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Ye D, Zhou S, Dai X, Xu H, Tang Q, Huang H, Bi F. Targeting the MHC-I endosomal-lysosomal trafficking pathway in cancer: From mechanism to immunotherapy. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189161. [PMID: 39096977 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has achieved broad applicability and durable clinical responses across cancer types. However, the overall response rate remains suboptimal because some patients do not respond or develop drug resistance. The low infiltration of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) in the tumor microenvironment due to insufficient antigen presentation is closely related to the innate resistance to ICB. The duration and spatial distribution of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) expression on the cell surface is critical for the efficient presentation of endogenous tumor antigens and subsequent recognition and clearance by CTLs. Tumor cells reduce the surface expression of MHC-I via multiple mechanisms to impair antigen presentation pathways and evade immunity and/or develop resistance to ICB therapy. As an increasing number of studies have focused on membrane MHC-I trafficking and degradation in tumor cells, which may impact the effectiveness of tumor immunotherapy. It is necessary to summarize the mechanism regulating membrane MHC-I translocation into the cytoplasm and degradation via the lysosome. We reviewed recent advances in the understanding of endosomal-lysosomal MHC-I transport and highlighted the means exploited by tumor cells to evade detection and clearance by CTLs. We also summarized new therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways to enhance classical ICB treatment and provide new avenues for optimizing cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Ye
- Division of Abdominal Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, China
| | - Shuang Zhou
- Division of Abdominal Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, China
| | - Xinyu Dai
- Division of Abdominal Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, China
| | - Huanji Xu
- Division of Abdominal Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, China
| | - Qiulin Tang
- Division of Abdominal Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, China
| | - Huixi Huang
- Division of Abdominal Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, China
| | - Feng Bi
- Division of Abdominal Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, China.
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2
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Mullen NJ, Shukla SK, Thakur R, Kollala SS, Wang D, Chaika N, Santana JF, Miklavcic WR, LaBreck DA, Mallareddy JR, Price DH, Natarajan A, Mehla K, Sykes DB, Hollingsworth MA, Singh PK. DHODH inhibition enhances the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade by increasing cancer cell antigen presentation. eLife 2024; 12:RP87292. [PMID: 38973593 PMCID: PMC11230627 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis is a druggable metabolic dependency of cancer cells, and chemotherapy agents targeting pyrimidine metabolism are the backbone of treatment for many cancers. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is an essential enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway that can be targeted by clinically approved inhibitors. However, despite robust preclinical anticancer efficacy, DHODH inhibitors have shown limited single-agent activity in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. Therefore, novel combination therapy strategies are necessary to realize the potential of these drugs. To search for therapeutic vulnerabilities induced by DHODH inhibition, we examined gene expression changes in cancer cells treated with the potent and selective DHODH inhibitor brequinar (BQ). This revealed that BQ treatment causes upregulation of antigen presentation pathway genes and cell surface MHC class I expression. Mechanistic studies showed that this effect is (1) strictly dependent on pyrimidine nucleotide depletion, (2) independent of canonical antigen presentation pathway transcriptional regulators, and (3) mediated by RNA polymerase II elongation control by positive transcription elongation factor B (P-TEFb). Furthermore, BQ showed impressive single-agent efficacy in the immunocompetent B16F10 melanoma model, and combination treatment with BQ and dual immune checkpoint blockade (anti-CTLA-4 plus anti-PD-1) significantly prolonged mouse survival compared to either therapy alone. Our results have important implications for the clinical development of DHODH inhibitors and provide a rationale for combination therapy with BQ and immune checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Mullen
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Surendra K Shukla
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
| | - Ravi Thakur
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
| | - Sai Sundeep Kollala
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Dezhen Wang
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Nina Chaika
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Juan F Santana
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
| | - William R Miklavcic
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Drew A LaBreck
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
| | - Jayapal Reddy Mallareddy
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - David H Price
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of IowaIowa CityUnited States
| | - Amarnath Natarajan
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Kamiya Mehla
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
| | - David B Sykes
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
- Harvard Stem Cell InstituteCambridgeUnited States
| | - Michael A Hollingsworth
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
- OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterOklahoma CityUnited States
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Mullen NJ, Shukla SK, Thakur R, Kollala SS, Wang D, Chaika N, Santana JF, Miklavcic WR, LaBreck DA, Mallareddy JR, Price DH, Natarajan A, Mehla K, Sykes DB, Hollingsworth MA, Singh PK. DHODH inhibition enhances the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade by increasing cancer cell antigen presentation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.03.535399. [PMID: 37066260 PMCID: PMC10103971 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.03.535399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis is a druggable metabolic dependency of cancer cells, and chemotherapy agents targeting pyrimidine metabolism are the backbone of treatment for many cancers. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is an essential enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway that can be targeted by clinically approved inhibitors. However, despite robust preclinical anticancer efficacy, DHODH inhibitors have shown limited single-agent activity in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. Therefore, novel combination therapy strategies are necessary to realize the potential of these drugs. To search for therapeutic vulnerabilities induced by DHODH inhibition, we examined gene expression changes in cancer cells treated with the potent and selective DHODH inhibitor brequinar (BQ). This revealed that BQ treatment causes upregulation of antigen presentation pathway genes and cell surface MHC class I expression. Mechanistic studies showed that this effect is 1) strictly dependent on pyrimidine nucleotide depletion, 2) independent of canonical antigen presentation pathway transcriptional regulators, and 3) mediated by RNA polymerase II elongation control by positive transcription elongation factor B (P-TEFb). Furthermore, BQ showed impressive single-agent efficacy in the immunocompetent B16F10 melanoma model, and combination treatment with BQ and dual immune checkpoint blockade (anti-CTLA-4 plus anti-PD-1) significantly prolonged mouse survival compared to either therapy alone. Our results have important implications for the clinical development of DHODH inhibitors and provide a rationale for combination therapy with BQ and immune checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Mullen
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Surendra K. Shukla
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Ravi Thakur
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Sai Sundeep Kollala
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Dezhen Wang
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Nina Chaika
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Juan F. Santana
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - William R. Miklavcic
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Drew A. LaBreck
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Jayapal Reddy Mallareddy
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - David H. Price
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Amarnath Natarajan
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Kamiya Mehla
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - David B. Sykes
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael A. Hollingsworth
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Pankaj K. Singh
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
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Poletto S, Paruzzo L, Nepote A, Caravelli D, Sangiolo D, Carnevale-Schianca F. Predictive Factors in Metastatic Melanoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: From Clinical Practice to Future Perspective. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:101. [PMID: 38201531 PMCID: PMC10778365 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The introduction of immunotherapy revolutionized the treatment landscape in metastatic melanoma. Despite the impressive results associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), only a portion of patients obtain a response to this treatment. In this scenario, the research of predictive factors is fundamental to identify patients who may have a response and to exclude patients with a low possibility to respond. These factors can be host-associated, immune system activation-related, and tumor-related. Patient-related factors can vary from data obtained by medical history (performance status, age, sex, body mass index, concomitant medications, and comorbidities) to analysis of the gut microbiome from fecal samples. Tumor-related factors can reflect tumor burden (metastatic sites, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, and circulating tumor DNA) or can derive from the analysis of tumor samples (driver mutations, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and myeloid cells). Biomarkers evaluating the immune system activation, such as IFN-gamma gene expression profile and analysis of circulating immune cell subsets, have emerged in recent years as significantly correlated with response to ICIs. In this manuscript, we critically reviewed the most updated literature data on the landscape of predictive factors in metastatic melanoma treated with ICIs. We focus on the principal limits and potentiality of different methods, shedding light on the more promising biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Poletto
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, AOU S. Luigi Gonzaga, 10043 Orbassano, Italy;
| | - Luca Paruzzo
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy; (L.P.); (D.S.)
