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Wang G, Hiramoto K, Ma N, Ohnishi S, Morita A, Xu Y, Yoshikawa N, Chinzei Y, Murata M, Kawanishi S. Immunohistochemical analyses reveal FoxP3 expressions in spleen and colorectal cancer in mice treated with AOM/DSS, and their suppression by glycyrrhizin. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307038. [PMID: 39150932 PMCID: PMC11329161 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/18/2024] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that glycyrrhizin (GL) suppressed inflammation and carcinogenesis in an azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced murine model of colorectal cancer (CC). In this study, we found an accumulation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the spleen and suppression by GL in model mice. ICR mice were divided into four groups: Control, GL, CC, and GL-treated CC (CC+GL), and were sacrificed 20 weeks after AOM/DSS treatment. We measured spleen weight, areas of white and red pulp, and CD8+ T cells (cytotoxic T lymphocytes, CTL), and CD11c-positive cells (dendritic cells) in splenic tissues and forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3)-positive cells (Tregs) in colorectal and splenic tissues. In all cases, the CC group showed a significant increase compared with those in Control group, and GL administration significantly attenuated this increase. These results indicate that Tregs accumulated in the spleen may participate in inflammation-related carcinogenesis by suppressing CTL. We also suggest that GL which binds to high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), suppresses carcinogenesis with decreasing Tregs in the spleen. Furthermore, there was an expression of FoxP3 in cancer cells, indicating that it may be involved in the malignant transformation of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guifeng Wang
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medical Science, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
| | - Keiichi Hiramoto
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
| | - Ning Ma
- Graduate School of Health Science, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
| | - Shiho Ohnishi
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
| | - Akihiro Morita
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
| | - Yifei Xu
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan
| | | | - Yasuo Chinzei
- Graduate School of Health Science, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
| | - Mariko Murata
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan
| | - Shosuke Kawanishi
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
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2
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Meyiah A, Elkord E. What is the relevance of FoxP3 in the tumor microenvironment and cancer outcomes? Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2024; 20:803-809. [PMID: 38512803 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2024.2334258] [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: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) transcription factor plays critical roles in controlling immune responses and cancer progression in different cancers. FoxP3 expression within the tumor microenvironment (TME) may influence clinical outcomes negatively or positively, and it could play dual roles in cancer, either by promoting or inhibiting tumor development and progression. Some studies reported that high levels of FoxP3 could be associated with tumor progression and worse prognosis, while others reported contradictory results. AREAS COVERED In this special report, we present a brief account on the role and function of FoxP3 in the TME, and its contribution to the clinical outcomes of cancer patients. Importantly, we give insights on the potential factors that could contribute to different clinical outcomes in cancer patients. EXPERT OPINION Different studies showed that FoxP3 expression can be associated with bad prognoses in cancer patients. However, FoxP3 could have opposing roles by enhancing cancer progression or regression. Location and expression of FoxP3 in T cells or tumor cells can have different impacts on cancer prognoses. Different factors should be considered to establish FoxP3 as a more robust prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for enhancing anti-tumor immunity and improving clinical outcomes of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdo Meyiah
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Eyad Elkord
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Biomedical Research Center, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, UK
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3
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Zhao D, Li H, Mambetsariev I, Mirzapoiazova T, Chen C, Fricke J, Wheeler D, Arvanitis L, Pillai R, Afkhami M, Chen BT, Sattler M, Erhunmwunsee L, Massarelli E, Kulkarni P, Amini A, Armstrong B, Salgia R. Spatial iTME analysis of KRAS mutant NSCLC and immunotherapy outcome. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:135. [PMID: 38898200 PMCID: PMC11187132 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00626-6] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
We conducted spatial immune tumor microenvironment (iTME) profiling using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples of 25 KRAS-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including 12 responders and 13 non-responders. An eleven-marker panel (CD3, CD4, CD8, FOXP3, CD68, arginase-1, CD33, HLA-DR, pan-keratin (PanCK), PD-1, and PD-L1) was used to study the tumor and immune cell compositions. Spatial features at single cell level with cellular neighborhoods and fractal analysis were determined. Spatial features and different subgroups of CD68+ cells and FOXP3+ cells being associated with response or resistance to ICIs were also identified. In particular, CD68+ cells, CD33+ and FOXP3+ cells were found to be associated with resistance. Interestingly, there was also significant association between non-nuclear expression of FOXP3 being resistant to ICIs. We identified CD68dim cells in the lung cancer tissues being associated with improved responses, which should be insightful for future studies of tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Haiqing Li
- Integrative Genomic Core, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
- Department of Computational & Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Isa Mambetsariev
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Tamara Mirzapoiazova
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Applied AI & Data Science, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy Fricke
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Deric Wheeler
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Raju Pillai
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | | | - Bihong T Chen
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Martin Sattler
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Erminia Massarelli
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Arya Amini
- Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Brian Armstrong
- Light Microscopy/Digital Imaging Core, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.
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Zaakouk M, Longworth A, Hunter K, Jiman S, Kearns D, El-Deftar M, Shaaban AM. Detailed Profiling of the Tumor Microenvironment in Ethnic Breast Cancer, Using Tissue Microarrays and Multiplex Immunofluorescence. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6501. [PMID: 38928207 PMCID: PMC11203983 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126501] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer poses a global health challenge, yet the influence of ethnicity on the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains understudied. In this investigation, we examined immune cell infiltration in 230 breast cancer samples, emphasizing diverse ethnic populations. Leveraging tissue microarrays (TMAs) and core samples, we applied multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) to dissect immune cell subtypes across TME regions. Our analysis revealed distinct immune cell distribution patterns, particularly enriched in aggressive molecular subtypes triple-negative and HER2-positive tumors. We observed significant correlations between immune cell abundance and key clinicopathological parameters, including tumor size, lymph node involvement, and patient overall survival. Notably, immune cell location within different TME regions showed varying correlations with clinicopathologic parameters. Additionally, ethnicities exhibited diverse distributions of cells, with certain ethnicities showing higher abundance compared to others. In TMA samples, patients of Chinese and Caribbean origin displayed significantly lower numbers of B cells, TAMs, and FOXP3-positive cells. These findings highlight the intricate interplay between immune cells and breast cancer progression, with implications for personalized treatment strategies. Moving forward, integrating advanced imaging techniques, and exploring immune cell heterogeneity in diverse ethnic cohorts can uncover novel immune signatures and guide tailored immunotherapeutic interventions, ultimately improving breast cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Zaakouk
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (M.Z.); (K.H.)
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK; (A.L.); (S.J.); (D.K.)
- Cancer Pathology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo 11796, Egypt;
| | - Aisling Longworth
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK; (A.L.); (S.J.); (D.K.)
| | - Kelly Hunter
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (M.Z.); (K.H.)
| | - Suhaib Jiman
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK; (A.L.); (S.J.); (D.K.)
| | - Daniel Kearns
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK; (A.L.); (S.J.); (D.K.)
| | - Mervat El-Deftar
- Cancer Pathology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo 11796, Egypt;
| | - Abeer M Shaaban
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (M.Z.); (K.H.)
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK; (A.L.); (S.J.); (D.K.)
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5
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Gong R, Wang J, Xing Y, Wang J, Chen X, Lei K, Yu Q, Zhao C, Li S, Zhang Y, Wang H, Ren H. Expression landscape of cancer-FOXP3 and its prognostic value in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 590:216838. [PMID: 38561039 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
FOXP3, a key identifier of Treg, has also been identified in tumor cells, which is referred to as cancer-FOXP3 (c-FOXP3). Human c-FOXP3 undergoes multiple alternative splicing events, generating several isoforms, like c-FOXP3FL and c-FOXP3Δ3. Previous research on c-FOXP3 often ignore its cellular source (immune or tumor cells) and isoform expression patterns, which may obscure our understanding of its clinical significance. Our immunohistochemistry investigations which conducted across 18 tumors using validated c-FOXP3 antibodies revealed distinct expression landscapes for c-FOXP3 and its variants, with the majority of tumors exhibited a predominantly expression of c-FOXP3Δ3. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), we further discovered a potential link between nuclear c-FOXP3Δ3 in tumor cells and poor prognosis. Overexpression of c-FOXP3Δ3 in tumor cells was associated with metastasis. This work elucidates the expression pattern of c-FOXP3 in pan-cancer and indicates its potential as a prognostic biomarker in clinical settings, offering new perspectives for its clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruining Gong
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, Center for GI Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China; Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Jia Wang
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Yihai Xing
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, Center for GI Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China; Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Jigang Wang
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266555, China
| | - Xianghan Chen
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, Center for GI Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China; State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Pathology, Xijing Hospital and School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Ke Lei
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, Center for GI Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Qian Yu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, Center for GI Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Chenyang Zhao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, Center for GI Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Sainan Li
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Yuxing Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, Center for GI Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Hongxia Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - He Ren
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, Center for GI Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China.
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6
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Fiorin A, López Pablo C, Lejeune M, Hamza Siraj A, Della Mea V. Enhancing AI Research for Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Review of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Datasets. JOURNAL OF IMAGING INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE 2024:10.1007/s10278-024-01043-8. [PMID: 38806950 DOI: 10.1007/s10278-024-01043-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
The field of immunology is fundamental to our understanding of the intricate dynamics of the tumor microenvironment. In particular, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) assessment emerges as essential aspect in breast cancer cases. To gain comprehensive insights, the quantification of TILs through computer-assisted pathology (CAP) tools has become a prominent approach, employing advanced artificial intelligence models based on deep learning techniques. The successful recognition of TILs requires the models to be trained, a process that demands access to annotated datasets. Unfortunately, this task is hampered not only by the scarcity of such datasets, but also by the time-consuming nature of the annotation phase required to create them. Our review endeavors to examine publicly accessible datasets pertaining to the TIL domain and thereby become a valuable resource for the TIL community. The overall aim of the present review is thus to make it easier to train and validate current and upcoming CAP tools for TIL assessment by inspecting and evaluating existing publicly available online datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Fiorin
- Oncological Pathology and Bioinformatics Research Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain.
- Department of Pathology, Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta (HTVC), Institut Català de la Salut (ICS), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain.
- Department of Computer Engineering and Mathematics, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Carlos López Pablo
- Oncological Pathology and Bioinformatics Research Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain.
- Department of Pathology, Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta (HTVC), Institut Català de la Salut (ICS), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain.
