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Hossain SM, Carpenter C, Eccles MR. Genomic and Epigenomic Biomarkers of Immune Checkpoint Immunotherapy Response in Melanoma: Current and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7252. [PMID: 39000359 PMCID: PMC11241335 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137252] [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: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) demonstrate durable responses, long-term survival benefits, and improved outcomes in cancer patients compared to chemotherapy. However, the majority of cancer patients do not respond to ICIs, and a high proportion of those patients who do respond to ICI therapy develop innate or acquired resistance to ICIs, limiting their clinical utility. The most studied predictive tissue biomarkers for ICI response are PD-L1 immunohistochemical expression, DNA mismatch repair deficiency, and tumour mutation burden, although these are weak predictors of ICI response. The identification of better predictive biomarkers remains an important goal to improve the identification of patients who would benefit from ICIs. Here, we review established and emerging biomarkers of ICI response, focusing on epigenomic and genomic alterations in cancer patients, which have the potential to help guide single-agent ICI immunotherapy or ICI immunotherapy in combination with other ICI immunotherapies or agents. We briefly review the current status of ICI response biomarkers, including investigational biomarkers, and we present insights into several emerging and promising epigenomic biomarker candidates, including current knowledge gaps in the context of ICI immunotherapy response in melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultana Mehbuba Hossain
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (S.M.H.); (C.C.)
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Carien Carpenter
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (S.M.H.); (C.C.)
| | - Michael R. Eccles
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (S.M.H.); (C.C.)
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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Wang H, Qian YW, Dong H, Cong WM. Pathologic assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma in the era of immunotherapy: a narrative review. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr 2024; 13:472-493. [PMID: 38911201 PMCID: PMC11190517 DOI: 10.21037/hbsn-22-527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objective Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based therapy has achieved impressive success in various cancer types. Several ICIs have been unprecedentedly approved as the treatment regimens for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in recent decade. Meanwhile, numerous clinical trials are being performed to exploit more ICIs into initially unresectable HCC and postoperative HCC to expectantly induce adequate tumor downstaging for further resection or implement adjuvant treatment for relapse-free survival, respectively. In this review, we aim to summarize some pragmatic histomorphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular pathologic parameters which promisingly indicate the response of neoadjuvant/conversion ICI-related therapy and predict the efficacy of adjuvant/therapeutic ICI-related therapy for HCC. Methods We searched PubMed using the terms hepatocellular carcinoma, immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitor, immune checkpoint blockade, conversion therapy, neoadjuvant therapy, adjuvant therapy, biomarker, pathologic evaluation, pathologic assessment till February 2023. Key Content and Findings Although there is no consensus regarding the pathologic evaluation of relevant HCC specimens, it is encouraging that a few of studies have concentrated on this field, and moreover, the methods and parameters noted on other cancer types are also worthy of reference. For the pathologic assessment of HCC specimens underwent immunotherapy, a suitable sampling scheme, identifying immunotherapy-related pathologic response, and quantification of pathologic response rate should be emphasized. For the patients of HCC who are scheduled to receive immunotherapy, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte, intratumoral tertiary lymphoid structure, programmed cell death ligand 1, Wnt/β-catenin, microsatellite instability and mismatch repair, tumor mutational burden and tumor neoantigen, as well as some other signaling pathways are the potential predictive biomarkers of treatment response of ICI. Conclusions The management of HCC in the era of immunotherapy arises a brand-new pathological challenge that is to provide an immunotherapy-related diagnostic report. Albeit many related researches are preclinical or insufficient, they may tremendously alter the immunotherapy strategy of HCC in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - You-Wen Qian
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Dong
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Ming Cong
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Zou J, Zhang Y, Pan Y, Mao Z, Chen X. Advancing nanotechnology for neoantigen-based cancer theranostics. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:3224-3252. [PMID: 38379286 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00162h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Neoantigens play a pivotal role in the field of tumour therapy, encompassing the stimulation of anti-tumour immune response and the enhancement of tumour targeting capability. Nonetheless, numerous factors directly influence the effectiveness of neoantigens in bolstering anti-tumour immune responses, including neoantigen quantity and specificity, uptake rates by antigen-presenting cells (APCs), residence duration within the tumour microenvironment (TME), and their ability to facilitate the maturation of APCs for immune response activation. Nanotechnology assumes a significant role in several aspects, including facilitating neoantigen release, promoting neoantigen delivery to antigen-presenting cells, augmenting neoantigen uptake by dendritic cells, shielding neoantigens from protease degradation, and optimizing interactions between neoantigens and the immune system. Consequently, the development of nanotechnology synergistically enhances the efficacy of neoantigens in cancer theranostics. In this review, we provide an overview of neoantigen sources, the mechanisms of neoantigen-induced immune responses, and the evolution of precision neoantigen-based nanomedicine. This encompasses various therapeutic modalities, such as neoantigen-based immunotherapy, phototherapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, chemodynamic therapy, and other strategies tailored to augment precision in cancer therapeutics. We also discuss the current challenges and prospects in the application of neoantigen-based precision nanomedicine, aiming to expedite its clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Zou
- Departments of Diagnostic Radiology, Surgery, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119074, Singapore.
- Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, NUS Center for Nanomedicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Yu Zhang
- Departments of Diagnostic Radiology, Surgery, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119074, Singapore.
- Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, NUS Center for Nanomedicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Yuanbo Pan
- Departments of Diagnostic Radiology, Surgery, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119074, Singapore.
- Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, NUS Center for Nanomedicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Zhengwei Mao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, P. R. China.
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumour of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyuan Chen
- Departments of Diagnostic Radiology, Surgery, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119074, Singapore.
- Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, NUS Center for Nanomedicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Clinical Imaging Research Centre, Centre for Translational Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore
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4
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Qin Y, Huo M, Liu X, Li SC. Biomarkers and computational models for predicting efficacy to tumor ICI immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1368749. [PMID: 38524135 PMCID: PMC10957591 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1368749] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown that immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy has great potential as a cancer treatment, leading to significant clinical improvements in numerous cases. However, it benefits a minority of patients, underscoring the importance of discovering reliable biomarkers that can be used to screen for potential beneficiaries and ultimately reduce the risk of overtreatment. Our comprehensive review focuses on the latest advancements in predictive biomarkers for ICI therapy, particularly emphasizing those that enhance the efficacy of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors immunotherapies. We explore biomarkers derived from various sources, including tumor cells, the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), body fluids, gut microbes, and metabolites. Among them, tumor cells-derived biomarkers include tumor mutational burden (TMB) biomarker, tumor neoantigen burden (TNB) biomarker, microsatellite instability (MSI) biomarker, PD-L1 expression biomarker, mutated gene biomarkers in pathways, and epigenetic biomarkers. TIME-derived biomarkers include immune landscape of TIME biomarkers, inhibitory checkpoints biomarkers, and immune repertoire biomarkers. We also discuss various techniques used to detect and assess these biomarkers, detailing their respective datasets, strengths, weaknesses, and evaluative metrics. Furthermore, we present a comprehensive review of computer models for predicting the response to ICI therapy. The computer models include knowledge-based mechanistic models and data-based machine learning (ML) models. Among the knowledge-based mechanistic models are pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) models, partial differential equation (PDE) models, signal networks-based models, quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) models, and agent-based models (ABMs). ML models include linear regression models, logistic regression models, support vector machine (SVM)/random forest/extra trees/k-nearest neighbors (KNN) models, artificial neural network (ANN) and deep learning models. Additionally, there are hybrid models of systems biology and ML. We summarized the details of these models, outlining the datasets they utilize, their evaluation methods/metrics, and their respective strengths and limitations. By summarizing the major advances in the research on predictive biomarkers and computer models for the therapeutic effect and clinical utility of tumor ICI, we aim to assist researchers in choosing appropriate biomarkers or computer models for research exploration and help clinicians conduct precision medicine by selecting the best biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurong Qin
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Miaozhe Huo
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xingwu Liu
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Shuai Cheng Li
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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5
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Buonaguro L, Tagliamonte M. Peptide-based vaccine for cancer therapies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1210044. [PMID: 37654484 PMCID: PMC10467431 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1210044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Different strategies based on peptides are available for cancer treatment, in particular to counter-act the progression of tumor growth and disease relapse. In the last decade, in the context of therapeutic strategies against cancer, peptide-based vaccines have been evaluated in different tumor models. The peptides selected for cancer vaccine development can be classified in two main type: tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and tumor-specific antigens (TSAs), which are captured, internalized, processed and presented by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to cell-mediated immunity. Peptides loaded onto MHC class I are recognized by a specific TCR of CD8+ T cells, which are activated to exert their cytotoxic activity against tumor cells presenting the same peptide-MHC-I complex. This process is defined as active immunotherapy as the host's immune system is either de novo activated or restimulated to mount an effective, tumor-specific immune reaction that may ultimately lead to tu-mor regression. However, while the preclinical data have frequently shown encouraging results, therapeutic cancer vaccines clinical trials, including those based on peptides have not provided satisfactory data to date. The limited efficacy of peptide-based cancer vaccines is the consequence of several factors, including the identification of specific target tumor antigens, the limited immunogenicity of peptides and the highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). An effective cancer vaccine can be developed only by addressing all such different aspects. The present review describes the state of the art for each of such factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Tagliamonte
- Innovative Immunological Models Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - “Fond G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy
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6
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Nguyen KB, Roerden M, Copeland CJ, Backlund CM, Klop-Packel NG, Remba T, Kim B, Singh NK, Birnbaum ME, Irvine DJ, Spranger S. Decoupled neoantigen cross-presentation by dendritic cells limits anti-tumor immunity against tumors with heterogeneous neoantigen expression. eLife 2023; 12:e85263. [PMID: 37548358 PMCID: PMC10425174 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapies, in particular checkpoint blockade immunotherapy (CBT), can induce control of cancer growth, with a fraction of patients experiencing durable responses. However, the majority of patients currently do not respond to CBT and the molecular determinants of resistance have not been fully elucidated. Mounting clinical evidence suggests that the clonal status of neoantigens (NeoAg) impacts the anti-tumor T cell response. High intratumor heterogeneity (ITH), where the majority of NeoAgs are expressed subclonally, is correlated with poor clinical response to CBT and poor infiltration with tumor-reactive T cells. However, the mechanism by which ITH blunts tumor-reactive T cells is unclear. We developed a transplantable murine lung cancer model to characterize the immune response against a defined set of NeoAgs expressed either clonally or subclonally to model low or high ITH, respectively. Here we show that clonal expression of a weakly immunogenic NeoAg with a relatively strong NeoAg increased the immunogenicity of tumors with low but not high ITH. Mechanistically we determined that clonal NeoAg expression allowed cross-presenting dendritic cells to acquire and present both NeoAgs. Dual NeoAg presentation by dendritic cells was associated with a more mature DC phenotype and a higher stimulatory capacity. These data suggest that clonal NeoAg expression can induce more potent anti-tumor responses due to more stimulatory dendritic cell:T cell interactions. Therapeutic vaccination targeting subclonally expressed NeoAgs could be used to boost anti-tumor T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Bich Nguyen
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Malte Roerden
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | | | - Coralie M Backlund
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Biological Engineering, MITCambridgeUnited States
| | - Nory G Klop-Packel
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Tanaka Remba
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Byungji Kim
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Nishant K Singh
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Michael E Birnbaum
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Biological Engineering, MITCambridgeUnited States
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
| | - Darrell J Irvine
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Biological Engineering, MITCambridgeUnited States
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
| | - Stefani Spranger
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
- Ludwig Center at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer ResearchCambridgeUnited States
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7
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Chen J, Niu C, Yang N, Liu C, Zou SS, Zhu S. Biomarker discovery and application-An opportunity to resolve the challenge of liver cancer diagnosis and treatment. Pharmacol Res 2023; 189:106674. [PMID: 36702425 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the most common malignancies, with severe morbidity and mortality. While considerable progress has been made in liver cancer treatment, the 5-year overall survival (OS) of patients has not improved significantly. Reasons include the inadequate capability of early screening and diagnosis, a high incidence of recurrence and metastasis, a high degree of tumor heterogeneity, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Therefore, the identification and validation of specific and robust liver cancer biomarkers are of major importance for early screening, timely diagnosis, accurate prognosis, and the prevention of tumor progression. In this review, we highlight some of the latest research progress and potential applications of liver cancer biomarkers, describing hotspots and prospective directions in biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingtao Chen
- Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; Laboratory for Tumor Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Chao Niu
- Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Ning Yang
- Laboratory for Tumor Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Chunyan Liu
- Laboratory for Tumor Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Shan-Shan Zou
- Laboratory for Tumor Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Shan Zhu
- Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; Laboratory for Tumor Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
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8
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Gabbia D, De Martin S. Tumor Mutational Burden for Predicting Prognosis and Therapy Outcome of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043441. [PMID: 36834851 PMCID: PMC9960420 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the primary hepatic malignancy, represents the second-highest cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Many efforts have been devoted to finding novel biomarkers for predicting both patients' survival and the outcome of pharmacological treatments, with a particular focus on immunotherapy. In this regard, recent studies have focused on unravelling the role of tumor mutational burden (TMB), i.e., the total number of mutations per coding area of a tumor genome, to ascertain whether it can be considered a reliable biomarker to be used either for the stratification of HCC patients in subgroups with different responsiveness to immunotherapy, or for the prediction of disease progression, particularly in relation to the different HCC etiologies. In this review, we summarize the recent advances on the study of TMB and TMB-related biomarkers in the HCC landscape, focusing on their feasibility as guides for therapy decisions and/or predictors of clinical outcome.
