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Robertson BM, Fane ME, Weeraratna AT, Rebecca VW. Determinants of resistance and response to melanoma therapy. NATURE CANCER 2024:10.1038/s43018-024-00794-1. [PMID: 39020103 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00794-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma is among the most enigmatic advanced cancers to clinically manage despite immense progress in the way of available therapeutic options and historic decreases in the melanoma mortality rate. Most patients with metastatic melanoma treated with modern targeted therapies (for example, BRAFV600E/K inhibitors) and/or immune checkpoint blockade (for example, anti-programmed death 1 therapy) will progress, owing to profound tumor cell plasticity fueled by genetic and nongenetic mechanisms and dichotomous host microenvironmental influences. Here we discuss the determinants of tumor heterogeneity, mechanisms of therapy resistance and effective therapy regimens that hold curative promise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey M Robertson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mitchell E Fane
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ashani T Weeraratna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vito W Rebecca
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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2
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Li C, Hong W, Reuben A, Wang L, Maitra A, Zhang J, Cheng C. TimiGP-Response: the pan-cancer immune landscape associated with response to immunotherapy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.21.600089. [PMID: 38979334 PMCID: PMC11230183 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.21.600089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) significantly influences the response to immunotherapy, yet this complex relationship remains elusive. To address this issue, we developed TimiGP-Response (TIME Illustration based on Gene Pairing designed for immunotherapy Response), a computational framework leveraging single-cell and bulk transcriptomic data, along with response information, to construct cell-cell interaction networks associated with responders and estimate the role of immune cells in treatment response. This framework was showcased in triple-negative breast cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1:PD-L1 interaction, and orthogonally validated with imaging mass cytometry. As a result, we identified CD8+ GZMB+ T cells associated with responders and its interaction with regulatory T cells emerged as a potential feature for selecting patients who may benefit from these therapies. Subsequently, we analyzed 3,410 patients with seven cancer types (melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, metastatic urothelial carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, and esophageal cancer) treated with various immunotherapies and combination therapies, as well as several chemo- and targeted therapies as controls. Using TimiGP-Response, we depicted the pan-cancer immune landscape associated with immunotherapy response at different resolutions. At the TIME level, CD8 T cells and CD4 memory T cells were associated with responders, while anti-inflammatory (M2) macrophages and mast cells were linked to non-responders across most cancer types and datasets. Given that T cells are the primary targets of these immunotherapies and our TIME analysis highlights their importance in response to treatment, we portrayed the pan-caner landscape on 40 T cell subtypes. Notably, CD8+ and CD4+ GZMK+ effector memory T cells emerged as crucial across all cancer types and treatments, while IL-17-producing CD8+ T cells were top candidates associated with immunotherapy non-responders. In summary, this study provides a computational method to study the association between TIME and response across the pan-cancer immune landscape, offering resources and insights into immune cell interactions and their impact on treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Li
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wei Hong
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alexandre Reuben
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Linghua Wang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Lung Cancer Genomics Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Lung Cancer Interception Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Chao Cheng
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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3
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Zhang Y, Zhang C, He J, Lai G, Li W, Zeng H, Zhong X, Xie B. Comprehensive analysis of single cell and bulk RNA sequencing reveals the heterogeneity of melanoma tumor microenvironment and predicts the response of immunotherapy. Inflamm Res 2024:10.1007/s00011-024-01905-5. [PMID: 38896289 DOI: 10.1007/s00011-024-01905-5] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor microenvironment (TME) heterogeneity is an important factor affecting the treatment response of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). However, the TME heterogeneity of melanoma is still widely characterized. METHODS We downloaded the single-cell sequencing data sets of two melanoma patients from the GEO database, and used the "Scissor" algorithm and the "BayesPrism" algorithm to comprehensively analyze the characteristics of microenvironment cells based on single-cell and bulk RNA-seq data. The prediction model of immunotherapy response was constructed by machine learning and verified in three cohorts of GEO database. RESULTS We identified seven cell types. In the Scissor+ subtype cell population, the top three were T cells, B cells and melanoma cells. In the Scissor- subtype, there are more macrophages. By quantifying the characteristics of TME, significant differences in B cells between responders and non-responders were observed. The higher the proportion of B cells, the better the prognosis. At the same time, macrophages in the non-responsive group increased significantly. Finally, nine gene features for predicting ICI response were constructed, and their predictive performance was superior in three external validation groups. CONCLUSION Our study revealed the heterogeneity of melanoma TME and found a new predictive biomarker, which provided theoretical support and new insights for precise immunotherapy of melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Yixue Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Cong Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Yixue Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing He
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Yixue Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guichuan Lai
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Yixue Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Yixue Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Haijiao Zeng
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Yixue Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoni Zhong
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Yixue Road, Chongqing, 400016, China.
- Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Biao Xie
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Yixue Road, Chongqing, 400016, China.
- Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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Yang M, Cui M, Sun Y, Liu S, Jiang W. Mechanisms, combination therapy, and biomarkers in cancer immunotherapy resistance. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:338. [PMID: 38898505 PMCID: PMC11186190 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01711-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Anti-programmed death 1/programmed death ligand 1 (anti-PD-1/PD-L1) antibodies exert significant antitumor effects by overcoming tumor cell immune evasion and reversing T-cell exhaustion. However, the emergence of drug resistance causes most patients to respond poorly to these immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Studies have shown that insufficient T-cell infiltration, lack of PD-1 expression, deficient interferon signaling, loss of tumor antigen presentation, and abnormal lipid metabolism are all considered to be closely associated with immunotherapy resistance. To address drug resistance in tumor immunotherapy, a lot of research has concentrated on developing combination therapy strategies. Currently, ICIs such as anti-PD-1 /PD-L1 antibody combined with chemotherapy and targeted therapy have been approved for clinical treatment. In this review, we analyze the mechanisms of resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in terms of the tumor microenvironment, gut microbiota, epigenetic regulation, and co-inhibitory immune checkpoint receptors. We also discuss various promising combination therapeutic strategies to address resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 drugs, including combining these therapies with traditional Chinese medicine, non-coding RNAs, targeted therapy, other ICIs, and personalized cancer vaccines. Moreover, we focus on biomarkers that predict resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy as well as combination therapy efficacy. Finally, we suggest ways to further expand the application of immunotherapy through personalized combination strategies using biomarker systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manshi Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130041, China
| | - Mengying Cui
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130041, China
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Orthopaedic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130041, China
| | - Shui Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130041, China
| | - Weibo Jiang
- Department of Orthopaedic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130041, China.
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Tang Y, Cui G, Liu H, Han Y, Cai C, Feng Z, Shen H, Zeng S. Converting "cold" to "hot": epigenetics strategies to improve immune therapy effect by regulating tumor-associated immune suppressive cells. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2024; 44:601-636. [PMID: 38715348 PMCID: PMC11194457 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Significant developments in cancer treatment have been made since the advent of immune therapies. However, there are still some patients with malignant tumors who do not benefit from immunotherapy. Tumors without immunogenicity are called "cold" tumors which are unresponsive to immunotherapy, and the opposite are "hot" tumors. Immune suppressive cells (ISCs) refer to cells which can inhibit the immune response such as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), regulatory T (Treg) cells and so on. The more ISCs infiltrated, the weaker the immunogenicity of the tumor, showing the characteristics of "cold" tumor. The dysfunction of ISCs in the tumor microenvironment (TME) may play essential roles in insensitive therapeutic reaction. Previous studies have found that epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in the regulation of ISCs. Regulating ISCs may be a new approach to transforming "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors. Here, we focused on the function of ISCs in the TME and discussed how epigenetics is involved in regulating ISCs. In addition, we summarized the mechanisms by which the epigenetic drugs convert immunotherapy-insensitive tumors into immunotherapy-sensitive tumors which would be an innovative tendency for future immunotherapy in "cold" tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijia Tang
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanP. R. China
| | - Guangzu Cui
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanP. R. China
| | - Haicong Liu
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanP. R. China
| | - Ying Han
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanP. R. China
| | - Changjing Cai
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanP. R. China
| | - Ziyang Feng
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanP. R. China
| | - Hong Shen
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanP. R. China
- National Clinical Resaerch Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Shan Zeng
- Department of OncologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanP. R. China
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Sammarco E, Rossetti M, Salfi A, Bonato A, Viacava P, Masi G, Galli L, Faviana P. Tumor microenvironment and clinical efficacy of first line immunotherapy-based combinations in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Med Oncol 2024; 41:150. [PMID: 38740647 PMCID: PMC11090963 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-024-02370-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The impact of tumor microenvironment (TME) in influencing clinical response to first-line immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based treatment in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is unclear. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) could identify biomarkers related to immune checkpoints and immune cell population. This study retrospectively characterized TME from 28 RCC patients who received first line ICI-based therapy through IHC assessment of selected markers and explored preliminary evidence about their possible correlation with treatment efficacy. We found a significantly higher count of CD80+, CD163+ cells and their ratio in RCC with clear cell component compared to those without clear cell features; additionally, patients with metastatic disease at diagnosis were associated with higher expression of CD163+ cells, while higher count of CD4+ cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were found in RCC with sarcomatoid features. Patients achieving partial or complete response were associated with lower expression of CD163+ cells (median 28 vs 47; p = 0.049). Furthermore, lower expression of CD163+ was associated with better PFS (median PFS 20.0 vs 4.7 months; HR 0.22 p = 0.011) and OS (median OS NR vs 14.4 months; HR 0.28 p = 0.036). A longer OS was reported in PD-L1 CPS negative patients (median OS NR vs 11.8 months; HR 0.20 p = 0.024). High infiltration of CD163+ macrophages, who typically present "anti-inflammatory" M2-like phenotype, could identify a subgroup of patients with poor survival after receiving first-line ICI.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Carcinoma, Renal Cell/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology
