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Zeng Q, Zeng S, Dai X, Ding Y, Huang C, Ruan R, Xiong J, Tang X, Deng J. MDM2 inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy: Current status and perspective. Genes Dis 2024; 11:101279. [PMID: 39263534 PMCID: PMC11388719 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2024.101279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Murine double minute 2 (MDM2) plays an essential role in the cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA repair, and oncogene activation through p53-dependent and p53-independent signaling pathways. Several preclinical studies have shown that MDM2 is involved in tumor immune evasion. Therefore, MDM2-based regulation of tumor cell-intrinsic immunoregulation and the immune microenvironment has attracted increasing research attention. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1/PD-L1 have been widely used in the clinic. However, the effectiveness of a single agent is only approximately 20%-40%, which may be related to primary and secondary drug resistance caused by the dysregulation of oncoproteins. Here, we reviewed the role of MDM2 in regulating the immune microenvironment, tumor immune evasion, and hyperprogression during immunotherapy. In addition, we summarized preclinical and clinical findings on the use of MDM2 inhibitors in combination with immunotherapy in tumors with MDM2 overexpression or amplification. The results reveal that the inhibition of MDM2 could be a promising strategy for enhancing immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinru Zeng
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individual Cancer Therapy, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Shaocheng Zeng
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individual Cancer Therapy, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Xiaofeng Dai
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individual Cancer Therapy, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Yun Ding
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individual Cancer Therapy, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Chunye Huang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individual Cancer Therapy, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Ruiwen Ruan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individual Cancer Therapy, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Jianping Xiong
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individual Cancer Therapy, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Xiaomei Tang
- Department of Oncology, Jiangxi Chest Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Jun Deng
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Individual Cancer Therapy, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
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Danac JMC, Matthews RE, Gungi A, Qin C, Parsons H, Antrobus R, Timms RT, Tchasovnikarova IA. Competition between two HUSH complexes orchestrates the immune response to retroelement invasion. Mol Cell 2024; 84:2870-2881.e5. [PMID: 39013473 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.06.020] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
The human silencing hub (HUSH) preserves genome integrity through the epigenetic repression of invasive genetic elements. However, despite our understanding of HUSH as an obligate complex of three subunits, only loss of MPP8 or Periphilin, but not TASOR, triggers interferon signaling following derepression of endogenous retroelements. Here, we resolve this paradox by characterizing a second HUSH complex that shares MPP8 and Periphilin but assembles around TASOR2, an uncharacterized paralog of TASOR. Whereas HUSH represses LINE-1 retroelements marked by the repressive histone modification H3K9me3, HUSH2 is recruited by the transcription factor IRF2 to repress interferon-stimulated genes. Mechanistically, HUSH-mediated retroelement silencing sequesters the limited pool of the shared subunits MPP8 and Periphilin, preventing TASOR2 from forming HUSH2 complexes and hence relieving the HUSH2-mediated repression of interferon-stimulated genes. Thus, competition between two HUSH complexes intertwines retroelement silencing with the induction of an immune response, coupling epigenetic and immune aspects of genome defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Miguel C Danac
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Rachael E Matthews
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Akhila Gungi
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Chuyan Qin
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Harriet Parsons
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Robin Antrobus
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Richard T Timms
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Iva A Tchasovnikarova
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK.
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3
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Nicholas SAE, Helming SR, Ménoret A, Pathoulas C, Xu MM, Hensel J, Kimble AL, Heineman B, Jellison ER, Reese B, Zhou B, Rodriguez-Oquendo A, Vella AT, Murphy PA. Endothelial Immunosuppression in Atherosclerosis : Translational Control by Elavl1/HuR. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.02.605922. [PMID: 39131295 PMCID: PMC11312609 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.02.605922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Atherosclerotic plaques are defined by the accumulation of lipids and immune cells beneath the endothelium of the arterial intima. CD8 T cells are among the most abundant immune cell types in plaque, and conditions linked to their activation correlate with increased levels of cardiovascular disease. As lethal effectors of the immune response, CD8 T cell activation is suppressed at multiple levels. These checkpoints are critical in dampening autoimmune responses, and limiting damage in cardiovascular disease. Endothelial cells are well known for their role in recruiting CD8 T and other hematopoietic cells to low and disturbed flow (LDF) arterial regions that develop plaque, but whether they locally influence CD8 effector functions is unclear. Here, we show that endothelial cells can actively suppress CD8 T cell responses in settings of chronic plaque inflammation, but that this behavior is governed by expression of the RNA-binding protein Embryonic Lethal, Abnormal Vision-Like 1 (Elavl1). In response to immune cell recruitment in plaque, the endothelium dynamically shifts splicing of pre-mRNA and their translation to enhance expression of immune-regulatory proteins including C1q and CD27. This program is immuno-suppressive, and limited by Elavl1. We show this by Cdh5(PAC)-CreERT2-mediated deletion of Elavl1 (ECKO), and analysis of changes in translation by Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (TRAP). In ECKO mice, the translational shift in chronic inflammation is enhanced, leading to increased ribosomal association of C1q components and other critical regulators of immune response and resulting in a ~70% reduction in plaque CD8 T cells. CITE-seq analysis of the remaining plaque T cells shows that they exhibit lower levels of markers associated with T cell receptor (TCR) signaling, survival, and activation. To understand whether the immunosuppressive mechanism occurred through failed CD8 recruitment or local modulation of T cell responses, we used a novel in vitro co-culture system to show that ECKO endothelial cells suppress CD8 T cell expansion-even in the presence of wild-type myeloid antigen-presenting cells, antigen-specific CD8 T cells, and antigen. Despite the induction of C1q mRNA by T cell co-culture in both wild-type and ECKO endothelial cells, we find C1q protein abundantly expressed only in co-culture with ECKO cells. Together, our data define a novel immune-suppressive transition in the endothelium, reminiscent of the transition of T cells to T-regs, and demonstrate the regulation of this process by Elavl1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah-Anne E Nicholas
- Center for Vascular Biology and Calhoun Cardiology Center, UCONN Health School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
| | - Stephen R Helming
- Center for Vascular Biology and Calhoun Cardiology Center, UCONN Health School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
| | | | - Christopher Pathoulas
- Center for Vascular Biology and Calhoun Cardiology Center, UCONN Health School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
| | - Maria M Xu
- Department of Immunology, UCONN Health, Farmington, CT
| | - Jessica Hensel
- Center for Vascular Biology and Calhoun Cardiology Center, UCONN Health School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
| | - Amy L Kimble
- Center for Vascular Biology and Calhoun Cardiology Center, UCONN Health School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
| | - Brent Heineman
- Center for Vascular Biology and Calhoun Cardiology Center, UCONN Health School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
| | | | - Bo Reese
- Institute for Systems Genomics - Center for Genome Innovation, UCONN, Storrs, CT
| | - Beiyan Zhou
- Department of Immunology, UCONN Health, Farmington, CT
| | | | | | - Patrick A Murphy
- Center for Vascular Biology and Calhoun Cardiology Center, UCONN Health School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
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Eisenblätter R, Seifert F, Schürmann P, Beckhaus T, Hanel P, Jentschke M, Böhmer G, Strauß HG, Hirchenhain C, Schmidmayr M, Müller F, Hein A, Stuebs F, Koch M, Ruebner M, Beckmann MW, Fasching PA, Luyten A, Häfner N, Hillemanns P, Dörk T, Ramachandran D. Validation and functional follow-up of cervical cancer risk variants at the HLA locus. HLA 2024; 104:e15597. [PMID: 39101335 DOI: 10.1111/tan.15597] [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: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in females. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have proposed cervical cancer susceptibility variants at the HLA locus on chromosome 6p21. To corroborate these findings and investigate their functional impact in cervical tissues and cell lines, we genotyped nine variants from cervical cancer GWASs (rs17190106, rs535777, rs1056429, rs2763979, rs143954678, rs113937848, rs3117027, rs3130214, and rs9477610) in a German hospital-based series of 1122 invasive cervical cancers, 1408 dysplasias, and 1196 healthy controls. rs17190106, rs1056429 and rs143954678/rs113937848 associated with cervical malignancies overall, while rs17190106 and rs535777 associated specifically with invasive cancer (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.55-0.86, p = 0.001) or adenocarcinomas (OR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.17-2.27, p = 0.004), respectively. We tested these and one previously genotyped GWAS variant, rs9272117, for potential eQTL effects on 36 gene transcripts at the HLA locus in 280 cervical epithelial tissues. The strongest eQTL pairs were rs9272117 and HLA-DRB6 (p = 1.9x10E-5), rs1056429 and HLA-DRB5 (p = 2.5x10E-4), and rs535777 and HLA-DRB1 (p = 2.7x10E-4). We also identified transcripts that were specifically upregulated (DDX39B, HCP5, HLA-B, LTB, NFKBIL1) or downregulated (HLA-C, HLA-DPB2) in HPV+ or HPV16+ samples. In comparison, treating cervical epithelial cells with proinflammatory cytokine γ-IFN led to a dose-dependent induction of HCP5, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DQB1, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DRB6, and repression of HSPA1L. Taken together, these results identify relevant genes from both the MHC class I and II regions that are inflammation-responsive in cervical epithelium and associate with HPV (HCP5, HLA-B, HLA-C) and/or with genomic cervical cancer risk variants (HLA-DRB1, HLA-DRB6). They may thus constitute important contributors to the immune escape of precancerous cells after HPV-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieke Eisenblätter
- Department of Gynaecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Finja Seifert
- Department of Gynaecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Peter Schürmann
- Department of Gynaecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Theresa Beckhaus
- Department of Gynaecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Patricia Hanel
- Department of Gynaecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Matthias Jentschke
- Department of Gynaecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Hans-Georg Strauß
- Department of Gynaecology, University Clinics, Martin-Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Christine Hirchenhain
- Department of Gynaecology, Clinics Carl Gustav Carus, University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Monika Schmidmayr
- Department of Gynaecology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Florian Müller
- Martin-Luther Hospital, Charite University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Hein
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Klinikum Esslingen, Esslingen am Neckar, Germany
| | - Frederik Stuebs
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Erlangen University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Friedrich Alexander, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Koch
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Erlangen University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Friedrich Alexander, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Matthias Ruebner
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Erlangen University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Friedrich Alexander, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Matthias W Beckmann
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Erlangen University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Friedrich Alexander, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter A Fasching
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Erlangen University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Friedrich Alexander, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexander Luyten
- Dysplasia Unit, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Mare Klinikum, Kronshagen, Germany
- Department of Gynaecology, Wolfsburg Hospital, Wolfsburg, Germany
| | - Norman Häfner
- Department of Gynaecology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Hillemanns
- Department of Gynaecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thilo Dörk
- Department of Gynaecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Dhanya Ramachandran
- Department of Gynaecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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Purbey PK, Seo J, Paul MK, Iwamoto KS, Daly AE, Feng AC, Champhekar AS, Langerman J, Campbell KM, Schaue D, McBride WH, Dubinett SM, Ribas A, Smale ST, Scumpia PO. Opposing tumor-cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic roles of the IRF1 transcription factor in antitumor immunity. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114289. [PMID: 38833371 PMCID: PMC11315447 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Type I interferon (IFN-I) and IFN-γ foster antitumor immunity by facilitating T cell responses. Paradoxically, IFNs may promote T cell exhaustion by activating immune checkpoints. The downstream regulators of these disparate responses are incompletely understood. Here, we describe how interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) orchestrates these opposing effects of IFNs. IRF1 expression in tumor cells blocks Toll-like receptor- and IFN-I-dependent host antitumor immunity by preventing interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) and effector programs in immune cells. In contrast, expression of IRF1 in the host is required for antitumor immunity. Mechanistically, IRF1 binds distinctly or together with STAT1 at promoters of immunosuppressive but not immunostimulatory ISGs in tumor cells. Overexpression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in Irf1-/- tumors only partially restores tumor growth, suggesting multifactorial effects of IRF1 on antitumor immunity. Thus, we identify that IRF1 expression in tumor cells opposes host IFN-I- and IRF1-dependent antitumor immunity to facilitate immune escape and tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabhat K Purbey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Joowon Seo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Manash K Paul
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Radiation Biology and Toxicology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Keisuke S Iwamoto
- Department of Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allison E Daly
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - An-Chieh Feng
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ameya S Champhekar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Justin Langerman
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Katie M Campbell
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Dörthe Schaue
- Department of Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - William H McBride
- Department of Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Steven M Dubinett
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Stephen T Smale
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Philip O Scumpia
- Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA.