- Department of Computer Engineering and Mathematics, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Marylène Lejeune
- Oncological Pathology and Bioinformatics Research Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain
- Department of Pathology, Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta (HTVC), Institut Català de la Salut (ICS), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain
- Department of Computer Engineering and Mathematics, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Ameer Hamza Siraj
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Della Mea
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
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7
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Otterlei Fjørtoft M, Huse K, Rye IH. The Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Breast Cancer Progression. Acta Oncol 2024; 63:359-367. [PMID: 38779867 PMCID: PMC11332517 DOI: 10.2340/1651-226x.2024.33008] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tumor microenvironment significantly influences breast cancer development, progression, and metastasis. Various immune cell populations, including T cells, B cells, NK cells, and myeloid cells exhibit diverse functions in different breast cancer subtypes, contributing to both anti-tumor and pro-tumor activities. PURPOSE This review provides an overview of the predominant immune cell populations in breast cancer subtypes, elucidating their suppressive and prognostic effects. We aim to outline the role of the immune microenvironment from normal breast tissue to invasive cancer and distant metastasis. METHODS A comprehensive literature review was conducted to analyze the involvement of immune cells throughout breast cancer progression. RESULTS In breast cancer, tumors exhibit increased immune cell infiltration compared to normal tissue. Variations exist across subtypes, with higher levels observed in triple-negative and HER2+ tumors are linked to better survival. In contrast, ER+ tumors display lower immune infiltration, associated with poorer outcomes. Furthermore, metastatic sites commonly exhibit a more immunosuppressive microenvironment. CONCLUSION Understanding the complex interaction between tumor and immune cells during breast cancer progression is essential for future research and the development of immune-based strategies. This comprehensive understanding may pave the way for more effective treatment approaches and improved patients outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marit Otterlei Fjørtoft
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kanutte Huse
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Inga Hansine Rye
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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8
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Liefaard MC, van der Voort A, van Seijen M, Thijssen B, Sanders J, Vonk S, Mittempergher L, Bhaskaran R, de Munck L, van Leeuwen-Stok AE, Salgado R, Horlings HM, Lips EH, Sonke GS. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in HER2-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and dual HER2-blockade. NPJ Breast Cancer 2024; 10:29. [PMID: 38637568 PMCID: PMC11026378 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-024-00636-4] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been associated with outcomes in HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab. However, it remains unclear if TILs could be a prognostic and/or predictive biomarker in the context of dual HER2-targeting treatment. In this study, we evaluated the association between TILs and pathological response (pCR) and invasive-disease free survival (IDFS) in 389 patients with stage II-III HER2 positive breast cancer who received neoadjuvant anthracycline-containing or anthracycline-free chemotherapy combined with trastuzumab and pertuzumab in the TRAIN-2 trial. Although no significant association was seen between TILs and pCR, patients with TIL scores ≥60% demonstrated an excellent 3-year IDFS of 100% (95% CI 100-100), regardless of hormone receptor status, nodal stage and attainment of pCR. Additionally, in patients with hormone receptor positive disease, TILs as a continuous variable showed a trend to a positive association with pCR (adjusted Odds Ratio per 10% increase in TILs 1.15, 95% CI 0.99-1.34, p = 0.070) and IDFS (adjusted Hazard Ratio per 10% increase in TILs 0.71, 95% CI 0.50-1.01, p = 0.058). We found no interactions between TILs and anthracycline treatment. Our results suggest that high TIL scores might be able to identify stage II-III HER2-positive breast cancer patients with a favorable prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Liefaard
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A van der Voort
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M van Seijen
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - B Thijssen
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - J Sanders
- Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S Vonk
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Core Facility Molecular Pathology & Biobanking, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L Mittempergher
- Department of Research and Development, Agendia NV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R Bhaskaran
- Department of Research and Development, Agendia NV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L de Munck
- Department of Research and Development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - A E van Leeuwen-Stok
- Dutch Breast Cancer Research Group, BOOG Study Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R Salgado
- Department of Pathology, GZA-ZNA Hospitals, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - H M Horlings
- Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - E H Lips
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - G S Sonke
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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9
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Ram S, Mojtahedzadeh S, Aguilar JK, Coskran T, Powell EL, O'Neil SP. Quantitative performance assessment of Ultivue multiplex panels in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human and murine tumor specimens. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8496. [PMID: 38605049 PMCID: PMC11009312 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58372-5] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
We present a rigorous validation strategy to evaluate the performance of Ultivue multiplex immunofluorescence panels. We have quantified the accuracy and precision of four different multiplex panels (three human and one mouse) in tumor specimens with varying levels of T cell density. Our results show that Ultivue panels are typically accurate wherein the relative difference in cell proportion between a multiplex image and a 1-plex image is less than 20% for a given biomarker. Ultivue panels exhibited relatively high intra-run precision (CV ≤ 25%) and relatively low inter-run precision (CV >> 25%) which can be remedied by using local intensity thresholding to gate biomarker positivity. We also evaluated the reproducibility of cell-cell distance estimates measured from multiplex images which show high intra- and inter-run precision. We introduce a new metric, multiplex labeling efficiency, which can be used to benchmark the overall fidelity of the multiplex data across multiple batch runs. Taken together our results provide a comprehensive characterization of Ultivue panels and offer practical guidelines for analyzing multiplex images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sripad Ram
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT, USA.
| | | | | | - Timothy Coskran
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT, USA
| | - Eric L Powell
- Oncology Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Shawn P O'Neil
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT, USA
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10
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Sun XY, Wang CQ, Mao Y, Zhang ZQ, Cui J, Dong XN, Wang HB. Prognostic value and distribution pattern of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and their subsets in distant metastases of advanced breast cancer. Clin Breast Cancer 2024; 24:e167-e176. [PMID: 38212189 DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2023.12.011] [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: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are significant correlations between the levels of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the prognosis of primary breast cancer. While little is known about immunological mechanisms in the distant metastasis of advanced breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 106 patients with advanced metastatic breast cancer were enrolled in this study between 2016 and 2022. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the densities of stromal TILs (sTILs), intratumoral TILs (iTILs) and invasive marginal TILs (imTILs) and CD4+, CD8+, CD20+, FOXP3+ TILs in the primary tumor and metastasis (bone, lung, liver, and distant lymph node) of advanced breast cancer. RESULTS Higher levels of sTILs at metastatic sites were associated with better progression-free survival (PFS), postmetastasis survival (PMS) and overall survival (OS) (p = .026, .001 and .005, respectively). The levels of iTILs were significantly lower than those of sTILs and imTILs in both primary tumor (p< .001, both) and metastasis (p< .001, both). The level of CD4+ T cells was higher than those of CD8+ T cells and CD20+ B cells in both primary tumor (p < .001) and metastasis (p < .001). The levels of sTILs (p=0. 001) and imTILs (p< .001) in the primary tumor were generally higher than those in the metastasis. CONCLUSION The levels of TILs and their subsets can predict the survival and prognosis of patients with advanced breast cancer. The distributions of TILs and their subsets are similar between the primary tumor and metastasis. The metastases have a lower degree of lymphocytes infiltration than its corresponding primary tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yi Sun
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, PR China
| | - Cheng-Qin Wang
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, PR China
| | - Yan Mao
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, PR China
| | - Zhen-Qi Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, PR China
| | - Jian Cui
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xian-Ning Dong
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, PR China
| | - Hai-Bo Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, PR China.
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11
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Rusakiewicz S, Tyekucheva S, Tissot-Renaud S, Chaba K, Imbimbo M, Benedetti F, Kammler R, Hornfeld J, Munzone E, Gianni L, Thurlimann B, Láng I, Pruneri G, Gray KP, Regan MR, Loi S, Colleoni M, Viale G, Kandalaft L, Coukos G, Curigliano G. Multiplexed high-throughput immune cell imaging in patients with high-risk triple negative early breast cancer: Analysis from the International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) Trial 22-00. Eur J Cancer 2024; 200:113535. [PMID: 38309015 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2024.113535] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer (BC) subtype, with dismal prognosis and limited option in advanced settings, yet stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) in this subtype has a predictive role. PATIENTS AND METHODS The International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) Trial 22-00 is a randomized phase III clinical trial testing the efficacy of low-dose metronomic oral Cyclophosphamide-Methotrexate (CM) maintenance following standard adjuvant chemotherapy treatment for early-stage hormone receptor-negative breast cancer patients. A case-cohort sampling was used. We characterized immune cells infiltrates in patients with TNBC by 6 plex immunofluorescence (IF) staining for CD4, FOXP3, CD3, cytokeratine and CD8 RESULTS: We confirmed that high immune CD3+ T cells as well as stromal and intra-epithelial Tregs (CD4+Foxp3+ T cells) infiltrates were associated with a better Distant Recurrence-Free Interval (DRFI), especially in LN+ patient, regardless of the treatment. More importantly, we showed that the spatial distribution of immune cells at baseline is crucial, as CM maintenance was detrimental for T cells excluded LN+ TNBC patients. CONCLUSIONS immune spatial classification on immune cells infiltrates seems crucial and could help patients' selection in clinical trial and greatly improve responses to specific therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Rusakiewicz
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - S Tyekucheva
- International Breast Cancer Study Group Statistical Center, Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Tissot-Renaud
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - K Chaba
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - M Imbimbo
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - F Benedetti
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - R Kammler
- Translational Research Coordination, International Breast Cancer Study Group, a division of ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation, Bern, Switzerland
| | - J Hornfeld
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - E Munzone
- Division of Medical Senology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - L Gianni
- Department of Medical Oncology, Ospedale Infermi, AUSL Della Romagna, Rimini, Italy
| | - B Thurlimann
- Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland; Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK), Bern, Switzerland
| | - I Láng
- Clinexpert-research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - G Pruneri
- Department of Advanced Diagnostics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy; University of Milan, School of Medicine, Milan, Italy
| | - K P Gray
- Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Biostatistics and Research Design Core, Institutional Centers of Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M R Regan
- International Breast Cancer Study Group Statistical Center, Division of Biostatistics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Loi
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Cancer Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; International Breast Cancer Study Group, a division of ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation, Bern, Switzerland
| | - M Colleoni
- Division of Medical Senology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - G Viale
- Division of Medical Senology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - L Kandalaft
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - G Coukos
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milano, Milan, Italy.
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12
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Aldrees R, Siegal GP, Wei S. The Peritumoral CD8 + /FOXP3 + Cell Ratio Has Prognostic Value in Triple-negative Breast Cancer. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2023; 31:621-628. [PMID: 37615661 DOI: 10.1097/pai.0000000000001147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Compelling data has demonstrated the prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subtype generally associated with a poor clinical outcome but highly heterogeneous in nature. There have been limited studies investigating the importance of subsets of T cells in TILs. Further, the significance of intratumoral versus peritumoral TILs remains controversial. We examined the prognostic value of tumor-associated CD8 + cytotoxic T cells and FOXP3 + regulatory T cells in 35 chemotherapy-naive TNBC cases with a tumor-host interface in the tissue sections. The CD8 + and FOXP3 + cell count was expressed by immunoreactive cells per high-power field in an average of 10 high-power fields. There was a wide range of CD8 + and FOXP3 + T cells within the peritumoral and intratumoral stroma. Both CD8 + and FOXP3 + TILs were significantly higher at the former location as compared with the latter ( P <0.0001 and 0.003, respectively). The numbers of CD8 + and FOXP3 + T cells, either within peritumoral or intratumoral stroma, were not significantly associated with distant relapse-free or disease-specific survival. However, the peritumoral CD8 + /FOXP3 + ratio of TILs was significantly associated with prolonged relapse-free survival ( P =0.04) and disease-specific survival ( P =0.02). This association was not observed with the CD8 + /FOXP3 + ratio of intratumoral TILs. These observations suggest that the immunologic balance in the tumor microenvironment might determine antitumor immunity. Further, the peritumoral TILs appear to play a more important role in the progression of TNBC when compared with the intratumoral TILs, thus reaffirming the necessity of revisiting the method for the assessment of TILs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Aldrees
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Gene P Siegal
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Shi Wei
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
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13
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Geršak K, Geršak BM, Gazić B, Klevišar Ivančič A, Drev P, Ružić Gorenjec N, Grašič Kuhar C. The Possible Role of Anti- and Protumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Pathologic Complete Response in Early Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4794. [PMID: 37835488 PMCID: PMC10571934 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194794] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment, composed of pro- and antitumor immune cells, affects cancer cell behavior. We aimed to evaluate whether tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density and TIL subtypes in core biopsies at the diagnosis of breast cancer patients could predict a pathologic complete response (pCR; ypT0/is ypN0) from neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). The TIL subtypes were determined based on the proportions of presumably antitumor (CD8+, CXCL13+) and protumor (PD-1+, FOXP3+) immune cells. A prospective, noninterventional study, including 171 participants undergoing NST, was performed. The median TIL density for the entire cohort was 10% (IQR: 3.5-23.8), and 59 (35%) patients achieved pCR. TIL density was positively associated with pCR (univariately and multivariably). In the multivariable logistic regression model, TIL density was an independent predictor of pCR (p = 0.012, OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.05-1.54) when controlled for age (p = 0.232), Ki-67 (p = 0.001), node-negative status (p = 0.024), and HER2+/triple negative vs. luminal B-like subtype (p < 0.001). In our sample, higher proportions of PD-1+ TILs and FOXP3+ TILs were associated with a higher probability of pCR but the association was not statistically significant and we could not make any conclusions on the direction of associations in the model with all four biomarkers. In the exploratory multivariable analysis, we showed that only higher CD8+ TILs were associated with pCR. In conclusion, TIL density and its subtypes are associated with pCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Geršak
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (B.G.); (A.K.I.); (C.G.K.)
