1
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Hirakawa Y, Zhan Q, Essien S, Yu KK, Murad F, Piris A, Ramsey MR, Schatton T, Carucci JA, Schmults CD. Desmoplasia Is Associated with Decreased Cytotoxic and Helper T Cells and Increased T-Cell Exhaustion in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma. J Invest Dermatol 2024:S0022-202X(24)00095-2. [PMID: 38309575 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2024.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Hirakawa
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Qian Zhan
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sernah Essien
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kenneth K Yu
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Fadi Murad
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Adriano Piris
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew R Ramsey
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John A Carucci
- Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Chrysalyne D Schmults
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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2
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Martins C, Rasbach E, Heppt MV, Singh P, Kulcsar Z, Holzgruber J, Chakraborty A, Mucciarone K, Kleffel S, Brandenburg A, Hoetzenecker W, Rahbari NN, DeCaprio JA, Thakuria M, Murphy GF, Ramsey MR, Posch C, Barthel SR, Schatton T. Tumor cell-intrinsic PD-1 promotes Merkel cell carcinoma growth by activating downstream mTOR-mitochondrial ROS signaling. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadi2012. [PMID: 38241371 PMCID: PMC10798567 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive skin cancer. Inhibitors targeting the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint have improved MCC patient outcomes by boosting antitumor T cell immunity. Here, we identify PD-1 as a growth-promoting receptor intrinsic to MCC cells. In human MCC lines and clinical tumors, RT-PCR-based sequencing, immunoblotting, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated PD-1 gene and protein expression by MCC cells. MCC-PD-1 ligation enhanced, and its inhibition or silencing suppressed, in vitro proliferation and in vivo tumor xenograft growth. Consistently, MCC-PD-1 binding to PD-L1 or PD-L2 induced, while antibody-mediated PD-1 blockade inhibited, protumorigenic mTOR signaling, mitochondrial (mt) respiration, and ROS generation. Last, pharmacologic inhibition of mTOR or mtROS reversed MCC-PD-1:PD-L1-dependent proliferation and synergized with PD-1 checkpoint blockade in suppressing tumorigenesis. Our results identify an MCC-PD-1-mTOR-mtROS axis as a tumor growth-accelerating mechanism, the blockade of which might contribute to clinical response in patients with MCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Martins
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program of Glyco-Immunology and Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Erik Rasbach
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program of Glyco-Immunology and Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Markus V. Heppt
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Praveen Singh
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program of Glyco-Immunology and Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zsofi Kulcsar
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program of Glyco-Immunology and Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Julia Holzgruber
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program of Glyco-Immunology and Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Johannes Kepler University, 4020 Linz, Austria
| | - Asmi Chakraborty
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program of Glyco-Immunology and Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kyla Mucciarone
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sonja Kleffel
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anne Brandenburg
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Wolfram Hoetzenecker
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Johannes Kepler University, 4020 Linz, Austria
| | - Nuh N. Rahbari
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - James A. DeCaprio
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma Center of Excellence, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Manisha Thakuria
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma Center of Excellence, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - George F. Murphy
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Matthew R. Ramsey
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christian Posch
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Vienna Healthcare Group, 1130 Vienna, Austria
- Faculty of Medicine, Sigmund Freud University Vienna, 1020 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Steven R. Barthel
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program of Glyco-Immunology and Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program of Glyco-Immunology and Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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3
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Schatton T, Itoh Y, Martins C, Rasbach E, Singh P, Silva M, Mucciarone K, Heppt MV, Geddes-Sweeney J, Stewart K, Brandenburg A, Liang J, Dimitroff CJ, Mihm MC, Landsberg J, Schlapbach C, Lian CG, Murphy GF, Kupper TS, Ramsey MR, Barthel SR. Inhibition of melanoma cell-intrinsic Tim-3 stimulates MAPK-dependent tumorigenesis. Cancer Res 2022; 82:3774-3784. [PMID: 35980306 PMCID: PMC9598011 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-0970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3 (Tim-3) is an immune checkpoint receptor that dampens effector functions and causes terminal exhaustion of cytotoxic T-cells. Tim-3 inhibitors are under investigation in immuno-oncology (IO) trials, because blockade of T-cell-Tim-3 enhances antitumor immunity. Here, we identify an additional role for Tim-3 as a growth-suppressive receptor intrinsic to melanoma cells. Inhibition of melanoma cell-Tim-3 promoted tumor growth in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice, while melanoma-specific Tim-3 overexpression attenuated tumorigenesis. Antibody (Ab)-mediated Tim-3 