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6
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Shao L, Srivastava R, Delgoffe GM, Thorne SH, Sarkar SN. An IRF2-Expressing Oncolytic Virus Changes the Susceptibility of Tumor Cells to Antitumor T Cells and Promotes Tumor Clearance. Cancer Immunol Res 2024; 12:779-790. [PMID: 38517470 PMCID: PMC11150089 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0573] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) can promote antitumor immunity. However, we have shown previously that in the tumor cell, IRF1 can promote tumor growth, and IRF1-deficient tumor cells exhibit severely restricted tumor growth in several syngeneic mouse tumor models. Here, we investigate the potential of functionally modulating IRF1 to reduce tumor progression and prolong survival. Using inducible IRF1 expression, we established that it is possible to regulate IRF1 expression to modulate tumor progression in established B16-F10 tumors. Expression of IRF2, which is a functional antagonist of IRF1, downregulated IFNγ-induced expression of inhibitory ligands, upregulated MHC-related molecules, and slowed tumor growth and extended survival. We characterized the functional domain(s) of IRF2 needed for this antitumor activity, showing that a full-length IRF2 was required for its antitumor functions. Finally, using an oncolytic vaccinia virus as a delivery platform, we showed that IRF2-expressing vaccinia virus suppressed tumor progression and prolonged survival in multiple tumor models. These results suggest the potency of targeting IRF1 and using IRF2 to modulate immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Shao
- Cancer Virology Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Rashmi Srivastava
- Cancer Virology Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Greg M. Delgoffe
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
| | - Stephen H. Thorne
- Cancer Virology Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
- KaliVir Immunotherapeutics, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Saumendra N. Sarkar
- Cancer Virology Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
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Cho H, Kim K. Multi-functional nanomedicines for combinational cancer immunotherapy that transform cold tumors to hot tumors. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2024; 21:627-638. [PMID: 38682272 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2024.2348656] [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: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Currently, cancer immunotherapy is widely used as a groundbreaking method that can completely cure advanced cancers. However, this new immunotherapy has the challenge of low patient response, which is often due to many patients' tumors having an immunosuppressive environment, known as cold tumors. AREAS COVERED This review aims to introduce various nanomedicine-derived combinational cancer immunotherapy that can transform cold tumor into hot tumors. Initially, we discuss new technologies for combinational immunotherapy based on multifunctional nanomedicines that can deliver combinational immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducers, immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) and immune modulators (IMs) to targeted tumor tissues at the same time. Ultimately, we highlight how multifunctional nanomedicines for combinational cancer immunotherapy can be used to transform cold tumor into hot tumors against advanced cancers. EXPERT OPINION Nanomedicine-derived combinational cancer immunotherapy for delivering multiple ICD inducers, ICBs, and IMs at the same time is recognized as a new potential technology that can activate tumor immunity and simultaneously increase the therapeutic efficacy of immune cells that can transform effectively the cold tumors into hot tumors. Finally, nanomedicine-derived combinational cancer immunotherapy can solve the serious problems of low therapeutic efficacy that occurs when treating single drug or simple combinational drugs in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanhee Cho
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Ewha Woman's University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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8
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Dupéré-Richer D, Riva A, Maji S, Barwick BG, Román HC, Sobh A, Quickstad G, Li J, De U, Piper C, Kulis M, Ezponda T, Martin-Subero JI, Tonon G, Zhang W, Mitsiades CS, Boise LH, Bennett RL, Licht JD. KDM6A Regulates Immune Response Genes in Multiple Myeloma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.12.579179. [PMID: 38405853 PMCID: PMC10888870 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.12.579179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The histone H3K27 demethylase KDM6A is a tumor suppressor in multiple cancers, including multiple myeloma (MM). We created isogenic MM cells disrupted for KDM6A and tagged the endogenous protein to facilitate genome wide studies. KDM6A binds genes associated with immune recognition and cytokine signaling. Most importantly, KDM6A binds and activates NLRC5 and CIITA encoding regulators of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes. Patient data indicate that NLRC5 and CIITA, are downregulated in MM with low KDM6A expression. Chromatin analysis shows that KDM6A binds poised and active enhancers and KDM6A loss led to decreased H3K27ac at enhancers, increased H3K27me3 levels in body of genes bound by KDM6A and decreased gene expression. Reestablishing histone acetylation with an HDAC3 inhibitor leads to upregulation of MHC expression, offering a strategy to restore immunogenicity of KDM6A deficient tumors. Loss of Kdm6a in murine RAS-transformed fibroblasts led to increased growth in vivo associated with decreased T cell infiltration. Statement of significance We show that KDM6A participates in immune recognition of myeloma tumor cells by directly regulating the expression of the master regulators of MHC-I and II, NLRC5 and CIITA. The expression of these regulators can by rescued by the HDAC3 inhibitors in KDM6A-null cell lines.
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Xu Y, Nipper MH, Dominguez AA, Ye Z, Akanuma N, Lopez K, Deng JJ, Arenas D, Sanchez A, Sharkey FE, Court CM, Singhi AD, Wang H, Fernandez-Zapico ME, Sun LZ, Zheng S, Chen Y, Liu J, Wang P. Reconstitution of human PDAC using primary cells reveals oncogenic transcriptomic features at tumor onset. Nat Commun 2024; 15:818. [PMID: 38280869 PMCID: PMC10821902 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45097-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal studies have demonstrated the ability of pancreatic acinar cells to transform into pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the tumorigenic potential of human pancreatic acinar cells remains under debate. To address this gap in knowledge, we expand sorted human acinar cells as 3D organoids and genetically modify them through introduction of common PDAC mutations. The acinar organoids undergo dramatic transcriptional alterations but maintain a recognizable DNA methylation signature. The transcriptomes of acinar organoids are similar to those of disease-specific cell populations. Oncogenic KRAS alone do not transform acinar organoids. However, acinar organoids can form PDAC in vivo after acquiring the four most common driver mutations of this disease. Similarly, sorted ductal cells carrying these genetic mutations can also form PDAC, thus experimentally proving that PDACs can originate from both human acinar and ductal cells. RNA-seq analysis reveal the transcriptional shift from normal acinar cells towards PDACs with enhanced proliferation, metabolic rewiring, down-regulation of MHC molecules, and alterations in the coagulation and complement cascade. By comparing PDAC-like cells with normal pancreas and PDAC samples, we identify a group of genes with elevated expression during early transformation which represent potential early diagnostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Xu
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Michael H Nipper
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Angel A Dominguez
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Zhenqing Ye
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Naoki Akanuma
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Kevin Lopez
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Janice J Deng
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Destiny Arenas
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ava Sanchez
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Francis E Sharkey
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Colin M Court
- Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Aatur D Singhi
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Huamin Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Martin E Fernandez-Zapico
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Lu-Zhe Sun
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | - Pei Wang
- Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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10
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Arroyo-Olarte R, Mejía-Muñoz A, León-Cabrera S. Expanded Alternatives of CRISPR-Cas9 Applications in Immunotherapy of Colorectal Cancer. Mol Diagn Ther 2024; 28:69-86. [PMID: 37907826 PMCID: PMC10786962 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-023-00680-z] [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] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy for colorectal cancer (CRC) is limited to patients with advanced disease who have already undergone first-line chemotherapy and whose tumors exhibit microsatellite instability. Novel technical strategies are required to enhance therapeutic options and achieve a more robust immunological response. Therefore, exploring gene analysis and manipulation at the molecular level can further accelerate the development of advanced technologies to address these challenges. The emergence of advanced genome editing technology, particularly of clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) 9, holds promise in expanding the boundaries of cancer immunotherapy. In this manuscript, we provide a comprehensive review of the applications and perspectives of CRISPR technology in improving the design, generation, and efficiency of current immunotherapies, focusing on solid tumors such as colorectal cancer, where these approaches have not been as successful as in hematological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Arroyo-Olarte
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. De los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, 54090, Tlalnepantla, Edo. De México, México
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 54090, Tlalnepantla, Edo. De México, México
| | - Aranza Mejía-Muñoz
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. De los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, 54090, Tlalnepantla, Edo. De México, México
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 54090, Tlalnepantla, Edo. De México, México
| | - Sonia León-Cabrera
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. De los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, 54090, Tlalnepantla, Edo. De México, México.
- Carrera de Médico Cirujano, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 54090, Tlalnepantla, Edo. De México, México.
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11
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Manca MA, Simula ER, Cossu D, Solinas T, Madonia M, Cusano R, Sechi LA. Association of HLA-A*11:01, -A*24:02, and -B*18:01 with Prostate Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15398. [PMID: 37895076 PMCID: PMC10607162 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015398] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci, the most polymorphic regions within the human genome, encode protein complexes responsible for antigen presentation and CD4+ and CD8+ cell activation. In prostate cancer (PCa), the second most diagnosed cancer in the male population, MHC loci undergo significant changes in their expression patterns, which affect the ability of the immune system to attack and eliminate malignant cells. The purpose of this study was to explore the genetic diversity of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A and HLA-B in patients with PCa and healthy controls (HCs) by performing HLA genotyping using NGS technology. The analysis highlighted statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the prevalence of three alleles (A*11:01, A*24:02, and B*18:01). Among the HCs analyzed, 14.89% had A*11:01, 20.21% had A*24:02, and 30.61% had B*18:01; while 5.21% of patients with PCa presented A*11:01, 9.38% presented A*24:02, 18.08% presented B*18:01. Odds ratio (OR) calculations underlined a negative association between the three alleles and the risk of PCa (OR < 1). The results presented in this study suggest a protective role of A*11:01, A*24:02, and B*18:01 in PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Antonietta Manca
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (E.R.S.); (M.A.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Elena Rita Simula
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (E.R.S.); (M.A.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Davide Cossu
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (E.R.S.); (M.A.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Tatiana Solinas
- Dipartimento di Medicina, Chirurgia e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (T.S.); (M.M.)
- Struttura Complessa di Urologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Massimo Madonia
- Dipartimento di Medicina, Chirurgia e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (T.S.); (M.M.)
- Struttura Complessa di Urologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Antonio Sechi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (E.R.S.); (M.A.M.); (D.C.)