- Carcinoma, Renal Cell/immunology
- Carcinoma, Renal Cell/metabolism
- Tumor Microenvironment/immunology
- Kidney Neoplasms/pathology
- Kidney Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Kidney Neoplasms/immunology
- Kidney Neoplasms/metabolism
- Male
- Female
- Middle Aged
- Aged
- Retrospective Studies
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Adult
- Immunotherapy/methods
- Receptors, Cell Surface/metabolism
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism
- Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis
- Aged, 80 and over
- Treatment Outcome
- Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Sammarco
- Medical Oncology Unit, Livorno Hospital, Azienda Toscana Nord Ovest, Livorno, Italy
| | - Martina Rossetti
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessia Salfi
- Medical Oncology Unit 2, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - Adele Bonato
- Medical Oncology Unit 2, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Viacava
- Pathology Unit, Livorno Hospital, Azienda Toscana Nord Ovest, Livorno, Italy
| | - Gianluca Masi
- Medical Oncology Unit 2, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Galli
- Medical Oncology Unit 2, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pinuccia Faviana
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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Jung M, Bonavida B. Immune Evasion in Cancer Is Regulated by Tumor-Asociated Macrophages (TAMs): Targeting TAMs. Crit Rev Oncog 2024; 29:1-17. [PMID: 38989734 DOI: 10.1615/critrevoncog.2024053096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Recent advancements in cancer treatment have explored a variety of approaches to address the needs of patients. Recently, immunotherapy has evolved as an efficacious treatment for various cancers resistant to conventional therapies. Hence, significant milestones in immunotherapy were achieved clinically in a large subset of cancer patients. Unfortunately, some cancer types do not respond to treatment, and among the responsive cancers, some patients remain unresponsive to treatment. Consequently, there is a critical need to examine the mechanisms of immune resistance and devise strategies to target immune suppressor cells or factors, thereby allowing for tumor sensitivity to immune cytotoxic cells. M2 macrophages, also known as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), are of interest due to their role in suppressing the immune system and influencing antitumor immune responses through modulating T cell activity and immune checkpoint expression. TAMs are associated with signaling pathways that modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME), contributing to immune evasion. One approach targets TAMs, focusing on preventing the polarization of M1 macrophages into the protumoral M2 phenotype. Other strategies focus on direct or indirect targeting of M2 macrophages through understanding the interaction of TAMs with immune factors or signaling pathways. Clinically, biomarkers associated with TAMs' immune resistance in cancer patients have been identified, opening avenues for intervention using pharmacological agents or immunotherapeutic approaches. Ultimately, these multifaceted approaches are promising in overcoming immune resistance and improving cancer treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Jung
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Johnson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1747, USA
| | - Benjamin Bonavida
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Johnson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1747, USA
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Ogbuji V, Paster IC, Recio-Boiles A, Carew JS, Nawrocki ST, Chipollini J. Current Landscape of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma: Is There a Role for Additional T-Cell Blockade? Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:131. [PMID: 38201559 PMCID: PMC10778285 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010131] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the most common form of bladder cancer (BC) and is the variant with the most immunogenic response. This makes urothelial carcinoma an ideal candidate for immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Key immune checkpoint proteins PD-1 and CTLA-4 are frequently expressed on T-cells in urothelial carcinoma. The blockade of this immune checkpoint can lead to the reactivation of lymphocytes and augment the anti-tumor immune response. The only immune checkpoint inhibitors that are FDA-approved for metastatic urothelial carcinoma target the programmed death-1 receptor and its ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) axis. However, the overall response rate and progression-free survival rates of these agents are limited in this patient population. Therefore, there is a need to find further immune-bolstering treatment combinations that may positively impact survival for patients with advanced UC. In this review, the current immune checkpoint inhibition treatment landscape is explored with an emphasis on combination therapy in the form of PD-1/PD-L1 with CTLA-4 blockade. The investigation of the current literature on immune checkpoint inhibition found that preclinical data show a decrease in tumor volumes and size when PD-1/PD-L1 is blocked, and similar results were observed with CTLA-4 blockade. However, there are limited investigations evaluating the combination of CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. We anticipate this review to provide a foundation for a deeper experimental investigation into combination immune checkpoint inhibition therapy in metastatic urothelial carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Ogbuji
- College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; (V.O.); (I.C.P.); (S.T.N.)
| | - Irasema C. Paster
- College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; (V.O.); (I.C.P.); (S.T.N.)
| | - Alejandro Recio-Boiles
- Department of Medicine, The University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; (A.R.-B.); (J.S.C.)
| | - Jennifer S. Carew
- Department of Medicine, The University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; (A.R.-B.); (J.S.C.)
| | - Steffan T. Nawrocki
- College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; (V.O.); (I.C.P.); (S.T.N.)
- Department of Medicine, The University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; (A.R.-B.); (J.S.C.)
| | - Juan Chipollini
- College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; (V.O.); (I.C.P.); (S.T.N.)
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9
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Giansanti M, Theinert T, Boeing SK, Haas D, Schlegel PG, Vacca P, Nazio F, Caruana I. Exploiting autophagy balance in T and NK cells as a new strategy to implement adoptive cell therapies. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:201. [PMID: 38071322 PMCID: PMC10709869 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01893-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is an essential cellular homeostasis pathway initiated by multiple stimuli ranging from nutrient deprivation to viral infection, playing a key role in human health and disease. At present, a growing number of evidence suggests a role of autophagy as a primitive innate immune form of defense for eukaryotic cells, interacting with components of innate immune signaling pathways and regulating thymic selection, antigen presentation, cytokine production and T/NK cell homeostasis. In cancer, autophagy is intimately involved in the immunological control of tumor progression and response to therapy. However, very little is known about the role and impact of autophagy in T and NK cells, the main players in the active fight against infections and tumors. Important questions are emerging: what role does autophagy play on T/NK cells? Could its modulation lead to any advantages? Could specific targeting of autophagy on tumor cells (blocking) and T/NK cells (activation) be a new intervention strategy? In this review, we debate preclinical studies that have identified autophagy as a key regulator of immune responses by modulating the functions of different immune cells and discuss the redundancy or diversity among the subpopulations of both T and NK cells in physiologic context and in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Giansanti
- Immunology Research Area, Innate Lymphoid Cells Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Tobias Theinert
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Katharina Boeing
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dorothee Haas
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Paul-Gerhardt Schlegel
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Paola Vacca
- Immunology Research Area, Innate Lymphoid Cells Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Nazio
- Immunology Research Area, Innate Lymphoid Cells Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy.
| | - Ignazio Caruana
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
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10
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Yan J, Zhu J, Li X, Yang R, Xiao W, Huang C, Zheng C. Blocking LTB 4 signaling-mediated TAMs recruitment by Rhizoma Coptidis sensitizes lung cancer to immunotherapy. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 119:154968. [PMID: 37531900 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) induces durable immune responses across a spectrum of advanced cancers and revolutionizes the oncology field. However, only a subset of patients achieves long-lasting clinical benefits. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) usually secrete immunosuppressive cytokines and contribute to the failure of ICB therapy. Therefore, it is crucial to mechanically manipulate the abundance and function of TAMs in the tumor microenvironment (TME), which can offer a promising molecular basis to improve the clinical response efficacy of ICB in cancer patients. PURPOSE This study aims to investigate TAMs in the immunosuppressive microenvironment to identify new therapeutic targets, improve the ability to predict and guide responses to clinical immunotherapy, and develop new strategies for immunotherapy of lung tumors. METHODS Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) xenograft-bearing mouse models were established to analyze the antitumor activity of Rhizoma Coptidis (RC) in vivo. A systems pharmacology strategy was used to predict the correlation between RC and M2 macrophages. The effect of RC on the abundance of M2 macrophages was analyzed by flow cytometry of murine samples. Western blot was performed to analyze the expression of Leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) and LTB4 receptor 1 (BLT1) in harvested lung cancer tissues. The impact of blocking leukotriene B4 (LTB4) signaling by RC on the recruitment of M2 macrophages was assessed in vitro and in vivo. Transwell migration assays were conducted to clarify the inhibition of macrophage migration by blocking LTB4. Lta4h-/- mice were used to investigate the sensitivity of immunotherapy to lung cancer by blocking the LTB4 signaling. RESULTS Here, we report that RC, an herbal medicine from the family Ranunculaceae, suppresses the recruitment and immunosuppressive function of TAMs, which in turn sensitizes lung cancer to ICB therapy. Firstly, a systems pharmacology strategy was proposed to identify combinatorial drugs for ICB therapy with a systems biology perspective of drug-target-pathway-TME phenotype. We predicted and verified that RC significantly inhibits tumor growth and the infiltration of M2-TAMs into TME of LLC tumor-bearing mice. Then, RC inhibits the recruitment of macrophages to the tumor TME via blocking LTB4 signaling, and suppresses the expression of immunosuppressive factors (IL-10, TGF-β and VEGF). As a result, RC enables CD8+ T cells to retain their proliferative and infiltrative abilities within the TME. Ultimately, these events promote cytotoxic T-cell-mediated clearance of tumor cells, which is further enhanced by the addition of anti-PD-L1 therapy. Furthermore, we employed LTA4H deficient mice (Lta4h-/- mice) to evaluate the antitumor efficiency, the results showed that the efficacy of immunotherapy was enhanced due to the synergistic effect of LTB4 signaling blockage and ICB inhibition, leading to remarkable inhibition of tumor growth in a mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these findings suggest that RC enhances antitumor immunity, providing a rationale for combining RC with immunotherapies as a potential anti-cancer treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangna Yan
- College of Medicine, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, PR China
| | - Jinglin Zhu
- College of Medicine, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, PR China
| | - Xiaolan Li
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, PR China
| | - Ruijie Yang
- School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, PR China
| | - Wei Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of New-tech for Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutical Process, Jiangsu Kanion Parmaceutical Co. Ltd., Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, PR China
| | - Chao Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China.
| | - Chunli Zheng
- College of Medicine, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, PR China.
