicking tumor pathophysiology in breast cancer is a useful tool for studying the molecular basis of the disease, identifying new therapeutic targets, and evaluating treatment modalities. It provides a more physiologically appropriate high-throughput platform for screening large compound library in a 96-384 well format. We critically discussed the rapid development of personalized treatment strategies and accelerated drug screening platforms to close the gap between traditional 2D cell culture and in vivo investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamitra Bhattacharya
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700054, India
| | - Kamare Alam
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700054, India
| | - Nakka Sharmila Roy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700054, India
| | - Kulwinder Kaur
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine a Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Anatomy & Regenerative Medicine, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Santanu Kaity
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700054, India
| | - Velayutham Ravichandiran
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700054, India
| | - Subhadeep Roy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700054, India.
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10
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Sato Y, Nathan A, Shipp S, Wright JF, Tate KM, Wani P, Roncarolo MG, Bacchetta R. A novel FOXP3 knockout-humanized mouse model for pre-clinical safety and efficacy evaluation of Treg-like cell products. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 31:101150. [PMID: 38027059 PMCID: PMC10679769 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.101150] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is an essential transcription factor for regulatory T cell (Treg) function. Defects in Tregs mediate many immune diseases including the monogenic autoimmune disease immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome (IPEX), which is caused by FOXP3 mutations. Treg cell products are a promising modality to induce allograft tolerance or reduce the use of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection, as well as in the treatment of acquired autoimmune diseases. We have recently opened a phase I clinical trial for IPEX patients using autologous engineered Treg-like cells, CD4LVFOXP3. To facilitate the pre-clinical studies, a novel humanized-mouse (hu-mouse) model was developed whereby immune-deficient mice were transplanted with human hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) in which the FOXP3 gene was knocked out (FOXP3KO) using CRISPR-Cas9. Mice transplanted with FOXP3KO HSPCs had impaired survival, developed lymphoproliferation 10-12 weeks post-transplant and T cell infiltration of the gut, resembling human IPEX. Strikingly, injection of CD4LVFOXP3 into the FOXP3KO hu-mice restored in vivo regulatory functions, including control of lymphoproliferation and inhibition of T cell infiltration in the colon. This hu-mouse disease model can be reproducibly established and constitutes an ideal model to assess pre-clinical efficacy of human Treg cell investigational products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Sato
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Abinaya Nathan
- Center for Definitive Curative Medicine (CDCM) Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Suzette Shipp
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - John Fraser Wright
- Center for Definitive Curative Medicine (CDCM) Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Keri Marie Tate
- Laboratory for Cell and Gene Medicine (LCGM) Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Prachi Wani
- Laboratory for Cell and Gene Medicine (LCGM) Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Maria-Grazia Roncarolo
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Center for Definitive Curative Medicine (CDCM) Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Rosa Bacchetta
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Center for Definitive Curative Medicine (CDCM) Stanford University School of Medicine, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, 265 Campus Drive West, Room 3039, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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11
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Chehelgerdi M, Behdarvand Dehkordi F, Chehelgerdi M, Kabiri H, Salehian-Dehkordi H, Abdolvand M, Salmanizadeh S, Rashidi M, Niazmand A, Ahmadi S, Feizbakhshan S, Kabiri S, Vatandoost N, Ranjbarnejad T. Exploring the promising potential of induced pluripotent stem cells in cancer research and therapy. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:189. [PMID: 38017433 PMCID: PMC10683363 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01873-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of iPSCs has brought about a significant transformation in stem cell research, opening up promising avenues for advancing cancer treatment. The formation of cancer is a multifaceted process influenced by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. iPSCs offer a distinctive platform for investigating the origin of cancer, paving the way for novel approaches to cancer treatment, drug testing, and tailored medical interventions. This review article will provide an overview of the science behind iPSCs, the current limitations and challenges in iPSC-based cancer therapy, the ethical and social implications, and the comparative analysis with other stem cell types for cancer treatment. The article will also discuss the applications of iPSCs in tumorigenesis, the future of iPSCs in tumorigenesis research, and highlight successful case studies utilizing iPSCs in tumorigenesis research. The conclusion will summarize the advancements made in iPSC-based tumorigenesis research and the importance of continued investment in iPSC research to unlock the full potential of these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matin Chehelgerdi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Behdarvand Dehkordi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mohammad Chehelgerdi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran.
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Hamidreza Kabiri
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Abdolvand
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sharareh Salmanizadeh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Hezar-Jereeb Street, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Iran
| | - Mohsen Rashidi
- Department Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- The Health of Plant and Livestock Products Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Anoosha Niazmand
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Saba Ahmadi
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Sara Feizbakhshan
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Saber Kabiri
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Nasimeh Vatandoost
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Tayebeh Ranjbarnejad
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
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12
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Kauffman K, Manfra D, Nowakowska D, Zafari M, Nguyen PA, Phennicie R, Vollmann EH, O'Nuallain B, Basinski S, Komoroski V, Rooney K, Culyba EK, Wahle J, Ries C, Brehm M, Sazinsky S, Feldman I, Novobrantseva TI. PSGL-1 Blockade Induces Classical Activation of Human Tumor-associated Macrophages. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:2182-2194. [PMID: 37819238 PMCID: PMC10601817 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The immune suppressive microenvironment is a major culprit for difficult-to-treat solid cancers. Particularly, inhibitory tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) define the resistant nature of the tumor milieu. To define tumor-enabling mechanisms of TAMs, we analyzed molecular clinical datasets correlating cell surface receptors with the TAM infiltrate. Though P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) is found on other immune cells and functions as an adhesion molecule, PSGL-1 is highly expressed on TAMs across multiple tumor types. siRNA-mediated knockdown and antibody-mediated inhibition revealed a role for PSGL-1 in maintaining an immune suppressed macrophage state. PSGL-1 knockdown or inhibition enhanced proinflammatory mediator release across assays and donors in vitro. In several syngeneic mouse models, PSGL-1 blockade alone and in combination with PD-1 blockade reduced tumor growth. Using a humanized tumor model, we observed the proinflammatory TAM switch following treatment with an anti-PSGL-1 antibody. In ex vivo patient-derived tumor cultures, a PSGL-1 blocking antibody increased expression of macrophage-derived proinflammatory cytokines, as well as IFNγ, indicative of T-cell activation. Our data demonstrate that PSGL-1 blockade reprograms TAMs, offering a new therapeutic avenue to patients not responding to T-cell immunotherapies, as well as patients with tumors devoid of T cells. SIGNIFICANCE This work is a significant and actionable advance, as it offers a novel approach to treating patients with cancer who do not respond to T-cell checkpoint inhibitors, as well as to patients with tumors lacking T-cell infiltration. We expect that this mechanism will be applicable in multiple indications characterized by infiltration of TAMs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kate Rooney
- Verseau Therapeutics, Auburndale, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Carola Ries
- Dr. Carola Ries Consulting, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Michael Brehm
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | | | - Igor Feldman
- Verseau Therapeutics, Auburndale, Massachusetts
- Currently employed by Moderna Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Tatiana I. Novobrantseva
- Verseau Therapeutics, Auburndale, Massachusetts
- Currently employed by Moderna Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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13
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Chan WS, Mo X, Ip PPC, Tse KY. Patient-derived organoid culture in epithelial ovarian cancers-Techniques, applications, and future perspectives. Cancer Med 2023; 12:19714-19731. [PMID: 37776168 PMCID: PMC10587945 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a heterogeneous disease composed of different cell types with different molecular aberrations. Traditional cell lines and mice models cannot recapitulate the human tumor biology and tumor microenvironment (TME). Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) are freshly derived from patients' tissues and are then cultured with extracellular matrix and conditioned medium. The high concordance of epigenetic, genomic, and proteomic landscapes between the parental tumors and PDOs suggests that PDOs can provide more reliable results in studying cancer biology, allowing high throughput drug screening, and identifying their associated signaling pathways and resistance mechanisms. However, despite having a heterogeneity of cells in PDOs, some cells in TME will be lost during the culture process. Next-generation organoids have been developed to circumvent some of the limitations. Genetically engineered organoids involving targeted gene editing can facilitate the understanding of tumorigenesis and drug response. Co-culture systems where PDOs are cultured with different cell components like immune cells can allow research using immunotherapy which is otherwise impossible in conventional cell lines. In this review, the limitations of the traditional in vitro and in vivo assays, the use of PDOs, the challenges including some tips and tricks of PDO generation in EOC, and the future perspectives, will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai Sun Chan
- Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologyThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SAR
| | - Xuetang Mo
- Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologyThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SAR
| | | | - Ka Yu Tse
- Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologyThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SAR
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14
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Jin J, Yoshimura K, Sewastjanow-Silva M, Song S, Ajani JA. Challenges and Prospects of Patient-Derived Xenografts for Cancer Research. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4352. [PMID: 37686627 PMCID: PMC10486659 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15174352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We discuss the importance of the in vivo models in elucidating cancer biology, focusing on the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, which are classic and standard functional in vivo platforms for preclinical evaluation. We provide an overview of the most representative models, including cell-derived xenografts (CDX), tumor and metastatic cell-derived xenografts, and PDX models utilizing humanized mice (HM). The orthotopic models, which could reproduce the cancer environment and its progression, similar to human tumors, are particularly common. The standard procedures and rationales of gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) orthotopic models are addressed. Despite the significant advantages of the PDX models, such as recapitulating key features of human tumors and enabling drug testing in the in vivo context, some challenges must be acknowledged, including loss of heterogeneity, selection bias, clonal evolution, stroma replacement, tumor micro-environment (TME) changes, host cell carryover and contaminations, human-to-host cell oncogenic transformation, human and host viral infections, as well as limitations for immunologic research. To compensate for these limitations, other mouse models, such as syngeneic and humanized mouse models, are currently utilized. Overall, the PDX models represent a powerful tool in cancer research, providing critical insights into tumor biology and potential therapeutic targets, but their limitations and challenges must be carefully considered for their effective use. Lastly, we present an intronic quantitative PCR (qPCR) method to authenticate, detect, and quantify human/murine cells in cell lines and PDX samples.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shumei Song
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.J.); (K.Y.); (M.S.-S.)
| | - Jaffer A. Ajani
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.J.); (K.Y.); (M.S.-S.)
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15
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Liew YX, Karen-Ng LP, Vincent-Chong VK. A Comprehensive Review of Natural Products as Therapeutic or Chemopreventive Agents against Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells Using Preclinical Models. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2359. [PMID: 37760799 PMCID: PMC10525836 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a type of cancer that arises from the epithelium lining of the oral cavity, hypopharynx, oropharynx, and larynx. Despite the advancement of current treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, the overall survival rate of patients afflicted with HNSCC remains poor. The reasons for these poor outcomes are due to late diagnoses and patient-acquired resistance to treatment. Natural products have been extensively explored as a safer and more acceptable alternative therapy to the current treatments, with numerous studies displaying their potential against HNSCC. This review highlights preclinical studies in the past 5 years involving natural products against HNSCC and explores the signaling pathways altered by these products. This review also addresses challenges and future directions of natural products as chemotherapeutic and chemoprevention agents against HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoon Xuan Liew
- Oral Cancer Research & Coordinating Centre (OCRCC), Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia;
| | - Lee Peng Karen-Ng
- Oral Cancer Research & Coordinating Centre (OCRCC), Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia;
| | - Vui King Vincent-Chong
- Department of Oral Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
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16
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Morris VS, Ghazi H, Fletcher DM, Guinn BA. A Direct Comparison, and Prioritisation, of the Immunotherapeutic Targets Expressed by Adult and Paediatric Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Cells: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9667. [PMID: 37298623 PMCID: PMC10253696 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119667] [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: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is characterized by impaired myeloid differentiation resulting in an accumulation of immature blasts in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. Although AML can occur at any age, the incidence peaks at age 65. The pathobiology of AML also varies with age with associated differences in incidence, as well as the frequency of cytogenetic change and somatic mutations. In addition, 5-year survival rates in paediatrics are 60-75% but fall to 5-15% in older AML patients. This systematic review aimed to determine whether the altered genes in AML affect the same molecular pathways, indifferent of patient age, and, therefore, whether patients could benefit from the repurposing drugs or the use of the same immunotherapeutic strategies across age boundaries to prevent relapse. Using a PICO framework and PRISMA-P checklist, relevant publications were identified using five literature databases and assessed against an inclusion criteria, leaving 36 articles, and 71 targets for therapy, for further analysis. QUADAS-2 was used to determine the risk of bias and perform a quality control step. We then priority-ranked the list of cancer antigens based on predefined and pre-weighted objective criteria as part of an analytical hierarchy process used for dealing with complex decisions. This organized the antigens according to their potential to act as targets for the immunotherapy of AML, a treatment that offers an opportunity to remove residual leukaemia cells at first remission and improve survival rates. It was found that 80% of the top 20 antigens identified in paediatric AML were also within the 20 highest scoring immunotherapy targets in adult AML. To analyse the relationships between the targets and their link to different molecular pathways, PANTHER and STRING analyses were performed on the 20 highest scoring immunotherapy targets for both adult and paediatric AML. There were many similarities in the PANTHER and STRING results, including the most prominent pathways being angiogenesis and inflammation mediated by chemokine and cytokine signalling pathways. The coincidence of targets suggests that the repurposing of immunotherapy drugs across age boundaries could benefit AML patients, especially when used in combination with conventional therapies. However, due to cost implications, we would recommend that efforts are focused on ways to target the highest scoring antigens, such as WT1, NRAS, IDH1 and TP53, although in the future other candidates may prove successful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa S. Morris
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Hull, Kingston upon Hull HU6 7RX, UK;
| | - Hanya Ghazi
- Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Kingston upon Hull HU6 7RX, UK;
| | - Daniel M. Fletcher
- Centre for Biomedicine, Hull York Medical School, Kingston upon Hull HU6 7RX, UK;
| | - Barbara-ann Guinn
- Centre for Biomedicine, Hull York Medical School, Kingston upon Hull HU6 7RX, UK;
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17
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Kanaya N, Kitamura Y, Vazquez ML, Franco A, Chen KS, van Schaik TA, Farzani TA, Borges P, Ichinose T, Seddiq W, Kuroda S, Boland G, Jahan N, Fisher D, Wakimoto H, Shah K. Gene-edited and -engineered stem cell platform drives immunotherapy for brain metastatic melanomas. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eade8732. [PMID: 37256936 PMCID: PMC10799631 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.ade8732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Oncolytic virus therapy has shown activity against primary melanomas; however, its efficacy in brain metastases remains challenging, mainly because of the delivery and immunosuppressive nature of tumors in the brain. To address this challenge, we first established PTEN-deficient melanoma brain metastasis mouse models and characterized them to be more immunosuppressive compared with primary melanoma, mimicking the clinical settings. Next, we developed an allogeneic twin stem cell (TSC) system composed of two tumor-targeting stem cell (SC) populations. One SC was loaded with oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV), and the other SC was CRISPR-Cas9 gene-edited to knock out nectin 1 (N1) receptor (N1KO) to acquire resistance to oHSV and release immunomodulators, such as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Using mouse models of brain metastatic BRAFV600E/PTEN-/- and BRAFV600E/wt/PTEN-/- mutant melanomas, we show that locoregional delivery of TSCs releasing oHSV and GM-CSF (TSC-G) activated dendritic cell- and T cell-mediated immune responses. In addition, our strategy exhibited greater therapeutic efficacy when compared with the existing oncolytic viral therapeutic approaches. Moreover, the TSCs composed of SC-oHSV and SCN1KO-releasing GM-CSF and single-chain variable fragment anti-PD-1 (TSC-G/P) had therapeutic efficacy in both syngeneic and patient-derived humanized mouse models of leptomeningeal metastasis. Our findings provide a promising allogeneic SC-based immunotherapeutic strategy against melanomas in the CNS and a road map toward clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuhiko Kanaya
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yohei Kitamura
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Maria Lopez Vazquez
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Arnaldo Franco
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kok-Siong Chen
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Thijs A. van Schaik
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Touraj Aligholipour Farzani
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Paulo Borges
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Toru Ichinose
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Waleed Seddiq
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shinji Kuroda
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Genevieve Boland
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nusrat Jahan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David Fisher
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hiroaki Wakimoto
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Khalid Shah
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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18
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Miyamura N, Suzuki K, Friedman RA, Floratos A, Kunisada Y, Masuda K, Lowy AM, Tsuji M, Sugahara KN. A pancreatic cancer mouse model with human immunity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.24.542127. [PMID: 37292766 PMCID: PMC10245824 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.24.542127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) that promotes resistance to immunotherapy. A preclinical model system that facilitates studies of the TIME and its impact on the responsiveness of human PDAC to immunotherapies remains an unmet need. We report a novel mouse model, which develops metastatic human PDAC that becomes infiltrated by human immune cells recapitulating the TIME of human PDAC. The model may serve as a versatile platform to study the nature of human PDAC TIME and its response to various treatments.