- Struttura Complessa di Microbiologia e Virologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, 07100 Sassari, Italy
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12
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Rachdi L, Zhou Z, Berthault C, Lourenço C, Fouque A, Domet T, Armanet M, You S, Peakman M, Mallone R, Scharfmann R. Tryptophan metabolism promotes immune evasion in human pancreatic β cells. EBioMedicine 2023; 95:104740. [PMID: 37536063 PMCID: PMC10412781 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104740] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To resist the autoimmune attack characteristic of type 1 diabetes, insulin producing pancreatic β cells need to evade T-cell recognition. Such escape mechanisms may be conferred by low HLA class I (HLA-I) expression and upregulation of immune inhibitory molecules such as Programmed cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1). METHODS The expression of PD-L1, HLA-I and CXCL10 was evaluated in the human β cell line, ECN90, and in primary human and mouse pancreatic islets. Most genes were determined by real-time RT-PCR, flow cytometry and Western blot. Activator and inhibitor of the AKT signaling were used to modulate PD-L1 induction. Key results were validated by monitoring activity of CD8+ Jurkat T cells presenting β cell specific T-cell receptor and transduced with reporter genes in contact culture with the human β cell line, ECN90. FINDINGS In this study, we identify tryptophan (TRP) as an agonist of PD-L1 induction through the AKT signaling pathway. TRP also synergistically enhanced PD-L1 expression on β cells exposed to interferon-γ. Conversely, interferon-γ-mediated induction of HLA-I and CXCL10 genes was down-regulated upon TRP treatment. Finally, TRP and its derivatives inhibited the activation of islet-reactive CD8+ T cells by β cells. INTERPRETATION Collectively, our findings indicate that TRP could induce immune tolerance to β cells by promoting their immune evasion through HLA-I downregulation and PD-L1 upregulation. FUNDING Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation, DON Foundation, the Laboratoire d'Excellence consortium Revive (ANR-10-LABX-0073), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-19-CE15-0014-01), Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (EQ U201903007793-EQU20193007831), Innovative Medicines InitiativeINNODIA and INNODIA HARVEST, Aides aux Jeunes Diabetiques (AJD) and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Ltd (JDRF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Latif Rachdi
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, CNRS, INSERM, Paris 75014, France.
| | - Zhicheng Zhou
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, CNRS, INSERM, Paris 75014, France
| | - Claire Berthault
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, CNRS, INSERM, Paris 75014, France
| | - Chloe Lourenço
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, CNRS, INSERM, Paris 75014, France
| | - Alexis Fouque
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, CNRS, INSERM, Paris 75014, France
| | - Thomas Domet
- Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Cell Therapy Unit, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris 75010, France
| | - Mathieu Armanet
- Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Cell Therapy Unit, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris 75010, France
| | - Sylvaine You
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, CNRS, INSERM, Paris 75014, France
| | - Mark Peakman
- Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Roberto Mallone
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, CNRS, INSERM, Paris 75014, France; Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Service de Diabétologie et Immunologie Clinique, Cochin Hospital, Paris 75014, France
| | - Raphael Scharfmann
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, CNRS, INSERM, Paris 75014, France
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13
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Yang K, Halima A, Chan TA. Antigen presentation in cancer - mechanisms and clinical implications for immunotherapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:604-623. [PMID: 37328642 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00789-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, the emergence of effective immunotherapies has revolutionized the clinical management of many types of cancers. However, long-term durable tumour control is only achieved in a fraction of patients who receive these therapies. Understanding the mechanisms underlying clinical response and resistance to treatment is therefore essential to expanding the level of clinical benefit obtained from immunotherapies. In this Review, we describe the molecular mechanisms of antigen processing and presentation in tumours and their clinical consequences. We examine how various aspects of the antigen-presentation machinery (APM) shape tumour immunity. In particular, we discuss genomic variants in HLA alleles and other APM components, highlighting their influence on the immunopeptidomes of both malignant cells and immune cells. Understanding the APM, how it is regulated and how it changes in tumour cells is crucial for determining which patients will respond to immunotherapy and why some patients develop resistance. We focus on recently discovered molecular and genomic alterations that drive the clinical outcomes of patients receiving immune-checkpoint inhibitors. An improved understanding of how these variables mediate tumour-immune interactions is expected to guide the more precise administration of immunotherapies and reveal potentially promising directions for the development of new immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailin Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ahmed Halima
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Timothy A Chan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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14
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Chen X, Lu Q, Zhou H, Liu J, Nadorp B, Lasry A, Sun Z, Lai B, Rona G, Zhang J, Cammer M, Wang K, Al-Santli W, Ciantra Z, Guo Q, You J, Sengupta D, Boukhris A, Zhang H, Liu C, Cresswell P, Dahia PLM, Pagano M, Aifantis I, Wang J. A membrane-associated MHC-I inhibitory axis for cancer immune evasion. Cell 2023; 186:3903-3920.e21. [PMID: 37557169 PMCID: PMC10961051 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint blockade has revolutionized cancer treatment, but some cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), do not respond or develop resistance. A potential mode of resistance is immune evasion of T cell immunity involving aberrant major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) antigen presentation (AP). To map such mechanisms of resistance, we identified key MHC-I regulators using specific peptide-MHC-I-guided CRISPR-Cas9 screens in AML. The top-ranked negative regulators were surface protein sushi domain containing 6 (SUSD6), transmembrane protein 127 (TMEM127), and the E3 ubiquitin ligase WWP2. SUSD6 is abundantly expressed in AML and multiple solid cancers, and its ablation enhanced MHC-I AP and reduced tumor growth in a CD8+ T cell-dependent manner. Mechanistically, SUSD6 forms a trimolecular complex with TMEM127 and MHC-I, which recruits WWP2 for MHC-I ubiquitination and lysosomal degradation. Together with the SUSD6/TMEM127/WWP2 gene signature, which negatively correlates with cancer survival, our findings define a membrane-associated MHC-I inhibitory axis as a potential therapeutic target for both leukemia and solid cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufeng Chen
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Qiao Lu
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hua Zhou
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Bettina Nadorp
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Audrey Lasry
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Zhengxi Sun
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Baoling Lai
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Gergely Rona
- The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jiangyan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Michael Cammer
- Microscopy Core, Division of Advanced Research Technologies, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kun Wang
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Wafa Al-Santli
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Zoe Ciantra
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Qianjin Guo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Jia You
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Debrup Sengupta
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Ahmad Boukhris
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Cheng Liu
- Eureka Therapeutics Inc., Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Peter Cresswell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Patricia L M Dahia
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Michele Pagano
- The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Iannis Aifantis
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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15
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Sari G, Rock KL. Tumor immune evasion through loss of MHC class-I antigen presentation. Curr Opin Immunol 2023; 83:102329. [PMID: 37130455 PMCID: PMC10524158 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2023.102329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
CD8 T cells recognize cancers when they detect antigenic peptides presented on a tumor's surface MHC-I molecules. Since MHC-I antigen presentation is not essential for cell growth or survival, many cancers inactivate this pathway, and thereby escape control by CD8 T cells. Such immune evasion allows cancers to progress and also become resistant to CD8 T- cell-based immunotherapies, such as checkpoint blockade. Here, we review recent findings about the various different mechanisms that cancers use to impair antigen presentation, the consequence of such changes, and, in some cases, the potential to reverse these defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulce Sari
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Pathology, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth L Rock
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Pathology, Worcester, MA, USA.
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16
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Carter EB, Pugh-Toole M, Kabil A, Boudreau JE, Nersesian S. The Canadian Society for Immunology's 34th annual meeting 2022: symposia minireview. J Leukoc Biol 2023; 114:79-83. [PMID: 36805942 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiad002] [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: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The Canadian Society for Immunology 2022 Annual Meeting (June 17-20, 2022) brought together immunologists from across the country to discuss current topics and cutting-edge research in immunology. Here we highlight the published work presented during three thematic symposia (1) Immune Development and Layered Immunity; (2) Primary Immune Deficiencies from Thymic Developmental Defects to Dysregulation and Inflammation; and (3) Opposing Inflammatory and Suppressive Regulation of Anti-Tumor Immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily B Carter
- The Trainee Engagement Committee, Canadian Society for Immunology, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College St, Halifax, NS B3H 4R5, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, 5850 College St, Halifax, NS B3H 4R5, Canada
| | - Morgan Pugh-Toole
- The Trainee Engagement Committee, Canadian Society for Immunology, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, 5850 College St, Halifax, NS B3H 4R5, Canada
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College St, Halifax, NS B3H 4R5, Canada
| | - Ahmed Kabil
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 2222 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jeanette E Boudreau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College St, Halifax, NS B3H 4R5, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, 5850 College St, Halifax, NS B3H 4R5, Canada
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College St, Halifax, NS B3H 4R5, Canada
| | - Sarah Nersesian
- The Trainee Engagement Committee, Canadian Society for Immunology, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College St, Halifax, NS B3H 4R5, Canada
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17
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Nohara LL, Ellis SLS, Dreier C, Dada S, Saranchova I, Munro L, Pfeifer CG, Coyle KM, Morrice JR, Shim DJS, Ahn P, De Voogd N, Williams DE, Cheng P, Garrovillas E, Andersen RJ, Jefferies WA. A novel cell-based screen identifies chemical entities that reverse the immune-escape phenotype of metastatic tumours. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1119607. [PMID: 37256225 PMCID: PMC10225555 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1119607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic and epigenetic events have been implicated in the downregulation of the cellular antigen processing and presentation machinery (APM), which in turn, has been associated with cancer evasion of the immune system. When these essential components are lacking, cancers develop the ability to subvert host immune surveillance allowing cancer cells to become invisible to the immune system and, in turn, promote cancer metastasis. Here we describe and validate the first high-throughput cell-based screening assay to identify chemical extracts and unique chemical entities that reverse the downregulation of APM components in cell lines derived from metastatic tumours. Through the screening of a library of 480 marine invertebrate extracts followed by bioassay-guided fractionation, curcuphenol, a common sesquiterpene phenol derived from turmeric, was identified as the active compound of one of the extracts. We demonstrate that curcuphenol induces the expression of the APM components, TAP-1 and MHC-I molecules, in cell lines derived from both metastatic prostate and lung carcinomas. Turmeric and curcumins that contain curcuphenol have long been utilized not only as a spice in the preparation of food, but also in traditional medicines for treating cancers. The remarkable discovery that a common component of spices can increase the expression of APM components in metastatic tumour cells and, therefore reverse immune-escape mechanisms, provides a rationale for the development of foods and advanced nutraceuticals as therapeutic candidates for harnessing the power of the immune system to recognize and destroy metastatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian L. Nohara
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Samantha L. S. Ellis
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Carola Dreier
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sarah Dada
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Departments of Medical Genetics, Zoology, and Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Iryna Saranchova
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Departments of Medical Genetics, Zoology, and Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lonna Munro
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Cheryl G. Pfeifer
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Krysta M. Coyle
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Jessica R. Morrice
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel Joo Sung Shim
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Paul Ahn
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nicole De Voogd
- Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - David E. Williams
- Departments of Chemistry and Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ping Cheng
- Departments of Chemistry and Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Garrovillas
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Raymond J. Andersen
- Departments of Chemistry and Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Wilfred A. Jefferies
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Departments of Medical Genetics, Zoology, and Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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18
