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Tang H, Wu H, Jian Y, Ji T, Wu B, Wu Y, Wang P, Cao T. Immune effector dysfunction signatures predict outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 132:111949. [PMID: 38552290 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune effector dysfunction (IED) is mainly manifested as immune exhaustion and senescence, which are the primary obstacles to the success of cancer immunotherapy. In the current study, we characterized the prognostic relevance of IED signatures in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS Immunohistochemistry (IHC) data of CRC tissue samples from 41 newly diagnosed patients in our clinical center (HDPH cohort) were used to investigate the prognostic importance of IED signatures. The results were validated by the RNA sequencing data of 372 CRC patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. RESULTS In the HDPH cohorts, high Natural Killer (NK) and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were associated with poor overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) in CRC patients. Optimal IED signatures, including high expression of CCR9, ISG20, and low expression of ICOS, and CACNA2D2, predicted poor OS and RFS. Moreover, high-risk scores estimated by a weighted combination of these four IED genes were associated with poor OS and RFS. Notably, risk stratification was constructed by combining risk score and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage better than TNM stage alone in predicting OS and RFS for CRC patients. The above results were confirmed in the TCGA cohort. CONCLUSION CCR9, ISG20, ICOS, and CACNA2D2 were optimal IED signatures for predicting the outcomes of CRC patients, which might be a potential biomarker for prognostic stratification and designing novel CRC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Tang
- The Third School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 516006, China; Department of General Surgery, Huadu District People's Hospital of Guangzhou, Guangzhou 510810, China
| | - Hongsheng Wu
- The Third School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 516006, China; Department of General Surgery, Huadu District People's Hospital of Guangzhou, Guangzhou 510810, China
| | - Yueju Jian
- The Third School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 516006, China; Department of General Surgery, Huadu District People's Hospital of Guangzhou, Guangzhou 510810, China
| | - Tengfei Ji
- The Third School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 516006, China; Department of General Surgery, Huadu District People's Hospital of Guangzhou, Guangzhou 510810, China
| | - Biwen Wu
- Department of Oncology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Yong Wu
- Department of Oncology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China.
| | - Peipei Wang
- Department of Oncology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China; School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Guangzhou International Campus, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 511442, China.
| | - Tiansheng Cao
- The Third School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 516006, China; Department of General Surgery, Huadu District People's Hospital of Guangzhou, Guangzhou 510810, China.
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Huang M, Wang Y, Fang L, Liu C, Feng F, Liu L, Sun C. T cell senescence: a new perspective on immunotherapy in lung cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1338680. [PMID: 38415245 PMCID: PMC10896971 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1338680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
T cell senescence is an indication of T cell dysfunction. The ability of senescent T cells to respond to cognate antigens is reduced and they are in the late stage of differentiation and proliferation; therefore, they cannot recognize and eliminate tumor cells in a timely and effective manner, leading to the formation of the suppressive tumor microenvironment. Establishing methods to reverse T cell senescence is particularly important for immunotherapy. Aging exacerbates profound changes in the immune system, leading to increased susceptibility to chronic, infectious, and autoimmune diseases. Patients with malignant lung tumors have impaired immune function with a high risk of recurrence, metastasis, and mortality. Immunotherapy based on PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, and other immune checkpoints is promising for treating lung malignancies. However, T cell senescence can lead to low efficacy or unsuccessful treatment results in some immunotherapies. Efficiently blocking and reversing T cell senescence is a key goal of the enhancement of tumor immunotherapy. This study discusses the characteristics, mechanism, and expression of T cell senescence in malignant lung tumors and the treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengge Huang
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yuetong Wang
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Liguang Fang
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Cun Liu
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Fubin Feng
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Lijuan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Changgang Sun
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China
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3
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Thoma OM, Naschberger E, Kubánková M, Larafa I, Kramer V, Menchicchi B, Merkel S, Britzen-Laurent N, Jefremow A, Grützmann R, Koop K, Neufert C, Atreya R, Guck J, Stürzl M, Neurath MF, Waldner MJ. p21 Prevents the Exhaustion of CD4 + T Cells Within the Antitumor Immune Response Against Colorectal Cancer. Gastroenterology 2024; 166:284-297.e11. [PMID: 37734420 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2023.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS T cells are crucial for the antitumor response against colorectal cancer (CRC). T-cell reactivity to CRC is nevertheless limited by T-cell exhaustion. However, molecular mechanisms regulating T-cell exhaustion are only poorly understood. METHODS We investigated the functional role of cyclin-dependent kinase 1a (Cdkn1a or p21) in cluster of differentiation (CD) 4+ T cells using murine CRC models. Furthermore, we evaluated the expression of p21 in patients with stage I to IV CRC. In vitro coculture models were used to understand the effector function of p21-deficient CD4+ T cells. RESULTS We observed that the activation of cell cycle regulator p21 is crucial for CD4+ T-cell cytotoxic function and that p21 deficiency in type 1 helper T cells (Th1) leads to increased tumor growth in murine CRC. Similarly, low p21 expression in CD4+ T cells infiltrated into tumors of CRC patients is associated with reduced cancer-related survival. In mouse models of CRC, p21-deficient Th1 cells show signs of exhaustion, where an accumulation of effector/effector memory T cells and CD27/CD28 loss are predominant. Immune reconstitution of tumor-bearing Rag1-/- mice using ex vivo-treated p21-deficient T cells with palbociclib, an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6, restored cytotoxic function and prevented exhaustion of p21-deficient CD4+ T cells as a possible concept for future immunotherapy of human disease. CONCLUSIONS Our data reveal the importance of p21 in controlling the cell cycle and preventing exhaustion of Th1 cells. Furthermore, we unveil the therapeutic potential of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors such as palbociclib to reduce T-cell exhaustion for future treatment of patients with colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana-Maria Thoma
