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Crook ZR, Girard EJ, Sevilla GP, Brusniak MY, Rupert PB, Friend DJ, Gewe MM, Clarke M, Lin I, Ruff R, Phi D, Bandaranayake A, Correnti CE, Mhyre AJ, Nairn NW, Strong RK, Olson JM. Abstract 1043: Advances in cystine-dense peptide (CDP) screening and therapeutic applications. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-1043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Cystine-dense peptides (CDPs) are a class of drug-like miniproteins that marry many of the advantages of biologics (high affinity and specificity) and small molecule therapeutics (high tissue permeability and low immunogenicity). The beneficial properties of CDPs, and miniproteins in general, have driven interest in therapeutic applications. However, CDP diversity is vast from every clade of life, and properly interrogating “CDP space” requires specialized screening and modeling tools.
With this in mind, we have created an optimized mammalian surface display platform to screen for CDPs of clinical interest using libraries of structurally-diverse native scaffolds optimized for stability. These native CDPs can be structurally modeled, which we did in determining the structures of over 4200 native CDPs. This modeling permits further selection in silico as well as targeted mutagenesis for favorable target-binding capabilities. Hits from these screens are routinely matured to sub-nM affinity. These CDPs can play numerous roles in a drug design pipeline, from an independent drug candidate to a delivery agent for tissue-targeting to a module in a polyspecific biologic. Recent novel CDP candidates have shown promise in immune-oncology space as part of a bispecific T-cell engager targeting PD-L1, where a single 2-week treatment was capable of eliminating subcutaneous PC3 prostate cancer xenograft tumors in 27/30 mice.
Besides bispecifics, future directions for the platform include exploring targeted protein degradation. Additionally, we are expanding upon our previous work on CDPs to explore CNS or tumor delivery of therapeutic cargo. The versatility of CDPs and novel screening tools to rapidly identify and mature candidates of interest can facilitate rapid advancement of CDP therapeutics to address difficult targets in oncology.
Citation Format: Zachary R. Crook, Emily J. Girard, Gregory P. Sevilla, Mi-Youn Brusniak, Peter B. Rupert, Della J. Friend, Mesfin M. Gewe, Midori Clarke, Ida Lin, Raymond Ruff, Doan Phi, Ashok Bandaranayake, Colin E. Correnti, Andrew J. Mhyre, Natalie W. Nairn, Roland K. Strong, James M. Olson. Advances in cystine-dense peptide (CDP) screening and therapeutic applications [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1043.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Midori Clarke
- 2Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Ida Lin
- 2Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Raymond Ruff
- 2Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
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Crook ZR, Girard EJ, Sevilla GP, Brusniak MY, Rupert PB, Friend DJ, Gewe MM, Clarke M, Lin I, Ruff R, Pakiam F, Phi TD, Bandaranayake A, Correnti CE, Mhyre AJ, Nairn NW, Strong RK, Olson JM. Ex silico engineering of cystine-dense peptides yielding a potent bispecific T cell engager. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabn0402. [PMID: 35584229 PMCID: PMC10118748 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn0402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cystine-dense peptides (CDPs) are a miniprotein class that can drug difficult targets with high affinity and low immunogenicity. Tools for their design, however, are not as developed as those for small-molecule and antibody drugs. CDPs have diverse taxonomic origins, but structural characterization is lacking. Here, we adapted Iterative Threading ASSEmbly Refinement (I-TASSER) and Rosetta protein modeling software for structural prediction of 4298 CDP scaffolds and performed in silico prescreening for CDP binders to targets of interest. Mammalian display screening of a library of docking-enriched, methionine and tyrosine scanned (DEMYS) CDPs against PD-L1 yielded binders from four distinct CDP scaffolds. One was affinity-matured, and cocrystallography yielded a high-affinity (KD = 202 pM) PD-L1-binding CDP that competes with PD-1 for PD-L1 binding. Its subsequent incorporation into a CD3-binding bispecific T cell engager produced a molecule with pM-range in vitro T cell killing potency and which substantially extends survival in two different xenograft tumor-bearing mouse models. Both in vitro and in vivo, the CDP-incorporating bispecific molecule outperformed a comparator antibody-based molecule. This CDP modeling and DEMYS technique can accelerate CDP therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R Crook
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Blaze Bioscience Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Emily J Girard
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Gregory P Sevilla
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Blaze Bioscience Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Mi-Youn Brusniak
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Peter B Rupert
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Della J Friend
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Mesfin M Gewe
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Midori Clarke
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ida Lin
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Raymond Ruff
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Fiona Pakiam
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Ashok Bandaranayake
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Colin E Correnti
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Andrew J Mhyre
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Roland K Strong
