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Mugarza E, van Maldegem F, Boumelha J, Moore C, Rana S, Llorian Sopena M, East P, Ambler R, Anastasiou P, Romero-Clavijo P, Valand K, Cole M, Molina-Arcas M, Downward J. Therapeutic KRAS G12C inhibition drives effective interferon-mediated antitumor immunity in immunogenic lung cancers. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabm8780. [PMID: 35857848 PMCID: PMC9299537 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm8780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Recently developed KRASG12C inhibitory drugs are beneficial to lung cancer patients harboring KRASG12C mutations, but drug resistance frequently develops. Because of the immunosuppressive nature of the signaling network controlled by oncogenic KRAS, these drugs can indirectly affect antitumor immunity, providing a rationale for their combination with immune checkpoint blockade. In this study, we have characterized how KRASG12C inhibition reverses immunosuppression driven by oncogenic KRAS in a number of preclinical lung cancer models with varying levels of immunogenicity. Mechanistically, KRASG12C inhibition up-regulates interferon signaling via Myc inhibition, leading to reduced tumor infiltration by immunosuppressive cells, enhanced infiltration and activation of cytotoxic T cells, and increased antigen presentation. However, the combination of KRASG12C inhibitors with immune checkpoint blockade only provides synergistic benefit in the most immunogenic tumor model. KRASG12C inhibition fails to sensitize cold tumors to immunotherapy, with implications for the design of clinical trials combining KRASG12C inhibitors with anti-PD1 drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edurne Mugarza
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Febe van Maldegem
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Jesse Boumelha
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Christopher Moore
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Sareena Rana
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Miriam Llorian Sopena
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Science Technology Platform, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Philip East
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Science Technology Platform, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Rachel Ambler
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Panayiotis Anastasiou
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Pablo Romero-Clavijo
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Karishma Valand
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Megan Cole
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Miriam Molina-Arcas
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Julian Downward
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Lung Cancer Group, Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, UK
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Edmunds GL, Wong CCW, Ambler R, Milodowski EJ, Alamir H, Cross SJ, Galea G, Wülfing C, Morgan DJ. Adenosine 2A receptor and TIM3 suppress cytolytic killing of tumor cells via cytoskeletal polarization. Commun Biol 2022; 5:9. [PMID: 35013519 PMCID: PMC8748690 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02972-8] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors generate an immune-suppressive environment that prevents effective killing of tumor cells by CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CTL). It remains largely unclear upon which cell type and at which stage of the anti-tumor response mediators of suppression act. We have combined an in vivo tumor model with a matching in vitro reconstruction of the tumor microenvironment based on tumor spheroids to identify suppressors of anti-tumor immunity that directly act on interaction between CTL and tumor cells and to determine mechanisms of action. An adenosine 2A receptor antagonist, as enhanced by blockade of TIM3, slowed tumor growth in vivo. Engagement of the adenosine 2A receptor and TIM3 reduced tumor cell killing in spheroids, impaired CTL cytoskeletal polarization ex vivo and in vitro and inhibited CTL infiltration into tumors and spheroids. With this role in CTL killing, blocking A2AR and TIM3 may complement therapies that enhance T cell priming, e.g. anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace L Edmunds
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Carissa C W Wong
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Rachel Ambler
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | | | - Hanin Alamir
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Stephen J Cross
- Wolfson BioImaging Facility, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Gabriella Galea
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Christoph Wülfing
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
| | - David J Morgan
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
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Ambler R, Edmunds GL, Tan SL, Cirillo S, Pernes JI, Ruan X, Huete-Carrasco J, Wong CCW, Lu J, Ward J, Toti G, Hedges AJ, Dovedi SJ, Murphy RF, Morgan DJ, Wülfing C. PD-1 suppresses the maintenance of cell couples between cytotoxic T cells and target tumor cells within the tumor. Sci Signal 2020; 13:13/649/eaau4518. [PMID: 32934075 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aau4518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The killing of tumor cells by CD8+ T cells is suppressed by the tumor microenvironment, and increased expression of inhibitory receptors, including programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), is associated with tumor-mediated suppression of T cells. To find cellular defects triggered by tumor exposure and associated PD-1 signaling, we established an ex vivo imaging approach to investigate the response of antigen-specific, activated effector CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) after interaction with target tumor cells. Although TIL-tumor cell couples readily formed, couple stability deteriorated within minutes. This was associated with impaired F-actin clearing from the center of the cellular interface, reduced Ca2+ signaling, increased TIL locomotion, and impaired tumor cell killing. The interaction of CD8+ T lymphocytes with tumor cell spheroids in vitro induced a similar phenotype, supporting a critical role of direct T cell-tumor cell contact. Diminished engagement of PD-1 within the tumor, but not acute ex vivo blockade, partially restored cell couple maintenance and killing. PD-1 thus contributes to the suppression of TIL function by inducing a state of impaired subcellular organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Ambler