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; German Center for Immunotherapy, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Elisabeth Naschberger
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany; Division of Molecular and Experimental Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Markéta Kubánková
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light & Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Imen Larafa
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; German Center for Immunotherapy, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Viktoria Kramer
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; German Center for Immunotherapy, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bianca Menchicchi
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; German Center for Immunotherapy, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Susanne Merkel
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Nathalie Britzen-Laurent
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - André Jefremow
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; German Center for Immunotherapy, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Robert Grützmann
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany; Department of Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kristina Koop
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; German Center for Immunotherapy, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Clemens Neufert
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; German Center for Immunotherapy, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Raja Atreya
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; German Center for Immunotherapy, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light & Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michael Stürzl
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany; Division of Molecular and Experimental Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Markus F Neurath
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; German Center for Immunotherapy, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Maximilian J Waldner
- Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; German Center for Immunotherapy, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany; Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Swain AC, Borghans JA, de Boer RJ. Effect of cellular aging on memory T-cell homeostasis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:947242. [PMID: 36059495 PMCID: PMC9429809 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.947242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The fact that T-cell numbers remain relatively stable throughout life, and that T-cell proliferation rates increase during lymphopenia, has led to the consensus that T-cell numbers are regulated in a density-dependent manner. Competition for resources among memory T cells has been proposed to underlie this ‘homeostatic’ regulation. We first review how two classic models of resource competition affect the T-cell receptor (TCR) diversity of the memory T-cell pool. First, ‘global’ competition for cytokines leads to a skewed repertoire that tends to be dominated by the very first immune response. Second, additional ‘cognate’ competition for specific antigens results in a very diverse and stable memory T-cell pool, allowing every antigen to be remembered, which we therefore define as the ‘gold-standard’. Because there is limited evidence that memory T cells of the same specificity compete more strongly with each other than with memory T cells of different specificities, i.e., for ‘cognate’ competition, we investigate whether cellular aging could account for a similar level of TCR diversity. We define cellular aging as a declining cellular fitness due to reduced proliferation. We find that the gradual erosion of previous T-cell memories due to cellular aging allows for better establishment of novel memories and for a much higher level of TCR diversity compared to global competition. A small continual source (either from stem-cell-like memory T-cells or from naive T-cells due to repeated antigen exposure) improves the diversity of the memory T-cell pool, but remarkably, only in the cellular aging model. We further show that the presence of a source keeps the inflation of chronic memory responses in check by maintaining the immune memories to non-chronic antigens. We conclude that cellular aging along with a small source provides a novel and immunologically realistic mechanism to achieve and maintain the ‘gold-standard’ level of TCR diversity in the memory T-cell pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpit C. Swain
- Theoretical Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Arpit C. Swain,
| | - José A.M. Borghans
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rob J. de Boer
- Theoretical Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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6
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Sun Q, Wu J, Zhu G, Li T, Zhu X, Ni B, Xu B, Ma X, Li J. Lactate-related metabolic reprogramming and immune regulation in colorectal cancer. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1089918. [PMID: 36778600 PMCID: PMC9909490 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1089918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in cellular metabolism involving fuel sources are well-known mechanisms of cancer cell differentiation in the context of carcinogenesis. Metabolic reprogramming is regulated by oncogenic signaling and transcriptional networks and has been identified as an essential component of malignant transformation. Hypoxic and acidified tumor microenvironment contributes mainly to the production of glycolytic products known as lactate. Mounting evidence suggests that lactate in the tumor microenvironment of colorectal cancer(CRC) contributes to cancer therapeutic resistance and metastasis. The contents related to the regulatory effects of lactate on metabolism, immune response, and intercellular communication in the tumor microenvironment of CRC are also constantly updated. Here we summarize the latest studies about the pleiotropic effects of lactate in CRC and the clinical value of targeting lactate metabolism as treatment. Different effects of lactate on various immune cell types, microenvironment characteristics, and pathophysiological processes have also emerged. Potential specific therapeutic targeting of CRC lactate metabolism is also discussed. With increased knowledge, effective druggable targets might be identified, with the aim of improving treatment outcomes by reducing chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianhui Sun
- Oncology Department, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyuan Wu
- Oncology Department, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate College, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Guanghui Zhu
- Oncology Department, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate College, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Li
- Graduate College, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhu
- Oncology Department, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baoyi Ni
- Oncology Department, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bowen Xu
- Oncology Department, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate College, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyi Ma
- Oncology Department, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Li
- Oncology Department, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jie Li,
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