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alessandro Nepote
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, AOU S. Luigi Gonzaga, 10043 Orbassano, Italy;
| | - Daniela Caravelli
- Medical Oncology Division, Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCs, 10060 Candiolo, Italy; (D.C.); (F.C.-S.)
| | - Dario Sangiolo
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy; (L.P.); (D.S.)
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Mai Y, Su J, Yang C, Xia C, Fu L. The strategies to cure cancer patients by eradicating cancer stem-like cells. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:171. [PMID: 37853413 PMCID: PMC10583358 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01867-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), a subpopulation of cancer cells, possess remarkable capability in proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation. Their presence is recognized as a crucial factor contributing to tumor progression and metastasis. CSCs have garnered significant attention as a therapeutic focus and an etiologic root of treatment-resistant cells. Increasing evidence indicated that specific biomarkers, aberrant activated pathways, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and immunoevasion are considered the culprits in the occurrence of CSCs and the maintenance of CSCs properties including multi-directional differentiation. Targeting CSC biomarkers, stemness-associated pathways, TME, immunoevasion and inducing CSCs differentiation improve CSCs eradication and, therefore, cancer treatment. This review comprehensively summarized these targeted therapies, along with their current status in clinical trials. By exploring and implementing strategies aimed at eradicating CSCs, researchers aim to improve cancer treatment outcomes and overcome the challenges posed by CSC-mediated therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yansui Mai
- Affiliated Foshan Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiyan Su
- Affiliated Foshan Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Chenglai Xia
- Affiliated Foshan Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Liwu Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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Yang K, Halima A, Chan TA. Antigen presentation in cancer - mechanisms and clinical implications for immunotherapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:604-623. [PMID: 37328642 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00789-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, the emergence of effective immunotherapies has revolutionized the clinical management of many types of cancers. However, long-term durable tumour control is only achieved in a fraction of patients who receive these therapies. Understanding the mechanisms underlying clinical response and resistance to treatment is therefore essential to expanding the level of clinical benefit obtained from immunotherapies. In this Review, we describe the molecular mechanisms of antigen processing and presentation in tumours and their clinical consequences. We examine how various aspects of the antigen-presentation machinery (APM) shape tumour immunity. In particular, we discuss genomic variants in HLA alleles and other APM components, highlighting their influence on the immunopeptidomes of both malignant cells and immune cells. Understanding the APM, how it is regulated and how it changes in tumour cells is crucial for determining which patients will respond to immunotherapy and why some patients develop resistance. We focus on recently discovered molecular and genomic alterations that drive the clinical outcomes of patients receiving immune-checkpoint inhibitors. An improved understanding of how these variables mediate tumour-immune interactions is expected to guide the more precise administration of immunotherapies and reveal potentially promising directions for the development of new immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailin Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ahmed Halima
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Timothy A Chan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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Mestrallet G, Brown M, Bozkus CC, Bhardwaj N. Immune escape and resistance to immunotherapy in mismatch repair deficient tumors. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1210164. [PMID: 37492581 PMCID: PMC10363668 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1210164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Up to 30% of colorectal, endometrial and gastric cancers have a deficiency in mismatch repair (MMR) protein expression due to either germline or epigenetic inactivation. Patients with Lynch Syndrome who inherit an inactive MMR allele have an up to 80% risk for developing a mismatch repair deficient (MMRd) cancer. Due to an inability to repair DNA, MMRd tumors present with genomic instability in microsatellite regions (MS). Tumors with high MS instability (MSI-H) are characterized by an increased frequency of insertion/deletions (indels) that can encode novel neoantigens if they occur in coding regions. The high tumor antigen burden for MMRd cancers is accompanied by an inflamed tumor microenvironment (TME) that contributes to the clinical effectiveness of anti-PD-1 therapy in this patient population. However, between 40 and 70% of MMRd cancer patients do not respond to treatment with PD-1 blockade, suggesting that tumor-intrinsic and -extrinsic resistance mechanisms may affect the success of checkpoint blockade. Immune evasion mechanisms that occur during early tumorigenesis and persist through cancer development may provide a window into resistance pathways that limit the effectiveness of anti-PD-1 therapy. Here, we review the mechanisms of immune escape in MMRd tumors during development and checkpoint blockade treatment, including T cell dysregulation and myeloid cell-mediated immunosuppression in the TME. Finally, we discuss the development of new therapeutic approaches to tackle resistance in MMRd tumors, including cancer vaccines, therapies targeting immunosuppressive myeloid programs, and immune checkpoint combination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Mestrallet
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hess Center for Science & Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Matthew Brown
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hess Center for Science & Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Cansu Cimen Bozkus
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hess Center for Science & Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nina Bhardwaj
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hess Center for Science & Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Extramural member, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, United States
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8
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Wang J, Liu D, Wang Q, Xie Y. Identification of Basement Membrane-Related Signatures in Gastric Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13111844. [PMID: 37296697 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13111844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The basement membrane (BM) serves as a major barrier to impede tumor cell invasion and extravasation during metastasis. However, the associations between BM-related genes and GC remain unclear. METHODS RNA expression data and corresponding clinical information of STAD samples were downloaded from the TCGA database. We identified BM-related subtypes and constructed a BM-related gene prognostic model using lasso-Cox regression analysis. We also investigated the single-cell properties of prognostic-related genes and the TME characteristic, TMB status, and chemotherapy response in high- and low-risk groups. Finally, we verified our results in the GEPIA database and human tissue specimens. RESULTS A six-gene lasso Cox regression model (APOD, CAPN6, GPC3, PDK4, SLC7A2, SVEP1) was developed. Activated CD4+ T cells and follicular T cells were shown to infiltrate more widely in the low-risk group. The low-risk group harbored significantly higher TMB and better prognosis, favoring immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS We constructed a six-gene BM-related prognostic model for predicting GC prognosis, immune cell infiltration, TMB status, and chemotherapy response. This research provides new ideas for developing more effective individualized treatment of GC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyun Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Dingwei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Qixuan Wang
- Queen Mary School, Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Yong Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
