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Zhang J, Li J, Hou Y, Lin Y, Zhao H, Shi Y, Chen K, Nian C, Tang J, Pan L, Xing Y, Gao H, Yang B, Song Z, Cheng Y, Liu Y, Sun M, Linghu Y, Li J, Huang H, Lai Z, Zhou Z, Li Z, Sun X, Chen Q, Su D, Li W, Peng Z, Liu P, Chen W, Huang H, Chen Y, Xiao B, Ye L, Chen L, Zhou D. Osr2 functions as a biomechanical checkpoint to aggravate CD8 + T cell exhaustion in tumor. Cell 2024; 187:3409-3426.e24. [PMID: 38744281 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.023] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Alterations in extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture and stiffness represent hallmarks of cancer. Whether the biomechanical property of ECM impacts the functionality of tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells remains largely unknown. Here, we reveal that the transcription factor (TF) Osr2 integrates biomechanical signaling and facilitates the terminal exhaustion of tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells. Osr2 expression is selectively induced in the terminally exhausted tumor-specific CD8+ T cell subset by coupled T cell receptor (TCR) signaling and biomechanical stress mediated by the Piezo1/calcium/CREB axis. Consistently, depletion of Osr2 alleviates the exhaustion of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells or CAR-T cells, whereas forced Osr2 expression aggravates their exhaustion in solid tumor models. Mechanistically, Osr2 recruits HDAC3 to rewire the epigenetic program for suppressing cytotoxic gene expression and promoting CD8+ T cell exhaustion. Thus, our results unravel Osr2 functions as a biomechanical checkpoint to exacerbate CD8+ T cell exhaustion and could be targeted to potentiate cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Junhong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yongqiang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yao Lin
- Institute of Immunology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Changping Laboratory, 102206 Beijing, China
| | - Hao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yiran Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Kaiyun Chen
- Fujian State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Cheng Nian
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Jiayu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Lei Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yunzhi Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Huan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Bingying Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zengfang Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yue Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Min Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yueyue Linghu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Jiaxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Haitao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zhangjian Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zhien Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zifeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xiufeng Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Qinghua Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Dongxue Su
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Wengang Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic & Organ Transplantation Surgery, Xiang'an Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zhihai Peng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic & Organ Transplantation Surgery, Xiang'an Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Pingguo Liu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hongling Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yixin Chen
- Fujian State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Bailong Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lilin Ye
- Institute of Immunology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Changping Laboratory, 102206 Beijing, China.
| | - Lanfen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
| | - Dawang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Xiang'an Hospital, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
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Kirchner J, Plesca I, Rothe R, Resag A, Löck S, Benešová I, Rupp L, Linge A, Wehner R, Krause M, Schmitz M. Type I conventional dendritic cells and CD8 + T cells predict favorable clinical outcome of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1414298. [PMID: 38938577 PMCID: PMC11208331 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1414298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common tumor entities worldwide, with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection contributing to cancer development. Conventional therapies achieve only limited efficiency, especially in recurrent or metastatic HNSCC. As the immune landscape decisively impacts the survival of patients and treatment efficacy, this study comprehensively investigated the immunological tumor microenvironment (TME) and its association with patient outcome, with special focus on several dendritic cell (DC) and T lymphocyte subpopulations. Therefore, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples of 56 HNSCC patients, who have undergone resection and adjuvant radiotherapy, were analyzed by multiplex immunohistochemistry focusing on the detailed phenotypic characterization and spatial distribution of DCs, CD8+ T cells, and T-helper cell subsets in different tumor compartments. Immune cell densities and proportions were correlated with clinical characteristics of the whole HNSCC cohort and different HPV- or hypoxia-associated subcohorts. Tumor stroma was highly infiltrated by plasmacytoid DCs and T lymphocytes. Among the T-helper cells and CD8+ T cells, stromal regulatory T cells and intraepithelial exhausted CD8+ T cells expressing programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1+) and/or lymphocyte-activation gene-3 (LAG-3+) were the predominant phenotypes, indicating an immunosuppressive TME. HPV-associated tumors showed significantly higher infiltration of type I and type II conventional DCs (cDC1, cDC2) as well as several CD8+ T cell phenotypes including exhausted, activated, and proliferating T cells. On the contrary, tumors with hypoxia-associated gene signatures exhibited reduced infiltration for these immune cells. By multivariate Cox regression, immune-related prognostic factors were identified. Patient clusters defined by high infiltration of DCs and T lymphocytes combined with HPV positivity or low hypoxia showed significantly prolonged survival. Thereby, cDC1 and CD8+ T cells emerged as independent prognostic factors for local and distant recurrence. These results might contribute to the implementation of an immune cell infiltration score predicting HNSCC patients' survival and such patient stratification might improve the design of future individualized radiochemo-(immuno)therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Kirchner
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ioana Plesca
- Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Immunology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rebecca Rothe
- Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Immunology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antonia Resag
- Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Immunology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Steffen Löck
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Iva Benešová
- Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Immunology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Luise Rupp
- Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Immunology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annett Linge
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebekka Wehner
- Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Immunology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mechthild Krause
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiooncology – OncoRay, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marc Schmitz
- Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Immunology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Steffen C, Schallenberg S, Dernbach G, Dielmann A, Dragomir MP, Schweiger-Eisbacher C, Klauschen F, Horst D, Tinhofer I, Heiland M, Keilholz U. Spatial heterogeneity of tumor cells and the tissue microenvironment in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2024; 137:379-390. [PMID: 38281880 DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2023.12.785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study describes the morphologic and phenotypic spatial heterogeneity of tumor cells and the tissue microenvironment (TME), focusing on immune infiltration in OSCCs. STUDY DESIGN Patients with OSCCs and planned surgical tumor resection were eligible for the study. Two biopsies each from the tumor center and the tumor rim were obtained. Immunohistochemical characterization of tumor and immune cells was performed using a panel of immunohistochemical markers. RESULTS Thirty-six biopsies were obtained from the 9 patients. All patients showed an individual marker expression profile with ITH. Within the same biopsy, the CPS and TPS scores showed relevant variations in PD-L1 expression. Comparisons between the tumor center and rim revealed significant differences in the up/downregulation of p53. Marker expression of patients with recurrences clustered similarly, with the higher expression of FoxP3, IDO, CD4, CD68, and CD163 at the tumor rim. CONCLUSION OSCCs were found to exhibit relevant ITH involving both tumor cells and TME, suggesting that biomarker analysis of multiple tumor regions may be helpful for clinical decision making and tumor characterization. The analysis of multiple spots within a biopsy is recommended for a reliable determination of PD-L1 expression and other biomarkers, impacting current clinical assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudius Steffen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Simon Schallenberg
- Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gabriel Dernbach
- Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anastasia Dielmann
- Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mihnea P Dragomir
- Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Frederick Klauschen
- Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany; Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, München, Germany
| | - David Horst
- Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ingeborg Tinhofer
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Radiooncology and Radiotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Max Heiland
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrich Keilholz
- Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
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Greier MDC, Runge A, Dudas J, Hartl R, Santer M, Dejaco D, Steinbichler TB, Federspiel J, Seifarth C, Konschake M, Sprung S, Sopper S, Randhawa A, Mayr M, Hofauer BG, Riechelmann H. Cytotoxic response of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes of head and neck cancer slice cultures under mitochondrial dysfunction. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1364577. [PMID: 38515569 PMCID: PMC10954813 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1364577] [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: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are highly heterogeneous tumors. In the harsh tumor microenvironment (TME), metabolic reprogramming and mitochondrial dysfunction may lead to immunosuppressive phenotypes. Aerobic glycolysis is needed for the activation of cytotoxic T-cells and the absence of glucose may hamper the full effector functions of cytotoxic T-cells. To test the effect of mitochondrial dysfunction on cytotoxic T cell function, slice cultures (SC) of HNSCC cancer were cultivated under different metabolic conditions. Methods Tumor samples from 21 patients with HNSCC were collected, from which, SC were established and cultivated under six different conditions. These conditions included high glucose, T cell stimulation, and temporarily induced mitochondrial dysfunction (MitoDys) using FCCP and oligomycin A with or without additional T cell stimulation, high glucose and finally, a control medium. Over three days of cultivation, sequential T cell stimulation and MitoDys treatments were performed. Supernatant was collected, and SC were fixed and embedded. Granzyme B was measured in the supernatant and in the SC via immunohistochemistry (IHC). Staining of PD1, CD8/Ki67, and cleaved-caspase-3 (CC3) were performed in SC. Results Hematoxylin eosin stains showed that overall SC quality remained stable over 3 days of cultivation. T cell stimulation, both alone and combined with MitoDys, led to significantly increased granzyme levels in SC and in supernatant. Apoptosis following T cell stimulation was observed in tumor and stroma. Mitochondrial dysfunction alone increased apoptosis in tumor cell aggregates. High glucose concentration alone had no impact on T cell activity and apoptosis. Apoptosis rates were significantly lower under conditions with high glucose and MitoDys (p=0.03). Conclusion Stimulation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in SC was feasible, which led to increased apoptosis in tumor cells. Induced mitochondrial dysfunction did not play a significant role in the activation and function of TILs in SC of HNSCC. Moreover, high glucose concentration did not promote cytotoxic T cell activity in HNSCC SC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria do Carmo Greier
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Annette Runge
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jozsef Dudas
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Roland Hartl
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matthias Santer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Daniel Dejaco
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Julia Federspiel
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christof Seifarth
- Institute for Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Medical University Innsbruck (MUI), Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Marko Konschake
- Institute for Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Medical University Innsbruck (MUI), Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Susanne Sprung
- INNPATH GmbH, Institute for Pathology, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Sieghart Sopper
- Clinic for Internal Medicine V, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Avneet Randhawa
