Investigating T Cell Immunity in Cancer: Achievements and Prospects

Cuproptosis-associated ncRNAs predict breast cancer subtypes

BACKGROUND

Cuproptosis is a novel copper-dependent mode of cell death that has recently been discovered. The relationship between Cuproptosis-related ncRNAs and breast cancer subtypes, however, remains to be studied.

METHODS

The aim of this study was to construct a breast cancer subtype prediction model associated with Cuproptosis. This model could be used to determine the subtype of breast cancer patients. To achieve this aim, 21 Cuproptosis-related genes were obtained from published articles and correlation analysis was performed with ncRNAs differentially expressed in breast cancer. Random forest algorithms were subsequently utilized to select important ncRNAs and build breast cancer subtype prediction models.

RESULTS

A total of 94 ncRNAs significantly associated with Cuproptosis were obtained and the top five essential features were chosen to build a predictive model. These five biomarkers were differentially expressed in the five breast cancer subtypes and were closely associated with immune infiltration, RNA modification, and angiogenesis.

CONCLUSION

The random forest model constructed based on Cuproptosis-related ncRNAs was able to accurately predict breast cancer subtypes, providing a new direction for the study of clinical therapeutic targets.

Nurses' roles in CAR-T therapy for B-cell malignancies and managing associated cytokine release syndrome

Introduction

In recent times, significant innovations have been made in cancer immunotherapy. These innovations have yielded positive outcomes, including a substantial improvement in the clinical outcomes of cancer patients, especially in the B-cell setting involving patients with B-cell malignancies.

Method

This paper explores oncology nurses' actual and expanded roles in utilizing chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy.

Result

CAR-T therapy is an exciting innovation in cancer treatment. However, this therapy is often associated with some mild to life-threatening side effects and toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Unfortunately, nurses lack adequate standardized guidelines for monitoring and managing patients with CRS. This paper explains oncology nurses' actual and expanded roles in utilizing CAR-T therapy in treating B-cell malignancies based on experience and published data.

Discussion

Nurses' responsibilities for patients experiencing CAR-T toxicities with a particular focus on CRS during treatment are discussed.

Correlation between preoperative peripheral blood NLR, PLR, LMR and prognosis of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Markers that can be used to evaluate the prognosis of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain undefined.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) in patients with HNSCC who underwent surgery-based treatment for the first time.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients HNSCC who underwent surgery-based treatment at our institution between January 2018 and December 2020. Specificity and sensitivity were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the critical value was determined. Patients were divided into low and high groups according to NLR, PLR, and LMR the critical value. Log-rank and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the associations between preoperative NLR, PLR, LMR, and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

A total of 304 patients with HNSCC were included, of whom 190 (62.5%) and 114 (37.5%), 203 (66.8%) and 101 (33.2%), 98 (32.2%), and 206 (67.8%) cases were classified as low NLR and high NLR groups, low PLR and high PLR groups, and low LMR and high LMR groups, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count (NEU), platelet count (PLT), NLR, pathologic N stage (pN stage), TNM stage and postoperative complications were significantly associated with OS (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that NEU, NLR, TNM stage and postoperative complications were independent negative prognostic factors for HNSCC (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative NLR is an independent negative prognostic factor for HNSCC. Patients with an increased NLR may have a poor OS.

The molecular mechanism of actions and clinical utilities of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in gastrointestinal cancers: a comprehensive review and future prospects toward personalized medicine

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain a significant global health burden, accounting for a substantial number of cases and deaths. Regrettably, the inadequacy of dependable biomarkers hinders the precise forecasting of patient prognosis and the selection of appropriate therapeutic sequencing for individuals with GI cancers, leading to suboptimal outcomes for numerous patients. The intricate interplay between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) has been shown to be a pivotal determinant of response to anti-cancer therapy and consequential clinical outcomes across a multitude of cancer types. Therefore, the assessment of TILs has garnered global interest as a promising prognostic biomarker in oncology, with the potential to improve clinical decision-making substantially. Moreover, recent discoveries in immunotherapy have progressively changed the landscape of cancer treatment and significantly prolonged the survival of patients with advanced cancers. Nonetheless, the response rate remains constrained within solid tumor sufferers, even when TIL landscapes appear comparable, which calls for the development of our understanding of cellular and molecular cross-talk between TIME and tumor. Hence, this comprehensive review encapsulates the extant literature elucidating the TILs' underlying molecular pathogenesis, prognostic significance, and their relevance in the realm of immunotherapy for patients afflicted by GI tract cancers. Within this review, we demonstrate that the type, density, and spatial distribution of distinct TIL subpopulations carries pivotal implications for the prediction of anti-cancer treatment responses and patient survival. Furthermore, this review underscores the indispensable role of TILs in modulating therapeutic responses within distinct molecular subtypes, such as those characterized by microsatellite stability or programmed cell death ligand-1 expression in GI tract cancers. The review concludes by outlining future directions in TIL-based personalized medicine, including integrating TIL-based approaches into existing treatment regimens and developing novel therapeutic strategies that exploit the unique properties of TILs and their potential as a promising avenue for personalized cancer treatment.