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11
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Sutherland SIM, Ju X, Silveira PA, Kupresanin F, Horvath LG, Clark GJ. CD300f signalling induces inhibitory human monocytes/macrophages. Cell Immunol 2023; 390:104731. [PMID: 37302321 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2023.104731] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The CD300 glycoproteins are a family of related leucocyte surface molecules that regulate the immune response via their paired triggering and inhibitory receptors. Here we studied CD300f, an apoptotic cell receptor, and how it modulates the function of human monocytes and macrophages. We showed that CD300f signalling by crosslinking with anti-CD300f mAb (DCR-2) suppressed monocytes causing upregulation of the inhibitory molecule, CD274 (PD-L1) and their inhibition of T cell proliferation. Furthermore, CD300f signalling drove macrophages preferentially towards M2-type with upregulation of CD274, which was further enhanced by IL-4. CD300f signalling activates the PI3K/Akt pathway in monocytes. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt signalling resulting from CD300f crosslinking leads to downregulation of CD274 expression on monocytes. These findings highlight the potential use of CD300f blockade in cancer immune therapy to target immune suppressive macrophages in the tumour microenvironment, a known resistance mechanism to PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah I M Sutherland
- Dendritic Cell Research, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Xinsheng Ju
- Dendritic Cell Research, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Pablo A Silveira
- Dendritic Cell Research, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Fiona Kupresanin
- Dendritic Cell Research, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lisa G Horvath
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Georgina J Clark
- Dendritic Cell Research, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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12
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Pundkar C, Antony F, Kang X, Mishra A, Babu RJ, Chen P, Li F, Suryawanshi A. Targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling using XAV939 nanoparticles in tumor microenvironment-conditioned macrophages promote immunogenicity. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16688. [PMID: 37313143 PMCID: PMC10258387 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in tumor cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes malignant transformation, metastasis, immune evasion, and resistance to cancer treatments. The increased Wnt ligand expression in TME activates β-catenin signaling in antigen (Ag)-presenting cells (APCs) and regulates anti-tumor immunity. Previously, we showed that activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in dendritic cells (DCs) promotes induction of regulatory T cell responses over anti-tumor CD4+ and CD8+ effector T cell responses and promotes tumor progression. In addition to DCs, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) also serve as APCs and regulate anti-tumor immunity. However, the role of β-catenin activation and its effect on TAM immunogenicity in TME is largely undefined. In this study, we investigated whether inhibiting β-catenin in TME-conditioned macrophages promotes immunogenicity. Using nanoparticle formulation of XAV939 (XAV-Np), a tankyrase inhibitor that promotes β-catenin degradation, we performed in vitro macrophage co-culture assays with melanoma cells (MC) or melanoma cell supernatants (MCS) to investigate the effect on macrophage immunogenicity. We show that XAV-Np-treatment of macrophages conditioned with MC or MCS significantly upregulates the cell surface expression of CD80 and CD86 and suppresses the expression of PD-L1 and CD206 compared to MC or MCS-conditioned macrophages treated with control nanoparticle (Con-Np). Further, XAV-Np-treated macrophages conditioned with MC or MCS significantly increased IL-6 and TNF-α production, with reduced IL-10 production compared to Con-Np-treated macrophages. Moreover, the co-culture of MC and XAV-Np-treated macrophages with T cells resulted in increased CD8+ T cell proliferation compared to Con-Np-treated macrophages. These data suggest that targeted β-catenin inhibition in TAMs represents a promising therapeutic approach to promote anti-tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chetan Pundkar
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Ferrin Antony
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Xuejia Kang
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison College of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- Materials Research and Education Center, Materials Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Amarjit Mishra
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - R. Jayachandra Babu
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison College of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Pengyu Chen
- Materials Research and Education Center, Materials Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison College of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Amol Suryawanshi
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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Marvin DL, Dijkstra J, Zulfiqar RM, Vermeulen M, Ten Dijke P, Ritsma L. TGF-β Type I Receptor Signaling in Melanoma Liver Metastases Increases Metastatic Outgrowth. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108676. [PMID: 37240029 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in treatment for metastatic melanoma patients, patients with liver metastasis have an unfavorable prognosis. A better understanding of the development of liver metastasis is needed. The multifunctional cytokine Transforming Growth Factor β (TGF-β) plays various roles in melanoma tumors and metastasis, affecting both tumor cells and cells from the surrounding tumor microenvironment. To study the role of TGF-β in melanoma liver metastasis, we created a model to activate or repress the TGF-β receptor pathway in vitro and in vivo in an inducible manner. For this, we engineered B16F10 melanoma cells to have inducible ectopic expression of a constitutively active (ca) or kinase-inactive (ki) TGF-β receptor I, also termed activin receptor-like kinase (ALK5). In vitro, stimulation with TGF-β signaling and ectopic caALK5 expression reduced B16F10 cell proliferation and migration. Contrasting results were found in vivo; sustained caALK5 expression in B16F10 cells in vivo increased the metastatic outgrowth in liver. Blocking microenvironmental TGF-β did not affect metastatic liver outgrowth of both control and caALK5 expressing B16F10 cells. Upon characterizing the tumor microenvironment of control and caALk5 expressing B16F10 tumors, we observed reduced (cytotoxic) T cell presence and infiltration, as well as an increase in bone marrow-derived macrophages in caALK5 expressing B16F10 tumors. This suggests that caALK5 expression in B16F10 cells induces changes in the tumor microenvironment. A comparison of newly synthesized secreted proteins upon caALK5 expression by B16F10 cells revealed increased secretion of matrix remodeling proteins. Our results show that TGF-β receptor activation in B16F10 melanoma cells can increase metastatic outgrowth in liver in vivo, possibly through remodeling of the tumor microenvironment leading to altered infiltration of immune cells. These results provide insights in the role of TGF-β signaling in B16F10 liver metastasis and could have implications regarding the use of TGF-β inhibitors for the treatment of melanoma patients with liver metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieuwke L Marvin
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jelmer Dijkstra
- Oncode Institute and Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rabia M Zulfiqar
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel Vermeulen
- Oncode Institute and Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Ten Dijke
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Laila Ritsma
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
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Hacker UT. On the way to developing AAV-based vaccines as novel tools for cancer immunotherapy. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 28:394-395. [PMID: 36874246 PMCID: PMC9982205 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich T Hacker
- Department of Medicine II, University Cancer Center Leipzig (UCCL), Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
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15
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Siewe N, Friedman A. Cancer therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitor and CSF-1 blockade: A mathematical model. J Theor Biol 2023; 556:111297. [PMID: 36228716 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2022.111297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) introduced in recent years have revolutionized the treatment of many metastatic cancers. However, data suggest that treatment has benefits only in a limited percentage of patients, and that this is due to immune suppression of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Anti-tumor inflammatory macrophages (M1), which are attracted to the TME, are converted by tumor secreted cytokines, such as CSF-1, to pro-tumor anti-inflammatory macrophages (M2), or tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), which block the anti-tumor T cells. In the present paper we develop a mathematical model that represents the interactions among the immune cells and cancer in terms of differential equations. The model can be used to assess treatments of combination therapy of anti-PD-1 with anti-CSF-1. Examples are given in comparing the efficacy among different strategies for anti-CSF-1 dosing in a setup of clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourridine Siewe
- School of Mathematical Sciences, College of Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Avner Friedman
- Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Thawani R, Kummar S. Combining PARP Inhibitor With Immunotherapy-Does the Promise of Preclinical Data Translate to Clinic? JAMA Oncol 2023; 9:25-27. [PMID: 36394835 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.4591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rajat Thawani
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
| | - Shivaani Kummar
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
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Macrophages as a Potential Immunotherapeutic Target in Solid Cancers. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 11:vaccines11010055. [PMID: 36679900 PMCID: PMC9863216 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The revolution in cancer immunotherapy over the last few decades has resulted in a paradigm shift in the clinical care of cancer. Most of the cancer immunotherapeutic regimens approved so far have relied on modulating the adaptive immune system. In recent years, strategies and approaches targeting the components of innate immunity have become widely recognized for their efficacy in targeting solid cancers. Macrophages are effector cells of the innate immune system, which can play a crucial role in the generation of anti-tumor immunity through their ability to phagocytose cancer cells and present tumor antigens to the cells of adaptive immunity. However, the macrophages that are recruited to the tumor microenvironment predominantly play pro-tumorigenic roles. Several strategies targeting pro-tumorigenic functions and harnessing the anti-tumorigenic properties of macrophages have shown promising results in preclinical studies, and a few of them have also advanced to clinical trials. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the pathobiology of TAMs and their role in the progression of solid malignancies. We discuss various mechanisms through which TAMs promote tumor progression, such as inflammation, genomic instability, tumor growth, cancer stem cell formation, angiogenesis, EMT and metastasis, tissue remodeling, and immunosuppression, etc. In addition, we also discuss potential therapeutic strategies for targeting TAMs and explore how macrophages can be used as a tool for next-generation immunotherapy for the treatment of solid malignancies.