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Villéger R, Chulkina M, Mifflin RC, Markov NS, Trieu J, Sinha M, Johnson P, Saada JI, Adegboyega PA, Luxon BA, Beswick EJ, Powell DW, Pinchuk IV. Loss of alcohol dehydrogenase 1B in cancer-associated fibroblasts: contribution to the increase of tumor-promoting IL-6 in colon cancer. Br J Cancer 2023; 128:537-548. [PMID: 36482184 PMCID: PMC9938173 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-02066-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increases in IL-6 by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) contribute to colon cancer progression, but the mechanisms involved in the increase of this tumor-promoting cytokine are unknown. The aim of this study was to identify novel targets involved in the dysregulation of IL-6 expression by CAFs in colon cancer. METHODS Colonic normal (N), hyperplastic, tubular adenoma, adenocarcinoma tissues, and tissue-derived myo-/fibroblasts (MFs) were used in these studies. RESULTS Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated a striking decrease in alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) expression, a gene potentially involved in IL-6 dysregulation in CAFs. ADH1B expression was downregulated in approximately 50% of studied tubular adenomas and all T1-4 colon tumors, but not in hyperplastic polyps. ADH1B metabolizes alcohols, including retinol (RO), and is involved in the generation of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA). LPS-induced IL-6 production was inhibited by either RO or its byproduct atRA in N-MFs, but only atRA was effective in CAFs. Silencing ADH1B in N-MFs significantly upregulated LPS-induced IL-6 similar to those observed in CAFs and lead to the loss of RO inhibitory effect on inducible IL-6 expression. CONCLUSION Our data identify ADH1B as a novel potential mesenchymal tumor suppressor, which plays a critical role in ADH1B/retinoid-mediated regulation of tumor-promoting IL-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Villéger
- Laboratoire Ecologie and Biologie des Interactions, UMR CNRS 7267, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Marina Chulkina
- Department of Medicine at PennState Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Randy C Mifflin
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, UTMB, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Nikolay S Markov
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Judy Trieu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, UTMB, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Mala Sinha
- Institute for Translational Sciences, UTMB, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Paul Johnson
- Department of Surgery, UTMB, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Jamal I Saada
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, UTMB, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Patrick A Adegboyega
- Department of Pathology, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63106, USA
| | - Bruce A Luxon
- Institute for Translational Sciences, UTMB, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Ellen J Beswick
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | - Don W Powell
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, UTMB, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, UTMB, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Irina V Pinchuk
- Department of Medicine at PennState Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
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19
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Montironi C, Castet F, Haber PK, Pinyol R, Torres-Martin M, Torrens L, Mesropian A, Wang H, Puigvehi M, Maeda M, Leow WQ, Harrod E, Taik P, Chinburen J, Taivanbaatar E, Chinbold E, Solé Arqués M, Donovan M, Thung S, Neely J, Mazzaferro V, Anderson J, Roayaie S, Schwartz M, Villanueva A, Friedman SL, Uzilov A, Sia D, Llovet JM. Inflamed and non-inflamed classes of HCC: a revised immunogenomic classification. Gut 2023; 72:129-140. [PMID: 35197323 PMCID: PMC9395551 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-325918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 101.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We previously reported a characterisation of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) immune contexture and described an immune-specific class. We now aim to further delineate the immunogenomic classification of HCC to incorporate features that explain responses/resistance to immunotherapy. DESIGN We performed RNA and whole-exome sequencing, T-cell receptor (TCR)-sequencing, multiplex immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry in a novel cohort of 240 HCC patients and validated our results in other cohorts comprising 660 patients. RESULTS Our integrative analysis led to define: (1) the inflamed class of HCC (37%), which includes the previously reported immune subclass (22%) and a new immune-like subclass (15%) with high interferon signalling, cytolytic activity, expression of immune-effector cytokines and a more diverse T-cell repertoire. A 20-gene signature was able to capture ~90% of these tumours and is associated with response to immunotherapy. Proteins identified in liquid biopsies recapitulated the inflamed class with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.91; (2) The intermediate class, enriched in TP53 mutations (49% vs 29%, p=0.035), and chromosomal losses involving immune-related genes and; (3) the excluded class, enriched in CTNNB1 mutations (93% vs 27%, p<0.001) and PTK2 overexpression due to gene amplification and promoter hypomethylation. CTNNB1 mutations outside the excluded class led to weak activation of the Wnt-βcatenin pathway or occurred in HCCs dominated by high interferon signalling and type I antigen presenting genes. CONCLUSION We have characterised the immunogenomic contexture of HCC and defined inflamed and non-inflamed tumours. Two distinct CTNNB1 patterns associated with a differential role in immune evasion are described. These features may help predict immune response in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Montironi
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Pathology Department & Molecular Biology CORE, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Florian Castet
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philipp K Haber
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Roser Pinyol
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Torres-Martin
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Torrens
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Agavni Mesropian
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Marc Puigvehi
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Hepatology Section, Gastroenterology Department, Consorci Parc de Salut Mar, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miho Maeda
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Wei Qiang Leow
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Elizabeth Harrod
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, UK
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | | | - Jigjidsuren Chinburen
- Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery Department, National Cancer Center, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | | | - Enkhbold Chinbold
- Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery Department, National Cancer Center, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Manel Solé Arqués
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael Donovan
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Swan Thung
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jaclyn Neely
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Vincenzo Mazzaferro
- Gastrointestinal Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Sasan Roayaie
- Department of Surgery, White Plains Hospital Center, White Plains, New York, USA
| | - Myron Schwartz
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Scott L Friedman
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrew Uzilov
- Sema4, Stamford, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniela Sia
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Josep M Llovet
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institució Catalana De Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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20
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Cuttano R, Colangelo T, Guarize J, Dama E, Cocomazzi MP, Mazzarelli F, Melocchi V, Palumbo O, Marino E, Belloni E, Montani F, Vecchi M, Barberis M, Graziano P, Pasquier A, Sanz-Ortega J, Montuenga LM, Carbonelli C, Spaggiari L, Bianchi F. miRNome profiling of lung cancer metastases revealed a key role for miRNA-PD-L1 axis in the modulation of chemotherapy response. J Hematol Oncol 2022; 15:178. [PMID: 36587234 PMCID: PMC9805174 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-022-01394-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is frequent at diagnosis and requires multimodal treatment approaches. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by surgery is the treatment of choice for operable locally advanced NSCLC (Stage IIIA). However, the majority of patients are NACT-resistant and show persistent lymph nodal metastases (LNmets) and an adverse outcome. Therefore, the identification of mechanisms and biomarkers of NACT resistance is paramount for ameliorating the prognosis of patients with Stage IIIA NSCLC. Here, we investigated the miRNome and transcriptome of chemo-naïve LNmets collected from patients with Stage IIIA NSCLC (N = 64). We found that a microRNA signature accurately predicts NACT response. Mechanistically, we discovered a miR-455-5p/PD-L1 regulatory axis which drives chemotherapy resistance, hallmarks metastases with active IFN-γ response pathway (an inducer of PD-L1 expression), and impacts T cells viability and relative abundances in tumor microenvironment (TME). Our data provide new biomarkers to predict NACT response and add molecular insights relevant for improving the management of patients with locally advanced NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Cuttano
- grid.413503.00000 0004 1757 9135Unit of Cancer Biomarkers, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale Padre Pio 7, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG Italy
| | - Tommaso Colangelo
- grid.413503.00000 0004 1757 9135Unit of Cancer Biomarkers, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale Padre Pio 7, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG Italy
| | - Juliana Guarize
- grid.15667.330000 0004 1757 0843Division of Thoracic Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Dama
- grid.413503.00000 0004 1757 9135Unit of Cancer Biomarkers, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale Padre Pio 7, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG Italy
| | - Maria Pia Cocomazzi
- grid.413503.00000 0004 1757 9135Unit of Cancer Biomarkers, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale Padre Pio 7, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG Italy
| | - Francesco Mazzarelli
- grid.413503.00000 0004 1757 9135Unit of Cancer Biomarkers, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale Padre Pio 7, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG Italy
| | - Valentina Melocchi
- grid.413503.00000 0004 1757 9135Unit of Cancer Biomarkers, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale Padre Pio 7, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG Italy
| | - Orazio Palumbo
- grid.413503.00000 0004 1757 9135Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale Cappuccini Snc, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG Italy
| | - Elena Marino
- grid.15667.330000 0004 1757 0843Clinical Genomics Unit, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Belloni
- grid.15667.330000 0004 1757 0843Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Montani
- grid.15667.330000 0004 1757 0843Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Vecchi
- grid.15667.330000 0004 1757 0843European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy ,grid.7678.e0000 0004 1757 7797IFOM, Fondazione Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy ,grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Present Address: Non-Coding RNAs and RNA-Based Therapeutics, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, CMP3VdA, Via Lavoratori Vittime del Col du Mont 28, 11100 Aosta, Italy
| | - Massimo Barberis
- grid.15667.330000 0004 1757 0843Division of Pathology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Graziano
- grid.413503.00000 0004 1757 9135Unit of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale Cappuccini Snc, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG Italy
| | - Andrea Pasquier
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Solid Tumors Program, Center of Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra and IDISNA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Julian Sanz-Ortega
- grid.411730.00000 0001 2191 685XDepartment of Pathology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis M. Montuenga
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Solid Tumors Program, Center of Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra and IDISNA, Pamplona, Spain ,grid.510933.d0000 0004 8339 0058CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristiano Carbonelli
- grid.413503.00000 0004 1757 9135Pneumology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG Italy
| | - Lorenzo Spaggiari
- grid.15667.330000 0004 1757 0843Division of Thoracic Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy ,grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Bianchi
- grid.413503.00000 0004 1757 9135Unit of Cancer Biomarkers, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale Padre Pio 7, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG Italy
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21
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Lukhele S, Rabbo DA, Guo M, Shen J, Elsaesser HJ, Quevedo R, Carew M, Gadalla R, Snell LM, Mahesh L, Ciudad MT, Snow BE, You-Ten A, Haight J, Wakeham A, Ohashi PS, Mak TW, Cui W, McGaha TL, Brooks DG. The transcription factor IRF2 drives interferon-mediated CD8 + T cell exhaustion to restrict anti-tumor immunity. Immunity 2022; 55:2369-2385.e10. [PMID: 36370712 PMCID: PMC9809269 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2022.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Type I and II interferons (IFNs) stimulate pro-inflammatory programs that are critical for immune activation, but also induce immune-suppressive feedback circuits that impede control of cancer growth. Here, we sought to determine how these opposing programs are differentially induced. We demonstrated that the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 2 (IRF2) was expressed by many immune cells in the tumor in response to sustained IFN signaling. CD8+ T cell-specific deletion of IRF2 prevented acquisition of the T cell exhaustion program within the tumor and instead enabled sustained effector functions that promoted long-term tumor control and increased responsiveness to immune checkpoint and adoptive cell therapies. The long-term tumor control by IRF2-deficient CD8+ T cells required continuous integration of both IFN-I and IFN-II signals. Thus, IRF2 is a foundational feedback molecule that redirects IFN signals to suppress T cell responses and represents a potential target to enhance cancer control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabelo Lukhele
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada.
| | - Diala Abd Rabbo
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - Mengdi Guo
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Jian Shen
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Heidi J Elsaesser
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - Rene Quevedo
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - Madeleine Carew
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - Ramy Gadalla
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - Laura M Snell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Lawanya Mahesh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - M Teresa Ciudad
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - Bryan E Snow
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - Annick You-Ten
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - Jillian Haight
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - Andrew Wakeham
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada
| | - Pamela S Ohashi
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Tak W Mak
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Weiguo Cui
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Tracy L McGaha
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - David G Brooks
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9 Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8 Canada.