- Division of Medical Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Blaž Matija Geršak
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (B.G.); (A.K.I.); (C.G.K.)
| | - Barbara Gazić
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (B.G.); (A.K.I.); (C.G.K.)
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Andreja Klevišar Ivančič
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (B.G.); (A.K.I.); (C.G.K.)
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Primož Drev
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Nina Ružić Gorenjec
- Institute for Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Cvetka Grašič Kuhar
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (B.G.); (A.K.I.); (C.G.K.)
- Division of Medical Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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14
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Nicola Candia AJ, Garcia Fallit M, Peña Agudelo JA, Pérez Küper M, Gonzalez N, Moreno Ayala MA, De Simone E, Giampaoli C, Casares N, Seilicovich A, Lasarte JJ, Zanetti FA, Candolfi M. Targeting FOXP3 Tumor-Intrinsic Effects Using Adenoviral Vectors in Experimental Breast Cancer. Viruses 2023; 15:1813. [PMID: 37766222 PMCID: PMC10537292 DOI: 10.3390/v15091813] [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: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulatory T cell master transcription factor, Forkhead box P3 (Foxp3), has been detected in cancer cells; however, its role in breast tumor pathogenesis remains controversial. Here we assessed Foxp3 tumor intrinsic effects in experimental breast cancer using a Foxp3 binder peptide (P60) that impairs Foxp3 nuclear translocation. Cisplatin upregulated Foxp3 expression in HER2+ and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Foxp3 inhibition with P60 enhanced chemosensitivity and reduced cell survival and migration in human and murine breast tumor cells. We also developed an adenoviral vector encoding P60 (Ad.P60) that efficiently transduced breast tumor cells, reduced cell viability and migration, and improved the cytotoxic response to cisplatin. Conditioned medium from transduced breast tumor cells contained lower levels of IL-10 and improved the activation of splenic lymphocytes. Intratumoral administration of Ad.P60 in breast-tumor-bearing mice significantly reduced tumor infiltration of Tregs, delayed tumor growth, and inhibited the development of spontaneous lung metastases. Our results suggest that Foxp3 exerts protumoral intrinsic effects in breast cancer cells and that gene-therapy-mediated blockade of Foxp3 could constitute a therapeutic strategy to improve the response of these tumors to standard treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro J. Nicola Candia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina; (A.J.N.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Matías Garcia Fallit
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina; (A.J.N.C.); (A.S.)
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Jorge A. Peña Agudelo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina; (A.J.N.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Melanie Pérez Küper
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina; (A.J.N.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Nazareno Gonzalez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina; (A.J.N.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Mariela A. Moreno Ayala
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina; (A.J.N.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Emilio De Simone
- Cátedra de Fisiología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428BFA, Argentina
| | - Carla Giampaoli
- Cátedra de Fisiología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428BFA, Argentina
| | - Noelia Casares
- Program Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA, CUN), 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (N.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Adriana Seilicovich
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina; (A.J.N.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Juan José Lasarte
- Program Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA, CUN), 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (N.C.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Flavia A. Zanetti
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología “Dr. Cesar Milstein”, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Saladillo C1440FFX, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
| | - Marianela Candolfi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina; (A.J.N.C.); (A.S.)
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15
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Gadwa J, Amann M, Bickett TE, Knitz MW, Darragh LB, Piper M, Van Court B, Bukkapatnam S, Pham TT, Wang XJ, Saviola AJ, Deak LC, Umaña P, Klein C, D'Alessandro A, Karam SD. Selective targeting of IL2Rβγ combined with radiotherapy triggers CD8- and NK-mediated immunity, abrogating metastasis in HNSCC. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101150. [PMID: 37586327 PMCID: PMC10439274 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101150] [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: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
The implementation of cancer immunotherapies has seen limited clinical success in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Interleukin-2 (IL-2), which modulates the survival and functionality of lymphocytes, is an attractive target for new immunotherapies but one that is limited by presence of regulatory T cells (Tregs) expressing the high-affinity IL-2Rα. The bispecific immunocytokine PD1-IL2v preferentially delivers IL-2 signaling through IL-2Rβγ on PD-1-expressing cells. Selectively targeting the intermediate-affinity IL-2Rβγ can be leveraged to induce anti-tumor immune responses in effector T cells and natural killer (NK) cells while limiting the negative regulation of IL-2Rα activation on Tregs. Using radiation therapy (RT) in combination with PD1-IL2v improves local tumor control and survival, and controls metastatic spread in orthotopic HNSCC tumor models. PD1-IL2v drives systemic activation and expansion of circulating and tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic T cells and NK cells while limiting Treg-mediated immunosuppression. These data show that PD1-L2v induces durable systemic tumor control in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Gadwa
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Maria Amann
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development (pRED), 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Thomas E Bickett
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michael W Knitz
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Laurel B Darragh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Miles Piper
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Benjamin Van Court
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Sanjana Bukkapatnam
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Tiffany T Pham
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Anthony J Saviola
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Laura Codarri Deak
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development (pRED), 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Pablo Umaña
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development (pRED), 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Christian Klein
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development (pRED), 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Angelo D'Alessandro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Sana D Karam
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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16
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Chow JCH, Cheuk W, Cho WCS, Wong CF, Au DWY, Tam AHP, Wong RCW, Chan JCH, Law SCC, Ngan RKC, Wong KH, Cheung KM. Comparison of Clinical Outcomes, Pathologic Characteristics, and Immune-Related Features of Postradiation vs Sporadic Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2323890. [PMID: 37459093 PMCID: PMC10352864 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.23890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Postradiation oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) is a common secondary malignant neoplasm affecting survivors of head and neck cancer who underwent radiotherapy. The clinical, pathologic, and immune-related features of postradiation OCSCC are poorly characterized, and treatment options are limited because of surgical difficulty and high morbidity associated with reirradiation. Objective To determine whether postradiation OCSCC has distinctive clinical, pathologic, and immune-related features compared with demographic-matched sporadic OCSCC. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective matched cohort study was conducted at a single tertiary oncology center in Hong Kong. Participants included consecutive patients with OCSCC diagnosed between 2000 and 2020. Patients with postradiation OCSCC were matched with patients with sporadic OCSCC using age, year of diagnosis, sex, and anatomic subsites. Data analysis was performed from July to December 2022. Exposure Head and neck irradiation involving the oral cavity before the diagnosis of OCSCC. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes were relapse pattern, survival, and causes of death. Pathologic features; immunohistochemical staining for programmed death-ligand 1, PD-1, MSH6, PMS2, FOXP3, and Ki67; and mRNA expression of 31 immune-related genes were also analyzed. Results A total of 173 patients, 60 with postradiation OCSCC (median [IQR] age, 63.8 [53.0-71.7] years; 43 men [71.7%]) and 113 with sporadic OCSCC (median [IQR] age, 64.4 [52.8-70.6] years; 83 men [73.5%]), were included. Patients with postradiation OCSCC had a higher proportion of N0 disease than those with sporadic OCSCC (50 patients [83.3%] vs 56 patients [49.6%]). With a median (IQR) follow-up of 10.2 (1.2-20.5) years, the 10-year relapse-free survival rates were lower in patients with postradiation OCSCC than sporadic OCSCC (29.6% [95% CI, 17.1%-43.2%] vs 52.4% [95% CI, 41.8%-62.0%]; P = .04), and the same was true for overall survival (30.5% [95% CI, 17.6%-44.4%] vs 52.3% [95% CI, 41.4%-62.1%]; P = .03). All relapses in patients with postradiation OCSCC were locoregional, whereas 35.2% of relapses (12 of 34 patients) in patients with sporadic OCSCC were distant. Despite similar 10-year disease-specific survival rates between the 2 groups (68.8% [95% CI, 55.8%-81.0%] vs 67.1% [95% CI, 57.5%-76.5%]; P = .91), patients with postradiation OCSCC had excess mortality due to pneumonia and cerebrovascular events. Postradiation OCSCC exhibited more adverse pathologic features (perineural invasion, worse pattern of invasion, and tumor budding), higher PD-1 expression, and higher gene expression of CD4 and TGF-β compared with sporadic OCSCC. Conclusions and Relevance This retrospective matched cohort study found distinctive pathologic characteristics and relapse patterns of postradiation OCSCC compared with sporadic OCSCC, which may be attributable to the lack of adjuvant radiotherapy, aggressive biologic phenotype, and different host immune response. Further exploration of the role of immune checkpoint therapy may be justified.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C. H. Chow
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wah Cheuk
- Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - William C. S. Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chi-Fai Wong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Dennis W. Y. Au
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Anthony H. P. Tam
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Rachel C. W. Wong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jeffrey C. H. Chan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Simon C. C. Law
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Roger K. C. Ngan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kam-Hung Wong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ka-Man Cheung
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
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17
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Miwa T, Takemiya Y, Amesara K, Kawai H, Teranishi Y. Arginine-Rich Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Mediated Transduction of Mouse Nasal Cells with FOXP3 Protein Alleviates Allergic Rhinitis. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1770. [PMID: 37376217 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15061770] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Intranasal corticosteroids are effective medications against allergic rhinitis (AR). However, mucociliary clearance promptly eliminates these drugs from the nasal cavity and delays their onset of action. Therefore, a faster, longer-lasting therapeutic effect on the nasal mucosa is required to enhance the efficacy of AR management. Our previous study showed that polyarginine, a cell-penetrating peptide, can deliver cargo to nasal cells; moreover, polyarginine-mediated cell-nonspecific protein transduction into the nasal epithelium exhibited high transfection efficiency with minimal cytotoxicity. In this study, poly-arginine-fused forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) protein, the "master transcriptional regulator" of regulatory T cells (Tregs), was administered into the bilateral nasal cavities of the ovalbumin (OVA)-immunoglobulin E mouse model of AR. The effects of these proteins on AR following OVA administration were investigated using histopathological, nasal symptom, flow cytometry, and cytokine dot blot analyses. Polyarginine-mediated FOXP3 protein transduction induced Treg-like cell generation in the nasal epithelium and allergen tolerance. Overall, this study proposes FOXP3 activation-mediated Treg induction as a novel and potential therapeutic strategy for AR, providing a potential alternative to conventional intranasal drug application for nasal drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Miwa
- Department of Otolaryngology, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 5458585, Japan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6577575, Japan
| | - Yumi Takemiya
- Department of Otolaryngology, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 5458585, Japan
| | - Kazuki Amesara
- Department of Otolaryngology, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 5458585, Japan
| | - Hiroko Kawai
- Department of Otolaryngology, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 5458585, Japan
| | - Yuichi Teranishi
- Department of Otolaryngology, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 5458585, Japan
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18
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Hinshaw DC, Benavides GA, Metge BJ, Swain CA, Kammerud SC, Alsheikh HA, Elhamamsy A, Chen D, Darley-Usmar V, Rathmell JC, Welner RS, Samant RS, Shevde LA. Hedgehog Signaling Regulates Treg to Th17 Conversion Through Metabolic Rewiring in Breast Cancer. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:687-702. [PMID: 37058110 PMCID: PMC10159910 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
The tumor immune microenvironment dynamically evolves to support tumor growth and progression. Immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Treg) promote tumor growth and metastatic seeding in patients with breast cancer. Deregulation of plasticity between Treg and Th17 cells creates an immune regulatory framework that enables tumor progression. Here, we discovered a functional role for Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in promoting Treg differentiation and immunosuppressive activity, and when Hh activity was inhibited, Tregs adopted a Th17-like phenotype complemented by an enhanced inflammatory profile. Mechanistically, Hh signaling promoted O-GlcNAc modifications of critical Treg and Th17 transcription factors, Foxp3 and STAT3, respectively, that orchestrated this transition. Blocking Hh reprogramed Tregs metabolically, dampened their immunosuppressive activity, and supported their transdifferentiation into inflammatory Th17 cells that enhanced the recruitment of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells into tumors. Our results demonstrate a previously unknown role for Hh signaling in the regulation of Treg differentiation and activity and the switch between Tregs and Th17 cells in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique C. Hinshaw
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Gloria A. Benavides
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Brandon J. Metge
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Courtney A. Swain
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Sarah C. Kammerud
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Heba A. Alsheikh
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Amr Elhamamsy
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Dongquan Chen
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Victor Darley-Usmar
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jeffrey C. Rathmell
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, VUMC, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Robert S. Welner
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Rajeev S. Samant
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Lalita A. Shevde
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Senior author
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19
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Malla R, Adem M, Chakraborty A. Complexity and diversity of FOXP3 isoforms: Novel insights into the regulation of the immune response in metastatic breast cancer. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 118:110015. [PMID: 36931171 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110015] [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: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
FOXP3 is a key transcription factor in the regulation of immune responses, and recent studies have uncovered the complexity and diversity of FOXP3 isoforms in various cancers, including metastatic breast cancers (mBCs). It has dual role in the tumor microenvironment of mBCs. This review aims to provide novel insights into the complexity and diversity of FOXP3 isoforms in the regulation of the immune response in breast cancer. We discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying the function of FOXP3 isoforms, including their interaction with other proteins, regulation of gene expression, and impact on the immune system. We also highlight the importance of understanding the role of FOXP3 isoforms in breast cancer and the potential for using them as therapeutic targets. This review highlights the crucial role of FOXP3 isoforms in the regulation of the immune response in breast cancer and underscores the need for further research to fully comprehend their complex and diverse functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- RamaRao Malla
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Bioinformatics, GITAM School of Science, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam 530045, Andhra Pradesh, India.