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19
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Aryee KE, Shultz LD, Burzenski LM, Greiner DL, Brehm MA. NOD-scid IL2rγnull mice lacking TLR4 support human immune system development and the study of human-specific innate immunity. J Leukoc Biol 2023; 113:418-433. [PMID: 36801998 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiac020] [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: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Agents that induce inflammation have been used since the 18th century for the treatment of cancer. The inflammation induced by agents such as Toll-like receptor agonists is thought to stimulate tumor-specific immunity in patients and augment control of tumor burden. While NOD-scid IL2rγnull mice lack murine adaptive immunity (T cells and B cells), these mice maintain a residual murine innate immune system that responds to Toll-like receptor agonists. Here we describe a novel NOD-scid IL2rγnull mouse lacking murine TLR4 that fails to respond to lipopolysaccharide. NSG-Tlr4null mice support human immune system engraftment and enable the study of human-specific responses to TLR4 agonists in the absence of the confounding effects of a murine response. Our data demonstrate that specific stimulation of TLR4 activates human innate immune systems and delays the growth kinetics of a human patient-derived xenograft melanoma tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken-Edwin Aryee
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Diabetes Center of Excellence, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, AS7-2053, Worcester, MA 01605, United States
| | - Leonard D Shultz
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, United States
| | - Lisa M Burzenski
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, United States
| | - Dale L Greiner
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Diabetes Center of Excellence, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, AS7-2053, Worcester, MA 01605, United States
| | - Michael A Brehm
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Diabetes Center of Excellence, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, AS7-2053, Worcester, MA 01605, United States
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20
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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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21
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Relouw S, Dugbartey GJ, Sener A. Non-Invasive Imaging Modalities in Intravesical Murine Models of Bladder Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15082381. [PMID: 37190309 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer (BCa) is the sixth most prevalent cancer in men and seventeenth most prevalent cancer in women worldwide. Current treatment paradigms have limited therapeutic impact, suggesting an urgent need for the investigation of novel therapies. To best emulate the progression of human BCa, a pre-clinical intravesical murine model is required in conjunction with existing non-invasive imaging modalities to detect and evaluate cancer progression. Non-invasive imaging modalities reduce the number of required experimental models while allowing for longitudinal studies of novel therapies to investigate long-term efficacy. In this review, we discuss the individual and multi-modal use of non-invasive imaging modalities; bioluminescence imaging (BLI), micro-ultrasound imaging (MUI), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) in BCa evaluation. We also provide an update on the potential and the future directions of imaging modalities in relation to intravesical murine models of BCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney Relouw
- Matthew Mailing Center for Translational Transplant Studies, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - George J Dugbartey
- Matthew Mailing Center for Translational Transplant Studies, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra P.O. Box LG 1181, Ghana
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada
- Multi-Organ Transplant Program, London Health Sciences Center, London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada
| | - Alp Sener
- Matthew Mailing Center for Translational Transplant Studies, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada
- Multi-Organ Transplant Program, London Health Sciences Center, London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada
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22
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Visalakshan RM, Lowrey MK, Sousa MGC, Helms HR, Samiea A, Schutt CE, Moreau JM, Bertassoni LE. Opportunities and challenges to engineer 3D models of tumor-adaptive immune interactions. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1162905. [PMID: 37081897 PMCID: PMC10110941 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1162905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Augmenting adaptive immunity is a critical goal for developing next-generation cancer therapies. T and B cells infiltrating the tumor dramatically influence cancer progression through complex interactions with the local microenvironment. Cancer cells evade and limit these immune responses by hijacking normal immunologic pathways. Current experimental models using conventional primary cells, cell lines, or animals have limitations for studying cancer-immune interactions directly relevant to human biology and clinical translation. Therefore, engineering methods to emulate such interplay at local and systemic levels are crucial to expedite the development of better therapies and diagnostic tools. In this review, we discuss the challenges, recent advances, and future directions toward engineering the tumor-immune microenvironment (TME), including key elements of adaptive immunity. We first offer an overview of the recent research that has advanced our understanding of the role of the adaptive immune system in the tumor microenvironment. Next, we discuss recent developments in 3D in-vitro models and engineering approaches that have been used to study the interaction of cancer and stromal cells with B and T lymphocytes. We summarize recent advancement in 3D bioengineering and discuss the need for 3D tumor models that better incorporate elements of the complex interplay of adaptive immunity and the tumor microenvironment. Finally, we provide a perspective on current challenges and future directions for modeling cancer-immune interactions aimed at identifying new biological targets for diagnostics and therapeutics.
