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Stern LJ, Clement C, Galluzzi L, Santambrogio L. Non-mutational neoantigens in disease. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:29-40. [PMID: 38168954 PMCID: PMC11075006 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01664-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The ability of mammals to mount adaptive immune responses culminating with the establishment of immunological memory is predicated on the ability of the mature T cell repertoire to recognize antigenic peptides presented by syngeneic MHC class I and II molecules. Although it is widely believed that mature T cells are highly skewed towards the recognition of antigenic peptides originating from genetically diverse (for example, foreign or mutated) protein-coding regions, preclinical and clinical data rather demonstrate that novel antigenic determinants efficiently recognized by mature T cells can emerge from a variety of non-mutational mechanisms. In this Review, we describe various mechanisms that underlie the formation of bona fide non-mutational neoantigens, such as epitope mimicry, upregulation of cryptic epitopes, usage of non-canonical initiation codons, alternative RNA splicing, and defective ribosomal RNA processing, as well as both enzymatic and non-enzymatic post-translational protein modifications. Moreover, we discuss the implications of the immune recognition of non-mutational neoantigens for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence J Stern
- Department of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Immunology and Microbiology Program, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Cristina Clement
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Laura Santambrogio
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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2
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Buonaguro L, Tagliamonte M. Peptide-based vaccine for cancer therapies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1210044. [PMID: 37654484 PMCID: PMC10467431 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1210044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Different strategies based on peptides are available for cancer treatment, in particular to counter-act the progression of tumor growth and disease relapse. In the last decade, in the context of therapeutic strategies against cancer, peptide-based vaccines have been evaluated in different tumor models. The peptides selected for cancer vaccine development can be classified in two main type: tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and tumor-specific antigens (TSAs), which are captured, internalized, processed and presented by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to cell-mediated immunity. Peptides loaded onto MHC class I are recognized by a specific TCR of CD8+ T cells, which are activated to exert their cytotoxic activity against tumor cells presenting the same peptide-MHC-I complex. This process is defined as active immunotherapy as the host's immune system is either de novo activated or restimulated to mount an effective, tumor-specific immune reaction that may ultimately lead to tu-mor regression. However, while the preclinical data have frequently shown encouraging results, therapeutic cancer vaccines clinical trials, including those based on peptides have not provided satisfactory data to date. The limited efficacy of peptide-based cancer vaccines is the consequence of several factors, including the identification of specific target tumor antigens, the limited immunogenicity of peptides and the highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). An effective cancer vaccine can be developed only by addressing all such different aspects. The present review describes the state of the art for each of such factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Tagliamonte
- Innovative Immunological Models Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - “Fond G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy
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3
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Buonaguro L, Cavalluzzo B, Mauriello A, Ragone C, Tornesello AL, Buonaguro FM, Tornesello ML, Tagliamonte M. Microorganisms-derived antigens for preventive anti-cancer vaccines. Mol Aspects Med 2023; 92:101192. [PMID: 37295175 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2023.101192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cancer prevention is one of the aim with the highest priority in order to reduce the burden of cancer diagnosis and treatment on individuals as well as on healthcare systems. To this aim, vaccines represent the most efficient primary cancer prevention strategy. Indeed, anti-cancer immunological memory elicited by preventive vaccines might promptly expand and prevent tumor from progressing. Antigens derived from microorganisms (MoAs), represent the obvious target for developing highly effective preventive vaccines for virus-induced cancers. In this respect, the drastic reduction in cancer incidence following HBV and HPV preventive vaccines are the paradigmatic example of such evidence. More recently, experimental evidences suggest that MoAs may represent a "natural" anti-cancer preventive vaccination or can be exploited for developing vaccines to prevent cancers presenting highly homologous tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) (e.g. molecular mimicry). The present review describes the different preventive anti-cancer vaccines based on antigens derived from pathogens at the different stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Buonaguro
- Innovative Immunological Models Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Beatrice Cavalluzzo
- Innovative Immunological Models Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Mauriello
- Innovative Immunological Models Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Concetta Ragone
- Innovative Immunological Models Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Lucia Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncogenesis Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Franco M Buonaguro
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncogenesis Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Lina Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncogenesis Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Tagliamonte
- Innovative Immunological Models Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy.