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22
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Reduced MHC Class I and II Expression in HPV-Negative vs. HPV-Positive Cervical Cancers. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233911. [PMID: 36497170 PMCID: PMC9741043 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer (CC) is the second most common cancer in women worldwide and the fourth leading cause of cancer-associated death in women. Although human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is associated with nearly all CC, it has recently become clear that HPV-negative (HPV-) CC represents a distinct disease phenotype with increased mortality. HPV-positive (HPV+) and HPV- CC demonstrate different molecular pathology, prognosis, and response to treatment. Furthermore, CC caused by HPV α9 types (HPV16-like) often have better outcomes than those caused by HPV α7 types (HPV18-like). This study systematically and comprehensively compared the expression of genes involved in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II presentation within CC caused by HPV α9 types, HPV α7 types, and HPV- CC. We observed increased expression of MHC class I and II classical and non-classical genes in HPV+ CC and overall higher expression of genes involved in their antigen loading and presentation apparatus as well as transcriptional regulation. Increased expression of MHC I-related genes differs from previous studies using cell culture models. These findings identify crucial differences between antigen presentation within the tumor immune microenvironments of HPV+ and HPV- CC, as well as modest differences between HPV α9 and α7 CC. These differences may contribute to the altered patient outcomes and responses to immunotherapy observed between these distinct cancers.
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Identification of DDX60 as a Regulator of MHC-I Class Molecules in Colorectal Cancer. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10123092. [PMID: 36551849 PMCID: PMC9775109 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10123092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies induce durable responses in approximately 15% of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients who exhibit microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or deficient mismatch repair (dMMR). However, more than 80% of CRC patients do not respond to current immunotherapy. The main challenge with these patients is lack of MHC-I signaling to unmask their cancer cells so the immune cells can detect them. Here, we started by comparing IFNγ signature genes and MHC-I correlated gene lists to determine the potential candidates for MHC-I regulators. Then, the protein expression level of listed potential candidates in normal and cancer tissue was compared to select final candidates with enough disparity between the two types of tissues. ISG15 and DDX60 were further tested by wet-lab experiments. Overexpression of DDX60 upregulated the expression of MHC-I, while knockdown of DDX60 reduced the MHC-I expression in CRC cells. Moreover, DDX60 was downregulated in CRC tissues, and lower levels of DDX60 were associated with a poor prognosis. Our data showed that DDX60 could regulate MHC-I expression in CRC; thus, targeting DDX60 may improve the effects of immunotherapy in some patients.
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Deng G, Zhou L, Wang B, Sun X, Zhang Q, Chen H, Wan N, Ye H, Wu X, Sun D, Sun Y, Cheng H. Targeting cathepsin B by cycloastragenol enhances antitumor immunity of CD8 T cells via inhibiting MHC-I degradation. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:e004874. [PMID: 36307151 PMCID: PMC9621195 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The loss of tumor antigens and depletion of CD8 T cells caused by the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway are important factors for tumor immune escape. In recent years, there has been increasing research on traditional Chinese medicine in tumor treatment. Cycloastragenol (CAG), an effective active molecule in Astragalus membranaceus, has been found to have antiviral, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and other functions. However, its antitumor effect and mechanism are not clear. METHODS The antitumor effect of CAG was investigated in MC38 and CT26 mouse transplanted tumor models. The antitumor effect of CAG was further analyzed via single-cell multiomics sequencing. Target responsive accessibility profiling technology was used to find the target protein of CAG. Subsequently, the antitumor mechanism of CAG was explored using confocal microscopy, coimmunoprecipitation and transfection of mutant plasmids. Finally, the combined antitumor effect of CAG and PD-1 antibodies in mice or organoids were investigated. RESULTS We found that CAG effectively inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Our single-cell multiomics atlas demonstrated that CAG promoted the presentation of tumor cell-surface antigens and was characterized by the enhanced killing function of CD8+ T cells. Mechanistically, CAG bound to its target protein cathepsin B, which then inhibited the lysosomal degradation of major histocompatibility complex I (MHC-I) and promoted the aggregation of MHC-I to the cell membrane, boosting the presentation of the tumor antigen. Meanwhile, the combination of CAG with PD-1 antibody effectively enhanced the tumor killing ability of CD8+ T cells in xenograft mice and colorectal cancer organoids. CONCLUSION Our data reported for the first time that cathepsin B downregulation confers antitumor immunity and explicates the antitumor mechanism of natural product CAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoliang Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lisha Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Binglin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qinchang Zhang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, The First Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongqi Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Wan
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui Ye
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoqi Wu
- Genergy Bio-technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Dongdong Sun
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, The First Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haibo Cheng
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, The First Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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25
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Sarcoma Common MHC-I Haplotype Restricts Tumor-Specific CD8+ T Cell Response. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14143414. [PMID: 35884474 PMCID: PMC9322060 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immunotherapy targeting immune checkpoint pathways have recently attracted great attention in cancer treatment, but better strategies are needed to identify patients likely to benefit from it. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I expression in cancer cells greatly influences the outcome of T cell-mediated immunotherapy. Here, we determined the prevalent HLA class I allelic variants in a sarcoma population. We characterized patient CD8+ T-cells and demonstrated low cytolysis to autologous tumor cells. Moreover, we used a co-culture model of autologous T-cells and PD-L1-deficient or positive biopsies of rare sarcomas to determine whether HLA-I influences tumor survival. Abstract The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I expression in cancer cells has a crucial impact on the outcome of T cell-mediated cancer immunotherapy. We now determined the HLA class I allelic variants and their expression in PD-L1-deficient and positive rare sarcoma tissues. Tumor tissues were HLA-I classified based on HLA-A and -B alleles, and for class II, the HLA-DR-B by Taqman genomic PCRs. The HLA-A24*:10-B73*:01 haplotype was the most common. A general down-regulation or deletion of HLA-B mRNA and HLA-A was observed, compared to HLA-DR-B. HLA-I was almost too low to be detectable by immunohistochemistry and 32% of grade III cases were positive to PD-L1. Functional cytotoxic assays co-culturing patient biopsies with autologous T cells were used to assess their ability to kill matched tumor cells. These results establish that deletion of HLA-I loci together with their down-regulation in individual patient restrict the autologous lymphocyte cytotoxic activity, even in the presence of the immune checkpoint blocking antibody, Nivolumab. Additionally, the proposed cytotoxic test suggests a strategy to assess the sensitivity of tumor cells to T cell-mediated attack at the level of the individual patient.
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Drug Resistance in Colorectal Cancer: From Mechanism to Clinic. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122928. [PMID: 35740594 PMCID: PMC9221177 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The 5-year survival rate is 90% for patients with early CRC, 70% for patients with locally advanced CRC, and 15% for patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC). In fact, most CRC patients are at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Although chemotherapy, molecularly targeted therapy and immunotherapy have significantly improved patient survival, some patients are initially insensitive to these drugs or initially sensitive but quickly become insensitive, and the emergence of such primary and secondary drug resistance is a significant clinical challenge. The most direct cause of resistance is the aberrant anti-tumor drug metabolism, transportation or target. With more in-depth research, it is found that cell death pathways, carcinogenic signals, compensation feedback loop signal pathways and tumor immune microenvironment also play essential roles in the drug resistance mechanism. Here, we assess the current major mechanisms of CRC resistance and describe potential therapeutic interventions.
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27
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Maity AK, Hu X, Zhu T, Teschendorff AE. Inference of age-associated transcription factor regulatory activity changes in single cells. NATURE AGING 2022; 2:548-561. [PMID: 37118452 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-022-00233-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) control cell identity and function. How their activity is altered during healthy aging is critical for an improved understanding of aging and disease risk, yet relatively little is known about such changes at cell-type resolution. Here we present and validate a TF activity estimation method for single cells from the hematopoietic system that is based on TF regulons, and apply it to a mouse single-cell RNA-sequencing atlas, to infer age-associated differentiation activity changes in the immune cells of different organs. This revealed an age-associated signature of macrophage dedifferentiation, which is shared across tissue types, and aggravated in tumor-associated macrophages. By extending the analysis to all major cell types, we reveal cell-type and tissue-type-independent age-associated alterations to regulatory factors controlling antigen processing, inflammation, collagen processing and circadian rhythm, that are implicated in age-related diseases. Finally, our study highlights the limitations of using TF expression to infer age-associated changes, underscoring the need to use regulatory activity inference methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok K Maity
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xue Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianyu Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Andrew E Teschendorff
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, London, UK.