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Immunotherapeutic effects of intratumorally injected Zymosan-Adenovirus conjugates encoding constant active IRF3 in a melanoma mouse model. Immunol Res 2022; 71:197-212. [PMID: 36418765 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-022-09336-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a significant role in immunosuppressive conditions in the tumor microenvironment (TME). TAM reprogramming, a dual-pronged therapy, reduces immunosuppression and induces immune favorable conditions in the TME. In this study, recombinant adenoviruses encoding active forms of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) were conjugated to zymosan particles to target phagocytic cells to create a pro-inflammatory immunomodulatory therapy. We determined TAM reprogramming by upregulation and downregulation of M1- and M2-associated genes, respectively, as well as cytokine and transcription factor expression in vitro. The overall shift to immune favorable conditions in the TME was suggested by metabolic, cytokine, and immune cell gene expression. Our data indicated that the zymosan:adenovirus (Zym:Ad) particle itself induced a shift from M2-like to M1-like TAMs, a shift in immune status of the TME, and systemic tumor immunity as determined using a double tumor melanoma mouse model and splenocyte functional assay. Notably, direct intratumoral injection of Zym:Ad IRF3 reduced tumor growth more significantly than Zym:Ad GFP, indicating additional therapeutic benefits due to incorporation of constant active IRF3.
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Wu X, Deng Z, Zhao Q. Immunotherapy improves disease prognosis by affecting the tumor microenvironment: A bibliometric study. Front Immunol 2022; 13:967076. [PMID: 36275770 PMCID: PMC9582136 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.967076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Immunotherapy has shown great potential for the treatment of multiple cancer and has been proven to be closely related to the tumor microenvironment. This article reveals collaborations and interactions among authors, nations, organizations, and periodicals assesses the knowledge base, and discovers hot tendencies and new topics associated with immunotherapy-tumor microenvironment (TME) research. Methods This article utilized bibliometrics and visual methods to provide a comprehensive overview of immunotherapy-TME research. Our team retrieved the WoSCC for research and reviews associated with immunotherapy and the tumor microenvironment. VOSviewer and Citespace were primarily used for literature measurement and knowledge graph analysis. Result All English articles and reviews on cancer immunotherapy effectiveness were collected, and 1,419 academic journals with 53,773 authors from 7,008 institutions in 92 countries/regions were found. Publications associated with immunotherapy-TME research were stably increasing. Frontiers of Immunology (n = 722) published the most papers on immunotherapy-TME, and Cancer Research (n = 6761) was the top co-cited journal. The published journals and co-cited journals focused on cancer and immunology fields. The League of European Research Universities (n = 978), Harvard University (n = 528), and the University of Texas system (n = 520) were the most productive institutions. Yang Liu (n = 34) and Topalian (n = 1978) ranked first among the top 10 scholars and co-cited scholars. Simultaneously, immunotherapy-TME researchers were involved in active collaborations. Elements of TME, the foundation of immunotherapy, and the application of immunotherapy in cancers represented the three principal aspects of immunotherapy-TME research. The latest hot spots are drug resistance, prognosis prediction, efficacy prediction, and m6A. Nanomedicine and m6A may be future hot topics. Future research in immunotherapy-TME may be directed at discovering how m6A modification affects tumor development by altering the tumor microenvironment and exploring how to enhance response or reduce drug resistance to immunotherapy by reversing or mediating the physicochemical properties of the TME. Conclusions M6A and nanomedicine are also emerging hotspots in time zone diagrams with high centrality, and prognosis prediction using bioinformatics based on the development of prediction technology may be another future research hotspot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhen Deng
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qiangqiang Zhao
- Department of Hematology, The Qinghai Provincial People’s Hospital, Xining, China
- *Correspondence: Qiangqiang Zhao,
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Kim JH, Kim GH, Ryu YM, Kim SY, Kim HD, Yoon SK, Cho Y, Lee JL. Clinical implications of the tumor microenvironment using multiplexed immunohistochemistry in patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab. Front Oncol 2022; 12:969569. [PMID: 36237314 PMCID: PMC9552830 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.969569] [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: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PurposeImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as nivolumab and ipilimumab (N/I) are important treatment options for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The tumor microenvironment (TME) in these ICI-treated patients is largely unknown.MethodsTwenty-four patients treated with N/I between July 2015 and June 2020 were analyzed. Multiplexed immunohistochemistry (mIHC) was conducted to define the TME, including various T cell subsets, B cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells.ResultsThe median age of the study patients was 61 years (range, 39–80) and 75.0% of these cases were men. The objective response rate with N/I was 50.0%. The densities of the CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (P=0.005), specifically CD137+ CD8+ T cells (P=0.017), Foxp3- CD4+ helper T cells (P=0.003), Foxp3+ CD4+ regulatory T cells (P=0.045), CD68+ CD206- M1 macrophages (P=0.008), and CD68+ CD206+ M2 macrophages (P=0.021) were significantly higher in the treatment responders. At a median follow-up duration of 24.7 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11.6 months. The high densities (≥median) of Foxp3- CD4+ helper T cells (P=0.016) and CD68+ CD206- M1 macrophages (P=0.008) were significantly associated with better PFS, and the density of CD137+ CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (P=0.079) was marginally associated with better PFS. After multivariate analysis, the higher density of Foxp3- CD4+ helper T cells was independently associated with better PFS (hazard ratio 0.19; P=0.016).ConclusionThe properties and clinical implications of the TME properties in RCC indicate that Foxp3- CD4+ helper T cells, M1 macrophages, and CD137+ CD8+ T cells are potential predictive biomarkers and treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jwa Hoon Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Gi Hwan Kim
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yeon-Mi Ryu
- Department of Convergence Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sang-Yeob Kim
- Department of Convergence Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyung-Don Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Shin Kyo Yoon
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yong Mee Cho
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae Lyun Lee
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Jae Lyun Lee,
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Feng J, Ren J, Li X, Zhang X, Yang Q, Wu Z, Cui L, Liao L, Gong Y, Cao D. Phagocytosis-Regulators-Based Signature to Predict the Prognosis and Chemotherapy Resistance for Breast Cancer Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810312. [PMID: 36142251 PMCID: PMC9499262 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Phagocytosis is crucial in tumor surveillance and immune function. The association between phagocytosis and the outcomes of breast cancer patients has not been well-determined. In this study, data were downloaded from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) and gene expression omnibus (GEO) databases to investigate the role of phagocytosis in breast cancer. Data from the TCGA and GEO databases were used to investigate the prognostic role of phagocytosis in breast cancer. Then, we performed pathway enrichment analysis, copy number variation (CNV) and single-nucleotide variant (SNV) analyses, immune infiltration analysis, calculation of tumor purity, stromal score, and immune score, and consistent clustering. We also constructed a phagocytosis-regulators-based signature system to examine its association in survival and drug response. The genomic and expression differences in the phagocytosis regulators in breast cancer were systematically analyzed, explaining the widespread dysregulation of phagocytosis regulators. Using the investigated association of phagocytosis regulators with the prognosis and tumor immune environment, we constructed a prognostic model based on phagocytosis regulators. We discovered that patients with high risk scores had a poor prognosis and were negatively associated with immune functions. The model had preferential predictive performance and significantly consistent drug-resistance prediction results. Our findings suggest that the phagocytosis-factors-based scoring system can be used as a novel prognostic factor, serving as a powerful reference tool for predicting prognosis and developing methods against drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Feng
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Jun Ren
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery II, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Xiuqi Li
- Department of Rehabilitation, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Qingfeng Yang
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Zankai Wu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Le Cui
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Lingxia Liao
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Yiping Gong
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
- Correspondence: (Y.G.); (D.C.)
| | - Dedong Cao
- Department of Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
- Correspondence: (Y.G.); (D.C.)