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4
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Gouttefangeas C, Klein R, Maia A. The good and the bad of T cell cross-reactivity: challenges and opportunities for novel therapeutics in autoimmunity and cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1212546. [PMID: 37409132 PMCID: PMC10319254 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1212546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells are main actors of the immune system with an essential role in protection against pathogens and cancer. The molecular key event involved in this absolutely central task is the interaction of membrane-bound specific T cell receptors with peptide-MHC complexes which initiates T cell priming, activation and recall, and thus controls a range of downstream functions. While textbooks teach us that the repertoire of mature T cells is highly diverse, it is clear that this diversity cannot possibly cover all potential foreign peptides that might be encountered during life. TCR cross-reactivity, i.e. the ability of a single TCR to recognise different peptides, offers the best solution to this biological challenge. Reports have shown that indeed, TCR cross-reactivity is surprisingly high. Hence, the T cell dilemma is the following: be as specific as possible to target foreign danger and spare self, while being able to react to a large spectrum of body-threatening situations. This has major consequences for both autoimmune diseases and cancer, and significant implications for the development of T cell-based therapies. In this review, we will present essential experimental evidence of T cell cross-reactivity, implications for two opposite immune conditions, i.e. autoimmunity vs cancer, and how this can be differently exploited for immunotherapy approaches. Finally, we will discuss the tools available for predicting cross-reactivity and how improvements in this field might boost translational approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Gouttefangeas
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Reinhild Klein
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ana Maia
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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5
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Tagliamonte M, Cavalluzzo B, Mauriello A, Ragone C, Buonaguro FM, Tornesello ML, Buonaguro L. Molecular mimicry and cancer vaccine development. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:75. [PMID: 37101139 PMCID: PMC10131527 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01776-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of cancer immunotherapeutic strategies relies on the identification and validation of optimal target tumor antigens, which should be tumor-specific as well as able to elicit a swift and potent anti-tumor immune response. The vast majority of such strategies are based on tumor associated antigens (TAAs) which are shared wild type cellular self-epitopes highly expressed on tumor cells. Indeed, TAAs can be used to develop off-the-shelf cancer vaccines appropriate to all patients affected by the same malignancy. However, given that they may be also presented by HLAs on the surface of non-malignant cells, they may be possibly affected by immunological tolerance or elicit autoimmune responses. MAIN BODY In order to overcome such limitations, analogue peptides with improved antigenicity and immunogenicity able to elicit a cross-reactive T cell response are needed. To this aim, non-self-antigens derived from microorganisms (MoAs) may be of great benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tagliamonte
- Lab of Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS - "Fond. G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Beatrice Cavalluzzo
- Lab of Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS - "Fond. G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Mauriello
- Lab of Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS - "Fond. G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Concetta Ragone
- Lab of Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS - "Fond. G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Franco M Buonaguro
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncogenesis Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Lina Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncogenesis Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS - "Fond G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Lab of Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS - "Fond. G. Pascale", Naples, Italy.
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6
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Tagliamonte M, Buonaguro L. The impact of antigenic molecular mimicry on anti-cancer T-cell immune response. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1009247. [PMID: 36330482 PMCID: PMC9623278 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1009247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals are exposed to intracellular pathogens (i.e. viruses and intracellular bacteria) and intestinal microbiota, collectively microorganisms (MOs), which enter the body during the host’s lifetime. Altogether, MOs are a natural source of non-self antigens (MoAs) expressed by host’s cells in the context of the HLA class I molecules, inducing a wide pool of specific memory CD8+ T cell clones. Such MoAs have been shown in selected cases to share sequence and structural homology with cellular self-antigens (molecular mimicry), possibly inducing autoimmune reactions leading to autoimmune diseases (ADs). We have recently shown that a molecular mimicry may be found also to self-antigens presented by cancer cells (i.e. tumor-associated antigens, TAAs). Consequently, memory CD8+ T cell clones specific for the MoAs may turn out to be a natural “anti-cancer vaccination” if a nascent tumor lesion should express TAAs similar or identical to MoAs. We postulate that selecting MoAs with high homology to TAAs would greatly improve the efficacy of cancer vaccines in both preventive and therapeutic settings. Indeed, non-self MoAs are potently immunogenic because not affected by central immune tolerance. Unravelling the impact of the antigenic molecular mimicry between MoAs and TAAs might pave the way for novel anti-cancer immunotherapies with unprecedented efficacy.