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23
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Gillespie MS, Ward CM, Davies CC. DNA Repair and Therapeutic Strategies in Cancer Stem Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:1897. [PMID: 36980782 PMCID: PMC10047301 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15061897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
First-line cancer treatments successfully eradicate the differentiated tumour mass but are comparatively ineffective against cancer stem cells (CSCs), a self-renewing subpopulation thought to be responsible for tumour initiation, metastasis, heterogeneity, and recurrence. CSCs are thus presented as the principal target for elimination during cancer treatment. However, CSCs are challenging to drug target because of numerous intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms of drug resistance. One such mechanism that remains relatively understudied is the DNA damage response (DDR). CSCs are presumed to possess properties that enable enhanced DNA repair efficiency relative to their highly proliferative bulk progeny, facilitating improved repair of double-strand breaks induced by radiotherapy and most chemotherapeutics. This can occur through multiple mechanisms, including increased expression and splicing fidelity of DNA repair genes, robust activation of cell cycle checkpoints, and elevated homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair. Herein, we summarise the current knowledge concerning improved genome integrity in non-transformed stem cells and CSCs, discuss therapeutic opportunities within the DDR for re-sensitising CSCs to genotoxic stressors, and consider the challenges posed regarding unbiased identification of novel DDR-directed strategies in CSCs. A better understanding of the DDR mediating chemo/radioresistance mechanisms in CSCs could lead to novel therapeutic approaches, thereby enhancing treatment efficacy in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Gillespie
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (M.S.G.)
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Ciara M. Ward
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (M.S.G.)
| | - Clare C. Davies
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (M.S.G.)
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24
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Chuprin J, Buettner H, Seedhom MO, Greiner DL, Keck JG, Ishikawa F, Shultz LD, Brehm MA. Humanized mouse models for immuno-oncology research. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:192-206. [PMID: 36635480 PMCID: PMC10593256 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-022-00721-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 64.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment paradigm for many malignancies and is transforming the drug development landscape. Although immunotherapeutic agents have demonstrated clinical efficacy, they are associated with variable clinical responses, and substantial gaps remain in our understanding of their mechanisms of action and specific biomarkers of response. Currently, the number of preclinical models that faithfully recapitulate interactions between the human immune system and tumours and enable evaluation of human-specific immunotherapies in vivo is limited. Humanized mice, a term that refers to immunodeficient mice co-engrafted with human tumours and immune components, provide several advantages for immuno-oncology research. In this Review, we discuss the benefits and challenges of the currently available humanized mice, including specific interactions between engrafted human tumours and immune components, the development and survival of human innate immune populations in these mice, and approaches to study mice engrafted with matched patient tumours and immune cells. We highlight the latest advances in the generation of humanized mouse models, with the aim of providing a guide for their application to immuno-oncology studies with potential for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Chuprin
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Hannah Buettner
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Surgery, The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Mina O Seedhom
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Dale L Greiner
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Michael A Brehm
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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25
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Recent Developments in NSG and NRG Humanized Mouse Models for Their Use in Viral and Immune Research. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020478. [PMID: 36851692 PMCID: PMC9962986 DOI: 10.3390/v15020478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Humanized mouse models have been widely used in virology, immunology, and oncology in the last decade. With advances in the generation of knockout mouse strains, it is now possible to generate animals in which human immune cells or human tissue can be engrafted. These models have been used for the study of human infectious diseases, cancers, and autoimmune diseases. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of humanized mice to model human-specific viral infections. A human immune system in these models is crucial to understand the pathogenesis observed in human patients, which allows for better treatment design and vaccine development. Recent advances in our knowledge about viral pathogenicity and immune response using NSG and NRG mice are reviewed in this paper.
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26
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5-Azacytidine-Mediated Modulation of the Immune Microenvironment in Murine Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 15:cancers15010118. [PMID: 36612115 PMCID: PMC9817798 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15010118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells accumulate epigenetic modifications that allow escape from intrinsic and extrinsic surveillance mechanisms. In the case of acute myeloid leukemias (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes, agents that disrupt chromatin structure, namely hypomethylating agents (HMAs), have shown tremendous promise as an alternate, milder treatment option for older, clinically non-fit patients. HMAs reprogram the epigenetic landscape in tumor cells through the reversal of DNA hypermethylation. Therapeutic effects resulting from these epigenetic changes are incredibly effective, sometimes resulting in complete remissions, but are frequently lost due to primary or acquired resistance. In this study, we describe syngeneic murine leukemias that are responsive to the HMA 5-azacytidine (5-Aza), as determined by augmented expression of a transduced luciferase reporter. We also found that 5-Aza treatment re-established immune-related transcript expression, suppressed leukemic burden and extended survival in leukemia-challenged mice. The effects of 5-Aza treatment were short-lived, and analysis of the immune microenvironment reveals possible mechanisms of resistance, such as simultaneous increase in immune checkpoint protein expression. This represents a model system that is highly responsive to HMAs and recapitulates major therapeutic outcomes observed in human leukemia (relapse) and may serve as a pre-clinical tool for studying acquired resistance and novel treatment combinations.
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27
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A roadmap for translational cancer glycoimmunology at single cell resolution. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:143. [PMID: 35428302 PMCID: PMC9013178 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02335-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells can evade immune responses by exploiting inhibitory immune checkpoints. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies based on anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies have been extensively explored over the recent years to unleash otherwise compromised anti-cancer immune responses. However, it is also well established that immune suppression is a multifactorial process involving an intricate crosstalk between cancer cells and the immune systems. The cancer glycome is emerging as a relevant source of immune checkpoints governing immunosuppressive behaviour in immune cells, paving an avenue for novel immunotherapeutic options. This review addresses the current state-of-the-art concerning the role played by glycans controlling innate and adaptive immune responses, while shedding light on available experimental models for glycoimmunology. We also emphasize the tremendous progress observed in the development of humanized models for immunology, the paramount contribution of advances in high-throughput single-cell analysis in this context, and the importance of including predictive machine learning algorithms in translational research. This may constitute an important roadmap for glycoimmunology, supporting careful adoption of models foreseeing clinical translation of fundamental glycobiology knowledge towards next generation immunotherapies.