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Liu Y, Liu X, Huang J, Shi Y, Luo Z, Zhang J, Guo X, Jiang M, Li X, Yin H, Qin B, Guan G, Luo L, Zhou Y, You J. Nonlysosomal Route of mRNA Delivery and Combining with Epigenetic Regulation Optimized Antitumor Immunoprophylactic Efficacy. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2202460. [PMID: 36366890 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202202460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Currently, mRNA-based tumor therapies are in full flow because in vitro-transcribed (IVT) mRNA has the potential to express tumor antigens to initiate the adaptive immune responses. However, the efficacy of such therapy relies heavily on the delivery system. Here, a pardaxin-modified liposome loaded with tumor antigen-encoding mRNA and adjuvant (2',3'-cGAMP, (cyclic [G(2',5')pA(3',5')p])), termed P-Lipoplex-CDN is reported. Due to an nonlysosomal delivery route, the transfection efficiency on dendritic cells (DCs) is improved by reducing the lysosome disruption of cargos. The mRNA modified DCs efficiently induce tumor antigen-specific immune responses both in vitro and in vivo. As prophylactic vaccines, mRNA transfected DCs significantly delay the occurrence and development of tumors, and several immunized mice are even completely resistant to tumors. Interestingly, the efficacy depends on the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) expression level on tumor cells. Furthermore, epigenetic modification (decitabine, DAC) is applied as a combination strategy to deal with malignant tumor progression caused by deficient tumor MHC-I expression. This study highlights the close relationship between mRNA-DCs vaccine efficacy and the expression level of tumor cell MHC-I molecules. Moreover, a feasible strategy for tumor MHC-I expression deficiency is proposed, which may provide clinical guidance for the design and application of mRNA-based tumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Xu Liu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Jiaxin Huang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Yingying Shi
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Zhenyu Luo
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Junlei Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Xuemeng Guo
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Mengshi Jiang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Hang Yin
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Bing Qin
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Guannan Guan
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Lihua Luo
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Zhejiang Center of Drug and Cosmetic Evaluation, No. 39 Yile Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310012, P. R. China
| | - Jian You
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, P. R. China
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10
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Ziogas DC, Theocharopoulos C, Koutouratsas T, Haanen J, Gogas H. Mechanisms of resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma: What we have to overcome? Cancer Treat Rev 2023; 113:102499. [PMID: 36542945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2022.102499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Marching into the second decade after the approval of ipilimumab, it is clear that immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have dramatically improved the prognosis of melanoma. Although the current edge is already high, with a 4-year OS% of 77.9% for adjuvant nivolumab and a 6.5-year OS% of 49% for nivolumab/ipilimumab combination in the metastatic setting, a high proportion of patients with advanced melanoma have no benefit from immunotherapy, or experience an early disease relapse/progression in the first few months of treatment, surviving much less. Reasonably, the primary and acquired resistance to ICIs has entered into the focus of clinical research with positive (e.g., nivolumab and relatlimab combination) and negative feedbacks (e.g., nivolumab with pegylated-IL2, pembrolizumab with T-VEC, nivolumab with epacadostat, and combinatorial triplets of BRAF/MEK inhibitors with immunotherapy). Many intrinsic (intracellular or intra-tumoral) but also extrinsic (systematic) events are considered to be involved in the development of this resistance to ICIs: i) melanoma cell immunogenicity (e.g., tumor mutational burden, antigen-processing machinery and immunogenic cell death, neoantigen affinity and heterogeneity, genomic instability, melanoma dedifferentiation and phenotypic plasticity), ii) immune cell trafficking, T-cell priming, and cell death evasion, iii) melanoma neovascularization, cellular TME components(e.g., Tregs, CAFs) and extracellular matrix modulation, iv) metabolic antagonism in the TME(highly glycolytic status, upregulated CD39/CD73/adenosine pathway, iDO-dependent tryptophan catabolism), v) T-cell exhaustion and negative immune checkpoints, and vi) gut microbiota. In the present overview, we discuss how these parameters compromise the efficacy of ICIs, with an emphasis on the lessons learned by the latest melanoma studies; and in parallel, we describe the main ongoing approaches to overcome the resistance to immunotherapy. Summarizing this information will improve the understanding of how these complicated dynamics contribute to immune escape and will help to develop more effective strategies on how anti-tumor immunity can surpass existing barriers of ICI-refractory melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios C Ziogas
- First Department of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
| | - Charalampos Theocharopoulos
- First Department of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
| | - Tilemachos Koutouratsas
- First Department of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
| | - John Haanen
- Division of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Helen Gogas
- First Department of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
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11
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Dai J, Bai X, Gao X, Tang L, Chen Y, Sun L, Wei X, Li C, Qi Z, Kong Y, Cui C, Chi Z, Sheng X, Xu Z, Lian B, Li S, Yan X, Tang B, Zhou L, Wang X, Xia X, Guo J, Mao L, Si L. Molecular underpinnings of exceptional response in primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus to anti-PD-1 monotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-005937. [PMID: 36593066 PMCID: PMC9809322 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating data suggest that mucosal melanoma, well known for its poor response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and abysmal prognosis, is a heterogeneous subtype of melanoma with distinct genomic and clinical characteristics between different anatomic locations of the primary lesions. Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus (PMME) is a rare, highly aggressive disease with a poorer prognosis compared with that of non-esophageal mucosal melanoma (NEMM). In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of anti-programmed death (PD)-1 in patients with PMME and explored its molecular basis. METHODS The response and survival of patients with PMME and NEMM under anti-PD-1 monotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. To explore the molecular mechanisms of the difference in therapeutic efficacy between PMME and NEMM, we performed genomic analysis, bulk RNA sequencing, and multiplex immunohistochemistry staining. RESULTS We found that PMME (n=28) responded better to anti-PD-1 treatment than NEMM (n=64), with a significantly higher objective response rate (33.3% (95% CI 14.3% to 52.3%) vs 6.6% (95% CI 0.2% to 12.9%)) and disease control rate (74.1% (95% CI 56.4% to 91.7%) vs 37.7% (95% CI 25.2% to 50.2%)). Genomic sequencing analysis revealed that the genomic aberration landscape of PMME predominated in classical cancer driver genes, with approximately half of PMME cases harboring mutations in BRAF, N/KRAS, and NF1. In contrast, most NEMM cases were triple wild-type. Transcriptome analysis revealed that, compared with NEMM, PMME displayed more significant proliferation and inflammatory features with higher expression of genes related to antigen presentation and differentiation, and a less immunosuppressive signature with lower expression of inhibitory immune checkpoints and dedifferentiation-related genes. The multiplex immunohistochemical analysis also demonstrated higher CD8+ T-cell infiltration in PMME than in NEMM. CONCLUSIONS PMME is an outlier of mucosal melanoma showing a malicious phenotype but a particularly high response rate to ICB because of its distinct molecular characteristics. Patient stratification based on anatomic origin can facilitate clinical decision-making in patients with mucosal melanoma following the verification of our results in future prospective studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Dai
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Bai
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,GenePlus- Shenzhen Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lirui Tang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital & Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Linzi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoting Wei
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Caili Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zhonghui Qi
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Kong
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Chuanliang Cui
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihong Chi
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xinan Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Genitourinary Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | | | - Bin Lian
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Siming Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xieqiao Yan
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Genitourinary Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Bixia Tang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Genitourinary Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Genitourinary Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | | | - Jun Guo
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Genitourinary Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Lili Mao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Si
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
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12