- Department of Otolaryngology, Rutgers University Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | | | - Benedikt Gabriel Hofauer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Herbert Riechelmann
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Sandström K, Ehrsson YT, Sellberg F, Johansson H, Laurell G. Loco-Regional Control and Sustained Difference in Serum Immune Protein Expression in Patients Treated for p16-Positive and p16-Negative Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043838. [PMID: 36835246 PMCID: PMC9961007 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The main prognostic factors for patients with head and neck cancer are the tumour site and stage, yet immunological and metabolic factors are certainly important, although knowledge is still limited. Expression of the biomarker p16INK4a (p16) in oropharyngeal cancer tumour tissue is one of the few biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of head and neck cancer. The association between p16 expression in the tumour and the systemic immune response in the blood compartment has not been established. This study aimed to assess whether there is a difference in serum immune protein expression profiles between patients with p16+ and p16- head and squamous cell carcinoma (HNCC). The serum immune protein expression profiles, using the Olink® immunoassay, of 132 patients with p16+ and p16- tumours were compared before treatment and one year after treatment. A significant difference in the serum immune protein expression profile was observed both before and one year after treatment. In the p16- group, a low expression of four proteins: IL12RB1, CD28, CCL3, and GZMA before treatment conferred a higher rate of failure. Based on the sustained difference between serum immune proteins, we hypothesise that the immunological system is still adapted to the tumour p16 status one year after tumour eradication or that a fundamental difference exists in the immunological system between patients with p16+ and p16- tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Sandström
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Felix Sellberg
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hemming Johansson
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Göran Laurell
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
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6
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CDK7 Predicts Worse Outcome in Head and Neck Squamous-Cell Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030492. [PMID: 35158760 PMCID: PMC8833595 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030492] [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: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
HNSCC is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the prognosis is still poor. Here, we investigated the prognostic implications of CDK7 and pMED1. Both proteins affect transcription, and their expression is altered throughout different tumor entities. pMED1 is phosphorylated by CDK7. Importantly, CDK7 and MED1 have been ascribed prognostic implications by various studies. However, their prognostic value in head and neck squamous-cell cancer (HNSCC) remains elusive. We applied immunohistochemical staining of CDK7 and pMED1 on our large and clinically well-characterized HNSCC tissue cohort comprising 419 patients. Software-aided quantification of staining intensity was performed as a measure of protein expression. The following results were linked to the clinicopathological features of our cohort and correlated in different tissue types (primary tumor, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, recurrence). Upregulation CDK7 was associated with worse 5-year overall survival as well as disease-free survival in HNSCC while being independent of other known prognostic factors such as p16-status. Also, CDK7 expression was significantly elevated in immune cell infiltrated tumors. In HNSCC CDK7 might serve as a novel prognostic marker to indicate the prognosis of patients. Furthermore, in vitro studies proved the feasibility of CDK7 inhibition with attenuating effects on cell proliferation underlining its remarkable translational potential for future therapeutic regimes.
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7
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Huang ZD, Liu ZZ, Liu YY, Fu YC, Lin LL, Hu C, Gu HY, Wei RX. Molecular Subtypes Based on Cell Differentiation Trajectories in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Differential Prognosis and Immunotherapeutic Responses. Front Immunol 2022; 12:791621. [PMID: 35003112 PMCID: PMC8739483 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.791621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common and lethal malignant tumors. We aimed to investigate the HNSCC cell differentiation trajectories and the corresponding clinical relevance. Methods Based on HNSCC cell differentiation-related genes (HDRGs) identified by single-cell sequencing analysis, the molecular subtypes and corresponding immunity, metabolism, and stemness characteristics of 866 HNSCC cases were comprehensively analyzed. Machine-learning strategies were used to develop a HNSCC cell differentiation score (HCDscore) in order to quantify the unique heterogeneity of individual samples. We also assessed the prognostic value and biological characteristics of HCDscore using the multi-omics data. Results HNSCCs were stratified into three distinct molecular subtypes based on HDRGs: active stroma (Cluster-A), active metabolism (Cluster-B), and active immune (Cluster-C) types. The three molecular subtypes had different characteristics in terms of biological phenotype, genome and epigenetics, prognosis, immunotherapy and chemotherapy responses. We then demonstrated the correlations between HCDscore and the immune microenvironment, subtypes, carcinogenic biological processes, genetic variation, and prognosis. The low-HCDscore group was characterized by activation of immunity, enhanced response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy, and better survival compared to the high-HCDscore group. Finally, by integrating the HCDscore with prognostic clinicopathological characteristics, a nomogram with strong predictive performance and high accuracy was constructed. Conclusions This study revealed that the cell differentiation trajectories in HNSCC played a nonnegligible role in patient prognosis, biological characteristics, and immune responses. Evaluating cancer cell differentiation will help to develop more effective immunotherapy, metabolic therapy, and chemotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Dong Huang
- Department of Spine and Orthopedic Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zi-Zhen Liu
- The Third Clinical School, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Yan-Yi Liu
- Department of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Cheng Fu
- The Third Clinical School, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Lu-Lu Lin
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chao Hu
- Department of Spine and Orthopedic Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui-Yun Gu
- Department of Spine and Orthopedic Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ren-Xiong Wei
- Department of Spine and Orthopedic Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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