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28
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Guo J, Wang S, Gao Q. Can next-generation humanized mice that reconstituted with both functional human immune system and hepatocytes model the progression of viral hepatitis to hepatocarcinogenesis? Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1002260. [PMID: 36213658 PMCID: PMC9537463 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1002260] [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: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infections cause liver immunopathological diseases such as hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinomas, which are difficult to treat and continue to be major health problems globally. Due to the species-specific hepato-tropism of HBV and HCV, conventional rodent models are limited in their utility for studying the infection and associated liver immunopathogenesis. Humanized mice reconstituted with both functional human immune system and hepatocytes (HIS-HuHEP mice) have been extremely instrumental for in vivo studies of HBV or HCV infection and human-specific aspects of the progression of liver immunopathogenesis. However, none of the current HIS-HuHEP mice can model the progression of viral hepatitis to hepatocarcinogenesis which may be a notorious result of HBV or HCV chronic infection in patients, suggesting that they were functionally compromised and that there is still significant space to improve and establish next-generation of HIS-HuHEP mice with more sophisticated functions. In this review, we first summarize the principal requirements to establish HIS-HuHEP mice. We then discuss the respective protocols for current HIS-HuHEP mice and their applications, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. We also raise perspectives for further improving and establishing next-generation HIS-HuHEP mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglong Guo
- Department of Cardiovascular Disease, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Siyue Wang
- Graduate Program in Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Qi Gao
- Department of Cardiovascular Disease, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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29
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Schwark K, Messinger D, Cummings JR, Bradin J, Kawakibi A, Babila CM, Lyons S, Ji S, Cartaxo RT, Kong S, Cantor E, Koschmann C, Yadav VN. Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) targeting in pediatric high-grade glioma and diffuse midline glioma: Pre-clinical models and precision medicine. Front Oncol 2022; 12:922928. [PMID: 35978801 PMCID: PMC9376238 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.922928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG), including both diffuse midline glioma (DMG) and non-midline tumors, continues to be one of the deadliest oncologic diagnoses (both henceforth referred to as “pHGG”). Targeted therapy options aimed at key oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) drivers using small-molecule RTK inhibitors has been extensively studied, but the absence of proper in vivo modeling that recapitulate pHGG biology has historically been a research challenge. Thankfully, there have been many recent advances in animal modeling, including Cre-inducible transgenic models, as well as intra-uterine electroporation (IUE) models, which closely recapitulate the salient features of human pHGG tumors. Over 20% of pHGG have been found in sequencing studies to have alterations in platelet derived growth factor-alpha (PDGFRA), making growth factor modeling and inhibition via targeted tyrosine kinases a rich vein of interest. With commonly found alterations in other growth factors, including FGFR, EGFR, VEGFR as well as RET, MET, and ALK, it is necessary to model those receptors, as well. Here we review the recent advances in murine modeling and precision targeting of the most important RTKs in their clinical context. We additionally provide a review of current work in the field with several small molecule RTK inhibitors used in pre-clinical or clinical settings for treatment of pHGG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kallen Schwark
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Dana Messinger
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Jessica R. Cummings
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Joshua Bradin
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Abed Kawakibi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Clarissa M. Babila
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Samantha Lyons
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Sunjong Ji
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Rodrigo T. Cartaxo
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Seongbae Kong
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Evan Cantor
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Carl Koschmann
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Viveka Nand Yadav
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Research Institute (CMRI), Kansas, MO, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas, MO, United States
- *Correspondence: Viveka Nand Yadav,
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30
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Navarro-Serer B, Wood LD. Organoids: A Promising Preclinical Model for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Pancreas 2022; 51:608-616. [PMID: 36206467 DOI: 10.1097/mpa.0000000000002084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancer types, estimated to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States in 2030. The use of 3-dimensional culture systems has greatly expanded over the past few years, providing a valuable tool for the study of pancreatic cancer. In this review, we highlight some of the preclinical in vitro and in vivo models used in pancreatic cancer research, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, and focus on one of the recently used 3-dimensional culture models: organoids. Organoids are multicellular units derived from tissue samples and embedded within extracellular matrix gels after mechanical and enzymatic digestion. We define organoids, differentiate them from other 3-dimensional culture systems such as spheroids, and describe some applications of this model that have recently advanced our understanding of pancreatic cancer and its tumor microenvironment. Organoids have provided valuable insights into pancreatic cancer progression, heterogeneity, and invasion, and they have enabled the creation of biobanks, providing a platform for drug screening. In addition, we discuss some of the future directions and challenges in this model when addressing research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernat Navarro-Serer
- From the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
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31
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Wei Y, Amend B, Todenhöfer T, Lipke N, Aicher WK, Fend F, Stenzl A, Harland N. Urinary Tract Tumor Organoids Reveal Eminent Differences in Drug Sensitivities When Compared to 2-Dimensional Culture Systems. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116305. [PMID: 35682984 PMCID: PMC9181330 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Generation of organoids from urinary tract tumor samples was pioneered a few years ago. We generated organoids from two upper tract urothelial carcinomas and from one bladder cancer sample, and confirmed the expression of cytokeratins as urothelial antigens, vimentin as a mesenchymal marker, and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 by immunohistochemistry. We investigated the dose response curves of two novel components, venetoclax versus S63845, in comparison to the clinical standard cisplatin in organoids in comparison to the corresponding two-dimensional cultures. Normal urothelial cells and tumor lines RT4 and HT1197 served as controls. We report that upper tract urothelial carcinoma cells and bladder cancer cells in two-dimensional cultures yielded clearly different sensitivities towards venetoclax, S63845, and cisplatin. Two-dimensional cultures were more sensitive at low drug concentrations, while organoids yielded higher drug efficacies at higher doses. In some two-dimensional cell viability experiments, colorimetric assays yielded different IC50 toxicity levels when compared to chemiluminescence assays. Organoids exhibited distinct sensitivities towards cisplatin and to a somewhat lesser extent towards venetoclax or S63845, respectively, and significantly different sensitivities towards the three drugs investigated when compared to the corresponding two-dimensional cultures. We conclude that organoids maintained inter-individual sensitivities towards venetoclax, S63845, and cisplatin. The preclinical models and test systems employed may bias the results of cytotoxicity studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wei
- Center for Medicine Research, Eberhard Karls University, 72072 Tuebingen, Germany; (Y.W.); (N.L.); (W.K.A.)
| | - Bastian Amend
- Department of Urology, University Hospital, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (B.A.); (T.T.); (A.S.)
| | - Tilman Todenhöfer
- Department of Urology, University Hospital, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (B.A.); (T.T.); (A.S.)
| | - Nizar Lipke
- Center for Medicine Research, Eberhard Karls University, 72072 Tuebingen, Germany; (Y.W.); (N.L.); (W.K.A.)
| | - Wilhelm K. Aicher
- Center for Medicine Research, Eberhard Karls University, 72072 Tuebingen, Germany; (Y.W.); (N.L.); (W.K.A.)
| | - Falko Fend
- Institute for Pathology, Eberhard Karls University, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany;
| | - Arnulf Stenzl
- Department of Urology, University Hospital, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (B.A.); (T.T.); (A.S.)
| | - Niklas Harland
- Department of Urology, University Hospital, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (B.A.); (T.T.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-7071-298-6613
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32
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Genetically modified mice for research on human diseases: A triumph for Biotechnology or a work in progress? THE EUROBIOTECH JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.2478/ebtj-2022-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Genetically modified mice are engineered as models for human diseases. These mouse models include inbred strains, mutants, gene knockouts, gene knockins, and ‘humanized’ mice. Each mouse model is engineered to mimic a specific disease based on a theory of the genetic basis of that disease. For example, to test the amyloid theory of Alzheimer’s disease, mice with amyloid precursor protein genes are engineered, and to test the tau theory, mice with tau genes are engineered. This paper discusses the importance of mouse models in basic research, drug discovery, and translational research, and examines the question of how to define the “best” mouse model of a disease. The critiques of animal models and the caveats in translating the results from animal models to the treatment of human disease are discussed. Since many diseases are heritable, multigenic, age-related and experience-dependent, resulting from multiple gene-gene and gene-environment interactions, it will be essential to develop mouse models that reflect these genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors from a developmental perspective. Such models would provide further insight into disease emergence, progression and the ability to model two-hit and multi-hit theories of disease. The summary examines the biotechnology for creating genetically modified mice which reflect these factors and how they might be used to discover new treatments for complex human diseases such as cancers, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
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33
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Sahu U, Barth RF, Otani Y, McCormack R, Kaur B. Rat and Mouse Brain Tumor Models for Experimental Neuro-Oncology Research. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2022; 81:312-329. [PMID: 35446393 PMCID: PMC9113334 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlac021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodent brain tumor models have been useful for developing effective therapies for glioblastomas (GBMs). In this review, we first discuss the 3 most commonly used rat brain tumor models, the C6, 9L, and F98 gliomas, which are all induced by repeated injections of nitrosourea to adult rats. The C6 glioma arose in an outbred Wistar rat and its potential to evoke an alloimmune response is a serious limitation. The 9L gliosarcoma arose in a Fischer rat and is strongly immunogenic, which must be taken into consideration when using it for therapy studies. The F98 glioma may be the best of the 3 but it does not fully recapitulate human GBMs because it is weakly immunogenic. Next, we discuss a number of mouse models. The first are human patient-derived xenograft gliomas in immunodeficient mice. These have failed to reproduce the tumor-host interactions and microenvironment of human GBMs. Genetically engineered mouse models recapitulate the molecular alterations of GBMs in an immunocompetent environment and “humanized” mouse models repopulate with human immune cells. While the latter are rarely isogenic, expensive to produce, and challenging to use, they represent an important advance. The advantages and limitations of each of these brain tumor models are discussed. This information will assist investigators in selecting the most appropriate model for the specific focus of their research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Upasana Sahu
- From the Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Rolf F Barth
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Yoshihiro Otani
- From the Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ryan McCormack
- From the Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Balveen Kaur
- From the Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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34
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García-Gareta E, Pérez MÁ, García-Aznar JM. Decellularization of tumours: A new frontier in tissue engineering. J Tissue Eng 2022; 13:20417314221091682. [PMID: 35495097 PMCID: PMC9044784 DOI: 10.1177/20417314221091682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The tumour extracellular
matrix (ECM) has unique features in terms of composition and mechanical
properties, resulting in a structurally and chemically different ECM to that of
native, healthy tissues. This paper reviews to date the efforts into
decellularization of tumours, which in the authors’ view represents a new
frontier in the ever evolving field of tumour tissue engineering. An overview of
the ECM and its importance in cancer is given, ending with examples of research
using decellularized tumours, which has already indicated potential therapeutic
targets, unravelled malignancy mechanisms or response to chemotherapy agents.