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Korotaeva AA, Borunova AA, Kuzevanova AY, Zabotina TN, Alimov AA. [Molecular mechanisms of impaired antigenic presentation as a cause of tumor escape from immune surveillance]. Arkh Patol 2023; 85:76-83. [PMID: 38010642 DOI: 10.17116/patol20238506176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The review summarizes data on the features of antigen presentation in tumor cells. The molecular mechanisms of the antitumor immune response are considered with an emphasis on the ability of tumor cells to avoid the action of immune surveillance. The features of expression of MHC molecules depending on treatment regimens are provided. Ways to improve existing and create new treatment regimens aimed at elimination of tumor cells because of antitumor immune response are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Korotaeva
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Moscow, Russia
| | - A A Borunova
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - T N Zabotina
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Moscow, Russia
| | - A A Alimov
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Moscow, Russia
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13
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A Necroptosis-Related Gene Signature to Predict the Prognosis of Skin Cutaneous Melanoma. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:8232024. [DOI: 10.1155/2022/8232024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The prognosis of skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) remains poor, and patients with SKCM show a poor response to immunotherapy. Thus, we aimed to identify necroptosis-related biomarkers, which can help predict the prognosis of SKCM and improve the effectiveness of precision medicine. Data of SKCM were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GEO databases. TCGA samples were classified into two clusters by consensus clustering of necroptosis-related genes. Univariate Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analyses led to the identification of 11 genes, which were used to construct a prognostic model. GSE65904 was used as the test set. Principal component, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding, and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses indicated that samples in the train and test sets could be divided into two groups, with the high-risk group showing a worse prognosis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed, and a nomogram, calibration curve, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve were constructed to verify the efficacy of our model. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the train set were 0.702, 0.663, and 0.701 and for the test set were 0.613, 0.627, and 0.637, respectively. Moreover, we performed Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses between the high- and low-risk groups. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis, immune cell infiltration analysis, tumor microenvironment scores, immune checkpoint analysis, and half-maximal inhibitory concentration prediction indicated that the high-risk group showed weaker antitumor immunity; further, the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors was worse, and the high-risk group was sensitive to fewer antitumor drugs. Tumor mutational burden analysis, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, and correlation analysis between risk score and RNA stemness score revealed that the high-risk group with low tumor mutational burden and high RNA stemness score was potentially associated with poor prognosis. To conclude, our model, which was based on 11 necroptosis-related genes, could predict the prognosis of SKCM; in addition, it has guiding significance for the selection of clinical treatment and provides new research directions to enhance necroptosis against SKCM.
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14
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Noman MZ, Bocci IA, Karam M, Moer KV, Bosseler M, Kumar A, Berchem G, Auclair C, Janji B. The β-carboline Harmine improves the therapeutic benefit of anti-PD1 in melanoma by increasing the MHC-I-dependent antigen presentation. Front Immunol 2022; 13:980704. [PMID: 36458012 PMCID: PMC9705972 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.980704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Harmine is a dual-specificity tyrosine-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) inhibitor that displays a number of biological and pharmacological properties. Also referred to as ACB1801 molecule, we have previously reported that harmine increases the presentation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I-dependent antigen on melanoma cells. Here, we show that ACB1801 upregulates the mRNA expression of several proteins of the MHC-I such as Transporter Associated with antigen Processing TAP1 and 2, Tapasin and Lmp2 (hereafter referred to as MHC-I signature) in melanoma cells. Treatment of mice bearing melanoma B16-F10 with ACB1801 inhibits the growth and weight of tumors and induces a profound modification of the tumor immune landscape. Strikingly, combining ACB1801 with anti-PD1 significantly improves its therapeutic benefit in B16-F10 melanoma-bearing mice. These results suggest that, by increasing the MHC-I, ACB1801 can be combined with anti-PD1/PD-L1 therapy to improve the survival benefit in cancer patients displaying a defect in MHC-I expression. This is further supported by data showing that i) high expression levels of TAP1, Tapasin and Lmp2 was observed in melanoma patients that respond to anti-PD1; ii) the survival is significantly improved in melanoma patients who express high MHC-I signature relative to those expressing low MHC-I signature; and iii) high expression of MHC-I signature in melanoma patients was correlated with increased expression of CD8 and NK cell markers and overexpression of proinflammatory chemokines involved in the recruitment of CD8+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Zaeem Noman
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Irene Adelaide Bocci
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Manale Karam
- AC Bioscience, Biopôle, Route de la Corniche 4, Epalinges, Switzerland
- AC Biotech, Villejuif Biopark, Villejuif, France
| | - Kris Van Moer
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Manon Bosseler
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Akinchan Kumar
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Guy Berchem
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Christian Auclair
- AC Bioscience, Biopôle, Route de la Corniche 4, Epalinges, Switzerland
- AC Biotech, Villejuif Biopark, Villejuif, France
| | - Bassam Janji
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
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15
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Shklovskaya E, Pedersen B, Stewart A, Simpson JOG, Ming Z, Irvine M, Scolyer RA, Long GV, Rizos H. Durable Responses to Anti-PD1 and Anti-CTLA4 in a Preclinical Model of Melanoma Displaying Key Immunotherapy Response Biomarkers. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194830. [PMID: 36230753 PMCID: PMC9564179 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immunotherapy has improved the outcomes of patients with advanced melanoma, although many patients will progress while on treatment. Preclinical animal models provide valuable insights into immunotherapy response or resistance and can be used to test novel treatment combinations. The development of animal cancer models rarely involves the systematic analysis and inclusion of predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy response. This study describes a biomarker-driven workflow to generate a transplantable mouse melanoma model responsive to anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy. This model recapitulates human immunotherapy-responding tumor phenotypes and provides unique insights into the discrete mechanisms underlying the durability of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Abstract Immunotherapy has transformed the management of patients with advanced melanoma, with five-year overall survival rates reaching 52% for combination immunotherapies blocking the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA4) and programmed cell death-1 (PD1) immune axes. Yet, our understanding of local and systemic determinants of immunotherapy response and resistance is restrained by the paucity of preclinical models, particularly those for anti-PD1 monotherapy. We have therefore generated a novel murine model of melanoma by integrating key immunotherapy response biomarkers into the model development workflow. The resulting YUMM3.3UVRc34 (BrafV600E; Cdkn2a–/–) model demonstrated high mutation burden and response to interferon (IFN)γ, including induced expression of antigen-presenting molecule MHC-I and the principal PD1 ligand PD-L1, consistent with phenotypes of human melanoma biopsies from patients subsequently responding to anti-PD1 monotherapy. Syngeneic immunosufficient mice bearing YUMM3.3UVRc34 tumors demonstrated durable responses to anti-PD1, anti-CTLA4, or combined treatment. Immunotherapy responses were associated with early on-treatment changes in the tumor microenvironment and circulating T-cell subsets, and systemic immunological memory underlying protection from tumor recurrence. Local and systemic immunological landscapes associated with immunotherapy response in the YUMM3.3UVRc34 melanoma model recapitulate immunotherapy responses observed in melanoma patients and identify discrete immunological mechanisms underlying the durability of responses to anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Shklovskaya
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Human and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Correspondence: (E.S.); (H.R.); Tel.: +61-2-9850-2790 (E.S.); +61-2-9850-2761 (H.R.)