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Tao S, Liang S, Zeng T, Yin D. Epigenetic modification-related mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma resistance to immune checkpoint inhibition. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1043667. [PMID: 36685594 PMCID: PMC9845774 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1043667] [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: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes most primary liver cancers and is one of the most lethal and life-threatening malignancies globally. Unfortunately, a substantial proportion of HCC patients are identified at an advanced stage that is unavailable for curative surgery. Thus, palliative therapies represented by multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) sorafenib remained the front-line treatment over the past decades. Recently, the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), especially targeting the PD-1/PD-L1/CTLA-4 axis, has achieved an inspiring clinical breakthrough for treating unresectable solid tumors. However, many HCC patients with poor responses lead to limited benefits in clinical applications, which has quickly drawn researchers' attention to the regulatory mechanisms of immune checkpoints in HCC immune evasion. Evasion of immune surveillance by cancer is attributed to intricate reprogramming modulation in the tumor microenvironment. Currently, more and more studies have found that epigenetic modifications, such as chromatin structure remodeling, DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, and non-coding RNA levels, may contribute significantly to remodeling the tumor microenvironment to avoid immune clearance, affecting the efficacy of immunotherapy for HCC. This review summarizes the rapidly emerging progress of epigenetic-related changes during HCC resistance to ICIs and discusses the mechanisms of underlying epigenetic therapies available for surmounting immune resistance. Finally, we summarize the clinical advances in combining epigenetic therapies with immunotherapy, aiming to promote the formation of immune combination therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengwei Tao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Shuhang Liang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Taofei Zeng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Dalong Yin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
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Guven DC, Erul E, Sahin TK, Dizdar O, Yalcin S, Sahin IH. The benefit of immunotherapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Future Oncol 2022; 18:4119-4136. [PMID: 36533987 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2022-0642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: A systemic review of the survival benefit of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in phase III hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) trials was conducted. Methods: Meta-analyses were performed with the generic inverse-variance method with a fixed-effects model. Results: In 10 trials encompassing 6123 patients, ICI-based therapy (monotherapy/combination) improved overall survival (OS) compared with the control arm (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.70-0.84; p < 0.001). The survival benefit was consistent across variable treatment lines, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and AFP levels. While the OS benefit was more pronounced in hepatitis B-related HCC (HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.63-0.77; p < 0.001), OS was improved in hepatitis C-related (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.71-0.98) and nonviral HCC (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.77-0.97). Conclusion: ICI-based therapies should be the standard for all patients with advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Can Guven
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, 06100, Turkey
| | - Enes Erul
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, 06100, Turkey
| | - Taha Koray Sahin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, 06100, Turkey
| | - Omer Dizdar
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, 06100, Turkey
| | - Suayib Yalcin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, 06100, Turkey
| | - Ibrahim Halil Sahin
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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11
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Ge X, Xu M, Cheng T, Hu N, Sun P, Lu B, Wang Z, Li J. TP53I13 promotes metastasis in glioma via macrophages, neutrophils, and fibroblasts and is a potential prognostic biomarker. Front Immunol 2022; 13:974346. [PMID: 36275718 PMCID: PMC9585303 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.974346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background TP53I13 is a protein coding tumor suppression gene encoded by the tumor protein p53. Overexpression of TP53I13 impedes tumor cell proliferation. Nevertheless, TP53I13 role and expression in the emergence and progression of glioma (low-grade glioma and glioblastoma) are yet to be identified. Thus, we aim to use comprehensive bioinformatics analyses to investigate TP53I13 and its prognostic value in gliomas. Methods Multiple databases were consulted to evaluate and assess the expression of TP53I13, such as the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), GeneMANIA, and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive. TP53I13 expression was further explored using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC). Through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), the biological functions of TP53I13 and metastatic processes associated with it were studied. Results The expression of TP53I13 was higher in tumor samples compared to normal samples. In samples retrieved from the TCGA and CGGA databases, high TP53I13 expression was associated with poor survival outcomes. The analysis of multivariate Cox showed that TP53I13 might be an independent prognostic marker of glioma. It was also found that increased expression of TP53I13 was significantly correlated with PRS type, status, 1p/19q codeletion status, IDH mutation status, chemotherapy, age, and tumor grade. According to CIBERSORT (Cell-type Identification by Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcript), the expression of TP53I13 correlates with macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells. GSEA shows a close correlation between TP53I13 and p53 signaling pathways, DNA replication, and the pentose phosphate pathway. Conclusion Our results reveal a close correlation between TP53I13 and gliomas. Further, TP53I13 expression could affect the survival outcomes in glioma patients. In addition, TP53I13 was an independent marker that was crucial in regulating the infiltration of immune cells into tumors. As a result of these findings, TP53I13 might represent a new biomarker of immune infiltration and prognosis in patients with gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqi Ge
- Department of Clinical Biobank & Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Manyu Xu
- Department of Clinical Biobank & Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Tong Cheng
- Department of Clinical Biobank & Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Nan Hu
- Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Pingping Sun
- Department of Clinical Biobank & Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Bing Lu
- Department of Clinical Biobank & Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Ziheng Wang
- Department of Clinical Biobank & Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Centre for Precision Medicine Research and Training, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- *Correspondence: Jian Li, ; Ziheng Wang,
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
- *Correspondence: Jian Li, ; Ziheng Wang,
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12
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Song L, Xu C, Zhang T, Chen S, Hu S, Cheng B, Tong H, Li X. Clinical neutrophil-associated genes as reliable predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:989779. [PMID: 36276937 PMCID: PMC9582652 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.989779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Growing evidence suggests that infiltrating neutrophils are key players in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor progression. However, a comprehensive analysis of the biological roles of neutrophil infiltration and related genes in clinical outcomes and immunotherapy is lacking. Methods: HCC samples were obtained from the TCGA and GEO databases. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to reveal the TIME landscape. Gene modules significantly associated with neutrophils were found using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), a “dynamic tree-cut” algorithm, and Pearson correlation analysis. Genes were screened using Cox regression analysis and LASSO and prognostic value validation was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Risk scores (RS) were calculated and nomograms were constructed incorporating clinical variables. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was used to calculate signaling pathway activity. Immunophenoscore (IPS) was used to analyze differences in immunotherapy among samples with different risk scores. Finally, the relationship between RS and drug sensitivity was explored using the pRRophetic algorithm. Results: 10530 genes in 424 samples (50 normal samples, 374 tumor samples) were obtained from the TCGA database. Using WGCNA, the “MEbrown” gene module was most associated with neutrophils. Nine genes with prognostic value in HCC (PDLIM3, KLF2, ROR2, PGF, EFNB1, PDZD4, PLN, PCDH17, DOK5) were finally screened. Prognostic nomograms based on RS, gender, tumor grade, clinical stage, T, N, and M stages were constructed. The nomogram performed well after calibration curve validation. There is an intrinsic link between risk score and TMB and TIME. Samples with different risk scores differed in different signaling pathway activity, immunopharmaceutical treatment and chemotherapy sensitivity. Conclusion: In conclusion, a comprehensive analysis of neutrophil-related prognostic features will help in prognostic prediction and advance individualized treatment.