| | - Meghapriya Adem
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visvavidhyalayam, Tirupati 517502, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Anindita Chakraborty
- Radiation Biology Laboratory, UGC-DAE-CSR, Kolkata Centere, Kolkata 700098, West Bengal, India
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20
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Wang J, Gong R, Zhao C, Lei K, Sun X, Ren H. Human FOXP3 and tumour microenvironment. Immunology 2023; 168:248-255. [PMID: 35689826 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumour microenvironment (TME) is a complex system composed of cancer cells, stromal cells and immune cells. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the TME impede immune surveillance of tumours and suppress antitumor immune responses. Transcription factor forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) is the main marker of Tregs, which dominates the function of Tregs. FOXP3 was originally thought to be a Tregs-specific expression molecule, and recent studies have found that FOXP3 is expressed in a variety of tumours with inconsistent functional roles. This review summarizes the recent progress of infiltrating Treg-FOXP3 and tumour-FOXP3 in TME, discusses the communication mechanism between FOXP3+ cells and effector T cells in TME, the relationship between FOXP3 and clinical prognosis, and the potential of FOXP3-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- Center of Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.,Qingdao Medical School, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Ruining Gong
- Center of Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Chenyang Zhao
- Center of Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Ke Lei
- Center of Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Sun
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - He Ren
- Center of Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.,Department of Pancreatic Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, Tianjin, China
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21
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Sun Y, Wang Y, Lu F, Zhao X, Nie Z, He B. The prognostic values of FOXP3 + tumor-infiltrating T cells in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPANISH ONCOLOGY SOCIETIES AND OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE OF MEXICO 2023; 25:1830-1843. [PMID: 36692642 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-023-03080-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor microenvironment is infiltrated by many immune cells, of which Regulatory T (Treg) cells are usually considered as negative regulators of the immune responses. However, the effect of FOXP3+ (forkhead box transcription factor 3) Treg cells infiltrated into the tumor areas on the prognosis of breast cancer is controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to dissect the potential values of FOXP3+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as a prognosis predictor of breast cancer. METHODS After systematic retrieval of all relevant studies, 28 eligible articles were identified for meta-analysis. Odd ratio (OR), hazard ratio (HR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were obtained for pooled analyses of pathological complete response (pCR), overall survival (OS), and corresponding forest plots and funnel plots were plotted, respectively. RESULTS Pooled results revealed that patients with higher levels of FOXP3+ TILs experienced better pCR (OR: 1.24, 95% CI 1.09-1.41) and OS (HR: 0.79, 95% CI 0.64-0.97). Subgroup analysis revealed that elevated FOXP3+ TILs were significantly associated with improved pCR (OR: 1.20, 95% CI 1.02-1.40) and OS (HR: 0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.88) in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer patients. Furthermore, FOXP3+ TILs in the stromal area were statistically correlated with the favorable pCR (OR: 1.22, 95% CI 1.08-1.38) and OS (HR: 0.68, 95% CI 0.49-0.96). CONCLUSIONS The predictive role of FOXP3+ TILs in the prognosis of breast cancer is influenced by various factors such as molecular subtype of breast cancer and the location of Treg. In HER2+ breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer, FOXP3+ TILs are associated with better pCR and OS. Additionally, FOXP3+ TILs in stromal represent a favourable prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalan Sun
- School of Basic-Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Wang
- School of Basic-Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fang Lu
- School of Basic-Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xianghong Zhao
- School of Basic-Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhenlin Nie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Bangshun He
- School of Basic-Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China. .,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China.
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22
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Presence of regulatory T-cells in endometrial cancer predicts poorer overall survival and promotes progression of tumor cells. Cell Oncol 2022; 45:1171-1185. [PMID: 36098901 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-022-00708-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynaecologic malignancies. Tumor infiltrating regulatory T-cells (Treg) have been reported to have a prognostic impact in many malignancies. Immunotherapeutic strategies are gaining interest for advanced and recurrent EC cases, where treatment options are rare. Our study was aimed at determining the value of Treg in EC progression. METHODS EC specimens from 275 patients and 28 controls were screened immunohistochemically for the presence of Treg represented by FoxP3. Correlations with clinicopathological and survival parameters were performed. Functional assays were performed using EC cell lines Ishikawa + and RL95-2 after co-culturing with isolated CD4 + CD25 + CD127dim Treg. To assess the influence of EC on the composition of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), flow cytometric analyses were performed. RESULTS We found that an increased infiltration of Treg was associated with high grades and a reduced overall survival. Treg were almost absent in endometrium tissues from healthy control patients. Co-culture of tumor cells with CD4 + CD25 + CD127dim Treg led to functional changes: enhanced invasion, migration and viability indicated that increased levels of Treg in the tumor microenvironment may promote tumor growth. Furthermore, we found that the presence of EC cells led to phenotypic changes in PBMC, showing significantly increased levels of CD25 and FoxP3. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that the presence of Treg in the EC tumor environment is associated with a poorer outcome. A remarkable impact of Treg on tumor cell behaviour and vice versa of tumor cells on PBMC subpopulations support this notion mechanistically. Our findings provide a basis for focusing on Treg as potential future therapeutic targets in EC.
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23
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Farhangfar SD, Fesahat F, Zare-Zardini H, Dehghan-Manshadi M, Zare F, Miresmaeili SM, Vajihinejad M, Soltaninejad H. In vivo study of anticancer activity of ginsenoside Rh2-containing arginine-reduced graphene in a mouse model of breast cancer. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES 2022; 25:1442-1451. [PMID: 36544523 PMCID: PMC9742569 DOI: 10.22038/ijbms.2022.66065.14524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Objectives This study aims to evaluate the in vivo anticancer activity of arginine-reduced graphene (Gr-Arg) and ginsenoside Rh2-containing arginine-reduced graphene (Gr-Arg-Rh2). Materials and Methods Thirty-two mice with breast cancer were divided into four groups and treated every three days for 32 days: Group 1, PBS, Group 2, Rh2, Group 3, Gr-Arg, and Group 4, Gr-Arg-Rh2. The tumor size and weight, gene expression (IL10, INF-γ, TGFβ, and FOXP3), and pathological properties of the tumor and normal tissues were assessed. Results Results showed a significant decrease in TGFβ expression for all drug treatment groups compared with the controls (P=0.04). There was no significant difference among the groups regarding IL10 and FOXP3 gene expression profiles (P>0.05). Gr-Arg-Rh2 significantly inhibited tumor growth (size and weight) compared with Rh2 and control groups. The highest survival rate and the highest percentage of tumor necrosis (87.5%) belonged to the Gr-Arg-Rh2 group. Lungs showed metastasis in the control group. No metastasis was observed in the Gr-Arg-Rh2 group. Gr-Arg-Rh2 showed partial degeneration of hepatocytes and acute cell infiltration in the portal spaces and around the central vein. The Gr-Arg group experienced a moderate infiltration of acute cells into the port spaces and around the central vein. The Rh2 group also showed a mild infiltration of acute and chronic cells in portal spaces. Conclusion Based on the results, Gr-Arg-Rh2 can reduce tumor size, weight, and growth, TGF-β gene expression, and increase tumor necrosis and survival time in mice with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Dokht Farhangfar
- Department of Biology, Science and Arts University, Yazd, Iran, Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran,These authors contributed eqully to this work
| | - Farzaneh Fesahat
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran,These authors contributed eqully to this work
| | - Hadi Zare-Zardini
- Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Meybod University, Meybod, Iran,Corresponding author: Hadi Zare-Zardini. Hematology, and Oncology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Tel: +98-3531834231;
| | - Mahdi Dehghan-Manshadi
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Fateme Zare
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | | | - Maryam Vajihinejad
- Department of Pathology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Hossein Soltaninejad
- Faculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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24