| | - Bernadette Pedersen
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Human and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Ashleigh Stewart
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Human and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jack O. G. Simpson
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Human and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Zizhen Ming
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Human and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Mal Irvine
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Human and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Richard A. Scolyer
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Georgina V. Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia
| | - Helen Rizos
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Human and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Correspondence: (E.S.); (H.R.); Tel.: +61-2-9850-2790 (E.S.); +61-2-9850-2761 (H.R.)
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16
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Knoche SM, Brumfield GL, Goetz BT, Sliker BH, Larson AC, Olson MT, Poelaert BJ, Bavari A, Yan Y, Black JD, Solheim JC. The histone deacetylase inhibitor M344 as a multifaceted therapy for pancreatic cancer. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273518. [PMID: 36126055 PMCID: PMC9488834 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor vorinostat, used with gemcitabine and other therapies, has been effective in treatment of experimental models of pancreatic cancer. In this study, we demonstrated that M344, an HDAC inhibitor, is efficacious against pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo, alone or with gemcitabine. By 24 hours post-treatment, M344 augments the population of pancreatic cancer cells in G1, and at a later time point (48 hours) it increases apoptosis. M344 inhibits histone H3 deacetylation and slows pancreatic cancer cell proliferation better than vorinostat, and it does not decrease the viability of a non-malignant cell line more than vorinostat. M344 also elevates pancreatic cancer cell major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule expression, potentially increasing the susceptibility of pancreatic cancer cells to T cell lysis. Taken together, our findings support further investigation of M344 as a pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby M. Knoche
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Gabrielle L. Brumfield
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Benjamin T. Goetz
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Bailee H. Sliker
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Alaina C. Larson
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Madeline T. Olson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Brittany J. Poelaert
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Audrey Bavari
- University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Ying Yan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Jennifer D. Black
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Joyce C. Solheim
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
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17
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Yu J, Wu X, Song J, Zhao Y, Li H, Luo M, Liu X. Loss of MHC-I antigen presentation correlated with immune checkpoint blockade tolerance in MAPK inhibitor-resistant melanoma. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:928226. [PMID: 36091815 PMCID: PMC9459091 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.928226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade and MAPK-targeted combined therapy is a promising regimen for advanced melanoma patients. However, the clinical benefit from this combo regimen remains limited, especially in patients who acquired resistance to MAPK-targeted therapy. Here, we systematically characterized the immune landscape during MAPK-targeted therapy in patients and mouse melanoma models. We observed that both the abundance of tumor-infiltrated T cells and the expression of immune-related genes were upregulated in the drug-responsive period, but downregulated in the resistance period, implying that acquired drug resistance dampens the antitumor immune response. Further transcriptomic dissection indicated that loss of MHC-I antigen presentation on tumor cells plays a critical role in the reduction of T cell infiltration during drug resistance. Survival analysis demonstrates that loss of antigen presentation and reduction of T-cell infiltration during acquired drug resistance are associated with poorer clinical response and prognosis of anti-PD-1 therapy in melanoma patients. In addition, we identified that alterations in the MAPK inhibitor resistance-related oncogenic signaling pathway closely correlated with deficiency of MHC-I antigen presentation, including activation of the PI3K-mTOR, MAPK, and Wnt pathways. In conclusion, our research illuminates that decreased infiltration of T cells is associated with acquired drug resistance during MAPK-targeted therapy, which may underlie the cross-resistance to immune checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yu
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xi Wu
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jinen Song
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yujie Zhao
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Huifang Li
- Research Core Facility, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Min Luo
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaowei Liu, ; Min Luo,
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaowei Liu, ; Min Luo,
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18
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Xu L, Ma Y, Fang C, Peng Z, Gao F, Moll JM, Qin S, Yu Q, Hou Y, Kristiansen K, Fang W, Brix S, Zhang L. Genomic and microbial factors affect the prognosis of anti-pd-1 immunotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:953884. [PMID: 36059644 PMCID: PMC9428750 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.953884] [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: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies targeting the programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) molecule have been reported to hold promising antitumor activities in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, only a small subset of NPC patients benefits from the anti-PD-1 monotherapy and factors that affect the treatment response need further investigation. This study aimed to examine the impact of multiple genetic and environmental factors on outcome of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy by identifying tumor size, tumor mutation burden (TMB) based on whole exon sequencing, human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) homo-/heterozygosity and supertypes, blood Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load, T cell proportions, and interferon-γ(IFN-γ) levels in a cohort of 57 NPC patients that received Nivolumab or Camrelizumab treatment. Moreover, we profiled the longitudinal changes in gut microbiota composition using shotgun metagenomics sequencing. We observed that high TMB combined with HLA-I heterozygosity was associated with improved clinical outcomes. In agreement with previous studies, we found that patients with higher plasma EBV DNA load showed worse progression-free survival. We found no evidence for an effect of gut bacterial diversity on the treatment response, but identified a higher abundance of seven specific gut bacteria at baseline of non-responders, including Blautia wexlera and Blautia obeum, as well as four other bacteria belonging to the Clostridiales order, and one Erysipelatoclostridium. Combined, this study provides insight into the influence of several genetic and environmental factors on anti-PD-1 immunotherapy responses in NPC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqin Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Latvia MGI Tech SIA, Marupe, Latvia