Disulfidptosis-associated lncRNAs predict breast cancer subtypes

Disulfidptosis is a newly discovered mode of cell death. However, its relationship with breast cancer subtypes remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to construct a disulfidptosis-associated breast cancer subtype prediction model. We obtained 19 disulfidptosis-related genes from published articles and performed correlation analysis with lncRNAs differentially expressed in breast cancer. We then used the random forest algorithm to select important lncRNAs and establish a breast cancer subtype prediction model. We identified 132 lncRNAs significantly associated with disulfidptosis (FDR < 0.01, |R|> 0.15) and selected the first four important lncRNAs to build a prediction model (training set AUC = 0.992). The model accurately predicted breast cancer subtypes (test set AUC = 0.842). Among the key lncRNAs, LINC02188 had the highest expression in the Basal subtype, while LINC01488 and GATA3-AS1 had the lowest expression in Basal. In the Her2 subtype, LINC00511 had the highest expression level compared to other key lncRNAs. GATA3-AS1 had the highest expression in LumA and LumB subtypes, while LINC00511 had the lowest expression in these subtypes. In the Normal subtype, GATA3-AS1 had the highest expression level compared to other key lncRNAs. Our study also found that key lncRNAs were closely related to RNA methylation modification and angiogenesis (FDR < 0.05, |R|> 0.1), as well as immune infiltrating cells (P.adj < 0.01, |R|> 0.1). Our random forest model based on disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs can accurately predict breast cancer subtypes and provide a new direction for research on clinical therapeutic targets for breast cancer.

Drug Repurposing to Circumvent Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Resistance in Cancer Immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have achieved unprecedented clinical success in cancer treatment. However, drug resistance to ICI therapy is a major hurdle that prevents cancer patients from responding to the treatment or having durable disease control. Drug repurposing refers to the application of clinically approved drugs, with characterized pharmacological properties and known adverse effect profiles, to new indications. It has also emerged as a promising strategy to overcome drug resistance. In this review, we summarized the latest research about drug repurposing to overcome ICI resistance. Repurposed drugs work by either exerting immunostimulatory activities or abolishing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Compared to the de novo drug design strategy, they provide novel and affordable treatment options to enhance cancer immunotherapy that can be readily evaluated in the clinic. Biomarkers are exploited to identify the right patient population to benefit from the repurposed drugs and drug combinations. Phenotypic screening of chemical libraries has been conducted to search for T-cell-modifying drugs. Genomics and integrated bioinformatics analysis, artificial intelligence, machine and deep learning approaches are employed to identify novel modulators of the immunosuppressive TME.

Immunotherapy Plus Radiotherapy for the Treatment of Sarcomas: Is There a Potential for Synergism?

Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a highly heterogeneous malignant tumor derived from mesenchymal tissue. Advanced STS has a poor response to the current anti-cancer therapeutic options, with a median overall survival of less than two years. Thus, new and more effective treatment methods for STS are needed. Increasing evidence has shown that immunotherapy and radiotherapy have synergistic therapeutic effects against malignant tumors. In addition, immunoradiotherapy has yielded positive results in clinical trials for various cancers. In this review, we discuss the synergistic mechanism of immunoradiotherapy in cancer treatment and the application of this combined regimen for the treatment of several cancers. In addition, we summarize the existing evidence on the use of immunoradiotherapy for the treatment of STS and the relevant clinical trials that are currently ongoing. Furthermore, we identify challenges in the use of immunoradiotherapy for the treatment of sarcomas and propose methods and precautions for overcoming these challenges. Lastly, we propose clinical research strategies and future research directions to help in the research and treatment of STS.