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Han SJ, Sung N, Wang J, O'Malley BW, Lonard DM. Steroid receptor coactivator-3 inhibition generates breast cancer antitumor immune microenvironment. Breast Cancer Res 2022; 24:73. [PMID: 36316775 PMCID: PMC9620627 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-022-01568-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) generated by cancer-infiltrating immune cells has a crucial role in promoting or suppressing breast cancer progression. However, whether the steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3) modulates TIME to progress breast cancer is unclear. Therefore, the present study evaluates whether SRC-3 generates a tumor-promoting TIME in breast tumors using a syngeneic immune-intact mouse model of breast cancer. METHODS We employed E0771 and 4T1 breast cancer in immune-intact syngeneic female C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, respectively. SI-2, a specific small-molecule inhibitor of SRC-3, was administered daily (2.5 mg/kg) to E0771 and 4T1 breast tumor-bearing immune-intact mice. In addition, SRC-3 knockdown (KD)-E0771 and SRC-3 KD-4T1 cells and their parental breast cancer cells were injected into their syngeneic immune-intact female mice versus immune-deficiency mice to validate that the host immune system is required for breast tumor suppression by SRC-3 KD in immune-intact mice. Furthermore, tumor-infiltrating immune cells (such as CD4+, CD8+, CD56+, and Foxp3+ cells) in E0771 and 4T1 breast cancers treated with SI-2 and in SRC-3 KD E0771 and 4T1 breast cancers were determined by immunohistochemistry. Additionally, cytokine levels in SI-2-treated and SRC-3 KD E0771 breast tumors and their control cancers were defined with a Mouse Cytokine Array. RESULTS SRC-3 inhibition by SI-2 significantly suppressed the progression of breast cancer cells (E0771 and 4T1) into breast cancers in immune-intact syngeneic female mice. SRC-3 KD-E0771 and -4T1 breast cancer cells did not produce well-developed tumors in immune-intact syngeneic female mice compared to their parental cells, but SRC-3 KD breast cancers were well developed in immune-defective host mice. SRC-3 inhibition by SI-2 and SRC-3 KD effectively increased the numbers of cytotoxic immune cells, such as CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and CD56+ NK cells, and Interferon γ (Ifng) in breast cancers compared to vehicle. However, SI-2 treatment reduced the number of tumor-infiltrating CD4+/Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells compared to vehicle treatment. In addition, SRC-3 inhibition by SI-2 and SRC-3 KD increased C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9 (Cxcl9) expression in breast cancer to recruit C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 3 (Cxcr3)-expressing cytotoxic immune cells into breast tumors. CONCLUSIONS SRC-3 is a critical immunomodulator in breast cancer, generating a protumor immune microenvironment. SRC-3 inhibition by SI-2 or SRC-3 KD activates the Cxcl9/Cxcr3 axis in breast tumors and enhances the antitumor immune microenvironment to suppress breast cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Jun Han
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Duncan Cancer Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Nuri Sung
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Bert W O'Malley
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Duncan Cancer Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - David M Lonard
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Duncan Cancer Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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25
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Gondhowiardjo SA, Adham M, Rachmadi L, Atmakusuma TD, Tobing DL, Auzan M, Hariyanto AD, Sulaeman D, Permata TBM, Handoko. Immune cells markers within local tumor microenvironment are associated with EBV oncoprotein in nasopharyngeal cancer. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:887. [PMID: 35963999 PMCID: PMC9375267 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09948-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction EBV infection in nasopharyngeal cancer ensued in latent infection mode. In this latent infection various EBV oncoproteins such as EBNA1 and LMP1 was expressed. EBV oncoproteins could theoretically recruit immune cells, which might help to control cancer. Therefore, this study was aimed to elucidate the association with EBV oncoproteins (EBNA1 and LMP1), immune markers (CD4, CD8, and FOXP3) from nasopharyngeal cancer microenvironment with tumor progression. Method Nasopharyngeal biopsy was obtained from patients suspected to have nasopharyngeal cancer. Those samples with microscopically confirmed nasopharyngeal cancer were tested for EBNA1, LMP1, CD4, CD8, and FOXP3 concentration with ELISA, then verified with IHC. Each patient tumor volume was assessed for primary nasopharyngeal tumor volume (GTVp) and neck nodal metastases tumor volume (GTVn). Correlation test with Spearman correlation and scatterplot were carried out. Result Total 23 samples with nasopharyngeal cancer were analyzed. There was moderate correlation (ρ = 0.45; p value = 0.032) between LMP1 and GTVp. There was strong correlation (ρ = 0.81; p value < 0.001) between CD8 and GTVp. There was also moderate correlation (ρ = 0.6; p value = 0.002) between FOXP3 and GTVp. The CD8 concentration has moderate correlation with both EBNA1 (ρ = 0.46; p value = 0.026) and LMP1 (ρ = 0.47; p value = 0.023). While FOXP3 has moderate correlation with only LMP1 (ρ = 0.58; p value = 0.004). No correlation was found between all the markers tested here with GTVn. Discussion We found larger primary nasopharyngeal tumor was associated with higher CD8 marker. This was thought due to the presence of abundance CD8 T cells in the nasopharynx, but those abundance CD8 T cells were suspected to be dysfunctional. The nasopharyngeal cancer was also known to upregulate chemokines that could recruit T regulatory FOXP3 cells. Furthermore, T regulatory FOXP3 cells differentiation was induced through several pathways which was triggered by EBNA1. The correlation found in this study could guide further study to understand nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis and the relationship with our immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soehartati A Gondhowiardjo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta - Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya No. 6, Jakarta, Indonesia, 10430
| | - Marlinda Adham
- Department of ENT, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta - Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya No. 6, Jakarta, Indonesia, 10430
| | - Lisnawati Rachmadi
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta - Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya No. 6, Jakarta, Indonesia, 10430
| | - Tubagus Djumhana Atmakusuma
- Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta - Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya No. 6, Jakarta, Indonesia, 10430
| | - Demak Lumban Tobing
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Dharmais National Cancer Hospital, Jakarta - Indonesia, Jl. Letjen S. Parman No. 84-86, Jakarta, Indonesia, 11420
| | - Mahesa Auzan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta - Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya No. 6, Jakarta, Indonesia, 10430
| | - Agustinus Darmadi Hariyanto
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta - Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya No. 6, Jakarta, Indonesia, 10430
| | - Dede Sulaeman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta - Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya No. 6, Jakarta, Indonesia, 10430
| | - Tiara Bunga Mayang Permata
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta - Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya No. 6, Jakarta, Indonesia, 10430
| | - Handoko
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta - Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya No. 6, Jakarta, Indonesia, 10430.
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Marques CR, Fiuza BSD, da Silva TM, Carneiro TCB, Costa RS, de Assis Silva MF, Viana WLL, Carneiro VL, Alcantara-Neves NM, Barreto ML, Figueiredo CA. Impact of FOXP3 gene polymorphisms and gene-environment interactions in asthma and atopy in a Brazilian population. Gene 2022; 838:146706. [PMID: 35772656 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polymorphisms in genes related to the activation and development of regulatory T cells (Tregs), such as FOXP3, may be associated with asthma and atopy development. Additionally, environmental factors such as exposure to infections can modify the effect of these associations. This study evaluated the impact of polymorphisms in the FOXP3 on the risk of asthma and atopy as also gene-environment interactions in these outcomes. METHODS This study included 1,246 children from the SCAALA program, between 4 and 11 years of age. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and eight SNPs (rs2280883, rs11465476, rs11465472, rs2232368, rs3761549, rs3761548, rs2232365 and rs2294021) were genotyped using the 2.5 HumanOmni Beadchip from Illumina (San Diego, California, USA) or TaqMan qRT-PCR. RESULTS The rs2232368 (Allele T) was positively associated with asthma symptoms (OR=1.95, CI=1.04 to 3.66, p = 0.040) and skin prick test (SPT) reactivity to aeroallergens (OR=2.31, CI=1.16 to 4.59, p = 0.017). The rs3761549 (Allele T) was positively associated with SPT reactivity (OR=1.44, CI=1.03 to 2.02, p = 0.034). The rs2280883 (Allele C) was negatively associated with specific IgE to aeroallergens (OR=0.83, CI=0.70 to 0.99, p = 0.040). Furthermore, the rs2280883 played a protective role in the development of atopy only in individuals seropositive to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection (OR=0.74, CI=0.60 to 0.92, p = 0.003 and OR=0.74; 95% CI=0.61-0.91, p = 0.007 for SPT and slgE respectively), but not in individuals without EBV infection. CONCLUSION Polymorphisms in the FOXP3 gene were associated with the risk of atopy and asthma development in our population. In addition, EBV infection had an effect modifier of the observed association for rs2280883 variant.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ryan Santos Costa
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
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Tan Q, Yin S, Zhou D, Chi Y, Man X, Li H. Potential Predictive and Prognostic Value of Biomarkers Related to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:779786. [PMID: 35646659 PMCID: PMC9134495 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.779786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As an aggressive subtype of breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with poor prognosis and lack of effective therapy, except chemotherapy. In recent years, immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint (IC) inhibition has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy in TNBC. TNBC has more tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and higher rate of mutation and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression than other subtypes of breast cancer have. However, previous studies have shown that monotherapy has little efficacy and only some TNBC patients can benefit from immunotherapy. Therefore, it is important to identify biomarkers that can predict the efficacy of IC inhibitors (ICIs) in TNBC. Recently, various biomarkers have been extensively explored, such as PD-L1, TILs and tumor mutational burden (TMB). Clinical trials have shown that PD-L1-positive patients with advanced TNBC benefit from ICIs plus chemotherapy. However, in patients with early TNBC receiving neoadjuvant therapy, PD-L1 cannot predict the efficacy of ICIs. These inconsistent conclusions suggest that PD-L1 is the best to date but an imperfect predictive biomarker for efficacy of ICIs. Other studies have shown that advanced TNBC patients with TMB ≥10 mutations/Mb can achieve clinical benefits from pembrolizumab. TILs also have potential predictive value in TNBC. Here, we select some biomarkers related to ICIs and discuss their potential predictive and prognostic value in TNBC. We hope these biomarkers could help to identify suitable patients and realize precision immunotherapy.