| | - Yuxiang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chao Fang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zhuobing Peng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fangfang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Janne Marie Moll
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Qichao Yu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Hou
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Latvia MGI Tech SIA, Marupe, Latvia
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Karsten Kristiansen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Metagenomics, Qingdao-Europe Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, Qingdao, China
- *Correspondence: Karsten Kristiansen, ; Wenfeng Fang, ; Susanne Brix, ; Li Zhang,
| | - Wenfeng Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Karsten Kristiansen, ; Wenfeng Fang, ; Susanne Brix, ; Li Zhang,
| | - Susanne Brix
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Institute of Metagenomics, Qingdao-Europe Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, Qingdao, China
- *Correspondence: Karsten Kristiansen, ; Wenfeng Fang, ; Susanne Brix, ; Li Zhang,
| | - Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Karsten Kristiansen, ; Wenfeng Fang, ; Susanne Brix, ; Li Zhang,
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van der Westhuizen A, Lyle M, Graves MC, Zhu X, Wong JWH, Cornall K, Ren S, Pugliese L, Levy R, Majid A, Vilain RE, Bowden NA. Repurposing Azacitidine and Carboplatin to Prime Immune Checkpoint Blockade-resistant Melanoma for Anti-PD-L1 Rechallenge. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:814-826. [PMID: 36923309 PMCID: PMC10010343 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Drug repurposing offers the opportunity for chemotherapy to be used to reestablish sensitivity to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Here we investigated the clinical and translational aspects of an early phase II study of azacitidine and carboplatin priming for anti-PDL1 immunotherapy (avelumab) in patients with advanced ICB-resistant melanoma. Experimental Design A total of 20 participants with ICB-resistant metastatic melanoma received 2 × 4-week cycles of azacitidine and carboplatin followed by ICB rechallenge with anti-PD-L1 avelumab. The primary objective was overall response rate after priming and ICB rechallenge. Secondary objectives were clinical benefit rate (CBR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Translational correlation analysis of HLA-A and PD-L1 expression, RNA sequencing, and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing of biopsies at baseline, after priming and after six cycles of avelmuab was performed. Results The overall response rate (ORR) determined after azacitidine and carboplatin priming was 10% (2/20) with two partial responses (PR). The ORR determined after priming followed by six cycles of avelumab (week 22) was 10%, with 2 of 20 participants achieving immune partial response (iPR). The CBR for azacitidine and carboplatin priming was 65% (13/20) and after priming followed by six cycles of avelumab CBR was 35% (n = 7/20). The median PFS was 18.0 weeks [95% confidence interval (CI): 14.87-21.13 weeks] and the median OS was 47.86 weeks (95% CI: 9.67-86.06 weeks). Translational correlation analysis confirmed HLA-A generally increased after priming with azacitidine and carboplatin, particularly if it was absent at the start of treatment. Average methylation of CpGs across the HLA-A locus was decreased after priming and T cells, in particular CD8+, showed the greatest increase in infiltration. Conclusions Priming with azacitidine and carboplatin can induce disease stabilization and resensitization to ICB for metastatic melanoma. Significance There are limited treatments for melanoma once resistance to ICB occurs. Chemotherapy induces immune-related responses and may be repurposed to reinstate the response to ICB. This study provides the first evidence that chemotherapy can provide clinical benefit and increase OS for ICB-resistant melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre van der Westhuizen
- Hunter Medical Research Institute and School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Calvary Mater Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- Corresponding Authors: Nikola A. Bowden, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, c/o – University Dr, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia. Phone: 612-4042-0277; E-mail: ; and Andre van der Westhuizen,
| | - Megan Lyle
- Liz Plummer Cancer Centre, Cairns Hospital, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Moira C. Graves
- Hunter Medical Research Institute and School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Xiaoqiang Zhu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Jason W. H. Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Kerrie Cornall
- Department of Medical Oncology, Calvary Mater Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Shu Ren
- Department of Medical Oncology, Calvary Mater Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Leanna Pugliese
- Department of Medical Oncology, Calvary Mater Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard Levy
- Department of Surgery, Calvary Mater Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Adeeb Majid
- Department of Surgery, Calvary Mater Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Ricardo E. Vilain
- Hunter Medical Research Institute and School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Pathology North, NSW Health Pathology, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Nikola A. Bowden
- Hunter Medical Research Institute and School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Corresponding Authors: Nikola A. Bowden, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, c/o – University Dr, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia. Phone: 612-4042-0277; E-mail: ; and Andre van der Westhuizen,
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20
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The Transcriptional Landscape of BRAF Wild Type Metastatic Melanoma: A Pilot Study. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23136898. [PMID: 35805902 PMCID: PMC9266837 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23136898] [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: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is a relatively rare disease worldwide; nevertheless, it has a great relevance in some countries, such as in Europe. In order to shed some light upon the transcriptional profile of skin melanoma, we compared the gene expression of six independent tumours (all progressed towards metastatic disease and with wild type BRAF) to the expression profile of non-dysplastic melanocytes (considered as a healthy control) in a pilot study. Paraffin-embedded samples were manually micro-dissected to obtain enriched samples, and then, RNA was extracted and analysed through a microarray-based approach. An exhaustive bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed transcripts between the two groups, as well as enriched functional terms. Overall, 50 up- and 19 downregulated transcripts were found to be significantly changed in the tumour compared to the control tissue. Among the upregulated transcripts, the majority belonged to the immune response group and to the proteasome, while most of the downregulated genes were related to cytosolic ribosomes. A Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), along with the RNA-Seq data retrieved from the TCGA/GTEx databases, confirmed the general trend of downregulation affecting cytoribosome proteins. In contrast, transcripts coding for mitoribosome proteins showed the opposite trend.
