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Zhao Y, Shuen TWH, Toh TB, Chan XY, Liu M, Tan SY, Fan Y, Yang H, Lyer SG, Bonney GK, Loh E, Chang KTE, Tan TC, Zhai W, Chan JKY, Chow EKH, Chee CE, Lee GH, Dan YY, Chow PKH, Toh HC, Lim SG, Chen Q. Development of a new patient-derived xenograft humanised mouse model to study human-specific tumour microenvironment and immunotherapy. Gut 2018; 67:1845-1854. [PMID: 29602780 PMCID: PMC6145285 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2017-315201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE As the current therapeutic strategies for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been proven to have limited effectiveness, immunotherapy becomes a compelling way to tackle the disease. We aim to provide humanised mouse (humice) models for the understanding of the interaction between human cancer and immune system, particularly for human-specific drug testing. DESIGN Patient-derived xenograft tumours are established with type I human leucocyte antigen matched human immune system in NOD-scid Il2rg-/- (NSG) mice. The longitudinal changes of the tumour and immune responses as well as the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors are investigated. RESULTS Similar to the clinical outcomes, the human immune system in our model is educated by the tumour and exhibits exhaustion phenotypes such as a significant declination of leucocyte numbers, upregulation of exhaustion markers and decreased the production of human proinflammatory cytokines. Notably, cytotoxic immune cells decreased more rapidly compared with other cell types. Tumour infiltrated T cells have much higher expression of exhaustion markers and lower cytokine production compared with peripheral T cells. In addition, tumour-associated macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells are found to be highly enriched in the tumour microenvironment. Interestingly, the tumour also changes gene expression profiles in response to immune responses by upregulating immune checkpoint ligands. Most importantly, in contrast to the NSG model, our model demonstrates both therapeutic and side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors pembrolizumab and ipilimumab. CONCLUSIONS Our work provides a model for immune-oncology study and a useful parallel-to-human platform for anti-HCC drug testing, especially immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhao
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | | | - Tan Boon Toh
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xue Ying Chan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Min Liu
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Sue Yee Tan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Yong Fan
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hechuan Yang
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Shridhar Ganpathi Lyer
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Glenn Kunnath Bonney
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Eva Loh
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
| | - Kenneth Tou En Chang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
| | - Thiam Chye Tan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
| | - Weiwei Zhai
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Jerry Kok Yen Chan
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Edward Kai-Hua Chow
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Cheng Ean Chee
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore
| | - Guan Huei Lee
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yock Young Dan
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pierce Kah-Hoe Chow
- Division of Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Center Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and Transplant Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore
| | - Han Chong Toh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Seng Gee Lim
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qingfeng Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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