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Xiong K, Qi M, Stoeger T, Zhang J, Chen S. The role of tumor-associated macrophages and soluble mediators in pulmonary metastatic melanoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1000927. [PMID: 36131942 PMCID: PMC9483911 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1000927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Skin malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive skin tumor, which is also a major cause of skin cancer-related mortality. It can spread from a relatively small primary tumor and metastasize to multiple locations, including lymph nodes, lungs, liver, bone, and brain. What’s more metastatic melanoma is the main cause of its high mortality. Among all organs, the lung is one of the most common distant metastatic sites of melanoma, and the mortality rate of melanoma lung metastasis is also very high. Elucidating the mechanisms involved in the pulmonary metastasis of cutaneous melanoma will not only help to provide possible explanations for its etiology and progression but may also help to provide potential new therapeutic targets for its treatment. Increasing evidence suggests that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play an important regulatory role in the migration and metastasis of various malignant tumors. Tumor-targeted therapy, targeting tumor-associated macrophages is thus attracting attention, particularly for advanced tumors and metastatic tumors. However, the relevant role of tumor-associated macrophages in cutaneous melanoma lung metastasis is still unclear. This review will present an overview of the origin, classification, polarization, recruitment, regulation and targeting treatment of tumor-associated macrophages, as well as the soluble mediators involved in these processes and a summary of their possible role in lung metastasis from cutaneous malignant melanoma. This review particularly aims to provide insight into mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets to readers, interested in pulmonary metastasis melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaifen Xiong
- The Department of Respiratory Diseases and Critic Care Unit, Shenzhen Institute of Respiratory Disease, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College), Jinan University, Guangdong, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Min Qi
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tobias Stoeger
- Institute of Lung Health and Immunity (LHI), Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC), Helmholtz Munich, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Jianglin Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Dermatology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Guangdong, China
- Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Jianglin Zhang, ; Shanze Chen,
| | - Shanze Chen
- The Department of Respiratory Diseases and Critic Care Unit, Shenzhen Institute of Respiratory Disease, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College), Jinan University, Guangdong, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Jianglin Zhang, ; Shanze Chen,
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23
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Olivera I, Sanz-Pamplona R, Bolaños E, Rodriguez I, Etxeberria I, Cirella A, Egea J, Garasa S, Migueliz I, Eguren-Santamaria I, Sanmamed MF, Glez-Vaz J, Azpilikueta A, Alvarez M, Ochoa MC, Malacrida B, Propper D, de Andrea CE, Berraondo P, Balkwill FR, Teijeira Á, Melero I. A Therapeutically Actionable Protumoral Axis of Cytokines Involving IL-8, TNFα, and IL-1β. Cancer Discov 2022; 12:2140-2157. [PMID: 35771565 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-21-1115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin-8 (CXCL8) produced in the tumor microenvironment correlates with poor response to checkpoint inhibitors and is known to chemoattract and activate immunosuppressive myeloid leukocytes. In human cancer, IL8 mRNA levels correlate with IL1B and TNF transcripts. Both cytokines induced IL-8 functional expression from a broad variety of human cancer cell lines, primary colon carcinoma organoids, and fresh human tumor explants. Although IL8 is absent from the mouse genome, a similar murine axis in which TNFα and IL-1β upregulate CXCL1 and CXCL2 in tumor cells was revealed. Furthermore, intratumoral injection of TNFα and IL-1β induced IL-8 release from human malignant cells xenografted in immunodeficient mice. In all these cases, the clinically used TNFα blockers infliximab and etanercept or the IL-1β inhibitor anakinra was able to interfere with this pathogenic cytokine loop. Finally, in paired plasma samples of patients with cancer undergoing TNFα blockade with infliximab in a clinical trial, reductions of circulating IL-8 were substantiated. SIGNIFICANCE IL-8 attracts immunosuppressive protumor myeloid cells to the tumor microenvironment, and IL-8 levels correlate with poor response to checkpoint inhibitors. TNFα and IL-1β are identified as major inducers of IL-8 expression on malignant cells across cancer types and models in a manner that is druggable with clinically available neutralizing agents. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2007.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Olivera
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
| | - Rebeca Sanz-Pamplona
- Unit of Biomarkers and Susceptibility, Oncology Data Analytics Program (ODAP), Oncobell Program, Catalan Institute of Cancer (ICO), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), CIBERESP, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain and ARAID Researcher, Aragon Health Research institute (IIS Aragon), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Elixabet Bolaños
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
| | - Inmaculada Rodriguez
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
| | - Iñaki Etxeberria
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
| | - Assunta Cirella
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
| | - Josune Egea
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
| | - Saray Garasa
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Itziar Migueliz
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
| | - Iñaki Eguren-Santamaria
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
| | - Miguel F Sanmamed
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Glez-Vaz
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
| | - Arantza Azpilikueta
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
| | - Maite Alvarez
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - María C Ochoa
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatrice Malacrida
- Center for tumour microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kindgom
| | - David Propper
- Center for tumour microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kindgom
| | - Carlos E de Andrea
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pathology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pedro Berraondo
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Frances R Balkwill
- Center for tumour microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kindgom
| | - Álvaro Teijeira
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Melero
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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24
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Li M, He L, Zhu J, Zhang P, Liang S. Targeting tumor-associated macrophages for cancer treatment. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:85. [PMID: 35672862 PMCID: PMC9172100 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-022-00823-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are abundant, nearly accounting for 30–50% of stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment. TAMs exhibit an immunosuppressive M2-like phenotype in advanced cancer, which plays a crucial role in tumor growth, invasion and migration, angiogenesis and immunosuppression. Consequently, the TAM-targeting therapies are particularly of significance in anti-cancer strategies. The application of TAMs as anti-cancer targets is expected to break through traditional tumor-associated therapies and achieves favorable clinical effect. However, the heterogeneity of TAMs makes the strategy of targeting TAMs variable and uncertain. Discovering the subset specificity of TAMs might be a future option for targeting TAMs therapy. Herein, the review focuses on highlighting the different modalities to modulate TAM’s functions, including promoting the phagocytosis of TAMs, TAMs depletion, blocking TAMs recruitment, TAMs reprogramming and suppressing immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. We also discuss about several ways to improve the efficacy of TAM-targeting therapy from the perspective of combination therapy and specificity of TAMs subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Linye He
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, 610041, Chengdu, China.,Department of Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jing Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Urinary Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Shufang Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, 610041, Chengdu, China.
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25
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Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are abundant, nearly accounting for 30-50% of stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment. TAMs exhibit an immunosuppressive M2-like phenotype in advanced cancer, which plays a crucial role in tumor growth, invasion and migration, angiogenesis and immunosuppression. Consequently, the TAM-targeting therapies are particularly of significance in anti-cancer strategies. The application of TAMs as anti-cancer targets is expected to break through traditional tumor-associated therapies and achieves favorable clinical effect. However, the heterogeneity of TAMs makes the strategy of targeting TAMs variable and uncertain. Discovering the subset specificity of TAMs might be a future option for targeting TAMs therapy. Herein, the review focuses on highlighting the different modalities to modulate TAM's functions, including promoting the phagocytosis of TAMs, TAMs depletion, blocking TAMs recruitment, TAMs reprogramming and suppressing immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. We also discuss about several ways to improve the efficacy of TAM-targeting therapy from the perspective of combination therapy and specificity of TAMs subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Linye He
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, 610041, Chengdu, China
- Department of Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jing Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Urinary Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Shufang Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.17, 3rd Section of People's South Road, 610041, Chengdu, China.
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26
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Role of CD68 in tumor immunity and prognosis prediction in pan-cancer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7844. [PMID: 35550532 PMCID: PMC9098459 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11503-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
CD68 plays a critical role in promoting phagocytosis; however, the function of CD68 in tumor immunity and prognosis remains unknown. We analyzed CD68 expression among 33 tumor and normal tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression datasets. The relationship between CD68 expression and cancer prognosis, immune infiltration, checkpoint markers, and drug response was explored. Upregulated CD68 levels were observed in various cancer types, which were verified through tumor tissue chips using immunohistochemistry. High levels of CD68 in tumor samples correlated with an adverse prognosis in glioblastoma, kidney renal clear cell carcinoma, lower-grade glioma, liver hepatocellular carcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, thyroid carcinoma, and thymoma and a favorable prognosis in kidney chromophobe. The top three negatively enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes terms in the high CD68 subgroup were chemokine signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and cell adhesion molecule cams. The top negatively enriched HALLMARK terms included complement, allograft rejection, and inflammatory response. A series of targeted drugs and small-molecule drugs with promising therapeutic effects were predicted. The clinical prognosis and immune infiltration of high expression levels of CD68 differ across tumor types. Inhibiting CD68-dependent signaling could be a promising therapeutic strategy for immunotherapy in many tumor types.
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27
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Kos K, Salvagno C, Wellenstein MD, Aslam MA, Meijer DA, Hau CS, Vrijland K, Kaldenbach D, Raeven EA, Schmittnaegel M, Ries CH, de Visser KE. Tumor-associated macrophages promote intratumoral conversion of conventional CD4 + T cells into regulatory T cells via PD-1 signalling. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2063225. [PMID: 35481289 PMCID: PMC9037432 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2063225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Kos
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Camilla Salvagno
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Max D. Wellenstein
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Muhammad A. Aslam
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Denize A. Meijer
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cheei-Sing Hau
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kim Vrijland
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Daphne Kaldenbach
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth A.M. Raeven
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martina Schmittnaegel
- Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Carola H. Ries
- Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Karin E. de Visser
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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28
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Han IH, Jeong C, Yang J, Park SH, Hwang DS, Bae H. Therapeutic Effect of Melittin–dKLA Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Melanoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063094. [PMID: 35328518 PMCID: PMC8954064 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is an immunogenic tumor and a serious type of skin cancer. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) express an M2-like phenotype and are involved in all stages of melanomagenesis; it is hence a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. We herein investigated whether melittin–dKLA inhibits the growth of melanoma by inducing apoptosis of M2-like macrophages. For the in vitro study, a conditioned medium of macrophages was prepared from M0, M1, or M2-differentiated THP-1 cells with and without melittin–dKLA. The affinity of melittin for M2 macrophages was studied with FITC (fluorescein isothiocyanate)-conjugated melittin. For the in vivo study, murine melanoma cells were inoculated subcutaneously in the right flank of mice, melittin–dKLA was intraperitoneally injected at 200 nmol/kg every three days, and flow cytometry analysis of TAMs was performed. Since melittin binds preferentially to M2-like macrophages, melittin–dKLA induced more caspase 3 expression and cell death in M2 macrophages compared with M0 and M1 macrophages and melanoma cells. Melittin–dKLA significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of M2 macrophages, resulting in a decrease in melanoma tumor growth in vivo. The CD206+ M2-like TAMs were reduced, while the CD86+ M1-like TAMs were not affected. Melittin–dKLA is therapeutically effective against melanoma by inducing the apoptosis of M2-like TAMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ik-Hwan Han
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea; (I.-H.H.); (C.J.); (J.Y.)
| | - Chanmi Jeong
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea; (I.-H.H.); (C.J.); (J.Y.)
- Department of Science in Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea
| | - Juwon Yang
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea; (I.-H.H.); (C.J.); (J.Y.)