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7
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Gan H, Min J, Long H, Li B, Hu X, Zhu Z, Li L, Wang T, He X, Cai J, Zhang Y, He J, Chen L, Wang D, Su J, Zhao N, Huang W, Zhang J, Su Z, Guo H, Hu X, Mao J, Ma J, Pang P. Microbial and human transcriptional profiling of coronavirus disease 2019 patients: Potential predictors of disease severity. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:959433. [PMID: 36118230 PMCID: PMC9479730 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.959433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The high morbidity of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brings on a panic around the world. COVID-19 is associated with sex bias, immune system, and preexisting chronic diseases. We analyzed the gene expression in patients with COVID-19 and in their microbiota in order to identify potential biomarkers to aid in disease management. A total of 129 RNA samples from nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and anal swabs were collected and sequenced in a high-throughput manner. Several microbial strains differed in abundance between patients with mild or severe COVID-19. Microbial genera were more abundant in oropharyngeal swabs than in nasopharyngeal or anal swabs. Oropharyngeal swabs allowed more sensitive detection of the causative SARS-CoV-2. Microbial and human transcriptomes in swabs from patients with mild disease showed enrichment of genes involved in amino acid metabolism, or protein modification via small protein removal, and antibacterial defense responses, respectively, whereas swabs from patients with severe disease showed enrichment of genes involved in drug metabolism, or negative regulation of apoptosis execution, spermatogenesis, and immune system, respectively. Microbial abundance and diversity did not differ significantly between males and females. The expression of several host genes on the X chromosome correlated negatively with disease severity. In this way, our analyses identify host genes whose differential expression could aid in the diagnosis of COVID-19 and prediction of its severity via non-invasive assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hairun Gan
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jiumeng Min
- BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Clinical Laboratory of BGI Health, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haoyu Long
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Bing Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Xinyan Hu
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Zhongyi Zhu
- BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Clinical Laboratory of BGI Health, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Luting Li
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Tiancheng Wang
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Xiangyan He
- BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Clinical Laboratory of BGI Health, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianxun Cai
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Yongyu Zhang
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jianan He
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Luan Chen
- BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Clinical Laboratory of BGI Health, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dashuai Wang
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jintao Su
- BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Clinical Laboratory of BGI Health, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ni Zhao
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Weile Huang
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Ziqi Su
- BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Clinical Laboratory of BGI Health, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Guo
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- *Correspondence: Hui Guo,
| | - Xiaojun Hu
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Xiaojun Hu,
| | - Junjie Mao
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Junjie Mao,
| | - Jinmin Ma
- BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Jinmin Ma,
| | - Pengfei Pang
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Pengfei Pang,
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Sander CA, Rush EA, Shi J, Arantes LMRB, Tesi RJ, Ross MA, Calderon MJ, Watkins SC, Kirkwood JM, Ferris RL, Butterfield LH, Vujanovic L. Co-expression of TNF receptors 1 and 2 on melanomas facilitates soluble TNF-induced resistance to MAPK pathway inhibitors. J Transl Med 2022; 20:331. [PMID: 35879777 PMCID: PMC9310383 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03538-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effectiveness of MAPK pathway inhibitors (MAPKi) used to treat patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma is limited by a range of resistance mechanisms, including soluble TNF (solTNF)-mediated NF-kB signaling. solTNF preferentially signals through type-1 TNF receptor (TNFR1), however, it can also bind to TNFR2, a receptor that is primarily expressed on leukocytes. Here, we investigate the TNFR2 expression pattern on human BRAFV600E+ melanomas and its role in solTNF-driven resistance reprogramming to MAPKi. METHODS Flow cytometry was used to test TNFR1, TNFR2 and CD271 expression on, as well as NF-kB phosphorylation in human BRAF-mutant melanoma. The ability of melanoma cell lines to acquire MAPKi resistance in response to recombinant or macrophage-derived TNF was evaluated using the MTT cytotoxicity assay. Gene editing was implemented to knock out or knock in TNF receptors in melanoma cell lines. Knockout and knock-in cell line variants were employed to assess the intrinsic roles of these receptors in TNF-induced resistance to MAPKi. Multicolor immunofluorescence microscopy was utilized to test TNFR2 expression by melanoma in patients receiving MAPKi therapy. RESULTS TNFR1 and TNFR2 are co-expressed at various levels on 4/7 BRAFV600E+ melanoma cell lines evaluated in this study. In vitro treatments with solTNF induce MAPKi resistance solely in TNFR2-expressing BRAFV600E+ melanoma cell lines. TNFR1 and TNFR2 knockout and knock-in studies indicate that solTNF-mediated MAPKi resistance in BRAFV600E+ melanomas is predicated on TNFR1 and TNFR2 co-expression, where TNFR1 is the central mediator of NF-kB signaling, while TNFR2 plays an auxiliary role. solTNF-mediated effects are transient and can be abrogated with biologics. Evaluation of patient specimens indicates that TNFR2 is expressed on 50% of primary BRAFV600E+ melanoma cells and that MAPKi therapy may lead to the enrichment of TNFR2-expressing tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that TNFR2 is essential to solTNF-induced MAPKi resistance and a possible biomarker to identify melanoma patients that can benefit from solTNF-targeting therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy A. Sander