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13
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Repáraz D, Ruiz M, Llopiz D, Silva L, Vercher E, Aparicio B, Egea J, Tamayo-Uria I, Hervás-Stubbs S, García-Balduz J, Castro C, Iñarrairaegui M, Tagliamonte M, Mauriello A, Cavalluzzo B, Buonaguro L, Rohrer C, Heim K, Tauber C, Hofmann M, Thimme R, Sangro B, Sarobe P. Neoantigens as potential vaccines in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-003978. [PMID: 35193931 PMCID: PMC9066373 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neoantigens, new immunogenic sequences arising from tumor mutations, have been associated with response to immunotherapy and are considered potential targets for vaccination. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a moderately mutated tumor, where the neoantigen repertoire has not been investigated. Our aim was to analyze whether tumors in HCC patients contain immunogenic neoantigens suitable for future use in therapeutic vaccination. Methods Whole-exome sequencing and RNAseq were performed in a cohort of fourteen HCC patients submitted to surgery or liver transplant. To identify mutations, single-nucleotide variants (SNV) originating non-synonymous changes that were confirmed at the RNA level were analyzed. Immunogenicity of putative neoAgs predicted by HLA binding algorithms was confirmed by using in vitro HLA binding assays and T-cell stimulation experiments, the latter in vivo, by immunizing HLA-A*02.01/HLA-DRB1*01 (HHD-DR1) transgenic mice, and in in vitro, using human lymphocytes. Results Sequencing led to the identification of a median of 1217 missense somatic SNV per patient, narrowed to 30 when filtering by using RNAseq data. A median of 13 and 5 peptides per patient were predicted as potential binders to HLA class I and class II molecules, respectively. Considering only HLA-A*02.01- and HLA-DRB1*01-predicted binders, 70% demonstrated HLA-binding capacity and about 50% were immunogenic when tested in HHD-DR1 mice. These peptides induced polyfunctional T cells that specifically recognized the mutated but not the wild-type sequence as well as neoantigen-expressing cells. Moreover, coimmunization experiments combining CD8 and CD4 neoantigen epitopes resulted in stronger CD8 T cell responses. Finally, responses against neoantigens were also induced in vitro using human cells. Conclusion These results show that mutations in HCC tumors may generate immunogenic neoantigens with potential applicability for future combinatorial therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Repáraz
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Marta Ruiz
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Diana Llopiz
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Leyre Silva
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Enric Vercher
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Belén Aparicio
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Josune Egea
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ibon Tamayo-Uria
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Sandra Hervás-Stubbs
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Jorge García-Balduz
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Carla Castro
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Mercedes Iñarrairaegui
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Liver Unit, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maria Tagliamonte
- Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Angela Mauriello
- Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Beatrice Cavalluzzo
- Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Napoli, Italy
| | - Charlotte Rohrer
- Department of Medicine II (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Diseases), Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kathrin Heim
- Department of Medicine II (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Diseases), Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Catrin Tauber
- Department of Medicine II (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Diseases), Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maike Hofmann
- Department of Medicine II (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Diseases), Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Robert Thimme
- Department of Medicine II (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Diseases), Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bruno Sangro
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Liver Unit, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pablo Sarobe
- Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain .,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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14
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Therapeutic Vaccines against Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Era: Time for Neoantigens? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042022. [PMID: 35216137 PMCID: PMC8875127 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been used as immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with promising but still limited results. Identification of immune elements in the tumor microenvironment of individual HCC patients may help to understand the correlations of responses, as well as to design personalized therapies for non-responder patients. Immune-enhancing strategies, such as vaccination, would complement ICI in those individuals with poorly infiltrated tumors. The prominent role of responses against mutated tumor antigens (neoAgs) in ICI-based therapies suggests that boosting responses against these epitopes may specifically target tumor cells. In this review we summarize clinical vaccination trials carried out in HCC, the available information on potentially immunogenic neoAgs in HCC patients, and the most recent results of neoAg-based vaccines in other tumors. Despite the low/intermediate mutational burden observed in HCC, data obtained from neoAg-based vaccines in other tumors indicate that vaccines directed against these tumor-specific antigens would complement ICI in a subset of HCC patients.
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15
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Neoantigen Cancer Vaccines: Generation, Optimization, and Therapeutic Targeting Strategies. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10020196. [PMID: 35214655 PMCID: PMC8877108 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternatives to conventional cancer treatments are highly sought after for high-risk malignancies that have a poor response to established treatment modalities. With research advancing rapidly in the past decade, neoantigen-based immunotherapeutic approaches represent an effective and highly tolerable therapeutic option. Neoantigens are tumor-specific antigens that are not expressed in normal cells and possess significant immunogenic potential. Several recent studies have described the conceptual framework and methodologies to generate neoantigen-based vaccines as well as the formulation of appropriate clinical trials to advance this approach for patient care. This review aims to describe some of the key studies in the recent literature in this rapidly evolving field and summarize the current advances in neoantigen identification and selection, vaccine generation and delivery, and the optimization of neoantigen-based therapeutic strategies, including the early data from pivotal clinical studies.