- Department of Science in Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea
| | - Seung-Hyeok Park
- Department of Clinical Korean Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Deok-Sang Hwang
- Department of Clinical Korean Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea;
- Correspondence: (D.-S.H.); (H.B.); Tel.: +82-2-961-9316 (H.B.); Fax: +82-2-962-9316 (H.B.)
| | - Hyunsu Bae
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea; (I.-H.H.); (C.J.); (J.Y.)
- Correspondence: (D.-S.H.); (H.B.); Tel.: +82-2-961-9316 (H.B.); Fax: +82-2-962-9316 (H.B.)
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29
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Zhang J, Pan S, Jian C, Hao L, Dong J, Sun Q, Jin H, Han X. Immunostimulatory Properties of Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer: From Immunogenic Modulation Mechanisms to Clinical Practice. Front Immunol 2022; 12:819405. [PMID: 35069604 PMCID: PMC8766762 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.819405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy among females. Chemotherapy drugs remain the cornerstone of treatment of BC and undergo significant shifts over the past 100 years. The advent of immunotherapy presents promising opportunities and constitutes a significant complementary to existing therapeutic strategies for BC. Chemotherapy as a cytotoxic treatment that targets proliferation malignant cells has recently been shown as an effective immune-stimulus in multiple ways. Chemotherapeutic drugs can cause the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) from dying tumor cells, which result in long-lasting antitumor immunity by the key process of immunogenic cell death (ICD). Furthermore, Off-target effects of chemotherapy on immune cell subsets mainly involve activation of immune effector cells including natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and cytotoxic T cells, and depletion of immunosuppressive cells including Treg cells, M2 macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Current mini-review summarized recent large clinical trials regarding the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in BC and addressed the molecular mechanisms of immunostimulatory properties of chemotherapy in BC. The purpose of our work was to explore the immune-stimulating effects of chemotherapy at the molecular level based on the evidence from clinical trials, which might be a rationale for combinations of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinguo Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Shuaikang Pan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Chen Jian
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Li Hao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jie Dong
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Qingqing Sun
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Hongwei Jin
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xinghua Han
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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Codolo G, Facchinello N, Papa N, Bertocco A, Coletta S, Benna C, Dall’Olmo L, Mocellin S, Tiso N, de Bernard M. Macrophage-Mediated Melanoma Reduction after HP-NAP Treatment in a Zebrafish Xenograft Model. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031644. [PMID: 35163566 PMCID: PMC8836027 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The Helicobacter pylori Neutrophil Activating Protein (HP-NAP) is endowed with immunomodulatory properties that make it a potential candidate for anticancer therapeutic applications. By activating cytotoxic Th1 responses, HP-NAP inhibits the growth of bladder cancer and enhances the anti-tumor activity of oncolytic viruses in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. The possibility that HP-NAP exerts its anti-tumor effect also by modulating the activity of innate immune cells has not yet been explored. Taking advantage of the zebrafish model, we examined the therapeutic efficacy of HP-NAP against metastatic human melanoma, limiting the observational window to 9 days post-fertilization, well before the maturation of the adaptive immunity. Human melanoma cells were xenotransplanted into zebrafish embryos and tracked in the presence or absence of HP-NAP. The behavior and phenotype of macrophages and the impact of their drug-induced depletion were analyzed exploiting macrophage-expressed transgenes. HP-NAP administration efficiently inhibited tumor growth and metastasis and this was accompanied by strong recruitment of macrophages with a pro-inflammatory profile at the tumor site. The depletion of macrophages almost completely abrogated the ability of HP-NAP to counteract tumor growth. Our findings highlight the pivotal role of activated macrophages in counteracting melanoma growth and support the notion that HP-NAP might become a new biological therapeutic agent for the treatment of metastatic melanomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Codolo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (G.C.); (N.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Nicola Facchinello
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy;
| | - Nicole Papa
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (G.C.); (N.P.); (S.C.)
- Soft-Tissue, Peritoneum and Melanoma Surgical Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata 64, 35128 Padova, Italy; (L.D.); (S.M.)
| | - Ambra Bertocco
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy;
| | - Sara Coletta
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (G.C.); (N.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Clara Benna
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology (DISCOG), University of Padova, 35124 Padova, Italy;
| | - Luigi Dall’Olmo
- Soft-Tissue, Peritoneum and Melanoma Surgical Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata 64, 35128 Padova, Italy; (L.D.); (S.M.)
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology (DISCOG), University of Padova, 35124 Padova, Italy;
| | - Simone Mocellin
- Soft-Tissue, Peritoneum and Melanoma Surgical Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata 64, 35128 Padova, Italy; (L.D.); (S.M.)
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology (DISCOG), University of Padova, 35124 Padova, Italy;
| | - Natascia Tiso
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (G.C.); (N.P.); (S.C.)
- Correspondence: (N.T.); (M.d.B.)
| | - Marina de Bernard
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (G.C.); (N.P.); (S.C.)
- Correspondence: (N.T.); (M.d.B.)
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Ceci C, Lacal PM, Graziani G. Antibody-drug conjugates: Resurgent anticancer agents with multi-targeted therapeutic potential. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 236:108106. [PMID: 34990642 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) constitute a relatively new group of anticancer agents, whose first appearance took place about two decades ago, but a renewed interest occurred in recent years, following the success of anti-cancer immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies. Indeed, an ADC combines the selectivity of a monoclonal antibody with the cell killing properties of a chemotherapeutic agent (payload), joined together through an appropriate linker. The antibody moiety targets a specific cell surface antigen expressed by tumor cells and/or cells of the tumor microenvironment and acts as a carrier that delivers the cytotoxic payload within the tumor mass. Despite advantages in terms of selectivity and potency, the development of ADCs is not devoid of challenges, due to: i) low tumor selectivity when the target antigens are not exclusively expressed by cancer cells; ii) premature release of the cytotoxic drug into the bloodstream as a consequence of linker instability; iii) development of tumor resistance mechanisms to the payload. All these factors may result in lack of efficacy and/or in no safety improvement compared to unconjugated cytotoxic agents. Nevertheless, the development of antibodies engineered to remain inert until activated in the tumor (e.g., antibodies activated proteolytically after internalization or by the acidic conditions of the tumor microenvironment) together with the discovery of innovative targets and cytotoxic or immunomodulatory payloads, have allowed the design of next-generation ADCs that are expected to possess improved therapeutic properties. This review provides an overview of approved ADCs, with related advantages and limitations, and of novel targets exploited by ADCs that are presently under clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Ceci
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Grazia Graziani
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; IDI-IRCCS, Via Monti di Creta 104, 00167 Rome, Italy.
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Liu J, Zhang X, Ye T, Dong Y, Zhang W, Wu F, Bo H, Shao H, Zhang R, Shen H. Prognostic modeling of patients with metastatic melanoma based on tumor immune microenvironment characteristics. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2022; 19:1448-1470. [PMID: 35135212 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2022067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Most of the malignant melanomas are already in the middle and advanced stages when they are diagnosed, which is often accompanied by the metastasis and spread of other organs. Besides, the prognosis of patients is bleak. The characteristics of the local immune microenvironment in metastatic melanoma have important implications for both tumor progression and tumor treatment. In this study, data on patients with metastatic melanoma from the TCGA and GEO datasets were selected for immune, stromal, and estimate scores, and overlapping differentially expressed genes were screened. A nine-IRGs prognostic model (ALOX5AP, ARHGAP15, CCL8, FCER1G, GBP4, HCK, MMP9, RARRES2 and TRIM22) was established by univariate COX regression, LASSO and multivariate COX regression. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to test the predictive accuracy of the model. Immune infiltration was analyzed by using CIBERSORT and Xcell in high-risk and low-risk groups. The immune infiltration of the high-risk group was significantly lower than that of the low-risk group. Immune checkpoint analysis revealed that the expression of PDCD1, CTLA4, TIGIT, CD274, HAVR2 and LAG3 demonstrated the visible difference in groups with different levels of risk scores. WGCNA analysis found that the yellow-green module contained seven genes from the nine-IRG prognostic model, and the yellow-green module had the highest correlation with risk scores. The results of GO and KEGG suggested that the genes in the yellow-green module were mainly enriched in immune-related biological processes. Finally, the expression characteristics of ALOX5AP, ARHGAP15, CCL8, FCER1G, GBP4, HCK, MMP9, RARRES2 and TRIM22 were analyzed between metastatic melanoma and normal samples. Overall, a prognostic model for metastatic melanoma based on the tumor immune microenvironment characteristics was established, which left plenty of space for further studies. It could function well in helping people to understand characteristics of the immune microenvironment in metastatic melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Xuefang Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dongguan People's Hospital, Affiliated Dongguan Hospital of Southern Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong 523059, China
| | - Ting Ye
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Yongjian Dong
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Wenfeng Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Fenglin Wu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Huaben Bo
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Hongwei Shao
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Rongxin Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Han Shen
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
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Lisi L, Lacal PM, Martire M, Navarra P, Graziani G. Clinical experience with CTLA-4 blockade for cancer immunotherapy: From the monospecific monoclonal antibody ipilimumab to probodies and bispecific molecules targeting the tumor microenvironment. Pharmacol Res 2021; 175:105997. [PMID: 34826600 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The immune checkpoint cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) is an inhibitory regulator of T-cell mediated responses that has been investigated as target of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for cancer immunotherapy. The anti-CTLA-4 mAb ipilimumab represents the first immune checkpoint inhibitor that significantly improved overall survival in patients with unresectable/metastatic melanoma. The subsequent approved indications (often in the first-line setting) for melanoma and other advanced/metastatic solid tumors always require ipilimumab combination with nivolumab, an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) mAb. However, the improved clinical efficacy of the mAb combination is associated with increased immune-related adverse events, which might require treatment discontinuation even in responding patients. This drawback is expected to be overcome by the recent development of anti-CTLA-4 probodies proteolitycally activated in the tumor microenvironment and bispecific molecules targeting both CTLA-4 and PD-1, whose co-expression is characteristic of tumor-infiltrating T cells. These molecules would preferentially stimulate immune responses against the tumor, reducing toxicity toward normal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Lisi
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Healthcare surveillance and Bioethics, Catholic University Medical School, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | | | - Maria Martire
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Healthcare surveillance and Bioethics, Catholic University Medical School, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Pierluigi Navarra
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Healthcare surveillance and Bioethics, Catholic University Medical School, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Grazia Graziani
- IDI-IRCCS, Via dei Monti di Creta 104, 00167 Rome, Italy; Pharmacology Section, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.