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, L2.19 Hillman Cancer Center, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Rush
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, L2.19 Hillman Cancer Center, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Jian Shi
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, L2.19 Hillman Cancer Center, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Lidia M. R. B. Arantes
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, L2.19 Hillman Cancer Center, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.427783.d0000 0004 0615 7498Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, SP Brazil
| | | | - Mark A. Ross
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Michael J. Calderon
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Simon C. Watkins
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - John M. Kirkwood
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, L2.19 Hillman Cancer Center, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Robert L. Ferris
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, L2.19 Hillman Cancer Center, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Lisa H. Butterfield
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, L2.19 Hillman Cancer Center, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000School of Medicine Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.489192.f0000 0004 7782 4884Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Lazar Vujanovic
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, L2.19 Hillman Cancer Center, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
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9
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Melanoma-specific antigen-associated antitumor antibody reactivity as an immune-related biomarker for targeted immunotherapies. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2022; 2:48. [PMID: 35603273 PMCID: PMC9095616 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-022-00114-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Immunotherapies, including cancer vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed the management of many cancers. However, a large number of patients show resistance to these immunotherapies and current research has provided limited findings for predicting response to precision immunotherapy treatments. Methods: Here, we applied the next generation phage display mimotope variation analysis (MVA) to profile antibody response and dissect the role of humoral immunity in targeted cancer therapies, namely anti-tumor dendritic cell vaccine (MelCancerVac®) and immunotherapy with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies (pembrolizumab). Results: Analysis of the antibody immune response led to the characterization of epitopes that were linked to melanoma-associated and cancer-testis antigens (CTA) whose antibody response was induced upon MelCancerVac® treatments of lung cancer. Several of these epitopes aligned to antigens with strong immune response in patients with unresectable metastatic melanoma receiving anti-PD-1 therapy. Conclusions: This study provides insights into the differences and similarities in tumor-specific immunogenicity related to targeted immune treatments. The antibody epitopes as biomarkers reflect melanoma-associated features of immune response, and also provide insights into the molecular pathways contributing to the pathogenesis of cancer. Concluding, antibody epitope response can be useful in predicting anti-cancer immunity elicited by immunotherapy. Immunotherapy treatments, which utilize the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer, have become a standard treatment of cancer. However, for many patients’ immunotherapy does not work. During the immune response the body produces proteins called antibodies. This study characterized the antibodies produced following treatment with two different types of immunotherapies that treat skin cancer, to gain insights into how the immune system responds in different individuals. Our results demonstrate that multiple proteins that are present in patients with skin cancer are specifically targeted by the immune system during skin cancer specific immunotherapy. Our results should help further anti-cancer drug development. Rähni et al profile antibody response in patients with varied response to cancer immunotherapies. They identify antibody epitope responses that predict anti-cancer immunity elicited by immunotherapy.
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10
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Zitvogel L, Kroemer G. Cross-reactivity between microbial and tumor antigens. Curr Opin Immunol 2022; 75:102171. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2022.102171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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11
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Bystander T cells in cancer immunology and therapy. NATURE CANCER 2022; 3:143-155. [PMID: 35228747 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-022-00335-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-specific T cells are required for effective anti-cancer immunity and have a central role in cancer immunotherapy. However, emerging evidence suggests that only a small fraction of tumor-infiltrating T cells are cancer specific, and T cells that recognize cancer-unrelated antigens (so-called 'bystanders') are abundant. Although the role of cancer-specific T cells in anti-cancer immunity has been well established, the implications of bystander T cells in tumors are only beginning to be understood. It is becoming increasingly clear that bystander T cells are not a homogeneous group of cells but, instead, they differ in their specificities, their activation states and effector functions. In this Perspective, we discuss recent studies of bystander T cells in tumors, including experimental and computational approaches that enable their identification and functional analysis and viewpoints on how these insights could be used to develop new therapeutic approaches for cancer immunotherapy.