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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Hallinan JP, Doyle LA, Shen BW, Gewe MM, Takushi B, Kennedy MA, Friend D, Roberts JM, Bradley P, Stoddard BL. Design of functionalised circular tandem repeat proteins with longer repeat topologies and enhanced subunit contact surfaces. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1240. [PMID: 34716407 PMCID: PMC8556268 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02766-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Circular tandem repeat proteins (‘cTRPs’) are de novo designed protein scaffolds (in this and prior studies, based on antiparallel two-helix bundles) that contain repeated protein sequences and structural motifs and form closed circular structures. They can display significant stability and solubility, a wide range of sizes, and are useful as protein display particles for biotechnology applications. However, cTRPs also demonstrate inefficient self-assembly from smaller subunits. In this study, we describe a new generation of cTRPs, with longer repeats and increased interaction surfaces, which enhanced the self-assembly of two significantly different sizes of homotrimeric constructs. Finally, we demonstrated functionalization of these constructs with (1) a hexameric array of peptide-binding SH2 domains, and (2) a trimeric array of anti-SARS CoV-2 VHH domains. The latter proved capable of sub-nanomolar binding affinities towards the viral receptor binding domain and potent viral neutralization function. Jazmine Hallinan et al. report the development of a new generation of circular tandem repeat proteins with enhanced self-assembly. Functionalisation of these constructs with SARS CoV-2 VHH domains resulted in sub-nanomolar binding affinity to the viral receptor binding domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazmine P Hallinan
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Lindsey A Doyle
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Betty W Shen
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Mesfin M Gewe
- Lumen Bioscience Inc., 1441 North 34th Street, Seattle, WA, 98103, USA
| | - Brittany Takushi
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Madison A Kennedy
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Della Friend
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - James M Roberts
- Lumen Bioscience Inc., 1441 North 34th Street, Seattle, WA, 98103, USA
| | - Philip Bradley
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA. .,Division of Public Health Sciences and Program in Computational Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98009, USA.
| | - Barry L Stoddard
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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Cook Sangar ML, Girard EJ, Hopping G, Yin C, Pakiam F, Brusniak MY, Nguyen E, Ruff R, Gewe MM, Byrnes-Blake K, Nairn NW, Miller DM, Mehlin C, Strand AD, Mhyre AJ, Correnti CE, Strong RK, Simon JA, Olson JM. A potent peptide-steroid conjugate accumulates in cartilage and reverses arthritis without evidence of systemic corticosteroid exposure. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/533/eaay1041. [PMID: 32132215 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aay1041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
On-target, off-tissue toxicity limits the systemic use of drugs that would otherwise reduce symptoms or reverse the damage of arthritic diseases, leaving millions of patients in pain and with limited physical mobility. We identified cystine-dense peptides (CDPs) that rapidly accumulate in cartilage of the knees, ankles, hips, shoulders, and intervertebral discs after systemic administration. These CDPs could be used to concentrate arthritis drugs in joints. A cartilage-accumulating peptide, CDP-11R, reached peak concentration in cartilage within 30 min after administration and remained detectable for more than 4 days. Structural analysis of the peptides by crystallography revealed that the distribution of positive charge may be a distinguishing feature of joint-accumulating CDPs. In addition, quantitative whole-body autoradiography showed that the disulfide-bonded tertiary structure is critical for cartilage accumulation and retention. CDP-11R distributed to joints while carrying a fluorophore imaging agent or one of two different steroid payloads, dexamethasone (dex) and triamcinolone acetonide (TAA). Of the two payloads, the dex conjugate did not advance because the free drug released into circulation was sufficient to cause on-target toxicity. In contrast, the CDP-11R-TAA conjugate alleviated joint inflammation in the rat collagen-induced model of rheumatoid arthritis while avoiding toxicities that occurred with nontargeted steroid treatment at the same molar dose. This conjugate shows promise for clinical development and establishes proof of concept for multijoint targeting of disease-modifying therapeutic payloads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Cook Sangar
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Emily J Girard
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Gene Hopping
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Chunfeng Yin
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Fiona Pakiam
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Mi-Youn Brusniak
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Elizabeth Nguyen
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Raymond Ruff
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Mesfin M Gewe
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | | | | | - Christopher Mehlin
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Andrew D Strand
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Andrew J Mhyre
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Colin E Correnti
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Roland K Strong
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Julian A Simon
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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Bancroft T, DeBuysscher BL, Weidle C, Schwartz A, Wall A, Gray MD, Feng J, Steach HR, Fitzpatrick KS, Gewe MM, Skog PD, Doyle-Cooper C, Ota T, Strong RK, Nemazee D, Pancera M, Stamatatos L, McGuire AT, Taylor JJ. Detection and activation of HIV broadly neutralizing antibody precursor B cells using anti-idiotypes. J Exp Med 2019; 216:2331-2347. [PMID: 31345930 PMCID: PMC6780997 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20190164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Many tested vaccines fail to provide protection against disease despite the induction of antibodies that bind the pathogen of interest. In light of this, there is much interest in rationally designed subunit vaccines that direct the antibody response to protective epitopes. Here, we produced a panel of anti-idiotype antibodies able to specifically recognize the inferred germline version of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) broadly neutralizing antibody b12 (iglb12). We determined the crystal structure of two anti-idiotypes in complex with iglb12 and used these anti-idiotypes to identify rare naive human B cells expressing B cell receptors with similarity to iglb12. Immunization with a multimerized version of this anti-idiotype induced the proliferation of transgenic murine B cells expressing the iglb12 heavy chain in vivo, despite the presence of deletion and anergy within this population. Together, our data indicate that anti-idiotypes are a valuable tool for the study and induction of potentially protective antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Bancroft