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16
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Signature Construction and Molecular Subtype Identification Based on Pyroptosis-Related Genes for Better Prediction of Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:4494713. [PMID: 35069975 PMCID: PMC8767411 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4494713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. However, there is a lack of adequate means of treatment prognostication for HCC. Pyroptosis is a newly discovered way of programmed cell death. However, the prognostic role of pyroptosis in HCC has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we generated a novel prognostic signature to evaluate the prognostic value of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) using the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The accuracy of the signature was validated using survival analysis through the International Cancer Genome Consortium cohort (n = 231) and the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University cohort (n = 180). Compared with other clinical factors, the risk score of the signature was found to be associated with better patient outcomes. The enrichment analysis identified multiple pathways related with pyroptosis in HCC. Furthermore, drug sensitivity testing identified six potential chemotherapeutic agents to provide possible treatment avenues. Interestingly, patients with low risk were confirmed to be associated with lower tumor mutation burden (TMB). However, patients at high risk were found to have a higher count of immune cells. Consensus clustering was performed to identify two main molecular subtypes (named clusters A and B) based on the signature. It was found that compared with cluster B, better survival outcomes and lower TMB were observed in cluster A. In conclusion, signature construction and molecular subtype identification of PRGs could be used to predict the prognosis of HCC, which may provide a specific reference for the development of novel biomarkers for HCC treatment.
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17
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Novel Molecular Targets for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:cancers14010140. [PMID: 35008303 PMCID: PMC8750630 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of death from cancer globally. Indeed, only a few treatments are available, most of which are effective only for the early stages of the disease. Therefore, there is an urgent needing for potential markers for a specifically targeted therapy. Candidate proteins were selected from datasets of The Human Protein Atlas, in order to identify specific tumor-associated proteins overexpressed in HCC samples associated with poor prognosis. Potential epitopes were predicted from such proteins, and homology with peptides derived from viral proteins was assessed. A multiparametric validation was performed, including recognition by PBMCs from HCC-patients and healthy donors, showing a T-cell cross-reactivity with paired epitopes. These results provide novel HCC-specific tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) for immunotherapeutic anti-HCC strategies potentially able to expand pre-existing virus-specific CD8+ T cells with superior anticancer efficacy.
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18
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Wong M, Kim JT, Cox B, Larson BK, Kim S, Waters KM, Vail E, Guindi M. Evaluation of tumor mutational burden in small early hepatocellular carcinoma and progressed hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepat Oncol 2021; 8:HEP39. [PMID: 34765106 PMCID: PMC8577511 DOI: 10.2217/hep-2020-0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While researchers know that tumor mutational burden (TMB) is low in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), prior studies have not investigated TMB in cirrhosis, small early HCC and progressed HCC. HCC (n = 18) and cirrhosis (n = 6) cases were identified. TMB was determined by a 1.7 megabase, 409-gene next-generation sequencing panel. TMB values were defined as the number of nonsynonymous variants per megabase of sequence. There was no significant difference between cirrhosis versus small early HCC or between cohorts when stratified by size, early versus progressed, differentiation or morphology. There was a significant difference between cirrhosis and small early HCC versus progressed HCC (p = 0.045), suggesting TMB may be related to HCC progression. TMB similarities in small early HCC and background cirrhosis suggest TMB is not a useful tool for diagnosing small early HCC. Additional study is needed to address TMB in histological and molecular subsets of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Wong
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Jong T Kim
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Brian Cox
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | | | - Stacey Kim
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | | | - Eric Vail
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Maha Guindi
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
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19
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Charneau J, Suzuki T, Shimomura M, Fujinami N, Nakatsura T. Peptide-Based Vaccines for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review of Recent Advances. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2021; 8:1035-1054. [PMID: 34513746 PMCID: PMC8424432 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s291558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. After surgery, up to 70% of patients experience relapses. The current first-line therapy for advanced cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) comprises sorafenib and lenvatinib administered as single-drug therapies. Regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab are administered as second-line therapies. Recently, it has been reported that using the immune checkpoint inhibitors atezolizumab (anti-PDL1 antibody) and bevacizumab (anti-VEGF antibody) leads to longer overall survival of unresectable cases, when compared with the use of sorafenib. The role of cancer immunity against HCC has attracted the attention of clinicians. In this review, we describe our phase I/II clinical trials of peptide vaccines targeting GPC3 in HCC and discuss the potential of peptide vaccines targeting common cancer antigens that are highly expressed in HCC, such as WT-I, AFP, ROBO1, and FOXM1. Further, we introduce recent cancer vaccines targeting neoantigens, which have attracted attention in recent times, as well as present our preclinical studies, the results of which might aid to initiate a neoantigen vaccine clinical trial, which would be the first of its kind in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Charneau
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Suzuki
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Manami Shimomura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Norihiro Fujinami
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Nakatsura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
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20
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Characterization of neoantigen-specific T cells in cancer resistant to immune checkpoint therapies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2025570118. [PMID: 34285073 PMCID: PMC8325261 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025570118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Strongly implicated in effective antitumor immune responses, tumor mutation–derived antigens, or neoantigens, are one of the main targets for cancer vaccines despite uncertainty of the efficacy of this approach. Using a high-throughput screening method, we identify an endogenously immunogenic neoantigen in a commonly used mouse lung tumor model. We also found that the endogenous CD8 T cells specific for this neoantigen expand greatly upon treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors or vaccination despite the lack of associated tumor regression in this model. In addition to informing neoantigen vaccination strategies and providing an accessible system for testing alternative therapeutics, our results provide insights into the mechanisms for the lack of response observed for a majority of patients treated with checkpoint blockade immunotherapies. Neoantigen-specific T cells are strongly implicated as being critical for effective immune checkpoint blockade treatment (ICB) (e.g., anti–PD-1 and anti–CTLA-4) and are being targeted for vaccination-based therapies. However, ICB treatments show uneven responses between patients, and neoantigen vaccination efficiency has yet to be established. Here, we characterize neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cells in a tumor that is resistant to ICB and neoantigen vaccination. Leveraging the use of mass cytometry combined with multiplex major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I tetramer staining, we screened and identified tumor neoantigen–specific CD8+ T cells in the Lewis Lung carcinoma (LLC) tumor model (mRiok1). We observed an expansion of mRiok1-specific CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) after ICB targeting PD-1 or CTLA-4 with no sign of tumor regression. The expanded neoantigen-specific CD8+ TILs remained phenotypically and functionally exhausted but displayed cytotoxic characteristics. When combining both ICB treatments, mRiok1-specific CD8+ TILs showed a stem-like phenotype and a higher capacity to produce cytokines, but tumors did not show signs of regression. Furthermore, combining both ICB treatments with neoantigen vaccination did not induce tumor regression either despite neoantigen-specific CD8+ TIL expansion. Overall, this work provides a model for studying neoantigens in an immunotherapy nonresponder model. We showed that a robust neoantigen-specific T-cell response in the LLC tumor model could fail in tumor response to ICB, which will have important implications in designing future immunotherapeutic strategies.