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21
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Yi R, Hong S, Zhang Y, Lin A, Ying H, Zou W, Wang Q, Wei T, Cheng Q, Zhu W, Luo P, Zhang J. MHC-II Signature Correlates With Anti-Tumor Immunity and Predicts anti-PD-L1 Response of Bladder Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:757137. [PMID: 35223828 PMCID: PMC8873787 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.757137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A large proportion of anti-tumor immunity research is focused on major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules and CD8+ T cells. Despite mounting evidence has shown that CD4+ T cells play a major role in anti-tumor immunity, the role of the MHC-II molecules in tumor immunotherapy has not been thoroughly researched and reported. In this study, we defined a MHC-II signature for the first time by calculating the enrichment score of MHC-II protein binding pathway with a single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm. To evaluate and validate the predictive value of the MHC class II (MHC-II) signature, we collected the transcriptome, mutation data and matched clinical data of bladder cancer patients from IMvigor210, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Comprehensive analyses of immunome, transcriptome, metabolome, genome and drugome were performed in order to determine the association of MHC-II signature and tumor immunotherapy. We identified that MHC-II signature is an independent and favorable predictor of immune response and the prognosis of bladder cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), one that may be superior to tumor mutation burden. MHC-II signature was significantly associated with increased immune cell infiltration and levels of immune-related gene expression signatures. Additionally, transcriptomic analysis showed immune activation in the high-MHC-II signature subgroup, whereas it showed fatty acid metabolism and glucuronidation in the low-MHC-II signature subgroup. Moreover, exploration of corresponding genomic profiles highlighted the significance of tumor protein p53 (TP53) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) alterations. Our results also allowed for the identification of candidate compounds for combined immunotherapy treatment that may be beneficial for patients with bladder cancer and a high MHC-II signature. In conclusion, this study provides a new perspective on MHC-II signature, as an independent and favorable predictor of immune response and prognosis of bladder cancer treated with ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruibin Yi
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuo Hong
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yueming Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anqi Lin
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haoxuan Ying
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weidong Zou
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiongyao Wang
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Wei
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Center South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weiliang Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Weiliang Zhu, ; Peng Luo, ; Jian Zhang,
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Weiliang Zhu, ; Peng Luo, ; Jian Zhang,
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Weiliang Zhu, ; Peng Luo, ; Jian Zhang,
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22
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Tarhini AA, Lee SJ, Tan AC, El Naqa IM, Stephen Hodi F, Butterfield LH, LaFramboise WA, Storkus WJ, Karunamurthy AD, Conejo-Garcia JR, Hwu P, Streicher H, Sondak VK, Kirkwood JM. Improved prognosis and evidence of enhanced immunogenicity in tumor and circulation of high-risk melanoma patients with unknown primary. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:e004310. [PMID: 35074904 PMCID: PMC8788316 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma of unknown primary (MUP) represents a poorly understood group of patients both clinically and immunologically. We investigated differences in prognosis and candidate immune biomarkers in patients with unknown compared with those with known primary melanoma enrolled in the E1609 adjuvant trial that tested ipilimumab at 3 and 10 mg/kg vs high-dose interferon-alfa (HDI). PATIENTS AND METHODS MUP status was defined as initial presentation with cutaneous, nodal or distant metastasis without a known primary. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Stratified (by stage) log-rank test was used to compare RFS and OS by primary tumor status. Gene expression profiling (GEP) was performed on the tumor biopsies of a subset of patients. Similarly, peripheral blood samples were tested for candidate soluble and cellular immune biomarkers. RESULTS MUP cases represented 12.8% of the total population (N=1699) including 11.7% on the ipilimumab arms and 14.7% on the HDI arm. Stratifying by stage, RFS (p=0.001) and overall survival (OS) (p=0.009) showed outcomes significantly better for patients with unknown primary. The primary tumor status remained prognostically significant after adjusting for treatment and stage in multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Including only ipilimumab-treated patients, RFS (p=0.005) and OS (p=0.023) were significantly better in favor of those with unknown primary. Among patients with GEP data (n=718; 102 MUP, 616 known), GEP identified pathways and genes related to autoimmunity, inflammation, immune cell infiltration and immune activation that were significantly enriched in the MUP tumors compared with known primaries. Further investigation into infiltrating immune cell types estimated significant enrichment with CD8 +and CD4+T cells, B cells and NK cells as well as significantly higher major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I and MHC-II scores in MUP compared with known primary. Among patients tested for circulating biomarkers (n=321; 66 unknown and 255 known), patients with MUP had significantly higher circulating levels of IL-2R (p=0.04). CONCLUSION Patients with MUP and high-risk melanoma had significantly better prognosis and evidence of significantly enhanced immune activation within the TME and the circulation, supporting the designation of MUP as a distinct prognostic marker in patients with high-risk melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad A Tarhini
- Cutaneous Oncology, Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Sandra J Lee
- Biostatistics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Aik-Choon Tan
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Issam M El Naqa
- Machine Learning, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - F Stephen Hodi
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lisa H Butterfield
- The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California, USA
- Microbiology, Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - William A LaFramboise
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Allegheny Cancer Institute, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Walter J Storkus
- Immunology, Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Arivarasan D Karunamurthy
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jose R Conejo-Garcia
- Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Patrick Hwu
- Administration, Cutaneous Oncology, Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Howard Streicher
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Vernon K Sondak
- Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - John M Kirkwood
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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23
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Habibzadeh P, Dastsooz H, Eshraghi M, Łos MJ, Klionsky DJ, Ghavami S. Autophagy: The Potential Link between SARS-CoV-2 and Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225721. [PMID: 34830876 PMCID: PMC8616402 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to a global crisis. With the increasing number of individuals infected worldwide, the long-term consequences of this disease have become an active area of research. The constellation of symptoms COVID-19 survivors suffer from is commonly referred to as post-acute COVID-19 syndrome in the scientific literature. In this paper, we discuss the potential long-term complications of this infection resulting from the persistence of the viral particles in body tissues interacting with host cells’ autophagy machinery in the context of the development of cancer, cancer progression and metastasis, as well as response to treatment. We also propose a structured framework for future studies to investigate the potential impact of COVID-19 infection on cancer. Abstract COVID-19 infection survivors suffer from a constellation of symptoms referred to as post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. However, in the wake of recent evidence highlighting the long-term persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antigens in tissues and emerging information regarding the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 proteins and various components of the host cell macroautophagy/autophagy machinery, the unforeseen long-term consequences of this infection, such as increased risk of malignancies, should be explored. Although SARS-CoV-2 is not considered an oncogenic virus, the possibility of increased risk of cancer among COVID-19 survivors cannot be ruled out. Herein, we provide an overview of the possible mechanisms leading to cancer development, particularly obesity-related cancers (e.g., colorectal cancer), resulting from defects in autophagy and the blockade of the autophagic flux, and also immune escape in COVID-19 survivors. We also highlight the potential long-term implications of COVID-19 infection in the prognosis of patients with cancer and their response to different cancer treatments. Finally, we consider future directions for further investigations on this matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parham Habibzadeh
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-14336, Iran;
| | - Hassan Dastsooz
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia, Albertina, 13, 10123 Torino, Italy;
- IIGM-Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, c/o IRCCS, Candiolo, 10126 Torino, Italy
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, 10060 Torino, Italy
| | - Mehdi Eshraghi
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada;
| | - Marek J. Łos
- Biotechnology Center, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
- Correspondence: (M.J.Ł.); (S.G.)
| | - Daniel J. Klionsky
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Saeid Ghavami
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada;
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Care Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Katowice School of Technology, ul. Rolna 43, 40-555 Katowice, Poland
- Correspondence: (M.J.Ł.); (S.G.)
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24
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Shklovskaya E, Rizos H. MHC Class I Deficiency in Solid Tumors and Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome It. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136741. [PMID: 34201655 PMCID: PMC8268865 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now well accepted that the immune system can control cancer growth. However, tumors escape immune-mediated control through multiple mechanisms and the downregulation or loss of major histocompatibility class (MHC)-I molecules is a common immune escape mechanism in many cancers. MHC-I molecules present antigenic peptides to cytotoxic T cells, and MHC-I loss can render tumor cells invisible to the immune system. In this review, we examine the dysregulation of MHC-I expression in cancer, explore the nature of MHC-I-bound antigenic peptides recognized by immune cells, and discuss therapeutic strategies that can be used to overcome MHC-I deficiency in solid tumors, with a focus on the role of natural killer (NK) cells and CD4 T cells.