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Grace L Edmunds
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Sin Lih Tan
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Silvia Cirillo
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Jane I Pernes
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Xiongtao Ruan
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jorge Huete-Carrasco
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Carissa C W Wong
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Jiahe Lu
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Juma Ward
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Giulia Toti
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Alan J Hedges
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Simon J Dovedi
- R&D Oncology, AstraZeneca, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, UK
| | - Robert F Murphy
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,Departments of Biological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering and Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies and Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - David J Morgan
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.
| | - Christoph Wülfing
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.
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Abstract
Three-dimensional live cell imaging of the interaction of T cells with antigen-presenting cells (APCs) visualizes the subcellular distributions of signaling intermediates during T cell activation at thousands of resolved positions within a cell. These information-rich maps of local protein concentrations are a valuable resource in understanding T cell signaling. Here, we describe a protocol for the efficient acquisition of such imaging data and their computational processing to create four-dimensional maps of local concentrations. This protocol allows quantitative analysis of T cell signaling as it occurs inside live cells with resolution in time and space across thousands of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Ambler
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Xiangtao Ruan
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, 7723 Gates-Hillman Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Robert F Murphy
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, 7723 Gates-Hillman Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- Department of Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
| | - Christoph Wülfing
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
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Britton GJ, Ambler R, Clark DJ, Hill EV, Tunbridge HM, McNally KE, Burton BR, Butterweck P, Sabatos-Peyton C, Hampton-O'Neil LA, Verkade P, Wülfing C, Wraith DC. PKCθ links proximal T cell and Notch signaling through localized regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28112644 PMCID: PMC5310840 DOI: 10.7554/elife.20003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Notch is a critical regulator of T cell differentiation and is activated through proteolytic cleavage in response to ligand engagement. Using murine myelin-reactive CD4 T cells, we demonstrate that proximal T cell signaling modulates Notch activation by a spatiotemporally constrained mechanism. The protein kinase PKCθ is a critical mediator of signaling by the T cell antigen receptor and the principal costimulatory receptor CD28. PKCθ selectively inactivates the negative regulator of F-actin generation, Coronin 1A, at the center of the T cell interface with the antigen presenting cell (APC). This allows for effective generation of the large actin-based lamellum required for recruitment of the Notch-processing membrane metalloproteinase ADAM10. Such enhancement of Notch activation is critical for efficient T cell proliferation and Th17 differentiation. We reveal a novel mechanism that, through modulation of the cytoskeleton, controls Notch activation at the T cell:APC interface thereby linking T cell receptor and Notch signaling pathways. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20003.001 The body’s immune system recognizes and responds to foreign agents such as bacteria and viruses. Immune cells known as T cells recognize foreign substances through a protein on their surface called the T cell receptor. Specifically, the T cell receptor binds to fragments of foreign proteins displayed on the surface of other cells, which sets in motion a chain of events that leads to the T cell becoming activated. An activated T cell divides to form new cells that develop into “effector” T cells, which can mount an effective immune response. The T cell engages with the cell displaying the foreign proteins via an interface referred to as the immunological synapse. This zone of contact brings together the signaling machinery of the T cell. Like many other cells, T cells contain an internal skeleton-like structure made up of actin filaments. These filaments are crucial for the formation of the immunological synapse, in part because they help to transport the T cell receptor and other signaling proteins to the immunological synapse. Recent research suggests that a signaling protein called Notch plays an important role in instructing activated T cells to develop into effector cells. Notch is found on the surface of many cells, including T cells, and it becomes activated when it is cut by a specific enzyme. However, it was not entirely clear how T cell signaling drives the activation of the Notch protein. Britton et al. have now investigated the mechanism that leads to Notch activation in T cells from mice. The results