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21
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Abstract
Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized our ability to catalog the landscape of somatic mutations in tumor genomes. These mutations can sometimes create so-called neoantigens, which allow the immune system to detect and eliminate tumor cells. However, efforts that stimulate the immune system to eliminate tumors based on their molecular differences have had less success than has been hoped for, and there are conflicting reports about the role of neoantigens in the success of this approach. Here we review some of the conflicting evidence in the literature and highlight key aspects of the tumor-immune interface that are emerging as major determinants of whether mutation-derived neoantigens will contribute to an immunotherapy response. Accounting for these factors is expected to improve success rates of future immunotherapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Castro
- Biomedical Informatics Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA;
| | - Maurizio Zanetti
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
- The Laboratory of Immunology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Hannah Carter
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA;
- The Laboratory of Immunology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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22
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Chen P, Fang QX, Chen DB, Chen HS. Neoantigen vaccine: An emerging immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i7.498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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23
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Chen P, Fang QX, Chen DB, Chen HS. Neoantigen vaccine: An emerging immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2021; 13:673-683. [PMID: 34322196 PMCID: PMC8299936 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i7.673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-specific neoantigens, which are expressed on tumor cells, can induce an effective antitumor cytotoxic T-cell response and mediate tumor regression. Among tumor immunotherapies, neoantigen vaccines are in early human clinical trials and have demonstrated substantial efficiency. Compared with more neoantigens in melanoma, the paucity and inefficient identification of effective neoantigens in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain enormous challenges in effectively treating this malignancy. In this review, we highlight the current development of HCC neoantigens in its generation, screening, and identification. We also discuss the possibility that there are more effective neoantigens in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC than in non-HBV-related HCC. In addition, since HCC is an immunosuppressive tumor, strategies that reverse immunosuppression and enhance the immune response should be considered for the practical exploitation of HCC neoantigens. In summary, this review offers some strategies to solve existing problems in HCC neoantigen research and provide further insights for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Chen
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Qiong-Xuan Fang
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Dong-Bo Chen
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Hong-Song Chen
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
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Xie C, Wu H, Pan T, Zheng X, Yang X, Zhang G, Lian Y, Lin J, Peng L. A novel panel based on immune infiltration and tumor mutational burden for prognostic prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:8563-8587. [PMID: 33714200 PMCID: PMC8034943 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Tumor mutation burden (TMB) has been associated with prognosis in various malignancies, but it has yet to be elucidated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to investigate the prognostic effects of TMB and its relationship with immune infiltration through multiple databases and whole-exome sequencing, so as to establish a panel model capable of predicting prognosis. The results demonstrated that the prognosis of high TMB group was worse than that of low TMB group, with a cutoff TMB value of 4.9. Enrichment analysis demonstrated that differentially expressed genes were mainly related to T cell activation, cell membrane localization and matrix composition. Tumor immune infiltration analysis revealed the infiltrations of Th2, Th17, and Tgd were up-regulated in high TMB group, while those of Tr1, MAIT, and DC were up-regulated in low TMB group. TMB-Infiltration model fit well with the actual survival observation, with a C-index 0.785 (0.700-0.870), which verified in ICGC-LIRI-JP was 0.650 (0.553-0.747). Additionally, these screened immune genes performed well in predicting tumor vascular invasion with a C-index of 0.847 (0.778-0.916). Overall, these results indicated that patients with high mutation frequency of immune-related genes and high TMB were prone to have worse prognosis and relapse after radical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Xie
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hewei Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Tao Pan
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xingrong Zheng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiaoan Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Genglin Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yunwen Lian
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jiaxin Lin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Liang Peng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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Peng Y, Liu C, Li M, Li W, Zhang M, Jiang X, Chang Y, Liu L, Wang F, Zhao Q. Identification of a prognostic and therapeutic immune signature associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:98. [PMID: 33568167 PMCID: PMC7877064 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-01792-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent and inflammation-associated cancers. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an essential role in HCC development and metastasis, leading to poor prognosis. The overall TME immune cells infiltration characterizations mediated by immune-related genes (IRGs) remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether immune-related genes could be indicators for the prognosis of HCC patients and TME cell infiltration characterization as well as responses to immunotherapy. Methods We obtained differentially expressed immune-related genes (DE IRGs) between normal liver tissues and liver cancer tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. To identify the prognostic genes and establish an immune risk signature, we performed univariable Cox regression survival analysis and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selector Operation (LASSO) regression based on the DE IRGs by robust rank aggregation method. Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent prognostic factors in HCC. We estimated the immune cell infiltration in TME via CIBERSORT and immunotherapy response through TIDE algorithm. Results We constructed an immune signature and validated its predictive capability. The immune signature included 7 differentially expressed IRGs: BIRC5, CACYBP, NR0B1, RAET1E, S100A8, SPINK5, and SPP1. The univariate and multivariate cox analysis showed that the 7-IRGs signature was a robust independent prognostic factor in the overall survival of HCC patients. The 7-IRG signature was associated with some clinical features, including gender, vascular invasion, histological grade, clinical stage, T stage. We also found that the 7-IRG signature could reflect the infiltration characterization of different immunocytes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and had a good correlation with immune checkpoint molecules, revealing that the poor prognosis might be partly due to immunosuppressive TME. The Tumour Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) analysis data showed that the 7-IRG signature had great potential for indicating the immunotherapy response in HCC patients. The mutation analysis demonstrated a significant difference in the tumor mutation burden (TMB) between the high- and low-risk groups, partially explaining this signature's predictive value. Conclusion In a word, we constructed and validated a novel, immune-related prognostic signature for HCC patients. This signature could effectively indicate HCC patients' survival and immunotherapy response. And it might act as potential immunotherapeutic targets for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengting Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenjie Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengna Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiang Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Chang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Lan Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. .,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China.
| | - Qiu Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. .,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China.
