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Shi L, Zhang F, Yan J, Luo M, Liu K, Liu P, Yan G, Li C, Yang Y, Zeng Q, Zhang G, Chen WR, Wang X. Photothermal therapy improves the efficacy of topical immunotherapy against melanoma. Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther 2024:104290. [PMID: 39067671 DOI: 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2024.104290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma is an aggressive cancer with poor response to traditional therapies. A combination of photothermal therapy and topical immunotherapy is expected to eliminate melanoma effectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS C57BL/6 mice with early stage and metastatic melanoma were treated with laser immunotherapy (LIT), combining near-infrared laser-based photothermal therapy (PTT) and topical imiquimod (IMQ)-based immunotherapy. The volume of primary and abscopal melanoma, animal survival, tissue temperature, transcriptome, and immune cell response were investigated to evaluate the effect of LIT. RESULTS LIT could eliminate primary tumors, inhibited abscopal tumors, and prolonged animal survival. The tumor tissues were selectively destroyed under a photothermal gradient between 38.2 ± 3.7°C and 73.0 ± 2.3°C. Gene expression analysis showed a significant increase in the expression of damage associated molecular patterns. Additionally, the expression of mature dendritic cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells were increased, while myeloid-derived suppressor cells were downregulated after LIT. CONCLUSION The study showed that LIT inhibited the growth of both primary and abscopal melanoma by activating systemic antitumor immune responses and reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, making LIT a potential method for advanced melanoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Shi
- Department of Dermatology, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, P. R. China
| | - Fuhe Zhang
- Institute of Photomedicine, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Jia Yan
- Institute of Photomedicine, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Min Luo
- Institute of Photomedicine, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Kaili Liu
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Pei Liu
- Institute of Photomedicine, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Guorong Yan
- Institute of Photomedicine, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Chunxiao Li
- Institute of Photomedicine, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Yutong Yang
- Institute of Photomedicine, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Qingyu Zeng
- Institute of Photomedicine, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Guolong Zhang
- Institute of Photomedicine, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Wei R Chen
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Institute of Photomedicine, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China.
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Chandnani N, Gupta I, Mandal A, Sarkar K. Participation of B cell in immunotherapy of cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 255:155169. [PMID: 38330617 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2024.155169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Even though their effector roles extend beyond conventional humoral immunity, B and plasma cells may exhibit antitumor effects through antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) and activation of the complement cascade. Depending on whether they are positioned in immature or mature compartments termed tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), which include T cells, B cells are believed to play numerous functions in modulating the immune system's capacity to destroy cancer cells. These formations represent a process of lymphoid neogenesis that takes place in peripheral tissues in response to prolonged exposure to inflammatory signals. Activated in the germinal centres of tertiary lymphoid structures, B cells may directly present tumor-associated antigens to T cells, make antibodies that enhance antigen presentation to T cells, or kill tumour cells, resulting in a favourable therapeutic effect. Immune complexes may also enhance inflammation, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression via the activation of macrophages and complement, resulting in detrimental effects. The functional variety of B-cell subsets includes professional antigen-presenting cells, regulatory cells, memory populations, and plasma cells that produce antibodies. Importantly, antibodies may independently generate innate immune responses and the cancer immunity cycle. B cells and B-cell-mediated antibody responses constitute the largely underestimated second arm of the adaptive immune system and unquestionably need more consideration in cancer. This article reviews the known roles of B lymphocytes in the tumour microenvironment, their contribution to anticancer activity of immunotherapies, and their significance in overall survival of cancer patients. In addition to producing antibodies, B cells regulate the immune system and serve as effective antigen-presenting cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Chandnani
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Ishika Gupta
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Ayush Mandal
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Koustav Sarkar
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India.