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Qureshi S, Chan N, George M, Ganesan S, Toppmeyer D, Omene C. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: The Search for the Optimal Biomarker. Biomark Insights 2022; 17:11772719221078774. [PMID: 35221668 PMCID: PMC8874164 DOI: 10.1177/11772719221078774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a high-risk and aggressive malignancy characterized by the absence of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) on the surface of malignant cells, and by the lack of overexpression of human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2). It has limited therapeutic options compared to other subtypes of breast cancer. There is now a growing body of evidence on the role of immunotherapy in TNBC, however much of the data from clinical trials is conflicting and thus, challenging for clinicians to integrate the data into clinical practice. Landmark phase III trials using immunotherapy in the early-stage neoadjuvant setting concluded that the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy improved the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate compared to chemotherapy with placebo while others found no significant improvement in pCR. Phase III trials have investigated the utility of immunotherapy in previously untreated metastatic TNBC, and these studies have similarly arrived at inconsistent conclusions. Some studies showed no benefit while others demonstrated a clinically significant improvement in overall survival in the PD-L1 positive population. It is not yet clear which biomarkers are most useful, and assays for these biomarkers have not been standardized. Given the often serious and severe side effects of immunotherapy, it is important and necessary to identify predictive biomarkers of response and resistance in order to enhance patient selection. In this review, we will discuss both the challenges of traditional biomarkers and the opportunities of emerging biomarkers for patient selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadaf Qureshi
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Nancy Chan
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Mridula George
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Shridar Ganesan
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Deborah Toppmeyer
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Coral Omene
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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Qiu W, Wu X, Shi H, Liu B, Li L, Wu W, Lin J. ASF1B: A Possible Prognostic Marker, Therapeutic Target, and Predictor of Immunotherapy in Male Thyroid Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:678025. [PMID: 35174076 PMCID: PMC8841667 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.678025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Thyroid carcinoma (TC) is the most common malignant endocrine tumor worldwide. Several studies have documented that male patients with TC have a higher rate of metastasis and disease recurrence than female patients. However, the mechanism underlying this observation is not completely clear. The goal of our research was to investigate the potential key candidate genes and pathways related to TC progression in male patients at the molecular level. Methods A total of 320 samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. Hub genes were screened out using weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Survival analysis was used to identify hub genes associated with disease-free survival (DFS) rates. Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression (ESTIMATE) data were used to assess the relationship between hub genes and immune cell infiltration. The molecular mechanism and biological functions of hub genes were explored using RT-qPCR, Western blot, Cell Counting Kit-8 Assay, flow cytometry, Transwell assays, and scratch assays. Results Forty-seven hub genes were identified, and the survival analysis demonstrated that anti-silencing function 1B (ASF1B) was the sole independent risk factor for poor DFS in male TC patients. Possible associations between the results from the ESTIMATE analysis showed that the ASF1B expression level was related to the ESTIMATE score, immune score, and T-cell regulatory (Treg) infiltration level. Through in vitro cell function experiments, we verified that knockdown of ASF1B inhibited KTC-1 cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, and blocked cell cycle. The silencing of ASF1B reduced protein kinase B (AKT), phospho-AKT (p-AKT), and forkhead box p3 (FOXP3) in KTC-1 cells. Moreover, FOXP3 overexpression markedly restored the cell migration, invasion, and proliferation abilities repressed by ASF1B knockdown. Conclusions Our results indicate that ASF1B can be considered a prognostic marker, therapeutic target, and predictor of immunotherapy response in male thyroid cancer patients. However, further in-depth studies are required to validate this finding.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xinquan Wu
- *Correspondence: Xinquan Wu, ; orcid.org/0000-0003-0779-8708
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30
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Liu J, Wang X, Deng Y, Yu X, Wang H, Li Z. Research Progress on the Role of Regulatory T Cell in Tumor Microenvironment in the Treatment of Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:766248. [PMID: 34868991 PMCID: PMC8636122 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.766248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex ecosystem comprised of cancer cells, stromal cells, and immune cells. Analysis of the composition of TME is essential to assess the prognosis of patients with breast cancer (BC) and the efficacy of different regimes. Treg plays a crucial role in the microenvironment of breast cancer subtypes, and its function contributes to the development and progression of BC by suppressing anti-tumor immunity directly or indirectly through multiple mechanisms. In addition, conventional treatments, such as anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and neo-therapies, such as immune-checkpoint blockades, have a significant impact on the absence of Tregs in BC TME, thus gaining additional anti-tumor effect to some extent. Strikingly, Treg in BC TME revealed the predicted efficacy of some therapeutic strategies. All these results suggest that we can manipulate the abundance of Treg to achieve the ultimate effect of both conventional and novel treatments. In this review, we discuss new insights into the characteristics of Treg in BC TME, the impact of different regiments on Treg, and the possibilities of Treg as a predictive marker of efficacy for certain treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyu Liu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Xueying Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yuhan Deng
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Hongbin Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Zhigao Li
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
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31
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Abd-Allah MYY, Abdel-Salam RA, Refat S. Immunohistochemical expression of FOXP3 in gastric carcinoma; its relation to Ki-67 proliferation marker, HER2/neu expression, and other clinicopathological parameters. J Immunoassay Immunochem 2021; 43:1959341. [PMID: 34806545 DOI: 10.1080/15321819.2021.1959341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Gastric cancer is common cancer in the world. Contradictory results regarding FOXP3 expression in gastric carcinoma were detected and the role of Ki-67 in prognosis is not completely understood. Furthermore, due to increasing use of anti-HER2 drug trastuzumab for gastric cancer, assessment of HER2 expression becomes important. This study tried to assess the FOXP3 expression in gastric carcinoma and to study the relation between its expression and Ki-67 and HER2/neu expression and relation between their expression and other clinicopathological variables. This retrospective study was carried out on 60 gastric adenocarcinoma cases. Tissue microarrays and immunohistochemical staining for FOXP3, Ki-67 and HER2/neu were done and then assessed and scored. HER2/neu expression showed significant relation to Lauren histological type and lymph node status. High Ki-67 index was related significantly to patients' age, lympho-vascular tumor emboli, peri-neural invasion, tumor grade, lymph node status, and cancer stage. There was significant relation between high FOXP3 expression and patients' age, lympho-vascular tumor emboli, peri-neural invasion, tumor grade, lymph node status, and cancer stage. Direct positive significant relationships between HER2/neu, Ki-67, and FOXP3 expression were noticed. Finally, high FOXP3 expression, positive HER2/neu, and high Ki-67 nuclear proliferation index may be an indication of the aggressiveness of gastric carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Y Y Abd-Allah
- Associate Professor of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Al Mansurah Egypt.,Assistant Lecturer of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Al Mansurah Egypt.,Lecturer of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Al Mansurah Egypt
| | - Ramy Ahmed Abdel-Salam
- Associate Professor of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Al Mansurah Egypt.,Assistant Lecturer of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Al Mansurah Egypt.,Lecturer of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Al Mansurah Egypt
| | - Sherine Refat
- Associate Professor of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Al Mansurah Egypt.,Assistant Lecturer of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Al Mansurah Egypt.,Lecturer of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Al Mansurah Egypt
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32
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Subramaniam S, Anandha Rao JS, Ramdas P, Ng MH, Kannan Kutty M, Selvaduray KR, Radhakrishnan AK. Reduced infiltration of regulatory T cells in tumours from mice fed daily with gamma-tocotrienol supplementation. Clin Exp Immunol 2021; 206:161-172. [PMID: 34331768 PMCID: PMC8506134 DOI: 10.1111/cei.13650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Gamma-tocotrienol (γT3) is an analogue of vitamin E with beneficial effects on the immune system, including immune-modulatory properties. This study reports the immune-modulatory effects of daily supplementation of γT3 on host T helper (Th) and T regulatory cell (Treg ) populations in a syngeneic mouse model of breast cancer. Female BALB/c mice were fed with either γT3 or vehicle (soy oil) for 2 weeks via oral gavage before they were inoculated with syngeneic 4T1 mouse mammary cancer cells (4T1 cells). Supplementation continued until the mice were euthanized. Mice (n = 6) were euthanized at specified time-points for various analysis (blood leucocyte, cytokine production and immunohistochemistry). Tumour volume was measured once every 7 days. Gene expression studies were carried out on tumour-specific T lymphocytes isolated from splenic cultures. Supplementation with γT3 increased CD4+ (p < 0.05), CD8+ (p < 0.05) T-cells and natural killer cells (p < 0.05) but suppressed Treg cells (p < 0.05) in peripheral blood when compared to animals fed with the vehicle. Higher interferon (IFN)-γ and lower transforming growth factor (TGF)-ꞵ levels were noted in the γT3 fed mice. Immunohistochemistry findings revealed higher infiltration of CD4+ cells, increased expression of interleukin-12 receptor-beta-2 (IL-12ꞵ2R), interleukin (IL)-24 and reduced expression of cells that express the forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) in tumours from the γT3-fed animals. Gene expression studies showed the down-regulation of seven prominent genes in splenic CD4+ T cells isolated from γT3-fed mice. Supplementation with γT3 from palm oil-induced T cell-dependent cell-mediated immune responses and suppressed T cells in the tumour microenvironment in a syngeneic mouse model of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shonia Subramaniam
- School of Postgraduate StudiesInternational Medical UniversityKuala LumpurMalaysia
- Product Development and Advisory ServicesMalaysian Palm Oil BoardKajangMalaysia
| | - Jeya Seela Anandha Rao
- Pathology DivisionSchool of MedicineInternational Medical UniversityKuala LumpurMalaysia
| | - Premdass Ramdas
- Division of Applied Biomedical Sciences and BiotechnologySchool of Health SciencesInternational Medical UniversityKuala LumpurMalaysia
| | - Mei Han Ng
- Engineering and ProcessingMalaysian Palm Oil BoardKajangMalaysia
| | | | | | - Ammu Kutty Radhakrishnan
- Pathology DivisionSchool of MedicineInternational Medical UniversityKuala LumpurMalaysia
- Jeffery Cheah School of Medicine and Health SciencesMonash University MalaysiaBandar SunwaySelangorMalaysia
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Kos K, de Visser KE. The Multifaceted Role of Regulatory T Cells in Breast Cancer. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY-SERIES 2021; 5:291-310. [PMID: 34632244 PMCID: PMC7611782 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-042920-104912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The microenvironment of breast cancer hosts a dynamic cross talk between diverse players of the immune system. While cytotoxic immune cells are equipped to control tumor growth and metastasis, tumor-corrupted immunosuppressive immune cells strive to impair effective immunity and promote tumor progression. Of these, regulatory T cells (Tregs), the gatekeepers of immune homeostasis, emerge as multifaceted players involved in breast cancer. Intriguingly, clinical observations suggest that blood and intratumoral Tregs can have strong prognostic value, dictated by breast cancer subtype. Accordingly, emerging preclinical evidence shows that Tregs occupy a central role in breast cancer initiation and progression and provide critical support to metastasis formation. Here, Tregs are not only important for immune escape but also promote tumor progression independent of their immune regulatory capacity. Combining insights into Treg biology with advances made across the rapidly growing field of immuno-oncology is expected to set the stage for the design of more effective immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Kos
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karin E de Visser
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Despite the ability of immune-based interventions to dramatically increase the survival of patients with melanoma, a significant subset fail to benefit from this treatment, underscoring the need for accurate means to identify the patient population likely to respond to immunotherapy. Understanding how melanoma evades natural or manipulated immune responses could provide the information needed to identify such resistant individuals. Efforts to address this challenge are hampered by the vast immune diversity characterizing tumor microenvironments that remain largely understudied. It is thus important to more clearly elucidate the complex interactions that take place between the tumor microenvironment and host immune system.
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35
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Zahran AM, El-Badawy O, Kamel LM, Rayan A, Rezk K, Abdel-Rahim MH. Accumulation of Regulatory T Cells in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Can Boost Immune Disruption. Cancer Manag Res 2021; 13:6019-6029. [PMID: 34377021 PMCID: PMC8349183 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s285128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim The present study was conducted to evaluate the number of Tregs in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), in normal breast parenchyma and in the peripheral blood of these patients and controls, in addition to their correlations with the clinico-pathologic features and the outcomes of TNBC. Methods Thirty adult treatment-naïve women with non-metastatic TNBC were recruited. In addition, 20 ages matched healthy females participated as a control group. Peripheral blood samples were collected from all participants in tubes containing heparin, fresh tumor tissues were also obtained from all patients undergoing surgery, and 20 normal breast tissue samples were obtained from the same patients’ areas adjacent to the safety margins; all these samples were taken for flow cytometric detection of Tregs. Results The mean percentages of CD4+CD25+highT cells and Tregs were higher in TNBC peripheral blood than healthy controls and in malignant tissue than normal tissue. Moreover, the frequencies of tumor-infiltrating CD4+T cells and Tregs were exceeding those in the peripheral blood of cancer patients. Only tumor-infiltrating Tregs have shown increasing levels with the increase in the tumor size and were significantly higher in patients with local recurrences than those without recurrence. In addition, Tregs showed significant inverse relation with DFS and direct relation with the level of the peripheral Tregs. Conclusion The findings of the current study support the possibility that TNBC microenvironment conveys specific characteristics on Tregs distinguishing them from those in normal breast tissue or Tregs in peripheral blood, improving the capabilities of tumor-infiltrating Tregs to enhance tumor growth, local recurrence and reduce the DFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa M Zahran
- Department of Clinical Pathology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Omnia El-Badawy
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Lamiaa M Kamel
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Amal Rayan
- Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Khalid Rezk
- Surgical Oncology Department, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Mona H Abdel-Rahim
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
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Qi D, Song X, Xue C, Yao W, Shen P, Yu H, Zhang Z. AKT1/FOXP3 axis-mediated expression of CerS6 promotes p53 mutant pancreatic tumorigenesis. Cancer Lett 2021; 522:105-118. [PMID: 34343636 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ceramide synthases (CerSs) catalyze the formation of ceramides from sphingoid bases and acyl-CoA substrates. Increasing evidence suggests that cancer cells generally exhibit altered sphingolipid metabolism in the tumorigenesis of multiple cancers. However, there is no evidence that CerSs are associated with pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC). In the present study, we examined CerS expression in clinical tissue and conducted data mining to investigate the clinical significance of CerSs in the TCGA-PAAD database. We found that high CerS6 expression positively correlated with progression and predicted worse prognosis in PDAC patients, establishing CerS6 as a potential biomarker for PDAC. Furthermore, CerS6 promoted cell proliferation, colony formation and invasion by producing C16-ceramide and was required for tumor formation. Mechanistically, AKT1 interacted with and phosphorylated FOXP3 at S418, which decreased the binding of FOXP3 to the CERS6 promoter and in turn induced CerS6 expression by reconstituting an activated state on the CERS6 promoter. The AKT1/FOXP3 axis mediated the CerS6 expression and promoted p53 mutant pancreatic tumorigenesis by producing excessive C16-ceramide, which induced the accumulation of mutant p53. Thus, our study explores the relationship between PI3K/AKT signaling and sphingolipid metabolism, revealing an oncogenic role for CerS6, which may represent a potential target for PDAC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dachuan Qi
- General Surgery Department II of Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China.
| | - Xuwei Song
- General Surgery Department II of Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
| | - Chunhua Xue
- General Surgery Department II of Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
| | - Wenyan Yao
- General Surgery Department II of Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
| | - Penghui Shen
- General Surgery Department II of Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
| | - Hua Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Institute of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China; Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Zhiqi Zhang
- General Surgery Department II of Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China.