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28
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Xu Y, Chen C, Guo Y, Hu S, Sun Z. Effect of CRISPR/Cas9-Edited PD-1/PD-L1 on Tumor Immunity and Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:848327. [PMID: 35300341 PMCID: PMC8920996 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.848327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated nuclease9 (CRISPR/Cas9) gene editing technology implements precise programming of the human genome through RNA guidance. At present, it has been widely used in the construction of animal tumor models, the study of drug resistance regulation mechanisms, epigenetic control and innovation in cancer treatment. Tumor immunotherapy restores the normal antitumor immune response by restarting and maintaining the tumor-immune cycle. CRISPR/Cas9 technology has occupied a central position in further optimizing anti-programmed cell death 1(PD-1) tumor immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in exploring the regulatory mechanism of tumor immune PD-1 and programmed death ligand 1(PD-L1) based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology and its clinical application in different cancer types. In addition, CRISPR genome-wide screening identifies new drug targets and biomarkers to identify potentially sensitive populations for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy and maximize antitumor effects. Finally, the strong potential and challenges of CRISPR/Cas9 for future clinical applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxin Xu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chen Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yaxin Guo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shengyun Hu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhenqiang Sun
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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29
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Niu Y, Jiang H, Yin H, Wang F, Hu R, Hu X, Peng B, Shu Y, Li Z, Chen S, Guo F. Hepatokine ERAP1 Disturbs Skeletal Muscle Insulin Sensitivity Via Inhibiting USP33-Mediated ADRB2 Deubiquitination. Diabetes 2022; 71:921-933. [PMID: 35192681 DOI: 10.2337/db21-0857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Chronic inflammation in liver induces insulin resistance systemically and in other tissues, including the skeletal muscle (SM); however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. RNA sequencing of primary hepatocytes from wild-type mice fed long-term high-fat diet (HFD), which have severe chronic inflammation and insulin resistance revealed that the expression of hepatokine endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) was upregulated by a HFD. Increased ERAP1 levels were also observed in interferon-γ-treated primary hepatocytes. Furthermore, hepatic ERAP1 overexpression attenuated systemic and SM insulin sensitivity, whereas hepatic ERAP1 knockdown had the opposite effects, with corresponding changes in serum ERAP1 levels. Mechanistically, ERAP1 functions as an antagonist-like factor, which interacts with β2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) and reduces its expression by decreasing ubiquitin-specific peptidase 33-mediated deubiquitination and thereby interrupts ADRB2-stimulated insulin signaling in the SM. The findings of this study indicate ERAP1 is an inflammation-induced hepatokine that impairs SM insulin sensitivity. Its inhibition may provide a therapeutic strategy for insulin resistance-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuguo Niu
- Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Innovation Center for Intervention of Chronic Disease and Promotion of Health, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Haizhou Jiang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Innovation Center for Intervention of Chronic Disease and Promotion of Health, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hanrui Yin
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Innovation Center for Intervention of Chronic Disease and Promotion of Health, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Fenfen Wang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Innovation Center for Intervention of Chronic Disease and Promotion of Health, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ronggui Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoming Hu
- Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Peng
- Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yousheng Shu
- Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhigang Li
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Innovation Center for Intervention of Chronic Disease and Promotion of Health, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanghai Chen
- Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feifan Guo
- Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Innovation Center for Intervention of Chronic Disease and Promotion of Health, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
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30
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Paschen A, Melero I, Ribas A. Central Role of the Antigen-Presentation and Interferon-γ Pathways in Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blockade. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-070220-111016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Resistance to immunotherapy is due in some instances to the acquired stealth mechanisms of tumor cells that lose expression of MHC class I antigen–presenting molecules or downregulate their class I antigen–presentation pathways. Most dramatically, biallelic β2-microglobulin (B2M) loss leads to complete loss of MHC class I expression and to invisibility to CD8+ T cells. MHC class I expression and antigen presentation are potently upregulated by interferon-γ (IFNγ) in a manner that depends on IFNγ receptor (IFNGR) signaling via JAK1 and JAK2. Mutations in these molecules lead to IFNγ unresponsiveness and mediate loss of recognition and killing by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Loss of MHC class I augments sensitivity of tumor cells to be killed by natural killer (NK) lymphocytes, and this mechanism could be exploited to revert resistance, for instance, with interleukin-2 (IL-2)-based agents. Moreover, in some experimental models,potent local type I interferon responses, such as those following intratumoral injection of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) or TLR3 agonists, revert resistance due to mutations of JAKs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Paschen
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Essen/Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany
| | - Ignacio Melero
- University Clinic of Navarre (CUN) and Centre of Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain
- CIBERONC (Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Department of Medicine, Department of Surgery, and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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31
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Marofi F, Achmad H, Bokov D, Abdelbasset WK, Alsadoon Z, Chupradit S, Suksatan W, Shariatzadeh S, Hasanpoor Z, Yazdanifar M, Shomali N, Khiavi FM. Hurdles to breakthrough in CAR T cell therapy of solid tumors. Stem Cell Res Ther 2022; 13:140. [PMID: 35365241 PMCID: PMC8974159 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-02819-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Autologous T cells genetically engineered to express chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) have shown promising outcomes and emerged as a new curative option for hematological malignancy, especially malignant neoplasm of B cells. Notably, when T cells are transduced with CAR constructs, composed of the antigen recognition domain of monoclonal antibodies, they retain their cytotoxic properties in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-independent manner. Despite its beneficial effect, the current CAR T cell therapy approach faces myriad challenges in solid tumors, including immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor antigen heterogeneity, stromal impediment, and tumor accessibility, as well as tribulations such as on-target/off-tumor toxicity and cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Herein, we highlight the complications that hamper the effectiveness of CAR T cells in solid tumors and the strategies that have been recommended to overcome these hurdles and improve infused T cell performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faroogh Marofi
- Immunology Research Center (IRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Harun Achmad
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
| | - Dmitry Bokov
- Institute of Pharmacy, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 8 Trubetskaya St., bldg. 2, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation.,Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Federal Research Center of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety, 2/14 Ustyinsky pr., Moscow, 109240, Russian Federation
| | - Walid Kamal Abdelbasset
- Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Physical Therapy, Kasr Al-Aini Hospital, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Zeid Alsadoon
- Dentistry Department, College of Technical Engineering, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq
| | - Supat Chupradit
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Wanich Suksatan
- Faculty of Nursing, HRH Princess Chulabhorn College of Medical Science, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand
| | - Siavash Shariatzadeh
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Hasanpoor
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahboubeh Yazdanifar
- Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Navid Shomali
- Immunology Research Center (IRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Regulation of the antigen presentation machinery in cancer and its implication for immune surveillance. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:825-837. [PMID: 35343573 PMCID: PMC9162455 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Evading immune destruction is one of the hallmarks of cancer. A key mechanism of immune evasion deployed by tumour cells is to reduce neoantigen presentation through down-regulation of the antigen presentation machinery. MHC-I and MHC-II proteins are key components of the antigen presentation machinery responsible for neoantigen presentation to CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes, respectively. Their expression in tumour cells is modulated by a complex interplay of genomic, transcriptomic and post translational factors involving multiple intracellular antigen processing pathways. Ongoing research investigates mechanisms invoked by cancer cells to abrogate MHC-I expression and attenuate anti-tumour CD8+ cytotoxic T cell response. The discovery of MHC-II on tumour cells has been less characterized. However, this finding has triggered further interest in utilising tumour-specific MHC-II to harness sustained anti-tumour immunity through the activation of CD4+ T helper cells. Tumour-specific expression of MHC-I and MHC-II has been associated with improved patient survival in most clinical studies. Thus, their reactivation represents an attractive way to unleash anti-tumour immunity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of physiologically conserved or novel mechanisms utilised by tumour cells to reduce MHC-I or MHC-II expression. It outlines current approaches employed at the preclinical and clinical trial interface towards reversing these processes in order to improve response to immunotherapy and survival outcomes for patients with cancer.
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33
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Taylor BC, Balko JM. Mechanisms of MHC-I Downregulation and Role in Immunotherapy Response. Front Immunol 2022; 13:844866. [PMID: 35296095 PMCID: PMC8920040 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.844866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has become a key therapeutic strategy in the treatment of many cancers. As a result, research efforts have been aimed at understanding mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy and how anti-tumor immune response can be therapeutically enhanced. It has been shown that tumor cell recognition by the immune system plays a key role in effective response to T cell targeting therapies in patients. One mechanism by which tumor cells can avoid immunosurveillance is through the downregulation of Major Histocompatibility Complex I (MHC-I). Downregulation of MHC-I has been described as a mechanism of intrinsic and acquired resistance to immunotherapy in patients with cancer. Depending on the mechanism, the downregulation of MHC-I can sometimes be therapeutically restored to aid in anti-tumor immunity. In this article, we will review current research in MHC-I downregulation and its impact on immunotherapy response in patients, as well as possible strategies for therapeutic upregulation of MHC-I.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandie C. Taylor
- Department of Medicine, Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Justin M. Balko
- Department of Medicine, Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- *Correspondence: Justin M. Balko,
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Chen YJ, Luo SN, Wu H, Zhang NP, Dong L, Liu TT, Liang L, Shen XZ. IRF-2 inhibits cancer proliferation by promoting AMER-1 transcription in human gastric cancer. J Transl Med 2022; 20:68. [PMID: 35115027 PMCID: PMC8812234 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03275-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interferon regulatory factor 2 (IRF-2) acts as an anti-oncogene in gastric cancer (GC); however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. METHODS This study determined the expression of IRF-2 in GC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and explored the predictive value of IRF-2 for the prognoses of GC patients. Cell function and xenograft tumor growth experiments in nude mice were performed to test tumor proliferation ability, both in vitro and in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) assay was used to verify the direct target of IRF-2. RESULTS We found that IRF-2 expression was downregulated in GC tissues and was negatively correlated with the prognoses of GC patients. IRF-2 negatively affected GC cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. ChIP-Seq assay showed that IRF-2 could directly activate AMER-1 transcription and regulate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which was validated using IHC, in both tissue microarray and xenografted tumor tissues, western blot analysis, and cell function experiments. CONCLUSIONS Increased expression of IRF-2 can inhibit tumor growth and affect the prognoses of patients by directly regulating AMER-1 transcription in GC and inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Jie Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, NO. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Neng Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, NO. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, NO. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning-Ping Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, NO. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling Dong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, NO. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao-Tao Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, NO. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Liang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated To Fudan University, NO. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated To Fudan University, NO. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.
- Center of Evidence-Based Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated To Fudan University, NO. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xi-Zhong Shen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, NO. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.
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Zhu C, Zhang S, Liu D, Wang Q, Yang N, Zheng Z, Wu Q, Zhou Y. A Novel Gene Prognostic Signature Based on Differential DNA Methylation in Breast Cancer. Front Genet 2021; 12:742578. [PMID: 34956313 PMCID: PMC8693898 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.742578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: DNA methylation played essential roles in regulating gene expression. The impact of DNA methylation status on the occurrence and development of cancers has been well demonstrated. However, little is known about its prognostic role in breast cancer (BC). Materials: The Illumina Human Methylation450 array (450k array) data of BC was downloaded from the UCSC xena database. Transcriptomic data of BC was downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Firstly, we used univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis to screen out independent prognostic CpGs, and then we identified methylation-associated prognosis subgroups by consensus clustering. Next, a methylation prognostic model was developed using multivariate Cox analysis and was validated with the Illumina Human Methylation27 array (27k array) dataset of BC. We then screened out differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between methylation high-risk and low-risk groups and constructed a methylation-based gene prognostic signature. Further, we validated the gene signature with three subgroups of the TCGA-BRCA dataset and an external dataset GSE146558 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Results: We established a methylation prognostic signature and a methylation-based gene prognostic signature, and there was a close positive correlation between them. The gene prognostic signature involved six genes: IRF2, KCNJ11, ZDHHC9, LRP11, PCMT1, and TMEM70. We verified their expression in mRNA and protein levels in BC. Both methylation and methylation-based gene prognostic signatures showed good prognostic stratification ability. The AUC values of 3-years, 5-years overall survival (OS) were 0.737, 0.744 in the methylation signature and 0.725, 0.715 in the gene signature, respectively. In the validation groups, high-risk patients were confirmed to have poorer OS. The AUC values of 3 years were 0.757, 0.735, 0.733 in the three subgroups of TCGA dataset and 0.635 in GSE146558 dataset. Conclusion: This study revealed the DNA methylation landscape and established promising methylation and methylation-based gene prognostic signatures that could serve as potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Zhu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuyuan Zhang
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Di Liu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qingqing Wang
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ningning Yang
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhewen Zheng
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiuji Wu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunfeng Zhou
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Sauerer T, Lischer C, Weich A, Berking C, Vera J, Dörrie J. Single-Molecule RNA Sequencing Reveals IFNγ-Induced Differential Expression of Immune Escape Genes in Merkel Cell Polyomavirus-Positive MCC Cell Lines. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:785662. [PMID: 35003017 PMCID: PMC8727593 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.785662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and highly aggressive cancer, which is mainly caused by genomic integration of the Merkel cell polyomavirus and subsequent expression of a truncated form of its large T antigen. The resulting primary tumor is known to be immunogenic and under constant pressure to escape immune surveillance. Because interferon gamma (IFNγ), a key player of immune response, is secreted by many immune effector cells and has been shown to exert both anti-tumoral and pro-tumoral effects, we studied the transcriptomic response of MCC cells to IFNγ. In particular, immune modulatory effects that may help the tumor evade immune surveillance were of high interest to our investigation. The effect of IFNγ treatment on the transcriptomic program of three MCC cell lines (WaGa, MKL-1, and MKL-2) was analyzed using single-molecule sequencing via the Oxford Nanopore platform. A significant differential expression of several genes was detected across all three cell lines. Subsequent pathway analysis and manual annotation showed a clear upregulation of genes involved in the immune escape of tumor due to IFNγ treatment. The analysis of selected genes on protein level underlined our sequencing results. These findings contribute to a better understanding of immune escape of MCC and may help in clinical treatment of MCC patients. Furthermore, we demonstrate that single-molecule sequencing can be used to assess characteristics of large eukaryotic transcriptomes and thus contribute to a broader access to sequencing data in the community due to its low cost of entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Sauerer