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12
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Gitto S, Natalini A, Antonangeli F, Di Rosa F. The Emerging Interplay Between Recirculating and Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells in Cancer Immunity: Lessons Learned From PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade Therapy and Remaining Gaps. Front Immunol 2021; 12:755304. [PMID: 34867987 PMCID: PMC8640962 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.755304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Remarkable progress has been made in the field of anti-tumor immunity, nevertheless many questions are still open. Thus, even though memory T cells have been implicated in long-term anti-tumor protection, particularly in prevention of cancer recurrence, the bases of their variable effectiveness in tumor patients are poorly understood. Two types of memory T cells have been described according to their traffic pathways: recirculating and tissue-resident memory T cells. Recirculating tumor-specific memory T cells are found in the cell infiltrate of solid tumors, in the lymph and in the peripheral blood, and they constantly migrate in and out of lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow. Tissue-resident tumor-specific memory T cells (TRM) permanently reside in the tumor, providing local protection. Anti-PD-1/PD-L1, a type of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, can considerably re-invigorate T cell response and lead to successful tumor control, even in patients at advanced stages. Indeed, ICB has led to unprecedented successes against many types of cancers, starting a ground-breaking revolution in tumor therapy. Unfortunately, not all patients are responsive to such treatment, thus further improvements are urgently needed. The mechanisms underlying resistance to ICB are still largely unknown. A better knowledge of the dynamics of the immune response driven by the two types of memory T cells before and after anti-PD-1/PD-L1 would provide important insights on the variability of the outcomes. This would be instrumental to design new treatments to overcome resistance. Here we provide an overview of T cell contribution to immunity against solid tumors, focusing on memory T cells. We summarize recent evidence on the involvement of recirculating memory T cells and TRM in anti-PD-1/PD-L1-elicited antitumor immunity, outline the open questions in the field, and propose that a synergic action of the two types of memory T cells is required to achieve a full response. We argue that a T-centric vision focused on the specific roles and the possible interplay between TRM and recirculating memory T cells will lead to a better understanding of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 mechanism of action, and provide new tools for improving ICB therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Gitto
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Ambra Natalini
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Antonangeli
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Rosa
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome, Italy
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13
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Esprit A, de Mey W, Bahadur Shahi R, Thielemans K, Franceschini L, Breckpot K. Neo-Antigen mRNA Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E776. [PMID: 33353155 PMCID: PMC7766040 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The interest in therapeutic cancer vaccines has caught enormous attention in recent years due to several breakthroughs in cancer research, among which the finding that successful checkpoint blockade treatments reinvigorate neo-antigen-specific T cells and that successful adoptive cell therapies are directed towards neo-antigens. Neo-antigens are cancer-specific antigens, which develop from somatic mutations in the cancer cell genome that can be highly immunogenic and are not subjected to central tolerance. As the majority of neo-antigens are unique to each patient's cancer, a vaccine technology that is flexible and potent is required to develop personalized neo-antigen vaccines. In vitro transcribed mRNA is such a technology platform and has been evaluated for delivery of neo-antigens to professional antigen-presenting cells both ex vivo and in vivo. In addition, strategies that support the activity of T cells in the tumor microenvironment have been developed. These represent a unique opportunity to ensure durable T cell activity upon vaccination. Here, we comprehensively review recent progress in mRNA-based neo-antigen vaccines, summarizing critical milestones that made it possible to bring the promise of therapeutic cancer vaccines within reach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Karine Breckpot
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy (LMCT), Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.E.); (W.d.M.); (R.B.S.); (K.T.); (L.F.)
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14
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de Almeida Nagata DE, Chiang EY, Jhunjhunwala S, Caplazi P, Arumugam V, Modrusan Z, Chan E, Merchant M, Jin L, Arnott D, Romero FA, Magnuson S, Gascoigne KE, Grogan JL. Regulation of Tumor-Associated Myeloid Cell Activity by CBP/EP300 Bromodomain Modulation of H3K27 Acetylation. Cell Rep 2020; 27:269-281.e4. [PMID: 30943407 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are found in most cancer malignancies and support tumorigenesis by suppressing immunity and promoting tumor growth. Here we identify the bromodomain (BRD) of CBP/EP300 as a critical regulator of H3K27 acetylation (H3K27ac) in MDSCs across promoters and enhancers of pro-tumorigenic target genes. In preclinical tumor models, in vivo administration of a CBP/EP300-BRD inhibitor (CBP/EP300-BRDi) alters intratumoral MDSCs and attenuates established tumor growth in immunocompetent tumor-bearing mice, as well as in MDSC-dependent xenograft models. Inhibition of CBP/EP300-BRD redirects tumor-associated MDSCs from a suppressive to an inflammatory phenotype through downregulation of STAT pathway-related genes and inhibition of Arg1 and iNOS. Similarly, CBP/EP300-BRDi decreases differentiation and suppressive function of human MDSCs in vitro. Our findings uncover a role of CBP/EP300-BRD in intratumoral MDSCs that may be targeted therapeutically to boost anti-tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eugene Y Chiang
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Suchit Jhunjhunwala
- Department of Bioinformatics, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Patrick Caplazi
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Vidhyalakshmi Arumugam
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Zora Modrusan
- Department of Micro Array Lab, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Emily Chan
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Mark Merchant