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Zhang J, Tian Q, Zhang M, Wang H, Wu L, Yang J. Immune-related biomarkers in triple-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer 2021; 28:792-805. [PMID: 33837508 PMCID: PMC8213542 DOI: 10.1007/s12282-021-01247-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is a commonly diagnosed female cancer in the world. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most dangerous and biologically aggressive subtype in breast cancer which has a high mortality, high rates of relapse and poor prognosis, representing approximately 15-20% of breast cancers. TNBC has unique and special biological molecular characteristics and higher immunogenicity than other breast cancer types. On the basis of molecular features, TNBC is divided into different subtypes and gets various treatments. Especially, immunotherapy becomes a promising and effective treatment to TNBC. However, not all of the TNBC patients are sensitive to immunotherapy, the need of selecting the patients suitable for immunotherapy is imperative. In this review, we discussed recent discoveries about the immune-related factors of TNBC, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), programmed death-ligand protein-1 (PD-L1), immune gene signatures, some other emerging biomarkers for immunotherapy effectivity and promising biomarkers for immunotherapy resistance. In addition, we summarized the features of these biomarkers contributing to predict the prognosis and effect of immunotherapy. We hope we can provide some helps or evidences to clinical immunotherapy and combined treatment for TNBC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 277 West Yanta Road of Xi’an, Xi’an, 710061 People’s Republic of China
| | - Qi Tian
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 277 West Yanta Road of Xi’an, Xi’an, 710061 People’s Republic of China
| | - Mi Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 277 West Yanta Road of Xi’an, Xi’an, 710061 People’s Republic of China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 277 West Yanta Road of Xi’an, Xi’an, 710061 People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 277 West Yanta Road of Xi’an, Xi’an, 710061 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jin Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 277 West Yanta Road of Xi’an, Xi’an, 710061 People’s Republic of China
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Saku S, Toh U, Takao Y, Sakurai S, Yamada A, Shichijo S, Itoh K, Akagi Y. Plasma level of prostate related-antigen peptide-reactive IgG is a prognostic factor of patients with breast cancer treated with personalized peptide vaccines. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:905. [PMID: 34249152 PMCID: PMC8264823 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study assessed plasma IgG in patients with metastatic recurrent breast cancer (mrBC) that is reactive to various T-cell epitope peptides of prostate-related antigens (PRAs), such as prostate-specific antigen, prostate-specific membrane antigen and prostate acid phosphatase. Patients were treated with personalized peptide vaccines (PPVs) which were selected and administered from a panel of candidate peptides based on human leukocyte antigen-types and prevaccination IgG levels to each peptide. The peptide panel consisted of 27 cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-epitope peptides derived from tumor-associated antigens, not including PRA. PRA peptides and peptide panels were retrospectively analyzed in 77 PPV-treated patients. The results revealed that PRA reactive IgG levels were increased after vaccination in 31 of the 97 patients included in the present study. Although there was no significant association between anti-PRA peptide levels and progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival, anti-PRA peptide levels were significantly associated with PFS (P=0.009) in estrogen-receptor positive (ER+) patients with cancer. The results suggested that plasma anti-PRA IgG levels may be a useful prognostic marker for monitoring PPVs, particularly for ER+ patients with mrBC (trial registration no. from the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN000001844).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuko Saku
- Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan
| | - Uhi Toh
- Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan
| | - Yuko Takao
- Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan
| | - Sayaka Sakurai
- Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan
| | - Akira Yamada
- Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan
| | - Shigeki Shichijo
- Cancer Vaccine Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan
| | - Kyogo Itoh
- Cancer Vaccine Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan
| | - Yoshito Akagi
- Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan
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Pogoda A, Chmielewska N, Maciejak P, Szyndler J. Transcriptional Dysregulation in Huntington's Disease: The Role in Pathogenesis and Potency for Pharmacological Targeting. Curr Med Chem 2021; 28:2783-2806. [PMID: 32628586 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327666200705225821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the gene that encodes a critical cell regulatory protein, huntingtin (Htt). The expansion of cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeats causes improper folding of functional proteins and is an initial trigger of pathological changes in the brain. Recent research has indicated that the functional dysregulation of many transcription factors underlies the neurodegenerative processes that accompany HD. These disturbances are caused not only by the loss of wild-type Htt (WT Htt) function but also by the occurrence of abnormalities that result from the action of mutant Htt (mHtt). In this review, we aim to describe the role of transcription factors that are currently thought to be strongly associated with HD pathogenesis, namely, RE1-silencing transcription factor, also known as neuron-restrictive silencer factor (REST/NRSF), forkhead box proteins (FOXPs), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1a (PGC1α), heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1), and nuclear factor κ light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF- κB). We also take into account the role of these factors in the phenotype of HD as well as potential pharmacological interventions targeting the analyzed proteins. Furthermore, we considered whether molecular manipulation resulting in changes in transcription factor function may have clinical potency for treating HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Pogoda
- Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury Street 61, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Chmielewska
- Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Sobieskiego Street 9, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Maciejak
- Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Sobieskiego Street 9, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Janusz Szyndler
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Centre for Preclinical Research and Technology CePT, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha Street 1B, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
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Zaghloul H, Abbas A, Abdulah D. Tumor Microenvironment Mediators CD8 +- and FOXP3 +-Labeled T Lymphocytes Are Prospective Prognosticators in Curatively Treated Rectal Cancer Patients. J Gastrointest Cancer 2021; 52:177-186. [PMID: 32112202 DOI: 10.1007/s12029-020-00376-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the implication of CD8+- and FOXP3+-labeled T lymphocytes invading tumor microenvironment in prognosticating curatively treated rectal cancer with preoperative chemo-radiation. METHODS The diagnostic rectal biopsies from clinical T3-T4 and any nodal diseases or any T stage with nodal involvement were processed to quantify (CD8+and FOXP3+). The impact of tested indicators on the achieved pathologic response among other clinical-pathological variables was particularized. Additionally, the prognosticating eventuality of labeled T lymphocytes for survival was elaborated using Log-rank and Cox regression. RESULTS We selected fifty rectal patients who had negative surgical margins following preoperative chemo-radiation for clinical T3-T4 or any T stage with nodal involvement. The higher expressions of CD8+ and CD8+/FOXP3+, and the reduced FOXP3+incursion were interrelated with the lack of nodal and lympho-vascular invasion alongside accentuated pathologic response. Additionally, the augmented densities of FOXP3+ ≥ 120, the reduced CD8+/FOXP3+ ratio < 0.96, and the nodal incursion were considerably linked with the worsened OS [hazard ratio (HR) 2.37 (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.38-11.27), 2.41 (95% CI, 2.14-7.12), and 2.63 (95% CI, 2.81-5.32)], and dismal DFS [HR 2.61 (95% CI, 1.58-6.12), 3.12 (95% CI, 2.15-7.24), and 3.32 (95% CI, 2.47-9.24)], respectively. CONCLUSION The augmented expressions of CD8+ and C8+/FOXP3+ together with the reduced densities of FOXP3+ exhibited a substantial contribution to the attained pathological response and were linked to improved clinical-pathological characteristics of cancer rectum patients treated with chemo-radiation preceding mesorectal excision. Additionally, they can be authorized as reliable individual prognosticators of clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hala Zaghloul
- Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Ahmed Abbas
- Surgical Oncology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Dina Abdulah
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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41
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Nelson MA, Ngamcherdtrakul W, Luoh SW, Yantasee W. Prognostic and therapeutic role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte subtypes in breast cancer. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2021; 40:519-536. [PMID: 33963482 PMCID: PMC8424653 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-021-09968-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Increased levels of total tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are generally associated with good prognosis in several breast cancer subtypes. Subtypes of TILs impact both tumor cells and immune cells in a variety of different ways, leading to either a pro-tumor or antitumor effect. Tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells perform as effector cells against tumor cells and are associated with better clinical outcome. Immunotherapy approaches that improve the antitumor activity and proliferation of CD8+ T and NK cells include PD-1/PD-L1 blockade, CAR T cell therapy, or ex vivo-stimulated NK cells. A subset of CD8+ T cells, tissue-resident memory T cells, has also recently been associated with good prognosis in breast cancer patients, and has potential to serve as a predictive biomarker and therapeutic target. Tumor-infiltrating B cells also secrete apoptosis-inducing IgG antibodies and can act as antigen-presenting cells to prime CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. On the other hand, regulatory T and regulatory B cells modulate the immune response from CD8+ T cells and NK cells by secreting immunosuppressive cytokines and inhibiting maturation of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). These regulatory cells are typically associated with poor prognosis, therefore rendering suppression of their regulatory function a key immunotherapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shiuh-Wen Luoh
- VA Portland Health Care System, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Wassana Yantasee
- PDX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Portland, OR, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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42
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Tien TZ, Lee JNLW, Lim JCT, Chen XY, Thike AA, Tan PH, Yeong JPS. Delineating the breast cancer immune microenvironment in the era of multiplex immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence. Histopathology 2021; 79:139-159. [PMID: 33400265 DOI: 10.1111/his.14328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy and the leading cause of cancer death in females worldwide. Treatment is challenging, especially for those who are triple-negative. Increasing evidence suggests that diverse immune populations are present in the breast tumour microenvironment, which opens up avenues for personalised drug targets. Historically, our investigations into the immune constitution of breast tumours have been restricted to analyses of one or two markers at a given time. Recent technological advances have allowed simultaneous labelling of more than 35 markers and detailed profiling of tumour-immune infiltrates at the single-cell level, as well as determining the cellular composition and spatial analysis of the entire tumour architecture. In this review, we describe emerging technologies that have contributed to the field of breast cancer diagnosis, and discuss how to interpret the vast data sets obtained in order to effectively translate them for clinically relevant use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Z Tien
- Integrative Biology for Theranostics, Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Justina N L W Lee
- Integrative Biology for Theranostics, Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jeffrey C T Lim
- Integrative Biology for Theranostics, Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiao-Yang Chen
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aye Aye Thike
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Puay Hoon Tan
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,Division of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joe P S Yeong
- Integrative Biology for Theranostics, Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
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Roszkowiak L, Korzynska A, Siemion K, Zak J, Pijanowska D, Bosch R, Lejeune M, Lopez C. System for quantitative evaluation of DAB&H-stained breast cancer biopsy digital images (CHISEL). Sci Rep 2021; 11:9291. [PMID: 33927266 PMCID: PMC8085130 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88611-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
This study presents CHISEL (Computer-assisted Histopathological Image Segmentation and EvaLuation), an end-to-end system capable of quantitative evaluation of benign and malignant (breast cancer) digitized tissue samples with immunohistochemical nuclear staining of various intensity and diverse compactness. It stands out with the proposed seamless segmentation based on regions of interest cropping as well as the explicit step of nuclei cluster splitting followed by a boundary refinement. The system utilizes machine learning and recursive local processing to eliminate distorted (inaccurate) outlines. The method was validated using two labeled datasets which proved the relevance of the achieved results. The evaluation was based on the IISPV dataset of tissue from biopsy of breast cancer patients, with markers of T cells, along with Warwick Beta Cell Dataset of DAB&H-stained tissue from postmortem diabetes patients. Based on the comparison of the ground truth with the results of the detected and classified objects, we conclude that the proposed method can achieve better or similar results as the state-of-the-art methods. This system deals with the complex problem of nuclei quantification in digitalized images of immunohistochemically stained tissue sections, achieving best results for DAB&H-stained breast cancer tissue samples. Our method has been prepared with user-friendly graphical interface and was optimized to fully utilize the available computing power, while being accessible to users with fewer resources than needed by deep learning techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Roszkowiak