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26
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Sivanand A, Hennessey D, Iyer A, O'Keefe S, Surmanowicz P, Vaid G, Xiao Z, Gniadecki R. The Neoantigen Landscape of Mycosis Fungoides. Front Immunol 2020; 11:561234. [PMID: 33329522 PMCID: PMC7719792 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.561234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, for which there is no cure. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been tried in MF but the results have been inconsistent. To gain insight into the immunogenicity of MF we characterized the neoantigen landscape of this lymphoma, focusing on the known predictors of responses to immunotherapy: the quantity, HLA-binding strength and subclonality of neoantigens. Methods Whole exome and whole transcriptome sequences were obtained from 24 MF samples (16 plaques, 8 tumors) from 13 patients. Bioinformatic pipelines (Mutect2, OptiType, MuPeXi) were used for mutation calling, HLA typing, and neoantigen prediction. PhyloWGS was used to subdivide malignant cells into stem and clades, to which neoantigens were matched to determine their clonality. Results MF has a high mutational load (median 3,217 non synonymous mutations), resulting in a significant number of total neoantigens (median 1,309 per sample) and high-affinity neoantigens (median 328). In stage I disease most neoantigens were clonal but with stage progression, 75% of lesions had >50% subclonal antigens and 53% lesions had CSiN scores <1. There was very little overlap in neoantigens across patients or between different lesions on the same patient, indicating a high degree of heterogeneity. Conclusions The neoantigen landscape of MF is characterized by high neoantigen load and significant subclonality which could indicate potential challenges for immunotherapy in patients with advanced-stage disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arunima Sivanand
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Dylan Hennessey
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Aishwarya Iyer
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sandra O'Keefe
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Philip Surmanowicz
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Gauravi Vaid
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Zixuan Xiao
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Robert Gniadecki
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Salewski I, Gladbach YS, Kuntoff S, Irmscher N, Hahn O, Junghanss C, Maletzki C. In vivo vaccination with cell line-derived whole tumor lysates: neoantigen quality, not quantity matters. J Transl Med 2020; 18:402. [PMID: 33087163 PMCID: PMC7579816 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02570-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer vaccines provide a complex source of neoantigens. Still, increasing evidence reveals that the neoantigen quality rather than the quantity is predictive for treatment outcome. METHODS Using the preclinical Mlh1-/- tumor model, we performed a side-by side comparison of two autologous cell-line derived tumor lysates (namely 328 and A7450 T1 M1) harboring different tumor mutational burden (TMB; i.e. ultra-high: 328; moderate-high: A7450 T1 M1). Mice received repetitive prophylactic or therapeutic applications of the vaccine. Tumor incidence, immune responses and tumor microenvironment was examined. RESULTS Both tumor cell lysates delayed tumor formation in the prophylactic setting, with the A7450 T1 M1 lysate being more effective in decelerating tumor growth than the 328 lysate (median overall survival: 37 vs. 25 weeks). Comparable results were achieved in therapeutic setting and could be traced back to antigen-driven immune stimulation. Reactive T cells isolated from A7450 T1 M1-treated mice recognized autologous Mlh1-/- tumor cells in IFNγ ELISpot, but likewise YAC-1 cells, indicative for stimulation of both arms of the immune system. By deciphering local effects, vaccines shaped the tumor microenvironment differently. While A7450 T1 M1 prophylactically vaccinated tumors harbored low numbers of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and elevated CD8-T cell infiltrates, vaccination with the 328 lysate evoked MDSC infiltration. Similar effects were seen in the therapeutic setting with stable disease induction only upon A7450 T1 M1 vaccination. Untangling individual response profiles revealed strong infiltration with LAG3+ and PD-L1+ immune cells when treatments failed, but almost complete exclusion of checkpoint-expressing lymphocytes in long-term survivors. CONCLUSIONS By applying two tumor cell lysates we demonstrate that neoantigen quality outranks quantity. This should be considered prior to designing cancer vaccine-based combination approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inken Salewski
- Department of Medicine, Clinic III-Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Care, Rostock University Medical Center, Ernst-Heydemann-Str. 6, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Yvonne Saara Gladbach
- Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research (IBIMA), Rostock University Medical Center, University of Rostock, 18057, Rostock, Germany.,Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Steffen Kuntoff
- Department of Medicine, Clinic III-Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Care, Rostock University Medical Center, Ernst-Heydemann-Str. 6, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Nina Irmscher
- Department of Medicine, Clinic III-Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Care, Rostock University Medical Center, Ernst-Heydemann-Str. 6, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Olga Hahn
- Department of Cell Biology, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Christian Junghanss
- Department of Medicine, Clinic III-Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Care, Rostock University Medical Center, Ernst-Heydemann-Str. 6, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Claudia Maletzki
- Department of Medicine, Clinic III-Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Care, Rostock University Medical Center, Ernst-Heydemann-Str. 6, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
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28
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Buonaguro L, Tagliamonte M. Selecting Target Antigens for Cancer Vaccine Development. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8040615. [PMID: 33080888 PMCID: PMC7711972 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the principal goals of cancer immunotherapy is the development of efficient therapeutic cancer vaccines that are able to elicit an effector as well as memory T cell response specific to tumor antigens. In recent years, the attention has been focused on the personalization of cancer vaccines. However, the efficacy of therapeutic cancer vaccines is still disappointing despite the large number of vaccine strategies targeting different tumors that have been evaluated in recent years. While the preclinical data have frequently shown encouraging results, clinical trials have not provided satisfactory data to date. The main reason for such failures is the complexity of identifying specific target tumor antigens that should be unique or overexpressed only by the tumor cells compared to normal cells. Most of the tumor antigens included in cancer vaccines are non-mutated overexpressed self-antigens, eliciting mainly T cells with low-affinity T cell receptors (TCR) unable to mediate an effective anti-tumor response. In this review, the target tumor antigens employed in recent years in the development of therapeutic cancer vaccine strategies are described, along with potential new classes of tumor antigens such as the human endogenous retroviral elements (HERVs), unconventional antigens, and/or heteroclitic peptides.