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25
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Pezeshki PS, Mahdavi Sharif P, Rezaei N. Resistance mechanisms to programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed death ligand 1 inhibitors. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2021; 21:1575-1590. [PMID: 33984254 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2021.1929919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: In the past few years, administrating monoclonal humanized antibodies, namely checkpoint inhibitors, against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), and its ligand (PD-L1), has yielded reassuring tumor regression rates. Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors disrupt the engagement of PD-1 on T-cells and their ligands on tumor or other target cells and reactivate the tumor-specific T infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), which are mostly in a state of anergy before the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. However, a limited number of patients initially respond, and the others show a primary (innate) resistance. Moreover, the rate of relapse and tumor progression after a partial, or even complete response (secondary or acquired resistance) is relatively considerable.Areas covered: This paper presents a comprehensive discussion on the mechanisms of primary and secondary resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Loss of T-cell infiltration or T-cell exclusion, lack of PD-L1 or PD-1 expression, and also lack of tumor immunogenicity are among the most important mechanisms, and also biomarkers of resistance in patients undergoing PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Several somatic mutations in tumors are known to be related to at least one of the resistance mechanisms.Expert opinion: Identification of the novel resistance mechanisms suggests further combinatorial therapies to tackle primary and secondary resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parmida Sadat Pezeshki
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pouya Mahdavi Sharif
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Sheffield, UK
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26
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Liu D, Yang X, Wu X. Tumor Immune Microenvironment Characterization Identifies Prognosis and Immunotherapy-Related Gene Signatures in Melanoma. Front Immunol 2021; 12:663495. [PMID: 34025664 PMCID: PMC8134682 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.663495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The tumor microenvironment (TME) involves infiltration of multiple immune cell subsets, which could influence the prognosis and clinical characteristics. The increasing evidence on the role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in primary and metastatic melanomas supports that the immune system is involved in the progression and outcomes of melanoma. However, the immune infiltration landscape in melanoma has not been systematically elucidated. Methods In this study, we used CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithms to analyze immune infiltration pattern of 993 melanoma samples. Then we screened differential expression genes (DEGs) related to immune subtypes and survival. The immune cell infiltration (ICI) score was constructed by using principal-component analysis (PCA) based on immune signature genes from DGEs. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to explore high and low ICI score related pathways. Finally, the predictive ability of ICI score was evaluated in survival prognosis and immunotherapy benefit. Result We identified three ICI clusters and three gene clusters associated with different immune subtypes and survival outcomes. Then the ICI score was constructed, and we found that high ICI score exhibited activated immune characteristics and better prognosis. High ICI score was significantly enriched in immune pathways and highly expressed immune signature genes. More importantly, we confirmed that melanoma patients with high ICI score had longer overall survival and rate of response to immunotherapy. Conclusion We presented a comprehensive immune infiltration landscape in melanoma. Our results will facilitate understanding of the melanoma tumor microenvironment and provide a new immune therapy strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liu
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, National Human Genetic Resources Sharing Service Platform, Tianjin, China
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiongzhi Wu
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, National Human Genetic Resources Sharing Service Platform, Tianjin, China
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Rawson RV, Adhikari C, Bierman C, Lo SN, Shklovskaya E, Rozeman EA, Menzies AM, van Akkooi ACJ, Shannon KF, Gonzalez M, Guminski AD, Tetzlaff MT, Stretch JR, Eriksson H, van Thienen JV, Wouters MW, Haanen JBAG, Klop WMC, Zuur CL, van Houdt WJ, Nieweg OE, Ch'ng S, Rizos H, Saw RPM, Spillane AJ, Wilmott JS, Blank CU, Long GV, van de Wiel BA, Scolyer RA. Pathological response and tumour bed histopathological features correlate with survival following neoadjuvant immunotherapy in stage III melanoma. Ann Oncol 2021; 32:766-777. [PMID: 33744385 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Guidelines for pathological evaluation of neoadjuvant specimens and pathological response categories have been developed by the International Neoadjuvant Melanoma Consortium (INMC). As part of the Optimal Neo-adjuvant Combination Scheme of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab (OpACIN-neo) clinical trial of neoadjuvant combination anti-programmed cell death protein 1/anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 immunotherapy for stage III melanoma, we sought to determine interobserver reproducibility of INMC histopathological assessment principles, identify specific tumour bed histopathological features of immunotherapeutic response that correlated with recurrence and relapse-free survival (RFS) and evaluate proposed INMC pathological response categories for predicting recurrence and RFS. PATIENTS AND METHODS Clinicopathological characteristics of lymph node dissection specimens of 83 patients enrolled in the OpACIN-neo clinical trial were evaluated. Two methods of assessing histological features of immunotherapeutic response were evaluated: the previously described immune-related pathologic response (irPR) score and our novel immunotherapeutic response score (ITRS). For a subset of cases (n = 29), cellular composition of the tumour bed was analysed by flow cytometry. RESULTS There was strong interobserver reproducibility in assessment of pathological response (κ = 0.879) and percentage residual viable melanoma (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.965). The immunotherapeutic response subtype with high fibrosis had the strongest association with lack of recurrence (P = 0.008) and prolonged RFS (P = 0.019). Amongst patients with criteria for pathological non-response (pNR, >50% viable tumour), all who recurred had ≥70% viable melanoma. Higher ITRS and irPR scores correlated with lack of recurrence in the entire cohort (P = 0.002 and P ≤ 0.0001). The number of B lymphocytes was significantly increased in patients with a high fibrosis subtype of treatment response (P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS There is strong reproducibility for assessment of pathological response using INMC criteria. Immunotherapeutic response of fibrosis subtype correlated with improved RFS, and may represent a biomarker. Potential B-cell contribution to fibrosis development warrants further study. Reclassification of pNR to a threshold of ≥70% viable melanoma and incorporating additional criteria of <10% fibrosis subtype of response may identify those at highest risk of recurrence, but requires validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R V Rawson
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Departments of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Sydney, Australia; Department of Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, Australia
| | - C Adhikari
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Departments of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Sydney, Australia; Department of Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, Australia
| | - C Bierman
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S N Lo
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - E Shklovskaya
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - E A Rozeman
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A M Menzies
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - K F Shannon
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Departments of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Sydney, Australia; Department of Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - M Gonzalez
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - A D Guminski
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - M T Tetzlaff
- Department of Pathology, Dermatopathology and Oral Pathology Unit, The University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA; Department of Dermatology, Dermatopathology and Oral Pathology Unit, The University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - J R Stretch
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Departments of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Sydney, Australia; Department of Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - H Eriksson
- Theme Cancer, Skin Cancer Center/Department of Oncology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J V van Thienen
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M W Wouters
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - J B A G Haanen
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - W M C Klop
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C L Zuur
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - W J van Houdt
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - O E Nieweg
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Departments of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Sydney, Australia; Department of Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - S Ch'ng
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Departments of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Sydney, Australia; Department of Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - H Rizos
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - R P M Saw
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Departments of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Sydney, Australia; Department of Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - A J Spillane
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - J S Wilmott
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - C U Blank
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - G V Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - B A van de Wiel
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R A Scolyer
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Departments of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Sydney, Australia; Department of Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, Australia.
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