show that a protein found inside the T cell, called PKCθ, is a major contributor to Notch activation when T cells become activated. So how does the PKCθ protein control the activation of Notch? Britton et al. observed that PKCθ inactivates a protein that normally inhibits actin filaments from forming, and does so specifically at the center of the immunological synapse. This inhibition promotes the generation of a large actin-rich structure known as the lamellal actin network. This structure is required to recruit the Notch-cutting enzyme to the immunological synapse. Further analysis revealed that Notch gets cut and activated during the first few minutes of T cell activation leading to cell division and the development of effector T cells. Following on from this work, the next challenge will be to explore if altering signaling from the T cell receptor – for example, using drugs or small molecules – can modify the activation of Notch. If so, it will be important to explore if the chemicals could potentially be used to treat diseases that develop when T cells go awry, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and Crohn’s disease. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20003.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham J Britton
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Ambler
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Danielle J Clark
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Elaine V Hill
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Helen M Tunbridge
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Kerrie E McNally
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Bronwen R Burton
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Philomena Butterweck
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | | | - Lea A Hampton-O'Neil
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Verkade
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph Wülfing
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - David Cameron Wraith
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Roybal KT, Buck TE, Ruan X, Cho BH, Clark DJ, Ambler R, Tunbridge HM, Zhang J, Verkade P, Wülfing C, Murphy RF. Computational spatiotemporal analysis identifies WAVE2 and cofilin as joint regulators of costimulation-mediated T cell actin dynamics. Sci Signal 2016; 9:rs3. [PMID: 27095595 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aad4149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescence microscopy is one of the most important tools in cell biology research because it provides spatial and temporal information to investigate regulatory systems inside cells. This technique can generate data in the form of signal intensities at thousands of positions resolved inside individual live cells. However, given extensive cell-to-cell variation, these data cannot be readily assembled into three- or four-dimensional maps of protein concentration that can be compared across different cells and conditions. We have developed a method to enable comparison of imaging data from many cells and applied it to investigate actin dynamics in T cell activation. Antigen recognition in T cells by the T cell receptor (TCR) is amplified by engagement of the costimulatory receptor CD28. We imaged actin and eight core actin regulators to generate over a thousand movies of T cells under conditions in which CD28 was either engaged or blocked in the context of a strong TCR signal. Our computational analysis showed that the primary effect of costimulation blockade was to decrease recruitment of the activator of actin nucleation WAVE2 (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family verprolin-homologous protein 2) and the actin-severing protein cofilin to F-actin. Reconstitution of WAVE2 and cofilin activity restored the defect in actin signaling dynamics caused by costimulation blockade. Thus, we have developed and validated an approach to quantify protein distributions in time and space for the analysis of complex regulatory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kole T Roybal
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK. Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Taráz E Buck
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Xiongtao Ruan
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Baek Hwan Cho
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Danielle J Clark
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Rachel Ambler
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Helen M Tunbridge
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Jianwei Zhang
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Paul Verkade
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Christoph Wülfing
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK. Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA. Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Robert F Murphy
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Departments of Biological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies and Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79104, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
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Ambler R. Clinical credibility? RCM Midwives 2006; 9:144-5. [PMID: 16736791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
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Abstract
Recovery of diaphragm activity after bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis was monitored in a term infant using a mechanical sector scanner fitted with a 5 MHz transducer. The ratio of diaphragmatic excursion during spontaneous breathing and ventilator assistance was used an objective measure for comparison of diaphragmatic activity during recovery. Ultrasound assessment of diaphragm contraction may be used to study progress in diaphragmatic paralysis.
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Pomarolli RS, Ambler R. Voluntary withdrawal from primary flight training as a function of the individual flight instructor. Aerosp Med 1966; 37:810-2. [PMID: 5969441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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