T cell effects and mechanisms in immunotherapy of head and neck tumors

Head and neck tumors (HNCs) are a common tumor in otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery, accounting for 5% of all malignant tumors in the body and are the sixth most common malignant tumor worldwide. In the body, immune cells can recognize, kill, and remove HNCs. T cell-mediated antitumor immune activity is the most important antitumor response in the body. T cells have different effects on tumor cells, among which cytotoxic T cells and helper T cells play a major killing and regulating role. T cells recognize tumor cells, activate themselves, differentiate into effector cells, and activate other mechanisms to induce antitumor effects. In this review, the immune effects and antitumor mechanisms mediated by T cells are systematically described from the perspective of immunology, and the application of new immunotherapy methods related to T cells are discussed, with the objective of providing a theoretical basis for exploring and forming new antitumor treatment strategies. Video Abstract.

A potential platform of combining sialic acid derivative-modified paclitaxel cationic liposomes with antibody-drug conjugates inspires robust tumor-specific immunological memory in solid tumors

The recent approvals for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in multiple malignancies in the past few years have fueled the ongoing development of this class of drug. However, the limitation of ADCs is selectivity toward cancer cells especially overexpressing the antigen of interest. To broaden the anti-cancer spectrum of ADCs, combinatorial strategies of ADCs with chemotherapy have become a central focus of the current preclinical and clinical research. Here, we used the microtubule stabilizer paclitaxel and enfortumab vedotin-ejfv (EV), an ADC carrying the microtubule inhibitor payload monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), for co-administration under the consideration of their mechanism of action associated with microtubules. We designed a sialic acid-cholesterol (SA-CH) conjugate-modified cationic liposome platform loaded with PTX (PTX-SAL) for efficiently targeting tumor-associated immune cells. Compared with monotherapy, PTX-SAL-mediated combination therapy with ADCs significantly inhibited S180 tumor growth in mice, with complete tumor regression occurring. The formation of a durable tumor-specific immunological memory response in mice that experienced complete tumor regression was assessed by secondary tumor cell rechallenge, and the production of memory T cells in the spleen was detected as related to the increased CD4⁺T memory cells and the enhanced serum IFN-γ. All our preliminary results throw light on the tremendous application potential for the application of this combination therapy regimen capable of mounting a durable immune response and stimulating a robust T cell-mediated tumor-specific immunological memory.

Quantitative high-throughput analysis of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer

In breast cancer (BC), the development of cancer immunotherapy including immune checkpoint inhibitors has progressed. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is one of the important factors for an immune response between tumor cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, and the presence of TILs has been identified as predictors of response to chemotherapy. However, because complex mechanisms underlies the crosstalk between immune cells and cancer cells, the relationship between immune profiles in the tumor microenvironment and the efficacy of the immune checkpoint blocked has been unclear. Moreover, in many cases of breast cancer, the quantitative analysis of TILs and immuno-modification markers in a single tissue section are not studied. Therefore, we quantified detailed subsets of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from BC tissues and compared among BC subtypes. The TILs of BC tissues from 86 patients were classified using multiplex immunohistochemistry and an artificial intelligence-based analysis system based on T-cell subset markers, immunomodification markers, and the localization of TILs. The levels of CD4/PD1 and CD8/PD1 double-positive stromal TILs were significantly lower in the HER2- BC subtype (p <0.01 and p <0.05, respectively). In triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), single marker-positive intratumoral TILs did not affect prognosis, however CD4/PDL1, CD8/PD1, and CD8/PDL1 double-positive TILs were significantly associated with TNBC recurrence (p<0.05, p<0.01, and p<0.001, respectively). TIL profiles differed among different BC subtypes, suggesting that the localization of TILs and their tumor-specific subsets influence the BC microenvironment.

Recent advances of engineered and artificial drug delivery system towards solid tumor based on immune cells

Precise drug delivery in cancer treatment is a long-standing concern of modern medicine. Compared with traditional molecular medicines and nano-medicines, emerging cell-based biomimetic delivery strategies display numerous merits, including successive biological functions, innate biocompatibility and superior security since they originate from living organisms, providing a very promising approach. Among them, immune cells receive increasing attention because of their inherent ability in tumor resistance, pathogen elimination, and other significant physiological functions. Herein, we investigated the recent advances on immune cell-based high efficient delivery and therapeutic strategies in solid tumor treatment, mainly focus on T cells, NK cells and macrophages, which have been used as drug cargos directly or provided membrane/exosomes as nanoscale drug delivery systems. We also discuss the further potential applications and perspective of this innovative strategy, as well as the predictable challenges in forward exploration in this emerging area.