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Beniwal N, Verma A, Putta CL, Rengan AK. Recent Trends in Bio-nanomaterials and Non-invasive Combinatorial Approaches of Photothermal Therapy against Cancer. Nanotheranostics 2024; 8:219-238. [PMID: 38444743 PMCID: PMC10911972 DOI: 10.7150/ntno.91356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2020, approximately 10 million deaths worldwide were attributed to cancer, making it the primary cause of death globally. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is one of the novel ways to treat and abolish cancer. PTT significantly impacts cancer theranostics compared to other therapies like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy due to its remarkable binding capability to tumor sites and lower invasiveness into normal healthy tissues. PTT relies on photothermal agents (PTAs), which generate heat by absorbing the near-infrared (NIR) light and destroying cancer cells. Several PTT agents remain longer in the reticuloendothelial system (RES) and induce toxicity, restricting their use in the biomedical field. To overcome this problem, the usage of biodegradable nano-photothermal agents is required. This review has discussed the PTT mechanism of action and different types of novel bio-nanomaterials used for PTT. We also focussed on the combinatorial effects of PTT with other cancer therapies and their effect on human health. The role of LED lights and mild hypothermia in PTT has been discussed briefly in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Aravind Kumar Rengan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, Telangana-502285, India
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Hoover AR, More S, Liu K, West CL, Valerio TI, Furrer CL, Adams JP, Yu N, Villalva C, Kumar A, Alleruzzo L, Lam SSK, Hode T, Papin JF, Chen WR. N-dihydrogalactochitosan serves as an effective mucosal adjuvant for intranasal vaccine in combination with recombinant viral proteins against respiratory infection. Acta Biomater 2024; 175:279-292. [PMID: 38160856 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.12.039] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Mucosal vaccinations for respiratory pathogens provide effective protection as they stimulate localized cellular and humoral immunities at the site of infection. Currently, the major limitation of intranasal vaccination is using effective adjuvants capable of withstanding the harsh environment imposed by the mucosa. Herein, we describe the efficacy of using a unique biopolymer, N-dihydrogalactochitosan (GC), as a nasal mucosal vaccine adjuvant against respiratory infections. Specifically, we mixed GC with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike (S) and nucleocapsid (NC) proteins to intranasally vaccinate K18-hACE2 transgenic mice, in comparison with Addavax (AV), an MF-59 equivalent. In contrast to AV, intranasal application of GC induces a robust, systemic antigen-specific antibody response and increases the number of T cells in the cervical lymph nodes. Moreover, GC+S+NC-vaccinated animals were largely resistant to the lethal SARS-CoV-2 challenge and experienced drastically reduced morbidity and mortality, with animal weights and behavior returning to normal 22 days post-infection. In contrast, animals intranasally vaccinated with AV+S+NC experienced severe weight loss, mortality, and respiratory distress, with none surviving beyond 6 days post-infection. Our findings demonstrate that GC can serve as a potent mucosal vaccine adjuvant against SARS-CoV-2 and potentially other respiratory viruses. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We demonstrated that a unique biopolymer, N-dihydrogalactochitosan (GC), was an effective nasal mucosal vaccine adjuvant against respiratory infections. Specifically, we mixed GC with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike (S) and nucleocapsid (NC) proteins to intranasally vaccinate K18-hACE2 transgenic mice, in comparison with Addavax (AV). In contrast to AV, GC induces a robust, systemic antigen-specific antibody response and increases the number of T cells in the cervical lymph nodes. About 90 % of the GC+S+NC-vaccinated animals survived the lethal SARS-CoV-2 challenge and remained healthy 22 days post-infection, while the AV+S+NC-vaccinated animals experienced severe weight loss and respiratory distress, and all died within 6 days post-infection. Our findings demonstrate that GC is a potent mucosal vaccine adjuvant against SARS-CoV-2 and potentially other respiratory viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley R Hoover
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA; Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Sunil More
- Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK USA
| | - Kaili Liu
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Connor L West
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Trisha I Valerio
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Coline L Furrer
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Jacob P Adams
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Ningli Yu
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Crystal Villalva
- Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK USA
| | - Amit Kumar
- Biogen Inc., 225 Bnney Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lu Alleruzzo
- Immunophotonics, Inc., 4340 Duncan Avenue, Suite 212, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Samuel S K Lam
- Immunophotonics, Inc., 4340 Duncan Avenue, Suite 212, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tomas Hode
- Immunophotonics, Inc., 4340 Duncan Avenue, Suite 212, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - James F Papin
- Department Pathology and Division of Comparative Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, USA
| | - Wei R Chen
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.