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ROS Pleiotropy in Melanoma and Local Therapy with Physical Modalities. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2021; 2021:6816214. [PMID: 34777692 PMCID: PMC8580636 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6816214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic energy production naturally generates unwanted products such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing oxidative damage. Oxidative damage has been linked to several pathologies, including diabetes, premature aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. ROS were therefore originally anticipated as an imperative evil, a product of an imperfect system. More recently, however, the role of ROS in signaling and tumor treatment is increasingly acknowledged. This review addresses the main types, sources, and pathways of ROS in melanoma by linking their pleiotropic roles in antioxidant and oxidant regulation, hypoxia, metabolism, and cell death. In addition, the implications of ROS in various physical therapy modalities targeting melanoma, such as radiotherapy, electrochemotherapy, hyperthermia, photodynamic therapy, and medical gas plasma, are also discussed. By including ROS in the main picture of melanoma skin cancer and as an integral part of cancer therapies, a greater understanding of melanoma cell biology is presented, which ultimately may elucidate additional clues on targeting therapy resistance of this most deadly form of skin cancer.
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Kinase Inhibitors' Effects on Innate Immunity in Solid Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225695. [PMID: 34830850 PMCID: PMC8616517 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In this review, we evaluate the updated data of the immunological effects of kinase inhibitors on the innate immune system and provide an in-depth analysis of the underlying mechanisms. We also discuss how this immunological effect can be harnessed to improve cancer treatment and highlight recent successes, such as the combination with anti-tumor immunotherapy. Last, we explore novel kinase targets and the incorporation of them with targeted drug delivery techniques as promising research areas. Abstract Innate immune cells constitute a plastic and heterogeneous cell population of the tumor microenvironment. Because of their high tumor infiltration and close interaction with resident tumor cells, they are compelling targets for anti-cancer therapy through either ablation or functionally reprogramming. Kinase inhibitors (KIs) that target aberrant signaling pathways in tumor proliferation and angiogenesis have been shown to have additional immunological effects on myeloid cells that may contribute to a protective antitumor immune response. However, in patients with malignancies, these effects are poorly described, warranting meticulous research to identify KIs’ optimal immunomodulatory effect to support developing targeted and more effective immunotherapy. As many of these KIs are currently in clinical trials awaiting approval for the treatment of several types of solid cancer, we evaluate here the information on this drug class’s immunological effects and how such mechanisms can be harnessed to improve combined treatment regimens in cancer.
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Garofalo C, De Marco C, Cristiani CM. NK Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment as New Potential Players Mediating Chemotherapy Effects in Metastatic Melanoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:754541. [PMID: 34712615 PMCID: PMC8547654 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.754541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Until the last decade, chemotherapy was the standard treatment for metastatic cutaneous melanoma, even with poor results. The introduction of immune checkpoints inhibitors (ICIs) radically changed the outcome, increasing 5-year survival from 5% to 60%. However, there is still a large portion of unresponsive patients that would need further therapies. NK cells are skin-resident innate cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize and kill virus-infected as well as cancer cells thanks to a balance between inhibitory and activating signals delivered by surface molecules expressed by the target. Since NK cells are equipped with cytotoxic machinery but lack of antigen restriction and needing to be primed, they are nowadays gaining attention as an alternative to T cells to be exploited in immunotherapy. However, their usage suffers of the same limitations reported for T cells, that is the loss of immunogenicity by target cells and the difficulty to penetrate and be activated in the suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Several evidence showed that chemotherapy used in metastatic melanoma therapy possess immunomodulatory properties that may restore NK cells functions within TME. Here, we will discuss the capability of such chemotherapeutics to: i) up-regulate melanoma cells susceptibility to NK cell-mediated killing, ii) promote NK cells infiltration within TME, iii) target other immune cell subsets that affect NK cells activities. Alongside traditional systemic melanoma chemotherapy, a new pharmacological strategy based on nanocarriers loaded with chemotherapeutics is developing. The use of nanotechnologies represents a very promising approach to improve drug tolerability and effectiveness thanks to the targeted delivery of the therapeutic molecules. Here, we will also discuss the recent developments in using nanocarriers to deliver anti-cancer drugs within the melanoma microenvironment in order to improve chemotherapeutics effects. Overall, we highlight the possibility to use standard chemotherapeutics, possibly delivered by nanosystems, to enhance NK cells anti-tumor cytotoxicity. Combined with immunotherapies targeting NK cells, this may represent a valuable alternative approach to treat those patients that do not respond to current ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Garofalo
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, "Magna Græcia" University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Carmela De Marco
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, "Magna Græcia" University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Costanza Maria Cristiani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, "Magna Græcia" University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
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García-Sancha N, Corchado-Cobos R, Bellido-Hernández L, Román-Curto C, Cardeñoso-Álvarez E, Pérez-Losada J, Orfao A, Cañueto J. Overcoming Resistance to Immunotherapy in Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5134. [PMID: 34680282 PMCID: PMC8533861 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the second most frequent cancer in humans, and is now responsible for as many deaths as melanoma. Immunotherapy has changed the therapeutic landscape of advanced CSCC after the FDA approval of anti-PD1 molecules for the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic CSCC. However, roughly 50% of patients will not respond to this systemic treatment and even those who do respond can develop resistance over time. The etiologies of primary and secondary resistance to immunotherapy involve changes in the neoplastic cells and the tumor microenvironment. Indirect modulation of immune system activation with new therapies, such as vaccines, oncolytic viruses, and new immunotherapeutic agents, and direct modulation of tumor immunogenicity using other systemic treatments or radiotherapy are now under evaluation in combined regimens. The identification of predictors of response is an important area of research. In this review, we focus on the features associated with the response to immunotherapy, and the evaluation of combination treatments and new molecules, a more thorough knowledge of which is likely to improve the survival of patients with advanced CSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia García-Sancha
- IBMCC-CSIC, Laboratory 7, Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (N.G.-S.); (R.C.-C.); (J.P.-L.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (L.B.-H.); (C.R.-C.); (A.O.)
| | - Roberto Corchado-Cobos
- IBMCC-CSIC, Laboratory 7, Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (N.G.-S.); (R.C.-C.); (J.P.-L.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (L.B.-H.); (C.R.-C.); (A.O.)
| | - Lorena Bellido-Hernández
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (L.B.-H.); (C.R.-C.); (A.O.)
- Departament of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Concepción Román-Curto
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (L.B.-H.); (C.R.-C.); (A.O.)
- Departamento de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Esther Cardeñoso-Álvarez
- Departamento de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Jesús Pérez-Losada
- IBMCC-CSIC, Laboratory 7, Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (N.G.-S.); (R.C.-C.); (J.P.-L.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (L.B.-H.); (C.R.-C.); (A.O.)
| | - Alberto Orfao
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (L.B.-H.); (C.R.-C.); (A.O.)
- IBMCC-CSIC, Laboratory 11, Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Cytometry Service (NUCLEUS) and Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC) (CB16/12/00400, CB16/12/00233, CB16/12/00369, CB16/12/00489 and CB16/12/00480), Instituto Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Cañueto
- IBMCC-CSIC, Laboratory 7, Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (N.G.-S.); (R.C.-C.); (J.P.-L.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (L.B.-H.); (C.R.-C.); (A.O.)
- Departamento de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Paseo de San Vicente 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
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Catafal-Tardos E, Baglioni MV, Bekiaris V. Inhibiting the Unconventionals: Importance of Immune Checkpoint Receptors in γδ T, MAIT, and NKT Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13184647. [PMID: 34572874 PMCID: PMC8467786 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary All conventional major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted T cells transiently express immune checkpoint/inhibitory receptors (ICRs) following activation as a means to counter-regulate overactivation. However, tumors promote chronic ICR expression rendering T cells chronically unresponsive or “exhausted”. Checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) therapy targets and blocks ICRs, restoring T cell activation and anti-tumor immunity. However, CPI therapy often fails, partly because of the tumor’s many abilities to inhibit MHC-driven T cell responses. In this regard, our immune system contains an arsenal of unconventional non-MHC-restricted T cells, whose importance in anti-tumor immunity is rapidly gaining momentum. There is currently little knowledge as to whether unconventional T cells can get exhausted and how CPI therapy affects them. In this article we review the current understanding of the role of ICRs in unconventional T cell biology and discuss the importance of targeting these unique immune cell populations for CPI therapy. Abstract In recent years, checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) therapy has shown promising clinical responses across a broad range of cancers. However, many patients remain unresponsive and there is need for improvement. CPI therapy relies on antibody-mediated neutralization of immune inhibitory or checkpoint receptors (ICRs) that constitutively suppress leukocytes. In this regard, the clinical outcome of CPI therapy has primarily been attributed to modulating classical MHC-restricted αβ T cell responses, yet, it will inevitably target most lymphoid (and many myeloid) populations. As such, unconventional non-MHC-restricted gamma delta (γδ) T, mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) and natural killer T (NKT) cells express ICRs at steady-state and after activation and may thus be affected by CPI therapies. To which extent, however, remains unclear. These unconventional T cells are polyfunctional innate-like lymphocytes that play a key role in tumor immune surveillance and have a plethora of protective and pathogenic immune responses. The robust anti-tumor potential of γδ T, MAIT, and NKT cells has been established in a variety of preclinical cancer models and in clinical reports. In contrast, recent studies have documented a pro-tumor effect of innate-like T cell subsets that secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines. Consequently, understanding the mechanisms that regulate such T cells and their response to CPI is critical in designing effective cancer immunotherapies that favor anti-tumor immunity. In this Review, we will discuss the current understanding regarding the role of immune checkpoint regulation in γδ T, MAIT, and NKT cells and its importance in anti-cancer immunity.