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Blair L DeBuysscher
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Connor Weidle
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Allison Schwartz
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Abigail Wall
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Matthew D Gray
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Junli Feng
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Holly R Steach
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Kristin S Fitzpatrick
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Mesfin M Gewe
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Patrick D Skog
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Colleen Doyle-Cooper
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Takayuki Ota
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Roland K Strong
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - David Nemazee
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Marie Pancera
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Leonidas Stamatatos
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA .,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Andrew T McGuire
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA .,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Justin J Taylor
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA .,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.,Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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Correnti CE, Gewe MM, Mehlin C, Bandaranayake AD, Johnsen WA, Rupert PB, Brusniak MY, Clarke M, Burke SE, De Van Der Schueren W, Pilat K, Turnbaugh SM, May D, Watson A, Chan MK, Bahl CD, Olson JM, Strong RK. Screening, large-scale production and structure-based classification of cystine-dense peptides. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2018; 25:270-278. [PMID: 29483648 PMCID: PMC5840021 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-018-0033-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Peptides folded through interwoven disulfides display extreme biochemical properties and unique medicinal potential. However, their exploitation has been hampered by the limited amounts isolatable from natural sources and the expense of chemical synthesis. We developed reliable biological methods for high-throughput expression, screening and large-scale production of these peptides: 46 were successfully produced in multimilligram quantities, and >600 more were deemed expressible through stringent screening criteria. Many showed extreme resistance to temperature, proteolysis and/or reduction, and all displayed inhibitory activity against at least 1 of 20 ion channels tested, thus confirming their biological functionality. Crystal structures of 12 confirmed proper cystine topology and the utility of crystallography to study these molecules but also highlighted the need for rational classification. Previous categorization attempts have focused on limited subsets featuring distinct motifs. Here we present a global definition, classification and analysis of >700 structures of cystine-dense peptides, providing a unifying framework for these molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin E Correnti
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mesfin M Gewe
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christopher Mehlin
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ashok D Bandaranayake
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - William A Johnsen
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Peter B Rupert
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mi-Youn Brusniak
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Midori Clarke
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Skyler E Burke
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Kristina Pilat
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shanon M Turnbaugh
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Damon May
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alex Watson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Man Kid Chan
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Roland K Strong
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
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7
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Cai X, Caballero-Benitez A, Gewe MM, Jenkins IC, Drescher CW, Strong RK, Spies T, Groh V. Control of Tumor Initiation by NKG2D Naturally Expressed on Ovarian Cancer Cells. Neoplasia 2017; 19:471-482. [PMID: 28499126 PMCID: PMC5429243 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells may co-opt the NKG2D lymphocyte receptor to complement the presence of its ligands for autonomous stimulation of oncogenic signaling. Previous studies raise the possibility that cancer cell NKG2D may induce high malignancy traits, but its full oncogenic impact is unknown. Using epithelial ovarian cancer as model setting, we show here that ex vivo NKG2D+ cancer cells have stem-like capacities, and provide formal in vivo evidence linking NKG2D stimulation with the development and maintenance of these functional states. NKG2D+ ovarian cancer cell populations harbor substantially greater capacities for self-renewing in vitro sphere formation and in vivo tumor initiation in immunodeficient (NOD scid gamma) mice than NKG2D− controls. Sphere formation and tumor initiation are impaired by NKG2D silencing or ligand blockade using antibodies or a newly designed pan ligand-masking NKG2D multimer. In further support of pathophysiological significance, a prospective study of 47 high-grade serous ovarian cancer cases revealed that the odds of disease recurrence were significantly greater and median progression-free survival rates higher among patients with above and below median NKG2D+ cancer cell frequencies, respectively. Collectively, our results define cancer cell NKG2D as an important regulator of tumor initiation in ovarian cancer and presumably other malignancies and thus challenge current efforts in immunotherapy aimed at enhancing NKG2D function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Cai
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Andrea Caballero-Benitez
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Mesfin M Gewe
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Isaac C Jenkins
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Charles W Drescher
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Roland K Strong
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Thomas Spies
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Veronika Groh
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
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