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29
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Guo NL, Bello D, Ye Q, Tagett R, Chanetsa L, Singh D, Poh TY, Setyawati MI, Chotirmall SH, Ng KW, Demokritou P. Pilot deep RNA sequencing of worker blood samples from Singapore printing industry for occupational risk assessment. NANOIMPACT 2020; 19:100248. [PMID: 33511305 PMCID: PMC7840153 DOI: 10.1016/j.impact.2020.100248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Several engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are used in toner-based printing equipment (TPE) including laser printers and photocopiers to improve toner performance. High concentration of airborne nanoparticles due to TPE emissions has been documented in copy centers and chamber studies. Recent animal inhalation studies by our group suggested exposure to laser printer-emitted nanoparticles (PEPs) increased cardiovascular risk by impairing ventricular performance and inducing hypertension and arrhythmia, consistent with global transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling results. There has been no genome-wide transcriptomic analysis of workers exposed to TPE emissions to systematically assess the occupational exposure health risks. In this pilot study, deep RNA sequencing of blood samples of workers in two printing companies in Singapore was performed. The genome-scale analysis of the blood samples from TPE exposed workers revealed perturbed transcriptional activities related to inflammatory and immune responses, metabolism, cardiovascular impairment, neurological diseases, oxidative stress, physical morphogenesis/deformation, and cancer, when compared with the control peers (office workers). Many of these disease risks associated with particle inhalation exposures in such work environments were consistent with the observation from the PEPs rat inhalation studies. In particular, the cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) was a top significantly perturbed pathway in blood samples from exposed workers compared with the office workers in both companies. The protein expression of sICAM was verified in plasma of exposed workers, showing a positive correlation with daily average nanoparticle concentration in indoor air measured in these two companies. Larger scale genomic and molecular epidemiology studies in copier operators are warranted in order to assess potential risks from such particulate matter exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Lan Guo
- West Virginia University Cancer Institute/School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506
- Correspondence: ; Tel: 1-304-293-6455
| | - Dhimiter Bello
- Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854
- Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Qing Ye
- Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506
| | - Rebecca Tagett
- BRCF Bioinformatics Core, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Lucia Chanetsa
- Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854
| | - Dilpreet Singh
- Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tuang Yeow Poh
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 308232, Singapore
| | - Magdiel Inggrid Setyawati
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Sanjay H. Chotirmall
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 308232, Singapore
| | - Kee Woei Ng
- Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
- Environmental Chemistry and Materials Center, Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute, Singapore 637141, Singapore
| | - Philip Demokritou
- Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
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30
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Immunological Basis of Genesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Unique Challenges and Potential Opportunities through Immunomodulation. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8020247. [PMID: 32456200 PMCID: PMC7349974 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A majority of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) develops in the setting of persistent chronic inflammation as immunological mechanisms have been shown to play a vital role in the initiation, growth and progression of tumours. The index review has been intended to highlight ongoing immunological changes in the hepatic parenchyma responsible for the genesis and progression of HCC. The in-situ vaccine effect of radiofrequency (RF) is through generation tumour-associated antigens (TAAs), following necrosis and apoptosis of tumour cells, which not only re-activates the antitumour immune response but can also act in synergism with checkpoint inhibitors to generate a superlative effect with intent to treat primary cancer and distant metastasis. An improved understanding of oncogenic responses of immune cells and their integration into signaling pathways of the tumour microenvironment will help in modulating the antitumour immune response. Finally, we analyzed contemporary literature and summarised the recent advances made in the field of targeted immunotherapy involving checkpoint inhibitors along with RF application with the intent to reinstate antitumour immunity and outline future directives in very early and early stages of HCC.
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31
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Bouzid R, Peppelenbosch M, Buschow SI. Opportunities for Conventional and in Situ Cancer Vaccine Strategies and Combination with Immunotherapy for Gastrointestinal Cancers, A Review. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051121. [PMID: 32365838 PMCID: PMC7281593 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Survival of gastrointestinal cancer remains dismal, especially for metastasized disease. For various cancers, especially melanoma and lung cancer, immunotherapy has been proven to confer survival benefits, but results for gastrointestinal cancer have been disappointing. Hence, there is substantial interest in exploring the usefulness of adaptive immune system education with respect to anti-cancer responses though vaccination. Encouragingly, even fairly non-specific approaches to vaccination and immune system stimulation, involving for instance influenza vaccines, have shown promising results, eliciting hopes that selection of specific antigens for vaccination may prove useful for at least a subset of gastrointestinal cancers. It is widely recognized that immune recognition and initiation of responses are hampered by a lack of T cell help, or by suppressive cancer-associated factors. In this review we will discuss the hurdles that limit efficacy of conventional cancer therapeutic vaccination methods (e.g., peptide vaccines, dendritic cell vaccination). In addition, we will outline other forms of treatment (e.g., radiotherapy, chemotherapy, oncolytic viruses) that also cause the release of antigens through immunogenic tumor cell death and can thus be considered unconventional vaccination methods (i.e., in situ vaccination). Finally, we focus on the potential additive value that vaccination strategies may have for improving the effect immunotherapy. Overall, a picture will emerge that although the field has made substantial progress, successful immunotherapy through the combination with cancer antigen vaccination, including that for gastrointestinal cancers, is still in its infancy, prompting further intensification of the research effort in this respect.
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Abstract
Liver cancer is a particularly aggressive group of malignancies with historically low survival rates. Despite advancements in cancer treatments in general in the last few decades, incidence and mortality have not changed. Even though some phase 1 and 2 studies have shown promising results, many medication have failed to reach a sustainable level of efficacy to move into the clinical setting. Immunotherapy drugs have shown impressive results in the treatment of specific immunogenic cancers, prompting the possibility of their use in liver cancers. Immunotherapy medications approved for other cancers have received FDA accelerated approval for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. But, these approvals are contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. With more treatments in development involving cancer vaccines and natural killer cell-mediated therapy, liver cancer treatment is being reinvigorated with a broad array of new treatment angles. In this review article, we discuss these treatments, focusing on mechanism of action and clinical trials. Much needed advancements in treating late- and early-stage liver cancers will require new and innovative immunotherapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoffer Briggs Lambring
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
| | | | | | - Riyaz Basha
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
- Department of Pediatrics and Women’s Health, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, The University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
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