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Lingyan Jin
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - David Arnott
- Department of Technology, Proteomics & Biological Resources, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - F Anthony Romero
- Discovery Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Steven Magnuson
- Discovery Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Karen E Gascoigne
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Jane L Grogan
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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15
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Li D, Li X, Zhou WL, Huang Y, Liang X, Jiang L, Yang X, Sun J, Li Z, Han WD, Wang W. Genetically engineered T cells for cancer immunotherapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2019; 4:35. [PMID: 31637014 PMCID: PMC6799837 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-019-0070-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells in the immune system protect the human body from infection by pathogens and clear mutant cells through specific recognition by T cell receptors (TCRs). Cancer immunotherapy, by relying on this basic recognition method, boosts the antitumor efficacy of T cells by unleashing the inhibition of immune checkpoints and expands adaptive immunity by facilitating the adoptive transfer of genetically engineered T cells. T cells genetically equipped with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or TCRs have shown remarkable effectiveness in treating some hematological malignancies, although the efficacy of engineered T cells in treating solid tumors is far from satisfactory. In this review, we summarize the development of genetically engineered T cells, outline the most recent studies investigating genetically engineered T cells for cancer immunotherapy, and discuss strategies for improving the performance of these T cells in fighting cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041 Chengdu, China
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041 Chengdu, China
| | - Wei-Lin Zhou
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041 Chengdu, China
| | - Yong Huang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041 Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao Liang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041 Chengdu, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041 Chengdu, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041 Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao Yang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041 Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Sun
- Department of Cell Biology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310058 Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University & Laboratory of Stem cell and Immunotherapy Engineering, 310058 Zhejing, China
| | - Zonghai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 200032 Shanghai, China
- CARsgen Therapeutics, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Dong Han
- Molecular & Immunological Department, Biotherapeutic Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, 100853 Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041 Chengdu, China
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16
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Abstract
It has been known for decades that the immune system can be spontaneously activated against melanoma. The presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in tumor deposits is a positive prognostic factor. Cancer vaccination includes approaches to generate, amplify, or skew antitumor immunity. To accomplish this goal, tested approaches involve administration of tumor antigens, antigen presenting cells or other immune modulators, or direct modulation of the tumor. Because the success of checkpoint blockade can depend in part on an existing antitumor response, cancer vaccination may play an important role in future combination therapies. In this review, we discuss a variety of melanoma vaccine approaches and methods to determine the biological impact of vaccination.
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17
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Vujanovic L, Chuckran C, Lin Y, Ding F, Sander CA, Santos PM, Lohr J, Mashadi-Hossein A, Warren S, White A, Huang A, Kirkwood JM, Butterfield LH. CD56 dim CD16 - Natural Killer Cell Profiling in Melanoma Patients Receiving a Cancer Vaccine and Interferon-α. Front Immunol 2019; 10:14. [PMID: 30761123 PMCID: PMC6361792 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate cytotoxic and immunoregulatory lymphocytes that have a central role in anti-tumor immunity and play a critical role in mediating cellular immunity in advanced cancer immunotherapies, such as dendritic cell (DC) vaccines. Our group recently tested a novel recombinant adenovirus-transduced autologous DC-based vaccine that simultaneously induces T cell responses against three melanoma-associated antigens for advanced melanoma patients. Here, we examine the impact of this vaccine as well as the subsequent systemic delivery of high-dose interferon-α2b (HDI) on the circulatory NK cell profile in melanoma patients. At baseline, patient NK cells, particularly those isolated from high-risk patients with no measurable disease, showed altered distribution of CD56dim CD16+ and CD56dim CD16− NK cell subsets, as well as elevated serum levels of immune suppressive MICA, TN5E/CD73 and tactile/CD96, and perforin. Surprisingly, patient NK cells displayed a higher level of activation than those from healthy donors as measured by elevated CD69, NKp44 and CCR7 levels, and enhanced K562 killing. Elevated cytolytic ability strongly correlated with increased representation of CD56dim CD16+ NK cells and amplified CD69 expression on CD56dim CD16+ NK cells. While intradermal DC immunizations did not significantly impact circulatory NK cell activation and distribution profiles, subsequent HDI injections enhanced CD56bright CD16− NK cell numbers when compared to patients that did not receive HDI. Phenotypic analysis of tumor-infiltrating NK cells showed that CD56dim CD16− NK cells are the dominant subset in melanoma tumors. NanoString transcriptomic analysis of melanomas resected at baseline indicated that there was a trend of increased CD56dim NK cell gene signature expression in patients with better clinical response. These data indicate that melanoma patient blood NK cells display elevated activation levels, that intra-dermal DC immunizations did not effectively promote systemic NK cell responses, that systemic HDI administration can modulate NK cell subset distributions and suggest that CD56dim CD16− NK cells are a unique non-cytolytic subset in melanoma patients that may associate with better patient outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lazar Vujanovic
- University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Christopher Chuckran