The review highlights that more research is needed in this area, which can
answer important questions related to tumour formation and progression to
ultimately identify new and effective therapeutic targets. Within the
near-future of personalized medicine, this research can create patient-specific
tumour models and therapeutic regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena García-Gareta
- Aragonese Agency for R&D (ARAID) Foundation, Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain
- Division of Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - María Ángeles Pérez
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain
| | - José Manuel García-Aznar
- Multiscale in Mechanical & Biological Engineering Research Group, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), School of Engineering & Architecture, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain
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35
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Geh D, Leslie J, Rumney R, Reeves HL, Bird TG, Mann DA. Neutrophils as potential therapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 19:257-273. [PMID: 35022608 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-021-00568-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The success of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment contributed to a shift in systemic therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) towards combinations that include cancer immunotherapeutic agents. Thus far, the principal focus of cancer immunotherapy has been on interrupting immune checkpoints that suppress antitumour lymphocytes. As well as lymphocytes, the HCC environment includes numerous other immune cell types, among which neutrophils are emerging as an important contributor to the pathogenesis of HCC. A growing body of evidence supports neutrophils as key mediators of the immunosuppressive environment in which some cancers develop, as well as drivers of tumour progression. If neutrophils have a similar role in HCC, approaches that target or manipulate neutrophils might have therapeutic benefits, potentially including sensitization of tumours to conventional immunotherapy. Several neutrophil-directed therapies for patients with HCC (and other cancers) are now entering clinical trials. This Review outlines the evidence in support of neutrophils as drivers of HCC and details their mechanistic roles in development, progression and metastasis, highlighting the reasons that neutrophils are well worth investigating despite the challenges associated with studying them. Neutrophil-modulating anticancer therapies entering clinical trials are also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Geh
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Jack Leslie
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Rob Rumney
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Helen L Reeves
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- The Liver Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Multidisciplinary Team, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Thomas G Bird
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Derek A Mann
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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36
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Xi S, Yang YG, Suo J, Sun T. Research Progress on Gene Editing Based on Nano-Drug Delivery Vectors for Tumor Therapy. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:873369. [PMID: 35419357 PMCID: PMC8996155 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.873369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant tumors pose a serious threat to human health and have high fatality rates. Conventional clinical anti-tumor treatment is mainly based on traditional surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and interventional therapy, and even though these treatment methods are constantly updated, a satisfactory efficacy is yet to be obtained. Therefore, research on novel cancer treatments is being actively pursued. We review the classification of gene therapies of malignant tumors and their advantages, as well as the development of gene editing techniques. We further reveal the nano-drug delivery carrier effect in improving the efficiency of gene editing. Finally, we summarize the progress in recent years of gene editing techniques based on nano-drug delivery carriers in the treatment of various malignant tumors, and analyze the prospects of the technique and its restricting factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwen Xi
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Gastrointestinal Surgical Department, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yong-Guang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, China
- International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jian Suo
- Gastrointestinal Surgical Department, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Tianmeng Sun, ; Jian Suo,
| | - Tianmeng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, China
- International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Tianmeng Sun, ; Jian Suo,
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In vitro and in vivo functions of T cells produced in complemented thymi of chimeric mice generated by blastocyst complementation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3242. [PMID: 35217706 PMCID: PMC8881621 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07159-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastocyst complementation is an intriguing way of generating humanized animals for organ preparation in regenerative medicine and establishing novel models for drug development. Confirming that complemented organs and cells work normally in chimeric animals is critical to demonstrating the feasibility of blastocyst complementation. Here, we generated thymus-complemented chimeric mice, assessed the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 antibody in tumor-bearing chimeric mice, and then investigated T-cell function. Thymus-complemented chimeric mice were generated by injecting C57BL/6 (B6) embryonic stem cells into Foxn1nu/nu morulae or blastocysts. Flow cytometry data showed that the chimeric mouse thymic epithelial cells (TECs) were derived from the B6 cells. T cells appeared outside the thymi. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that the TEC gene-expression profile was comparable to that in B6 mice. Splenic T cells of chimeric mice responded very well to anti-CD3 stimulation in vitro; CD4+ and CD8+ T cells proliferated and produced IFNγ, IL-2, and granzyme B, as in B6 mice. Anti-PD-L1 antibody treatment inhibited MC38 tumor growth in chimeric mice. Moreover, in the chimeras, anti-PD-L1 antibody restored T-cell activation by significantly decreasing PD-1 expression on T cells and increasing IFNγ-producing T cells in the draining lymph nodes and tumors. T cells produced by complemented thymi thus functioned normally in vitro and in vivo. To successfully generate humanized animals by blastocyst complementation, both verification of the function and gene expression profiling of complemented organs/cells in interspecific chimeras will be important in the near future.