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering Polish Academy of Sciences, Ks. Trojdena 4 st., 02-109, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Anna Korzynska
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering Polish Academy of Sciences, Ks. Trojdena 4 st., 02-109, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Siemion
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering Polish Academy of Sciences, Ks. Trojdena 4 st., 02-109, Warsaw, Poland
- Medical Pathomorphology Department, Medical University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Jakub Zak
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering Polish Academy of Sciences, Ks. Trojdena 4 st., 02-109, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Pijanowska
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering Polish Academy of Sciences, Ks. Trojdena 4 st., 02-109, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ramon Bosch
- Pathology Department, Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta, Institut d'Investigacio Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), URV, Tortosa, Spain
| | - Marylene Lejeune
- Molecular Biology and Research Section, Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta, Institut d'Investigacio Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), URV, Tortosa, Spain
| | - Carlos Lopez
- Molecular Biology and Research Section, Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta, Institut d'Investigacio Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), URV, Tortosa, Spain
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Jing Y, Xu F, Liang W, Liu J, Zhang L. Role of regulatory B cells in gastric cancer: Latest evidence and therapeutics strategies. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 96:107581. [PMID: 33812259 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is the second most common cancer globally and kills about 700,000 people annually. Today's knowledge clearly shows a close and complicated relationship between the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the immune system. The immune system components can both stimulate tumor growth and inhibit tumor cells. However, numerous of these mechanisms are not yet fully understood. As an essential immune cell in humoral immunity, B lymphocytes can play a dual role during various pathologic states, including infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancer, depending on their phenotype and environmental signals. Inherently, B cells can inhibit tumor growth by producing antibodies as well as the presentation of tumor antigens. However, evidence suggests that a subset of these cells termed regulatory B cells (Bregs) with an inhibitory phenotype can suppress anti-tumor responses and support the tumor growth by producing anti-inflammatory cytokines and the expression of inhibitory molecules. Therefore, in this review, the role of Bregs in the microenvironment of GC and treatment strategies based on targeting this subset of B cells have been investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanming Jing
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shaoxing People's Hospital, Shaoxing Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
| | - Fangming Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, Zhoushan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 355 Xinqiao Road, Dinghai District, Zhoushan 316000, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Wenqing Liang
- Department of Orthopedics, Zhoushan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 355 Xinqiao Road, Dinghai District, Zhoushan 316000, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shanghai Oriental Hepatobiliary Hospital, Shanghai 200438, PR China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shaoxing People's Hospital, Shaoxing Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
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Elsharkawy SS, Elrheem MA, Elrheem SA. The Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs): Did We Find the Missed Piece of the Huge Puzzle? OPEN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2021; 11:146-161. [DOI: 10.4236/ojog.2021.112017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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46
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Oshi M, Asaoka M, Tokumaru Y, Angarita FA, Yan L, Matsuyama R, Zsiros E, Ishikawa T, Endo I, Takabe K. Abundance of Regulatory T Cell (Treg) as a Predictive Biomarker for Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3038. [PMID: 33086518 PMCID: PMC7603157 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12103038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory CD4+ T cell (Treg), a subset of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), are known to suppress anticancer immunity but its clinical relevance in human breast cancer remains unclear. In this study, we estimated the relative abundance of Tregs in breast cancer of multiple patient cohorts by using the xCell algorithm on bulk tumor gene expression data. In total, 5177 breast cancer patients from five independent cohorts (TCGA-BRCA, GSE96058, GSE25066, GSE20194, and GSE110590) were analyzed. Treg abundance was not associated with cancer aggressiveness, patient survival, or immune activity markers, but it was lower in metastatic tumors when compared to matched primary tumors. Treg was associated with a high mutation rate of TP53 genes and copy number mutations as well as with increased tumor infiltration of M2 macrophages and decreased infiltration of T helper type 1 (Th1) cells. Pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was significantly associated with low Treg abundance in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) but not in ER-positive/Her2-negative subtype. High Treg abundance was significantly associated with high tumor expression of multiple immune checkpoint inhibitor genes. In conclusion, Treg abundance may have potential as a predictive biomarker of pCR after NAC in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Oshi
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; (M.O.); (M.A.); (Y.T.); (F.A.A.)
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan; (R.M.); (I.E.)
| | - Mariko Asaoka
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; (M.O.); (M.A.); (Y.T.); (F.A.A.)
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan;
| | - Yoshihisa Tokumaru
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; (M.O.); (M.A.); (Y.T.); (F.A.A.)
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan
| | - Fernando A. Angarita
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; (M.O.); (M.A.); (Y.T.); (F.A.A.)
| | - Li Yan
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA;
| | - Ryusei Matsuyama
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan; (R.M.); (I.E.)
| | - Emese Zsiros
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA;
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Takashi Ishikawa
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan;
| | - Itaru Endo
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan; (R.M.); (I.E.)
| | - Kazuaki Takabe
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; (M.O.); (M.A.); (Y.T.); (F.A.A.)
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan; (R.M.); (I.E.)
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan;
- Department of Surgery, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
- Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8520, Japan
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
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Sadeghalvad M, Mohammadi-Motlagh HR, Rezaei N. Immune microenvironment in different molecular subtypes of ductal breast carcinoma. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2020; 185:261-279. [PMID: 33011829 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-020-05954-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Ductal breast carcinoma as a heterogeneous disease has different molecular subtypes associated with clinical prognosis and patients' survival. The role of immune system as a consistent part of the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been documented in progression of ductal breast carcinoma. Here, we aimed to describe the important immune cells and the immune system-associated molecules in Ductal Carcinoma In situ (DCIS) and Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) with special emphasis on their associations with different molecular subtypes and patients' prognosis. RESULTS The immune cells have a dual role in breast cancer (BC) microenvironment depending on the molecular subtype or tumor grade. These cells with different frequencies are present in the TME of DCIS and IDC. The presence of regulatory cells including Tregs, MDSC, Th2, Th17, M2 macrophages, HLADR- T cells, and Tγδ cells is related to more immunosuppressive microenvironment, especially in ER- and TN subtypes. In contrast, NK cells, CTL, Th, and Tfh cells are associated to the anti-tumor activity. These cells are higher in ER+ BC, although in other subtypes such as TN or HER2+ are associated with a favorable prognosis. CONCLUSION Determining the specific immune response in each subtype could be helpful in estimating the possible behavior of the tumor cells in TME. It is important to realize that different frequencies of immune cells in BC environment likely determine the patients' prognosis and their survival in each subtype. Therefore, elucidation of the distinct immune players in TME would be helpful toward developing targeted therapies in each subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Sadeghalvad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid-Reza Mohammadi-Motlagh
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran. .,Children's Medical Center Hospital, Dr Qarib St, Keshavarz Blvd, 14194, Tehran, Iran.
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Assessment of stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and immunohistochemical features in invasive micropapillary breast carcinoma with long-term outcomes. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2020; 184:985-998. [PMID: 32920743 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-020-05913-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We studied the long-term outcomes of invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPCs) of the breast in relation to stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs), prognostic biomarkers and clinicopathological features. METHODS Stage I-III IMPCs treated with upfront surgery at our institution (January 2000 and December 2016) were included. Central pathology review was performed and sTILs (including zonal distribution and hot spot analysis) and tumor-associated plasma cells (TAPC) were evaluated. Expression of P53, BCL2, FOXP3, and WT1, which are variably linked to breast cancer prognosis, was measured by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays. Time-to-event endpoints were distant recurrence free interval (DRFI) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS). RESULTS We included 111 patients of whom 59% were pure IMPCs. Standard clinicopathological features were comparable between pure and non-pure IMPCs. Overall, the mean sTILs level was 20% with higher proportion of sTILs present at the invasive front. There were no significant differences between pure- and non-pure IMPCs in sTILs levels, nor in the spatial distribution of the hot spot regions or in the distribution of TAPC. Higher sTILs correlated with worse DRFI (HR = 1.55; p = 0.0172) and BCSS (HR = 2.10; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Clinicopathological features, geographical distribution of sTILs and TAPC are similar between pure and non-pure IMPCs. Despite a high proportion of grade 3 tumors and lymph node involvement, we observed a low rate of distant recurrences and breast cancer-related death in this cohort of stage I-III IMPCs treated with primary surgery. Caution in interpretation of the observed prognostic correlations is required given the very low number of events, warranting validation in other cohorts.
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FoxP3 + T regulatory cells in cancer: Prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Cancer Lett 2020; 490:174-185. [PMID: 32721551 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
T Regulatory cells (Tregs) can have both protective and pathological roles. They maintain immune homeostasis and inhibit immune responses in various diseases, including cancer. Proportions of Tregs in the peripheral blood of some cancer patients increase by approximately two-fold, compared to those in healthy individuals. Tregs contribute to cancer development and progression by suppressing T effector cell functions, thereby compromising tumor killing and promoting tumor growth. Highly immunosuppressive Tregs express upregulated levels of the transcription factor, Forkhead box protein P3 (FoxP3). Elevated levels of FoxP3+ Tregs within the tumor microenvironment (TME) showed a positive correlation with poor prognosis in various cancer patients. Despite the success of immunotherapy, including the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, a significant proportion of patients show low response rates as a result of primary or acquired resistance against therapy. Some of the mechanisms which underlie the development of therapy resistance are associated with Treg suppressive function. In this review, we describe Treg contribution to cancer development/progression, and the mechanisms of Treg-mediated immunosuppression. We discuss the prognostic significance of FoxP3+ Tregs in different cancers and their potential use as prognostic biomarkers. We also describe potential therapeutic strategies to target Tregs in combination with other types of immunotherapies aiming to overcome tumor resistance and improve clinical outcomes in cancer patients. Overall, understanding the prognostic significance of FoxP3+ Tregs in various cancers and their contribution to therapy resistance could help in the development of more effective targeted therapeutic strategies to enhance the clinical outcomes in cancer patients.
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D'Ignazio A, Kabata P, Ambrosio MR, Polom K, Marano L, Spagnoli L, Ongaro A, Pieretti L, Marrelli D, Biviano I, Roviello F. Preoperative oral immunonutrition in gastrointestinal surgical patients: How the tumour microenvironment can be modified. Clin Nutr ESPEN 2020; 38:153-159. [PMID: 32690150 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS This study is focused on the impact of enteral immunonutrition on the cell-mediated immune response in the microenvironment of gastric and colorectal cancers. METHODS This is a prospective pilot study approved by the local Ethics Committee. The immunophenotypic structure of the immune cells before (on the biopsy) and after (on the surgical sample) the administration of the immunonutrition in 16 patients is compared with 8 patients receiving regular diet. The samples of non-tumour tissue from sleeve-gastrectomy are used as non-neoplastic control. Antibodies were tested: CD4, CD8, PD-1, FOX-P3, CD68, CD163, CD80, CD21, CD56, PD-L1. We applied already well-known scoring systems for the evaluation of the immunohistochemistry and compared our data in the different groups by statistical analysis. RESULTS In treated patients, we detected a modulation of the immune response with higher number of cytotoxic and helper T-lymphocytes in the tumour microenvironment of the surgical specimens compared to the pre-operative biopsy, and a lower number of lymphocytes presenting an exhausted (i.e. double positive CD8 and PD-1 lymphocytes) and regulatory (i.e. double positive CD4 and FOX-P3 lymphocytes) phenotype. Moreover we observed the M1 polarization with a lower number of CD163 positive macrophages and the inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in treated patients. CONCLUSIONS The immunonutrition impacts on the tumoral microenvironment of gastric and colorectal cancer activating the inflammatory pathway, in terms of humoral and cellular response.
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