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Yan Lin
- University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Fei Ding
- University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Cindy A Sander
- University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Patricia M Santos
- University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Joel Lohr
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | | | - Sarah Warren
- NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Andy White
- NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Alan Huang
- NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - John M Kirkwood
- University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Lisa H Butterfield
- University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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18
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Petrizzo A, Tagliamonte M, Mauriello A, Costa V, Aprile M, Esposito R, Caporale A, Luciano A, Arra C, Tornesello ML, Buonaguro FM, Buonaguro L. Unique true predicted neoantigens (TPNAs) correlates with anti-tumor immune control in HCC patients. J Transl Med 2018; 16:286. [PMID: 30340600 PMCID: PMC6194606 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1662-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A novel prediction algorithm is needed for the identification of effective tumor associated mutated neoantigens. Only those with no homology to self wild type antigens are true predicted neoantigens (TPNAs) and can elicit an antitumor T cell response, not attenuated by central tolerance. To this aim, the mutational landscape was evaluated in HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods Liver tumor biopsies and adjacent non-tumor liver tissues were obtained from 9 HCV-chronically infected subjects and subjected to RNA-Seq analysis. Mutant peptides were derived from single nucleotide variations and TPNAs were predicted using two prediction servers (e.g. NetTepi and NetMHCstabpan) by comparison with corresponding wild-type sequences, non-related self and pathogen-related antigens. Immunological confirmation was obtained in preclinical as well as clinical setting. Results The development of such an improved algorithm resulted in a handful of TPNAs despite the large number of predicted neoantigens. Furthermore, TPNAs may share homology to pathogen’s antigens and be targeted by a pre-existing T cell immunity. Cross-reactivity between such antigens was confirmed in an experimental pre-clinical setting. Finally, TPNAs homologous to pathogen’s antigens were found in the only HCC long-term survival patient, suggesting a correlation between the pre-existing T cell immunity specific for these TPNAs and the favourable clinical outcome. Conclusions The new algorithm allowed the identification of the very few TPNAs in cancer cells, and those targeted by a pre-existing immunity strongly correlated with long-term survival. Only such TPNAs represent the optimal candidates for immunotherapy strategies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12967-018-1662-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annacarmen Petrizzo
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunoregulation, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale"-IRCCS, Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Tagliamonte
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunoregulation, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale"-IRCCS, Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Mauriello
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunoregulation, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale"-IRCCS, Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Valerio Costa
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati-Traverso" (IGB), National Research Council, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Aprile
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati-Traverso" (IGB), National Research Council, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberta Esposito
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati-Traverso" (IGB), National Research Council, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Caporale
- Institute of Biostructures and Biomaging (IBB), National Research Council, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Luciano
- Animal Facility, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale"-IRCCS, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudio Arra
- Animal Facility, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale"-IRCCS, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Lina Tornesello
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale"-IRCCS, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Franco M Buonaguro
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale"-IRCCS, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunoregulation, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale"-IRCCS, Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy.
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19
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Pusch E, Renz H, Skevaki C. Respiratory virus-induced heterologous immunity: Part of the problem or part of the solution? ALLERGO JOURNAL 2018; 27:28-45. [PMID: 32300267 PMCID: PMC7149200 DOI: 10.1007/s15007-018-1580-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To provide current knowledge on respiratory virus-induced heterologous immunity (HI) with a focus on humoral and cellular cross-reactivity. Adaptive heterologous immune responses have broad implications on infection, autoimmunity, allergy and transplant immunology. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved might ultimately open up possibilities for disease prevention, for example by vaccination. Methods A structured literature search was performed using Medline and PubMed to provide an overview of the current knowledge on respiratory-virus induced adaptive HI. Results In HI the immune response towards one antigen results in an alteration of the immune response towards a second antigen. We provide an overview of respiratory virus-induced HI, including viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus (RV), coronavirus (CoV) and influenza virus (IV). We discuss T cell receptor (TCR) and humoral cross-reactivity as mechanisms of HI involving those respiratory viruses. Topics covered include HI between respiratory viruses as well as between respiratory viruses and other pathogens. Newly developed vaccines, which have the potential to provide protection against multiple virus strains are also discussed. Furthermore, respiratory viruses have been implicated in the development of autoimmune diseases, such as narcolepsy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, type 1 diabetes or myocarditis. Finally, we discuss the role of respiratory viruses in asthma and the hygiene hypothesis, and review our recent findings on HI between IV and allergens, which leads to protection from experimental asthma. Conclusion Respiratory-virus induced HI may have protective but also detrimental effects on the host. Respiratory viral infections contribute to asthma or autoimmune disease development, but on the other hand, a lack of microbial encounter is associated with an increasing number of allergic as well as autoimmune diseases. Future research might help identify the elements which determine a protective or detrimental outcome in HI-based mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Pusch