blockade inhibited growth of immunogenic murine melanomas in T-cell-competent hosts, consistent with established antitumor effects of T-cell Tim-3 inhibition. In contrast, Tim-3 Ab administration stimulated tumorigenesis of both highly and lesser immunogenic murine and human melanomas in T-cell-deficient mice, confirming growth-promoting effects of melanoma-Tim-3 antagonism. Melanoma-Tim-3 activation suppressed, while its blockade enhanced, phosphorylation of pro-proliferative downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling mediators. Finally, pharmacologic MAPK inhibition reversed unwanted Tim-3 Ab-mediated tumorigenesis in T-cell-deficient mice and promoted desired antitumor activity of Tim-3 interference in T-cell-competent hosts. These results identify melanoma-Tim-3 blockade as a mechanism that antagonizes T-cell-Tim-3-directed IO therapeutic efficacy. They further reveal MAPK targeting as a combination strategy for circumventing adverse consequences of unintended melanoma-Tim-3 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schatton
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Corresponding Authors: Steven R. Barthel, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115. Phone: 617-525-5698; Fax: 617-525-5571; ; and Tobias Schatton, Phone: 617-525-5533;
| | - Yuta Itoh
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Christina Martins
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Erik Rasbach
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Praveen Singh
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mariana Silva
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kyla Mucciarone
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Markus V. Heppt
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jenna Geddes-Sweeney
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kate Stewart
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anne Brandenburg
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jennifer Liang
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Charles J. Dimitroff
- Department of Translational Medicine, Translational Glycobiology Institute at FIU, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Martin C. Mihm
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jennifer Landsberg
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Christine G. Lian
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - George F. Murphy
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Thomas S. Kupper
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Matthew R. Ramsey
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Steven R. Barthel
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Corresponding Authors: Steven R. Barthel, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115. Phone: 617-525-5698; Fax: 617-525-5571; ; and Tobias Schatton, Phone: 617-525-5533;
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4
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Petzold A, Steeb T, Wessely A, Schatton T, Berking C, Heppt MV. Comparative efficacy analysis identifies immune checkpoint blockade as a new survival benchmark in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Eur J Cancer 2022; 170:42-53. [PMID: 35594611 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is a common type of skin cancer that may progress to locally advanced or metastatic disease. Both disease stages are managed by a variety of treatment options, including immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), targeted therapy to epidermal growth factor, chemotherapy or treatment combinations. However, the comparative efficacy of such treatments is unclear. METHODS We performed a systematic literature search of Medline, Embase and Central to identify eligible studies reporting Kaplan-Meier curves or individual patient data for overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). Kaplan-Meier curves were digitised using the "'WebPlotDigitizer" program. Individual patient data was subsequently remodelled and pooled for distinct treatment groups. RESULTS Overall, 22 independent studies were included of which n = 927 patients were evaluable for PFS and n = 1054 for OS. ICB showed the highest median PFS (mPFS 9.9 months (95% CI: 8.1-19.9)) and median OS (mOS not reached (95% CI: 31.5 months-not reached)) compared to chemotherapy (mPFS 3.0 months (95% CI: 2.2-4.8), mOS 12.6 months (95% CI: 9.6-15.8)), targeted therapy to epidermal growth factor (mPFS 4.9 months (95% CI: 4.4-5.6), mOS 12.7 months (95% CI: 11.9-14.9)) and combination therapies without ICB (mPFS 9.1 months (95% CI: 8.0-12.1), mOS 18.1 months (95% CI: 16.3-22.8)). The survival benchmark with ICB after 26 months for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma was 70.8% (95% CI: 61.5%-81.5%) versus 37.9% (95% CI: 29.5%-48.8%) for the combination group and 17.1% (95% CI: 9.5%-30.8%) for chemotherapy. CONCLUSION ICB is superior to other systemic treatments and sets a novel survival benchmark for advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Petzold
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN) and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Theresa Steeb
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN) and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anja Wessely
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN) and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carola Berking
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN) and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Markus V Heppt
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN) and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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5
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Dousset L, Martins C, Jacquemin C, Amico S, Schatton T, Boniface K, Seneschal J. Complete response in a patient with advanced melanoma following anti-PD-1 therapy is associated with a high frequency of melanoma-infiltrating CXCR3 + resident memory CD8 + T cells and multiple chemokine pathways. Br J Dermatol 2021; 185:663-666. [PMID: 33894001 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.20405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L Dousset