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Liu K, Sadeghipour N, Hoover AR, Valero TI, Furrer C, Adams J, Naqash AR, Zhao M, Papin JF, Chen WR. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals that tumor-infiltrating natural killer cells are activated by localized ablative immunotherapy and share anti-tumor signatures induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.02.539163. [PMID: 37205468 PMCID: PMC10187236 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.02.539163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Rationale Natural killer (NK) cells provide protective anti-cancer immunity. However, the cancer therapy induced activation gene signatures and pathways in NK cells remain unclear. Methods We applied a novel localized ablative immunotherapy (LAIT) by synergizing photothermal therapy (PTT) with intra-tumor delivering of the immunostimulant N-dihydrogalactochitosan (GC), to treat breast cancer using a mammary tumor virus-polyoma middle tumor-antigen (MMTV-PyMT) mouse model. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) analysis to unveil the cellular heterogeneity and compare the transcriptional alterations induced by PTT, GC, and LAIT in NK cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Results ScRNAseq showed that NK subtypes, including cycling, activated, interferon-stimulated, and cytotoxic NK cells. Trajectory analysis revealed a route toward activation and cytotoxicity following pseudotime progression. Both GC and LAIT elevated gene expression associated with NK cell activation, cytolytic effectors, activating receptors, IFN pathway components, and cytokines/chemokines in NK subtypes. Single-cell transcriptomics analysis using immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-treated animal and human samples revealed that ICI-induced NK activation and cytotoxicity across several cancer types. Furthermore, ICI-induced NK gene signatures were also induced by LAIT treatment. We also discovered that several types of cancer patients had significantly longer overall survival when they had higher expression of genes in NK cells that were also specifically upregulated by LAIT. Conclusion Our findings show for the first time that LAIT activates cytotoxicity in NK cells and the upregulated genes positively correlate with beneficial clinical outcomes for cancer patients. More importantly, our results further establish the correlation between the effects of LAIT and ICI on NK cells, hence expanding our understanding of mechanism of LAIT in remodeling TME and shedding light on the potentials of NK cell activation and anti-tumor cytotoxic functions in clinical applications.
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Valerio TI, Furrer CL, Sadeghipour N, Patrock SJX, Tillery SA, Hoover AR, Liu K, Chen WR. Immune modulations of the tumor microenvironment in response to phototherapy. JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE OPTICAL HEALTH SCIENCES 2023; 16:2330007. [PMID: 38550850 PMCID: PMC10976517 DOI: 10.1142/s1793545823300070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes pro-tumor and anti-inflammatory metabolisms and suppresses the host immune system. It prevents immune cells from fighting against cancer effectively, resulting in limited efficacy of many current cancer treatment modalities. Different therapies aim to overcome the immunosuppressive TME by combining various approaches to synergize their effects for enhanced anti-tumor activity and augmented stimulation of the immune system. Immunotherapy has become a major therapeutic strategy because it unleashes the power of the immune system by activating, enhancing, and directing immune responses to prevent, control, and eliminate cancer. Phototherapy uses light irradiation to induce tumor cell death through photothermal, photochemical, and photo-immunological interactions. Phototherapy induces tumor immunogenic cell death, which is a precursor and enhancer for anti-tumor immunity. However, phototherapy alone has limited effects on long-term and systemic anti-tumor immune responses. Phototherapy can be combined with immunotherapy to improve the tumoricidal effect by killing target tumor cells, enhancing immune cell infiltration in tumors, and rewiring pathways in the TME from anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory. Phototherapy-enhanced immunotherapy triggers effective cooperation between innate and adaptive immunities, specifically targeting the tumor cells, whether they are localized or distant. Herein, the successes and limitations of phototherapy combined with other cancer treatment modalities will be discussed. Specifically, we will review the synergistic effects of phototherapy combined with different cancer therapies on tumor elimination and remodeling of the immunosuppressive TME. Overall, phototherapy, in combination with other therapeutic modalities, can establish anti-tumor pro-inflammatory phenotypes in activated tumor-infiltrating T cells and B cells and activate systemic anti-tumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha I. Valerio
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Coline L. Furrer
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Negar Sadeghipour
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Sophia-Joy X. Patrock
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Sayre A. Tillery
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Ashley R. Hoover
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Kaili Liu
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Wei R. Chen
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