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38
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Beeghly GF, Amofa KY, Fischbach C, Kumar S. Regulation of Tumor Invasion by the Physical Microenvironment: Lessons from Breast and Brain Cancer. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2022; 24:29-59. [PMID: 35119915 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-110220-115419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The success of anticancer therapies is often limited by heterogeneity within and between tumors. While much attention has been devoted to understanding the intrinsic molecular diversity of tumor cells, the surrounding tissue microenvironment is also highly complex and coevolves with tumor cells to drive clinical outcomes. Here, we propose that diverse types of solid tumors share common physical motifs that change in time and space, serving as universal regulators of malignancy. We use breast cancer and glioblastoma as instructive examples and highlight how invasion in both diseases is driven by the appropriation of structural guidance cues, contact-dependent heterotypic interactions with stromal cells, and elevated interstitial fluid pressure and flow. We discuss how engineering strategies show increasing value for measuring and modeling these physical properties for mechanistic studies. Moreover, engineered systems offer great promise for developing and testing novel therapies that improve patient prognosis by normalizing the physical tumor microenvironment. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, Volume 24 is June 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett F Beeghly
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA;
| | - Kwasi Y Amofa
- University of California, Berkeley-University of California, San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, California, USA; .,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Claudia Fischbach
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA; .,Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- University of California, Berkeley-University of California, San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, California, USA; .,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.,Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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39
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Hoare JI, Osmani B, O'Sullivan EA, Browne A, Campbell N, Metcalf S, Nicolini F, Saxena J, Martin SA, Lockley M. Carvedilol targets β-arrestins to rewire innate immunity and improve oncolytic adenoviral therapy. Commun Biol 2022; 5:106. [PMID: 35115660 PMCID: PMC8813932 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03041-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses are being tested in clinical trials, including in women with ovarian cancer. We use a drug-repurposing approach to identify existing drugs that enhance the activity of oncolytic adenoviruses. This reveals that carvedilol, a β-arrestin-biased β-blocker, synergises with both wild-type adenovirus and the E1A-CR2-deleted oncolytic adenovirus, dl922-947. Synergy is not due to β-adrenergic blockade but is dependent on β-arrestins and is reversed by β-arrestin CRISPR gene editing. Co-treatment with dl922-947 and carvedilol causes increased viral DNA replication, greater viral protein expression and higher titres of infectious viral particles. Carvedilol also enhances viral efficacy in orthotopic, intraperitoneal murine models, achieving more rapid tumour clearance than virus alone. Increased anti-cancer activity is associated with an intratumoural inflammatory cell infiltrate and systemic cytokine release. In summary, carvedilol augments the activity of oncolytic adenoviruses via β-arrestins to re-wire cytokine networks and innate immunity and could therefore improve oncolytic viruses for cancer patient treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph I Hoare
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Bleona Osmani
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Emily A O'Sullivan
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Ashley Browne
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Nicola Campbell
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Stephen Metcalf
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Francesco Nicolini
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jayeta Saxena
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Sarah A Martin
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Michelle Lockley
- Centre for Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Cancer Services, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
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40
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Boehnke N, Hammond PT. Power in Numbers: Harnessing Combinatorial and Integrated Screens to Advance Nanomedicine. JACS AU 2022; 2:12-21. [PMID: 35098219 PMCID: PMC8791056 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Nanocarriers have significant potential to advance personalized medicine through targeted drug delivery. However, to date, efforts to improve nanoparticle accumulation at target disease sites have largely failed to translate clinically, stemming from an incomplete understanding of nano-bio interactions. While progress has been made to evaluate the effects of specific physical and chemical nanoparticle properties on trafficking and uptake, there is much to be gained from controlling these properties singularly and in combination to determine their interactions with different cell types. We and others have recently begun leveraging library-based nanoparticle screens to study structure-function relationships of lipid- and polymer-based drug delivery systems to guide nanoparticle design. These combinatorial screening efforts are showing promise in leading to the successful identification of critical characteristics that yield improved and specific accumulation at target sites. However, there is a crucial need to equally consider the influence of biological complexity on nanoparticle delivery, particularly in the context of clinical translation. For example, tissue and cellular heterogeneity presents an additional dimension to nanoparticle trafficking, uptake, and accumulation; applying imaging and screening tools as well as bioinformatics may further expand our understanding of how nanoparticles engage with cells and tissues. Given recent advances in the fields of omics and machine learning, there is substantial promise to revolutionize nanocarrier development through the use of integrated screens, harnessing the combinatorial parameter space afforded both by nanoparticle libraries and clinically annotated biological data sets in combination with high throughput in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Boehnke
- Koch
Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Paula T. Hammond
- Koch
Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, 25 Ames
Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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41
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Claridge SE, Cavallo JA, Hopkins BD. Patient-Derived In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Cancer. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1361:215-233. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-91836-1_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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42
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Von Rueden SK, Fan TM. Cancer-Immunity Cycle and Therapeutic Interventions- Opportunities for Including Pet Dogs With Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:773420. [PMID: 34869014 PMCID: PMC8639699 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.773420] [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: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor-immune interplay represents a dynamic series of events executed by cellular and soluble participants that either promote or inhibit successful tumor formation and growth. Throughout a tumor’s development and progression, the host organism’s immune system reacts by generating anti-cancer defenses through various incremental and combinatorial mechanisms, and this reactive orchestration is termed the cancer-immunity cycle. Success or failure of the cancer-immunity cycle dictates the fate of both host and tumor as winner or loser. Insights into how the tumor and host immune system continuously adapt to each other throughout the lifecycle of the tumor is necessary to rationally develop new effective immunotherapies. Additionally, the evolving nature of the cancer-immunity cycle necessitates therapeutic agility, requiring real-time serial assessment of immunobiologic markers that permits tailoring of therapies to the everchanging tumor immune microenvironment. In order to accelerate advances in the field of immuno-oncology, this review summarizes the steps comprising the cancer-immunity cycle, and underscores key breakpoints in the cycle that either favor cancer regression or progression, as well as shaping of the tumor microenvironment and associated immune phenotypes. Furthermore, specific large animal models of spontaneous cancers that are deemed immunogenic will be reviewed and proposed as unique resources for validating investigational immunotherapeutic protocols that are informed by the cancer-immunity cycle. Collectively, this review will provide a progressive look into the dynamic interplay between tumor and host immune responses and raise awareness for how large animal models can be included for developing combinatorial and sequenced immunotherapies to maximizing favorable treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha K Von Rueden
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Timothy M Fan
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States.,Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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43
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Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells: An Overview of Evolving Methods and Concepts. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13235910. [PMID: 34885020 PMCID: PMC8657142 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13235910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In recent years, colorectal cancer stem cells (cCSCs) have been the object of intense investigation for their promise to disclose new aspects of colorectal cancer cell biology, as well as to devise new treatment strategies for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, accumulating studies on cCSCs by complementary technologies have progressively disclosed their plastic nature, i.e., their capability to acquire different phenotypes and/or functions under different circumstances in response to both intrinsic and extrinsic signals. In this review, we aim to recapitulate how a progressive methodological development has contributed to deepening and remodeling the concept of cCSCs over time, up to the present. Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents one of the most deadly cancers worldwide. Colorectal cancer stem cells (cCSCs) are the driving units of CRC initiation and development. After the concept of cCSC was first formulated in 2007, a huge bulk of research has contributed to expanding its definition, from a cell subpopulation defined by a fixed phenotype in a plastic entity modulated by complex interactions with the tumor microenvironment, in which cell position and niche-driven signals hold a prominent role. The wide development of cellular and molecular technologies recent years has been a main driver of advancements in cCSCs research. Here, we will give an overview of the parallel role of technological progress and of theoretical evolution in shaping the concept of cCSCs.