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The Metabolic Features of Tumor-Associated Macrophages: Opportunities for Immunotherapy? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 2021:5523055. [PMID: 34476174 PMCID: PMC8407977 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5523055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Besides transformed cells, the tumors are composed of various cell types that contribute to undesirable tumor progression. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the most abundant innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Within the TME, TAMs exhibit high plasticity and undergo specific functional metabolic alterations according to the availability of tumor tissue oxygen and nutrients, thus further contributing to tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Here, we review the main functional TAM metabolic patterns influenced by TME, including glycolysis, amino acid, and fatty acid metabolism. Moreover, this review discusses antitumor immunotherapies that affect TAM functionality by inducing cell repolarizing and metabolic profiles towards an antitumoral phenotype. Also, new macrophage-based cell therapeutic technologies recently developed using chimeric antigen receptor bioengineering are exposed, which may overcome all solid tumor physical barriers impeding the current adoptive cell therapies and contribute to developing novel cancer immunotherapies.
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Zhou M, Wang C, Lu S, Xu Y, Li Z, Jiang H, Ma Y. Tumor-associated macrophages in cholangiocarcinoma: complex interplay and potential therapeutic target. EBioMedicine 2021; 67:103375. [PMID: 33993051 PMCID: PMC8134032 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive and multifactorial malignancy of the biliary tract. The carcinogenesis of CCA is associated with genomic and epigenetic abnormalities, as well as environmental effects. However, early clinical diagnosis and reliable treatment strategies of CCA remain unsatisfactory. Multiple compartments of the tumor microenvironment significantly affect the progression of CCA. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a type of plastic immune cells that are recruited and activated in the CCA microenvironment, especially at the tumor invasive front and perivascular sites. TAMs create a favorable environment that benefits CCA growth by closely interacting with CCA cells and other stromal cells via releasing multiple protumor factors. In addition, TAMs exert immunosuppressive and antichemotherapeutic effects, thus intensifying the malignancy. Targeting TAMs may provide an improved understanding of, and novel therapeutic approaches for, CCA. This review focuses on revealing the interplay between TAMs and CCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghua Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Department of Hepatic Minimal Invasive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Chaoqun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Department of Hepatic Minimal Invasive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Shounan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Department of Hepatic Minimal Invasive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Yanan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Department of Hepatic Minimal Invasive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Zihao Li
- Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Department of Hepatic Minimal Invasive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Hongchi Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Department of Hepatic Minimal Invasive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China.
| | - Yong Ma
- Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Department of Hepatic Minimal Invasive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China.
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Wang L, He T, Liu J, Tai J, Wang B, Chen Z, Quan Z. Pan-cancer analysis reveals tumor-associated macrophage communication in the tumor microenvironment. Exp Hematol Oncol 2021; 10:31. [PMID: 33971970 PMCID: PMC8108336 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-021-00226-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are abundant in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, their contribution to the immunosuppressive status of the TME remains unclear. METHODS We integrated single-cell sequencing and transcriptome data from different tumor types to uncover the molecular features of TAMs. In vitro experiments and prospective clinical tests confirmed the results of these analysis. RESULTS We first detected intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneities between TAM subpopulations and their functions, with CD86+ TAMs playing a crucial role in tumor progression. Next, we focused on the ligand-receptor interactions between TAMs and tumor cells in different TME phenotypes and discovered that aberrant expressions of six hub genes, including FLI1, are involved in this process. A TAM-tumor cell co-culture experiment proved that FLI1 was involved in tumor cell invasion, and FLI1 also showed a unique pattern in patients. Finally, TAMs were discovered to communicate with immune and stromal cells. CONCLUSION We determined the role of TAMs in the TME by focusing on their communication pattern with other TME components. Additionally, the screening of hub genes revealed potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linbang Wang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Tao He
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jingkun Liu
- Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 555 Youyi Dong Road, Beilin, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiaojiao Tai
- Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 555 Youyi Dong Road, Beilin, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China
| | - Bing Wang
- Laboratory of Environmental Monitoring, Shaanxi Province Health Inspection Institution, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhiyu Chen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Zhengxue Quan
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
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Shaver KA, Croom-Perez TJ, Copik AJ. Natural Killer Cells: The Linchpin for Successful Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:679117. [PMID: 33995422 PMCID: PMC8115550 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.679117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is a highly successful and rapidly evolving treatment modality that works by augmenting the body’s own immune system. While various immune stimulation strategies such as PD-1/PD-L1 or CTLA-4 checkpoint blockade result in robust responses, even in patients with advanced cancers, the overall response rate is low. While immune checkpoint inhibitors are known to enhance cytotoxic T cells’ antitumor response, current evidence suggests that immune responses independent of cytotoxic T cells, such as Natural Killer (NK) cells, play crucial role in the efficacy of immunotherapeutic interventions. NK cells hold a distinct role in potentiating the innate immune response and activating the adaptive immune system. This review highlights the importance of the early actions of the NK cell response and the pivotal role NK cells hold in priming the immune system and setting the stage for successful response to cancer immunotherapy. Yet, in many patients the NK cell compartment is compromised thus lowering the chances of successful outcomes of many immunotherapies. An overview of mechanisms that can drive NK cell dysfunction and hinder immunotherapy success is provided. Rather than relying on the likely dysfunctional endogenous NK cells to work with immunotherapies, adoptive allogeneic NK cell therapies provide a viable solution to increase response to immunotherapies. This review highlights the advances made in development of NK cell therapeutics for clinical application with evidence supporting their combinatorial application with other immune-oncology approaches to improve outcomes of immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari A Shaver
- College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Tayler J Croom-Perez
- Burnett School of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Alicja J Copik
- Burnett School of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
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Resistance to Molecularly Targeted Therapies in Melanoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13051115. [PMID: 33807778 PMCID: PMC7961479 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13051115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer with invasive growth patterns. In 2021, 106,110 patients are projected to be diagnosed with melanoma, out of which 7180 are expected to die. Traditional methods like surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are not effective in the treatment of metastatic and advanced melanoma. Recent approaches to treat melanoma have focused on biomarkers that play significant roles in cell growth, proliferation, migration, and survival. Several FDA-approved molecular targeted therapies such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been developed against genetic biomarkers whose overexpression is implicated in tumorigenesis. The use of targeted therapies as an alternative or supplement to immunotherapy has revolutionized the management of metastatic melanoma. Although this treatment strategy is more efficacious and less toxic in comparison to traditional therapies, targeted therapies are less effective after prolonged treatment due to acquired resistance caused by mutations and activation of alternative mechanisms in melanoma tumors. Recent studies focus on understanding the mechanisms of acquired resistance to these current therapies. Further research is needed for the development of better approaches to improve prognosis in melanoma patients. In this article, various melanoma biomarkers including BRAF, MEK, RAS, c-KIT, VEGFR, c-MET and PI3K are described, and their potential mechanisms for drug resistance are discussed.
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Recent Advancements in the Mechanisms Underlying Resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040663. [PMID: 33562324 PMCID: PMC7915065 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immune checkpoint blockade targeting PD-1/PD-L1 has a promising therapeutic efficacy in different tumors, but a significant percentage of patients cannot benefit from this therapy due to primary and acquired resistance during treatment. This review summarizes the recent findings of PD-L1 role in resistance to therapies through the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway and other correlating signaling pathways. A special focus will be given to the key mechanisms underlying resistance to the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in cancer immunotherapy. Furthermore, we also discuss the promising combination of therapeutic strategies for patients resistant to the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in order to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Abstract Release of immunoreactive negative regulatory factors such as immune checkpoint limits antitumor responses. PD-L1 as a significant immunosuppressive factor has been involved in resistance to therapies such as chemotherapy and target therapy in various cancers. Via interacting with PD-1, PD-L1 can regulate other factors or lead to immune evasion of cancer cells. Besides, immune checkpoint blockade targeting PD-1/PD-L1 has promising therapeutic efficacy in the different tumors, but a significant percentage of patients cannot benefit from this therapy due to primary and acquired resistance during treatment. In this review, we described the utility of PD-L1 expression levels for predicting poor prognosis in some tumors and present evidence for a role of PD-L1 in resistance to therapies through PD-1/PD-L1 pathway and other correlating signaling pathways. Afterwards, we elaborate the key mechanisms underlying resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in cancer immunotherapy. Furthermore, promising combination of therapeutic strategies for patients resistant to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy or other therapies associated with PD-L1 expression was also summarized.
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