- RNA-based Immunotherapy, Hautklinik, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christopher Lischer
- Systems Tumor Immunology, Hautklinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Adrian Weich
- Systems Tumor Immunology, Hautklinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Carola Berking
- Hautklinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Julio Vera
- Systems Tumor Immunology, Hautklinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Dörrie
- RNA-based Immunotherapy, Hautklinik, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Fan S, Wang L. N 6-Methyladenosine-regulated LINC00675 Suppress the Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Breast Cancer cells via Inhibiting miR-513b-5p. Bioengineered 2021; 12:10690-10702. [PMID: 34738869 PMCID: PMC8810037 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.2001905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women. LINC00675 and miR-513b-5p has been reported to be abnormally expressed in multiple types of cancers and modulate malignant phenotypes of cancer cells. However, to date, the functional role and underlying regulatory mechanism of LINC00675 and miR-513b-5p in BC remains largely unknown. Here, we found that LINC00675 was significantly downregulated in BC tissues and cell lines. Decrease of LINC00675 expression associated with higher tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion and shorter survival in BC patients. Functional experiments demonstrated that overexpression of LINC00675 suppressed BC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, whereas depletion of LINC00675 exerted opposite effects. Mechanistically, LINC00675 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to interact with miR-513b-5p and suppress its expression. Moreover, METTL3 increased the m6A methylation of LINC00675, which enhanced the association between LINC00675 and miR-513b-5p. Collectively, the central findings of our study suggest that LINC00675 represses BC progression through the inhibition of miR-513b-5p in a m6A-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenglan Fan
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Breast Cancer, Wuhan, Hubei, 430079, China
| | - Liping Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430079, China
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38
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Kiritsy MC, McCann K, Mott D, Holland SM, Behar SM, Sassetti CM, Olive AJ. Mitochondrial respiration contributes to the interferon gamma response in antigen-presenting cells. eLife 2021; 10:e65109. [PMID: 34726598 PMCID: PMC8598164 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunological synapse allows antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to convey a wide array of functionally distinct signals to T cells, which ultimately shape the immune response. The relative effect of stimulatory and inhibitory signals is influenced by the activation state of the APC, which is determined by an interplay between signal transduction and metabolic pathways. While pathways downstream of toll-like receptors rely on glycolytic metabolism for the proper expression of inflammatory mediators, little is known about the metabolic dependencies of other critical signals such as interferon gamma (IFNγ). Using CRISPR-Cas9, we performed a series of genome-wide knockout screens in murine macrophages to identify the regulators of IFNγ-inducible T cell stimulatory or inhibitory proteins MHCII, CD40, and PD-L1. Our multiscreen approach enabled us to identify novel pathways that preferentially control functionally distinct proteins. Further integration of these screening data implicated complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in the expression of all three markers, and by extension the IFNγ signaling pathway. We report that the IFNγ response requires mitochondrial respiration, and APCs are unable to activate T cells upon genetic or chemical inhibition of complex I. These findings suggest a dichotomous metabolic dependency between IFNγ and toll-like receptor signaling, implicating mitochondrial function as a fulcrum of innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Kiritsy
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Katelyn McCann
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Daniel Mott
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Steven M Holland
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Samuel M Behar
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Christopher M Sassetti
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Andrew J Olive
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
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Lu B, Xu H, Ding M, Yan C. Interferon Regulatory Factor 2 (IRF2) Inhibits the Invasion and Migration of Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Cells by Downregulation of Spindle Pole Body Component 24 (SPC24). J BIOMATER TISS ENG 2021. [DOI: 10.1166/jbt.2021.2769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
It has been reported that the increased expression of SPC24 (spindle pole body component 24) was involved in the initiation and development of various cancers. However, the role of SPC24 in ccRCC (clear cell renal cell carcinoma) remains largely unknown. In the present study, the changes
and correlation of SPC24 and IRF2 (interferon regulatory factor 2) with ccRCC were evaluated by using GEPIA, TCGA and GTEx database. Then the involvement of SPC24 and IRF2 in invasion and migration was investigated in CaKi-1 cells, a human renal adenocarcinoma cell line. The bioinformatics
assay revealed that the expression of SPC24 and IRF2 in kidney tissue of patients with renal clear cell cancer was significantly increased, and the expression of SPC24 and IRF2 in kidney tissue was positively and negatively related to cancer phase and survival rate in patients with ccRCC respectively.
Notably, in vitro experimental study demonstrated that SPC25 promoted the invasion and migration of CaKi-1 cells, a human renal adenocarcinoma cell line. Furthermore, IRF2 shows potential binding site with SPC24 promoter, IRF2 overexpression significantly decreased SPC24 mRNA level,
whereas inhibition of IRF2 with specific small hairpin RNA (shRNA) significantly increased SPC24 mRNA level. Functionally, inhibition of SPC24 with specific shRNA reversed the stimulatory effect of IRF2 shRNA on the invasion and migration of cells, whereas SPC24 over-expression reversed the
inhibitory effect of IRF2 overexpression on the invasion and migration of cells. Finally, ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) assay shows that IRF2 could directly bind with SPC24 promoter. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that IRF2/SPC24 signaling pathway contributes to the increased
invasion and migration in ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Lu
- Department of Urology, Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Medical Center of Soochow University, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Suzhou, 215000, P. R. China
| | - Hongbo Xu
- Department of Urology, Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Medical Center of Soochow University, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Suzhou, 215000, P. R. China
| | - Meng Ding
- Department of Urology, Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Medical Center of Soochow University, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Suzhou, 215000, P. R. China
| | - Chunyin Yan
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, P. R. China
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40
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Bashash D, Zandi Z, Kashani B, Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi A, Salari S, Ghaffari SH. Resistance to immunotherapy in human malignancies: Mechanisms, research progresses, challenges, and opportunities. J Cell Physiol 2021; 237:346-372. [PMID: 34498289 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Despite remarkable advances in different types of cancer therapies, an effective therapeutic strategy is still a major and significant challenge. One of the most promising approaches in this regard is immunotherapy, which takes advantage of the patients' immune system; however, the many mechanisms that cancerous cells harbor to extend their survival make it impossible to gain perfect eradication of tumors. The response rate to cancer immunotherapies, especially checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive T cell therapy, substantially differs in various cancer types with the highest rates in advanced melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. Indeed, the lack of response in many tumors indicates primary resistance that can originate from either tumor cells (intrinsic) or tumor microenvironment (extrinsic). On the other hand, some tumors show an initial response to immunotherapy followed by relapse in few months (acquired resistance). Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance makes it possible to develop effective strategies to overcome this hurdle and boost therapy outcomes. In this review, we take a look at immunotherapy strategies and go through a number of primary and acquired resistance mechanisms. Also, we present various ongoing methods to overcoming resistance and introduce some promising fields to improve the outcome of immunotherapy in patients affected with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davood Bashash
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Zandi
- Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Shariati Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahareh Kashani
- Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Shariati Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atieh Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sina Salari
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Taleghani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed H Ghaffari
- Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Shariati Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Pinato DJ, Murray SM, Forner A, Kaneko T, Fessas P, Toniutto P, Mínguez B, Cacciato V, Avellini C, Diaz A, Boyton RJ, Altmann DM, Goldin RD, Akarca AU, Marafioti T, Mauri FA, Casagrande E, Grillo F, Giannini E, Bhoori S, Mazzaferro V. Trans-arterial chemoembolization as a loco-regional inducer of immunogenic cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma: implications for immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:e003311. [PMID: 34593621 PMCID: PMC8487214 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modulation of adaptive immunity may underscore the efficacy of trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE). We evaluated the influence of TACE on T-cell function by phenotypic lymphocyte characterization in samples of patients undergoing surgery with (T+) or without (T-) prior-TACE treatment. METHODS We profiled intratumoral (IT), peritumoral (PT) and non-tumoral (NT) background tissue to evaluate regulatory CD4+/FOXP3+ (T-reg) and immune-exhausted CD8+/PD-1+ T-cells across T+ (n=58) and T- (n=61). We performed targeted transcriptomics and T-cell receptor sequencing in a restricted subset of samples (n=24) evaluated in relationship with the expression of actionable drivers of anti-cancer immunity including PD-L1, indoleamine 2,3 dehydrogenase (IDO-1), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), Lag-3, Tim-3 and CD163. RESULTS We analyzed 119 patients resected (n=25, 21%) or transplanted (n=94, 79%) for Child-Pugh A (n=65, 55%) and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage A (n=92, 77%) hepatocellular carcinoma. T+ samples displayed lower IT CD4+/FOXP3+ (p=0.006), CD8+ (p=0.002) and CD8+/PD-1+ and NT CD8+/PD-1+ (p<0.001) compared with T-. Lower IT (p=0.005) and NT CD4+/FOXP3+ (p=0.03) predicted for improved recurrence-free survival. In a subset of samples (n=24), transcriptomic analysis revealed upregulation of a pro-inflammatory response in T+. T+ samples were enriched for IRF2 expression (p=0.01), an interferon-regulated transcription factor implicated in cancer immune-evasion. T-cell clonality and expression of PD-L1, IDO-1, CTLA-4, Lag-3, Tim-3 and CD163 was similar in T+ versus T-. CONCLUSIONS TACE is associated with lower IT density of immune-exhausted effector cytotoxic and T-regs, with significant upregulation of pro-inflammatory pathways. This highlights the pleiotropic effects of TACE in modulating the tumor microenvironment and strengthens the rationale for developing immunotherapy alongside TACE.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Pinato
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
- Division of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Universita del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Novara, Italy
| | - Sam M Murray
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Alejandro Forner
- Liver Unit, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Group, University of Barcelona, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Petros Fessas
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Pierluigi Toniutto
- Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Medical Area (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Beatriz Mínguez
- Liver Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valentina Cacciato
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS-Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Claudio Avellini
- Institute of Histopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "Santa Maria della Misericordia", Udine, Italy
| | - Alba Diaz
- Pathology Department, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Group, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosemary J Boyton
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Daniel M Altmann
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | | | - Ayse U Akarca
- Department of Histopathology, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Teresa Marafioti
- Department of Histopathology, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Francesco A Mauri
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Edoardo Casagrande
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS-Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Federica Grillo
- Department of Surgical Sciences, IRCCS-Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Edoardo Giannini
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS-Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Sherrie Bhoori
- Department of Oncology, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
- Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Mazzaferro
- Department of Oncology, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
- Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
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Chang K, Han K, Qiu W, Hu Z, Chen X, Chen X, Xie X, Wang S, Hu C, Mao H. Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) interferon regulatory factor 8 down-regulates interferon1 expression via interaction with interferon regulatory factor 2 in vitro. Mol Immunol 2021; 137:202-211. [PMID: 34280770 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8), also known as interferon consensus sequence-binding protein (ICSBP), is a negative regulatory factor of interferon (IFN) and plays an important role in cell differentiation and innate immunity in mammals. In recent years, some irf8 homologous genes have been cloned and confirmed to take part in innate immune response in fish, but the mechanism still remains unclear. In this paper, a grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) irf8 gene (Ciirf8) was cloned and characterized. The deduced protein (CiIRF8) possesses a highly conserved N-terminal DNA binding domain but a less well-conserved C-terminal IRF association domain (IAD). Ciirf8 was widely expressed in all tested tissues of grass carp and up-regulated following poly(I:C) stimulation. Ciirf8 expression was also up-regulated in CIK cells upon treatment with poly(I:C). To explore the molecular mechanism of how fish IRF8 regulates ifn1 expression, the similarities and differences of grass carp IRF8 and IRF2 were compared and contrasted. Subcellular localization analysis showed that CiIRF8 is located both in the cytoplasm and nucleus; however, CiIRF2 is only located in the nucleus. The nuclear-cytoplasmic translocation of CiIRF8 was observed in CIK cells under stimulation with poly(I:C). The interaction of CiIRF8 and CiIRF2 was further confirmed by a co-immunoprecipitation assay in the nucleus. Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that the promoter activity of Ciifn1 was significantly inhibited by co-transfection with CiIRF2 and CiIRF8. The transcription inhibition of Ciifn1 was alleviated by competitive binding of CiIRF2 and CiIRF8 to CiIRF1. In conclusion, CiIRF8 down-regulates Ciifn1 expression via interaction with CiIRF2 in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaile Chang
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Kun Han
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Weihua Qiu
- Teaching Material Research Office of Jiangxi Provincial Education Department, China
| | - Zhizhen Hu
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Xingxing Chen
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Xin Chen
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Xiaofen Xie
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Shanghong Wang
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Chengyu Hu
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Huiling Mao
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
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Hierarchy of signaling thresholds downstream of the T cell receptor and the Tec kinase ITK. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2025825118. [PMID: 34452995 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025825118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The strength of peptide:MHC interactions with the T cell receptor (TCR) is correlated with the time to first cell division, the relative scale of the effector cell response, and the graded expression of activation-associated proteins like IRF4. To regulate T cell activation programming, the TCR and the TCR proximal interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase (ITK) simultaneously trigger many biochemically separate signaling cascades. T cells lacking ITK exhibit selective impairments in effector T cell responses after activation, but under the strongest signaling conditions, ITK activity is dispensable. To gain insight into whether TCR signal strength and ITK activity tune observed graded gene expression through the unequal activation of distinct signaling pathways, we examined Erk1/2 phosphorylation or nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB translocation in naïve OT-I CD8+ cell nuclei. We observed the consistent digital activation of NFAT1 and Erk1/2, but NF-κB displayed dynamic, graded activation in response to variation in TCR signal strength, tunable by treatment with an ITK inhibitor. Inhibitor-treated cells showed the dampened induction of AP-1 factors Fos and Fosb, NF-κB response gene transcripts, and survival factor Il2 transcripts. ATAC sequencing analysis also revealed that genomic regions most sensitive to ITK inhibition were enriched for NF-κB and AP-1 motifs. Specific inhibition of NF-κB during peptide stimulation tuned the expression of early gene products like c-Fos. Together, these data indicate a key role for ITK in orchestrating the optimal activation of separate TCR downstream pathways, specifically aiding NF-κB activation. More broadly, we revealed a mechanism by which variations in TCR signal strength can produce patterns of graded gene expression in activated T cells.