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44
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Saddawi-Konefka R, Simon AB, Sumner W, Sharabi A, Mell LK, Cohen EEW. Defining the Role of Immunotherapy in the Curative Treatment of Locoregionally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer: Promises, Challenges, and Opportunities. Front Oncol 2021; 11:738626. [PMID: 34621678 PMCID: PMC8490924 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.738626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements in the development of immunotherapies have raised the hope for patients with locally-advanced HNSCC (LA-HNSCC) to achieve improved oncologic outcomes without the heavy burden of treatment-related morbidity. While there are several ongoing late phase clinical trials that seek to determine whether immunotherapy can be effectively employed in the definitive setting, initial results from concurrent immuno-radiotherapy therapy trials have not shown strong evidence of benefit. Encouragingly, evidence from preclinical studies and early-phase neoadjuvant studies have begun to show potential pathways forward, with therapeutic combinations and sequences that intentionally spare tumor draining lymphatics in order to maximize the synergy between definitive local therapy and immunotherapy. The intent of this review is to summarize the scientific rationale and current clinical evidence for employing immunotherapy for LA-HNSCC as well as the ongoing efforts and challenges to determine how to optimally deliver and sequence immunotherapy alongside traditional therapeutics. In both the preclinical and clinical settings, we will discuss the application of immunotherapies to both surgical and radiotherapeutic management of HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Saddawi-Konefka
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Aaron B. Simon
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Whitney Sumner
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Andrew Sharabi
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Loren K. Mell
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ezra E. W. Cohen
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
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45
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Esteves M, Monteiro MP, Duarte JA. The Effects of Physical Exercise on Tumor Vasculature: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Int J Sports Med 2021; 42:1237-1249. [PMID: 34341974 DOI: 10.1055/a-1533-1876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A wealth of evidence supports an association between physical exercise, decreased tumor growth rate, and reduced risk of cancer mortality. In this context, the tumor vascular microenvironment may play a key role in modulating tumor biologic behavior. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the evidence regarding the effects of physical exercise on tumor vasculature in pre-clinical studies. We performed a computerized research on the PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO databases to identify pre-clinical studies that evaluated the effect of physical exercise on tumor vascular outcomes. Mean differences were calculated through a random effects model. The present systematic review included 13 studies involving 373 animals. From these, 11 studies evaluated chronic intratumoral vascular adaptations and 2 studies assessed the acute intratumoral vascular adaptations to physical exercise. The chronic intratumoral vascular adaptations resulted in higher tumor microvessel density in 4 studies, increased tumor perfusion in 2 studies, and reduced intratumoral hypoxia in 3 studies. Quantitatively, regular physical exercise induced an increased tumor vascularization of 2.13 [1.07, 3.20] (p<0.0001). The acute intratumoral vascular adaptations included increased vascular conductance and reduced vascular resistance, which improved tumor perfusion and attenuated intratumoral hypoxia. In pre-clinical studies, physical exercise seems to improve tumor vascularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário Esteves
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Experimental Morphology, CIAFEL, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Teaching Hospital of the Fernando Pessoa University, Gondomar, Portugal
| | - Mariana P Monteiro
- Department of Anatomy, Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jose Alberto Duarte
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Experimental Morphology, CIAFEL, Porto, Portugal.,TOXRUN - Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, Gandra, Portugal
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46
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Blidisel A, Marcovici I, Coricovac D, Hut F, Dehelean CA, Cretu OM. Experimental Models of Hepatocellular Carcinoma-A Preclinical Perspective. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3651. [PMID: 34359553 PMCID: PMC8344976 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent form of primary liver carcinoma, is a heterogenous and complex tumor type with increased incidence, poor prognosis, and high mortality. The actual therapeutic arsenal is narrow and poorly effective, rendering this disease a global health concern. Although considerable progress has been made in terms of understanding the pathogenesis, molecular mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutical approaches, several facets of human HCC remain undiscovered. A valuable and prompt approach to acquire further knowledge about the unrevealed aspects of HCC and novel therapeutic candidates is represented by the application of experimental models. Experimental models (in vivo and in vitro 2D and 3D models) are considered reliable tools to gather data for clinical usability. This review offers an overview of the currently available preclinical models frequently applied for the study of hepatocellular carcinoma in terms of initiation, development, and progression, as well as for the discovery of efficient treatments, highlighting the advantages and the limitations of each model. Furthermore, we also focus on the role played by computational studies (in silico models and artificial intelligence-based prediction models) as promising novel tools in liver cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Blidisel
- Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.B.); (F.H.); (O.M.C.)
| | - Iasmina Marcovici
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania;
- Research Center for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Dorina Coricovac
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania;
- Research Center for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Florin Hut
- Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.B.); (F.H.); (O.M.C.)
| | - Cristina Adriana Dehelean
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania;
- Research Center for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Octavian Marius Cretu
- Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.B.); (F.H.); (O.M.C.)
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Moccia C, Haase K. Engineering Breast Cancer On-chip-Moving Toward Subtype Specific Models. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:694218. [PMID: 34249889 PMCID: PMC8261144 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.694218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women worldwide, and while hormone receptor positive subtypes have a clear and effective treatment strategy, other subtypes, such as triple negative breast cancers, do not. Development of new drugs, antibodies, or immune targets requires significant re-consideration of current preclinical models, which frequently fail to mimic the nuances of patient-specific breast cancer subtypes. Each subtype, together with the expression of different markers, genetic and epigenetic profiles, presents a unique tumor microenvironment, which promotes tumor development and progression. For this reason, personalized treatments targeting components of the tumor microenvironment have been proposed to mitigate breast cancer progression, particularly for aggressive triple negative subtypes. To-date, animal models remain the gold standard for examining new therapeutic targets; however, there is room for in vitro tools to bridge the biological gap with humans. Tumor-on-chip technologies allow for precise control and examination of the tumor microenvironment and may add to the toolbox of current preclinical models. These new models include key aspects of the tumor microenvironment (stroma, vasculature and immune cells) which have been employed to understand metastases, multi-organ interactions, and, importantly, to evaluate drug efficacy and toxicity in humanized physiologic systems. This review provides insight into advanced in vitro tumor models specific to breast cancer, and discusses their potential and limitations for use as future preclinical patient-specific tools.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristina Haase
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Molecular Biology Laboratory Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Fontana F, Marzagalli M, Sommariva M, Gagliano N, Limonta P. In Vitro 3D Cultures to Model the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13122970. [PMID: 34199324 PMCID: PMC8231786 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13122970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tumor stroma is known to significantly influence cancer initiation and progression. In the last decade, 3D cell cultures have shown potential in modeling the tumor microenvironment. This review summarizes the main features of current 3D models, shedding light on their importance in the study of cancer biology and treatment. Abstract It is now well established that the tumor microenvironment plays a key role in determining cancer growth, metastasis and drug resistance. Thus, it is fundamental to understand how cancer cells interact and communicate with their stroma and how this crosstalk regulates disease initiation and progression. In this setting, 3D cell cultures have gained a lot of interest in the last two decades, due to their ability to better recapitulate the complexity of tumor microenvironment and therefore to bridge the gap between 2D monolayers and animal models. Herein, we present an overview of the 3D systems commonly used for studying tumor–stroma interactions, with a focus on recent advances in cancer modeling and drug discovery and testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Fontana
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.M.); (P.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-02-503-18427
| | - Monica Marzagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.M.); (P.L.)
| | - Michele Sommariva
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Mangiagalli 31, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.S.); (N.G.)
| | - Nicoletta Gagliano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Mangiagalli 31, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.S.); (N.G.)
| | - Patrizia Limonta
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.M.); (P.L.)
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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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Preclinical models and technologies to advance nanovaccine development. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 172:148-182. [PMID: 33711401 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable success of targeted immunotherapies is revolutionizing cancer treatment. However, tumor heterogeneity and low immunogenicity, in addition to several tumor-associated immunosuppression mechanisms are among the major factors that have precluded the success of cancer vaccines as targeted cancer immunotherapies. The exciting outcomes obtained in patients upon the injection of tumor-specific antigens and adjuvants intratumorally, reinvigorated interest in the use of nanotechnology to foster the delivery of vaccines to address cancer unmet needs. Thus, bridging nano-based vaccine platform development and predicted clinical outcomes the selection of the proper preclinical model will be fundamental. Preclinical models have revealed promising outcomes for cancer vaccines. However, only few cases were associated with clinical responses. This review addresses the major challenges related to the translation of cancer nano-based vaccines to the clinic, discussing the requirements for ex vivo and in vivo models of cancer to ensure the translation of preclinical success to patients.
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