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Hoover AR, Kaabinejadian S, Krawic JR, Sun XH, Naqash AR, Yin Q, Yang X, Christopher Garcia K, Davis MM, Hildebrand WH, Chen WR. Localized ablative immunotherapy drives de novo CD8 + T-cell responses to poorly immunogenic tumors. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:e004973. [PMID: 36253002 PMCID: PMC9577935 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Localized ablative immunotherapies hold great promise in stimulating antitumor immunity to treat metastatic and poorly immunogenic tumors. Tumor ablation is well known to release tumor antigens and danger-associated molecular patterns to stimulate T-cell immunity, but its immune stimulating effect is limited, particularly against metastatic tumors. METHODS In this study, we combined photothermal therapy with a potent immune stimulant, N-dihydrogalactochitosan, to create a local ablative immunotherapy which we refer to as laser immunotherapy (LIT). Mice bearing B16-F10 tumors were treated with LIT when the tumors reached 0.5 cm3 and were monitored for survival, T-cell activation, and the ability to resist tumor rechallenge. RESULTS We found that LIT stimulated a stronger and more consistent antitumor T-cell response to the immunologically 'cold' B16-F10 melanoma tumors and conferred a long-term antitumor memory on tumor rechallenge. Furthermore, we discovered that LIT generated de novo CD8+ T-cell responses that strongly correlated with animal survival and tumor rejection. CONCLUSION In summary, our findings demonstrate that LIT enhances the activation of T cells and drives de novo antitumor T-cell responses. The data presented herein suggests that localized ablative immunotherapies have great potential to synergize with immune checkpoint therapies to enhance its efficacy, resulting in improved antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley R Hoover
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Saghar Kaabinejadian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Jason R Krawic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Xiao-Hong Sun
- Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Abdul Rafeh Naqash
- Medical Oncology/TSET Phase 1 Program, The University of Oklahoma Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Qian Yin
- Institute for Immunity, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Xinbo Yang
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - K Christopher Garcia
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Mark M Davis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - William H Hildebrand
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Wei R Chen
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
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Hoover AR, Liu K, DeVette CI, Krawic JR, Medcalf AD, West CL, Hode T, Lam SSK, Welm AL, Sun XH, Hildebrand WH, Chen WR. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals localized tumour ablation and intratumoural immunostimulant delivery potentiate T cell mediated tumour killing. Clin Transl Med 2022; 12:e937. [PMID: 35808806 PMCID: PMC9270578 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metastatic breast cancer poses great challenge in cancer treatment. N‐dihydrogalactochitosan (GC) is a novel immunoadjuvant that stimulates systemic immune responses when administered intratumourally following local tumour ablation. A combination of photothermal therapy (PTT) and GC, referred to as localized ablative immunotherapy (LAIT), extended animal survival and generates an activated B cell phenotype in MMTV‐PyMT mouse mammary tumour microenvironment (TME). However, how T cell populations respond to LAIT remains to be elucidated. Methods Using depletion antibodies, we studied the contributions of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells to the therapeutic effect of LAIT. Using single‐cell RNA‐sequencing (scRNAseq), we analysed tumour‐infiltrating T cell heterogeneity and dissected their transcriptomes upon treatments of PTT, GC, and LAIT (PTT+GC). Results Loss of CD8+ T cells after LAIT abrogated the therapeutic benefits of LAIT. Ten days after treatment, proportions of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in untreated TME were 19.2% and 23.0%, respectively. Upon LAIT, both proportions were increased to 25.5% and 36.2%, respectively. In particular, LAIT increased the proportions of naïve and memory cells from a resting state to an activated state. LAIT consistently induced the expression of co‐stimulatory molecules, type I IFN responsive genes, and a series of antitumor cytokines, Ifng, Tnf, Il1, and Il17 in CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. LAIT also induced immune checkpoints Pdcd1, Ctla4, and Lag3 expression, consistent with T cell activation. Relevant to clinical translation, LAIT also upregulated genes in CD8+ and CD4+ T cells that positively correlated with extended survival of breast cancer patients. Conclusions Overall, our results reveal that LAIT prompts immunological remodelling of T cells by inducing broad proinflammatory responses and inhibiting suppressive signalling to drive antitumour immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley R Hoover
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA.,Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Kaili Liu
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Christa I DeVette
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Jason R Krawic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Alexandra D Medcalf
- Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Connor L West
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Tomas Hode
- Immunophotonics Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Alana L Welm
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Xiao-Hong Sun
- Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - William H Hildebrand
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Wei R Chen
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
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