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44
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Boesch M, Baty F, Rothschild SI, Tamm M, Joerger M, Früh M, Brutsche MH. Tumour neoantigen mimicry by microbial species in cancer immunotherapy. Br J Cancer 2021; 125:313-323. [PMID: 33824481 PMCID: PMC8329167 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01365-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumour neoantigens arising from cancer-specific mutations generate a molecular fingerprint that has a definite specificity for cancer. Although this fingerprint perfectly discriminates cancer from healthy somatic and germline cells, and is therefore therapeutically exploitable using immune checkpoint blockade, gut and extra-gut microbial species can independently produce epitopes that resemble tumour neoantigens as part of their natural gene expression programmes. Such tumour molecular mimicry is likely not only to influence the quality and strength of the body's anti-cancer immune response, but could also explain why certain patients show favourable long-term responses to immune checkpoint blockade while others do not benefit at all from this treatment. This article outlines the requirement for tumour neoantigens in successful cancer immunotherapy and draws attention to the emerging role of microbiome-mediated tumour neoantigen mimicry in determining checkpoint immunotherapy outcome, with far-reaching implications for the future of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Florent Baty
- Lung Center, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Sacha I Rothschild
- Department of Medical Oncology and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Tamm
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus Joerger
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Martin Früh
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Abstract
Therapeutic cancer vaccines have undergone a resurgence in the past decade. A better understanding of the breadth of tumour-associated antigens, the native immune response and development of novel technologies for antigen delivery has facilitated improved vaccine design. The goal of therapeutic cancer vaccines is to induce tumour regression, eradicate minimal residual disease, establish lasting antitumour memory and avoid non-specific or adverse reactions. However, tumour-induced immunosuppression and immunoresistance pose significant challenges to achieving this goal. In this Review, we deliberate on how to improve and expand the antigen repertoire for vaccines, consider developments in vaccine platforms and explore antigen-agnostic in situ vaccines. Furthermore, we summarize the reasons for failure of cancer vaccines in the past and provide an overview of various mechanisms of resistance posed by the tumour. Finally, we propose strategies for combining suitable vaccine platforms with novel immunomodulatory approaches and standard-of-care treatments for overcoming tumour resistance and enhancing clinical efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Saxena
- Vaccine and Cell Therapy Laboratory, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Hematology and Oncology Department, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Nina Bhardwaj
- Vaccine and Cell Therapy Laboratory, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Hematology and Oncology Department, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Parker Institute of Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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46
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Jongsma MLM, Neefjes J, Spaapen RM. Playing hide and seek: Tumor cells in control of MHC class I antigen presentation. Mol Immunol 2021; 136:36-44. [PMID: 34082257 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
MHC class I (MHC-I) molecules present a blueprint of the intracellular proteome to T cells allowing them to control infection or malignant transformation. As a response, pathogens and tumor cells often downmodulate MHC-I mediated antigen presentation to escape from immune surveillance. Although the fundamental rules of antigen presentation are known in detail, the players in this system are not saturated and new modules of regulation have recently been uncovered. Here, we update the understanding of antigen presentation by MHC-I molecules and how this can be exploited by tumors to prevent exposure of the intracellular proteome. This knowledge can provide new ways to improve immune responses against tumors and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L M Jongsma
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - J Neefjes
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - R M Spaapen
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Ma J, Miao H, Zhang H, Ren J, Qu S, Da J, Xu F, Zhao H. LncRNA GAS5 modulates the progression of non-small cell lung cancer through repressing miR-221-3p and up-regulating IRF2. Diagn Pathol 2021; 16:46. [PMID: 34022918 PMCID: PMC8140465 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-021-01108-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long non-coding RNA growth arrest specific 5 (GAS5) is a regulator in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression. Nonetheless, the mechanism by which GAS5 exerts its biological function in NSCLC cells remains unclear. METHODS GAS5, miR-221-3p relative expression levels in NSCLC tissues and cells were examined by qPCR. After gain-of-function and loss-of-function models were established, the viability of H1299 and A549 cells were examined by CCK-8 and EdU assays. Cell migration and invasion were examined by the Transwell experiment. The binding sequence of GAS5 for miR-221-3p was confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter gene experiment. The regulatory function of GAS5 and miR-221-3p on IRF2 was investigated by Western blot. RESULTS GAS5 expression was down-modulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. GAS5 overexpression restrained the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells, while miR-221-3p, which was targeted and negatively modulated by GAS5, worked oppositely. Restoration of miR-221-3p markedly reversed the effects of GAS5 on NSCLC cells. Additionally, GAS5 increased IRF2 expression in NSCLC cells by repressing miR-221-3p. CONCLUSIONS GAS5 blocks the progression of NSCLC partly via increasing IRF2 expression level via repressing miR-221-3p.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ma
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong, Yonghe road No.500, 226011, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haiyan Miao
- Department of General Surgery, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong, 226011, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haiyun Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong, Yonghe road No.500, 226011, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingjing Ren
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong, Yonghe road No.500, 226011, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shengyan Qu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong, Yonghe road No.500, 226011, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Da
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong, 226011, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Feifan Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong, Yonghe road No.500, 226011, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Huan Zhao
- Department of Respiration, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong, Yonghe road No.500, 226011, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
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48
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Li X, Zhang W. Expression of PD-L1 in EBV-associated malignancies. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 95:107553. [PMID: 33765613 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Epstein-Barr virus infection is closely related to the occurrence and development of a variety of malignant tumors. Tumor immunotherapy has been combined with modern biological high-tech technology, and has become the fourth cancer treatment mode after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In 2013, immunotherapy was named the first of ten scientific breakthroughs by science. It aims to control and destroy tumor cells by stimulating and enhancing autoimmune function. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-L1 have become a research hotspot in the field of cancer. Recent studies have shown that EBV infection can upregulate PD-L1 through complex mechanisms. Further understanding of these mechanisms and prevention of hyperprogressive disease (HPD) can make PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors an effective way of immunotherapy for EBV related malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxu Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China; Clinical Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Wuhu City, Wuhu 241001, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenling Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
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Dhatchinamoorthy K, Colbert JD, Rock KL. Cancer Immune Evasion Through Loss of MHC Class I Antigen Presentation. Front Immunol 2021; 12:636568. [PMID: 33767702 PMCID: PMC7986854 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.636568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 396] [Impact Index Per Article: 132.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Major histocompatibility class I (MHC I) molecules bind peptides derived from a cell's expressed genes and then transport and display this antigenic information on the cell surface. This allows CD8 T cells to identify pathological cells that are synthesizing abnormal proteins, such as cancers that are expressing mutated proteins. In order for many cancers to arise and progress, they need to evolve mechanisms to avoid elimination by CD8 T cells. MHC I molecules are not essential for cell survival and therefore one mechanism by which cancers can evade immune control is by losing MHC I antigen presentation machinery (APM). Not only will this impair the ability of natural immune responses to control cancers, but also frustrate immunotherapies that work by re-invigorating anti-tumor CD8 T cells, such as checkpoint blockade. Here we review the evidence that loss of MHC I antigen presentation is a frequent occurrence in many cancers. We discuss new insights into some common underlying mechanisms through which some cancers inactivate the MHC I pathway and consider some possible strategies to overcome this limitation in ways that could restore immune control of tumors and improve immunotherapy.
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50
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MHC class I loss in endometrial carcinoma: a potential resistance mechanism to immune checkpoint inhibition. Mod Pathol 2021; 34:627-636. [PMID: 33011747 DOI: 10.1038/s41379-020-00682-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I is a membrane-bound protein complex expressed on nucleated human cells. MHC class I presents intracellular protein fragments to cytotoxic T cells and triggers an activation cascade upon neoantigen detection by these cells. MHC class I loss by tumor cells decreases tumor neoantigen presentation to the immune system and therefore represents a possible mechanism of immunotherapeutic resistance even among cancers that otherwise appear to be good candidates for checkpoint inhibition, such as mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient and PD-L1-positive malignancies. We herein assess MHC class I expression in a range of endometrial carcinomas, including MMR-deficient and PD-L1-positive cancers. Immunohistochemical staining for combined MHC class I A-, B-, and C-heavy chains was performed on 76 cases of endometrial carcinoma and was classified as present, subclonally lost, or diffusely lost. Tumoral PD-L1 expression, PD-L1 combined positive score, and CD3-positive T lymphocytes were also quantified. Forty-two percent of tumors showed loss of MHC class I expression, either in a subclonal (26%) or diffuse (16%) pattern. This included 46% of MMR-deficient and 25% of PD-L1-positive cancers. These findings suggest that tumoral MHC class I status may be an important factor to consider when selecting endometrial cancer patients for checkpoint inhibition.
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