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstraße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Harald Renz
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstraße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Chrysanthi Skevaki
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstraße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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20
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Pusch E, Renz H, Skevaki C. Respiratory virus-induced heterologous immunity: Part of the problem or part of the solution? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 27:79-96. [PMID: 32226720 PMCID: PMC7100437 DOI: 10.1007/s40629-018-0056-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To provide current knowledge on respiratory virus-induced heterologous immunity (HI) with a focus on humoral and cellular cross-reactivity. Adaptive heterologous immune responses have broad implications on infection, autoimmunity, allergy and transplant immunology. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved might ultimately open up possibilities for disease prevention, for example by vaccination. Methods A structured literature search was performed using Medline and PubMed to provide an overview of the current knowledge on respiratory-virus induced adaptive HI. Results In HI the immune response towards one antigen results in an alteration of the immune response towards a second antigen. We provide an overview of respiratory virus-induced HI, including viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus (RV), coronavirus (CoV) and influenza virus (IV). We discuss T cell receptor (TCR) and humoral cross-reactivity as mechanisms of HI involving those respiratory viruses. Topics covered include HI between respiratory viruses as well as between respiratory viruses and other pathogens. Newly developed vaccines which have the potential to provide protection against multiple virus strains are also discussed. Furthermore, respiratory viruses have been implicated in the development of autoimmune diseases, such as narcolepsy, Guillain–Barré syndrome, type 1 diabetes or myocarditis. Finally, we discuss the role of respiratory viruses in asthma and the hygiene hypothesis, and review our recent findings on HI between IV and allergens, which leads to protection from experimental asthma. Conclusion Respiratory-virus induced HI may have protective but also detrimental effects on the host. Respiratory viral infections contribute to asthma or autoimmune disease development, but on the other hand, a lack of microbial encounter is associated with an increasing number of allergic as well as autoimmune diseases. Future research might help identify the elements which determine a protective or detrimental outcome in HI-based mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Pusch
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstraße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Harald Renz
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstraße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Chrysanthi Skevaki
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstraße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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21
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Sioud M. T-cell cross-reactivity may explain the large variation in how cancer patients respond to checkpoint inhibitors. Scand J Immunol 2018; 87. [DOI: 10.1111/sji.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mouldy Sioud
- Department of Cancer Immunology; Oslo University Hospital; The Norwegian Radium Hospital; Montebello Oslo Norway
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22
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Vujanovic L, Stahl EC, Pardee AD, Geller DA, Tsung A, Watkins SC, Gibson GA, Storkus WJ, Butterfield LH. Tumor-Derived α-Fetoprotein Directly Drives Human Natural Killer-Cell Activation and Subsequent Cell Death. Cancer Immunol Res 2017; 5:493-502. [PMID: 28468916 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-16-0216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with reduced natural killer (NK)-cell numbers and function have been shown to have a poor disease outcome. Mechanisms underlying NK-cell deficiency and dysfunction in HCC patients remain largely unresolved. α-Fetoprotein (AFP) is an oncofetal antigen produced by HCC. Previous studies demonstrated that tumor-derived AFP (tAFP) can indirectly impair NK-cell activity by suppressing dendritic cell function. However, a direct tAFP effect on NK cells remains unexplored. The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of cord blood-derived AFP (nAFP) and that of tAFP to directly modulate human NK-cell activity and longevity in vitro Short-term exposure to tAFP and, especially, nAFP proteins induced a unique proinflammatory, IL2-hyperresponsive phenotype in NK cells as measured by IL1β, IL6, and TNF secretion, CD69 upregulation, and enhanced tumor cell killing. In contrast, extended coculture with tAFP, but not nAFP, negatively affected long-term NK-cell viability. NK-cell activation was directly mediated by the AFP protein itself, whereas their viability was affected by hydrophilic components within the low molecular mass cargo that copurified with tAFP. Identification of the distinct impact of circulating tAFP on NK-cell function and viability may be crucial to developing a strategy to ameliorate HCC patient NK-cell functional deficits. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(6); 493-502. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lazar Vujanovic
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Elizabeth C Stahl
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Angela D Pardee
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David A Geller
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Allan Tsung
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Simon C Watkins
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Gregory A Gibson
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Walter J Storkus
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Lisa H Butterfield
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. .,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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