- Department of Dermatology and Paediatric Dermatology, National Reference Center for Rare Skin Disorders, Hôpital Saint-André, Bordeaux, France.,INSERM U1035, BMGIC, Immuno-Dermatology, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - C Martins
- INSERM U1035, BMGIC, Immuno-Dermatology, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - C Jacquemin
- INSERM U1035, BMGIC, Immuno-Dermatology, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - S Amico
- Department of Dermatology and Paediatric Dermatology, National Reference Center for Rare Skin Disorders, Hôpital Saint-André, Bordeaux, France
| | - T Schatton
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - K Boniface
- INSERM U1035, BMGIC, Immuno-Dermatology, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - J Seneschal
- Department of Dermatology and Paediatric Dermatology, National Reference Center for Rare Skin Disorders, Hôpital Saint-André, Bordeaux, France.,INSERM U1035, BMGIC, Immuno-Dermatology, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
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6
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Ordikhani F, Uehara M, Kasinath V, Dai L, Eskandari SK, Bahmani B, Yonar M, Azzi JR, Haik Y, Sage PT, Murphy GF, Annabi N, Schatton T, Guleria I, Abdi R. Targeting antigen-presenting cells by anti-PD-1 nanoparticles augments antitumor immunity. JCI Insight 2018; 3:122700. [PMID: 30333312 PMCID: PMC6237477 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.122700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies in cancer research have focused intensely on the antineoplastic effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors. While the development of these inhibitors has progressed successfully, strategies to further improve their efficacy and reduce their toxicity are still needed. We hypothesized that the delivery of anti-PD-1 antibody encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles (anti-PD-1 NPs) to the spleen would improve the antitumor effect of this agent. Unexpectedly, we found that mice treated with a high dose of anti-PD-1 NPs exhibited significantly higher mortality compared with those treated with free anti-PD-1 antibody, due to the overactivation of T cells. Administration of anti-PD-1 NPs to splenectomized LT-α-/- mice, which lack both lymph nodes and spleen, resulted in a complete reversal of this increased mortality and revealed the importance of secondary lymphoid tissues in mediating anti-PD-1-associated toxicity. Attenuation of the anti-PD-1 NPs dosage prevented toxicity and significantly improved its antitumor effect in the B16-F10 murine melanoma model. Furthermore, we found that anti-PD-1 NPs undergo internalization by DCs in the spleen, leading to their maturation and the subsequent activation of T cells. Our findings provide important clues that can lead to the development of strategies to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farideh Ordikhani
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mayuko Uehara
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vivek Kasinath
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Li Dai
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Siawosh K. Eskandari
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Baharak Bahmani
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Merve Yonar
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jamil R. Azzi
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yousef Haik
- College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Peter T. Sage
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - George F. Murphy
- Department of Pathology, Division of Dermatopathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Masschusetts, USA
| | - Nasim Annabi
- Department of chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UCLA, California, USA
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Indira Guleria
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Reza Abdi
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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7
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Ignatova D, Kollmann D, Jedamzik J, Chang Y, Jomrich G, Baierl A, Kazakov D, Michal M, Hoetzenecker W, Schatton T, French L, Asari R, Preusser M, Gnant M, Schoppmann S, Guenova E. 595 PD-L1 expression is an independent predictor of favorable outcome in patients with localized esophageal adenocarcinoma. J Invest Dermatol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2018.03.603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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8
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Kollmann D, Ignatova D, Jedamzik J, Chang YT, Jomrich G, Baierl A, Kazakov D, Michal M, French LE, Hoetzenecker W, Schatton T, Asari R, Preusser M, Gnant M, Guenova E, Schoppmann SF. PD-L1 expression is an independent predictor of favorable outcome in patients with localized esophageal adenocarcinoma. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7:e1435226. [PMID: 29872575 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1435226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. The outcome of patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) remains poor. The programmed cell-death-protein-1 (PD-1), a co-inhibitory receptor primarily expressed by T-cells, represents a potential new therapeutic target. PD-1, PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), and PD-L2 expression have all been described as prognostic factors in a variety of cancers. Their expression patterns in AEG, however, are poorly understood. We analyzed PD-L1, PD-L2 and PD-1 expression by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and cancer-cells in tumor-biospecimens in AEG-patients. Methods. 168 patients who underwent esophagectomy because of AEG between 1992-2011 were included in this study. PD-L1, PD-L2 and PD-1 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and correlated with various clinicopathological parameters, disease-free survival (DFS) and long-term overall survival (OS). Results. PD-L1 expression by cancer-cells (cancer-cell-PD-L1+) was found in 43.5% of patients whereas PD-L1 expression by TILs (TILs-PD-L1+) was observed in 69%. PD-L2 expression by cancer-cells and TILs was only found in 3.5% and 1.8%, respectively. Additionally, 77.4% of tumors contained PD-1+-cancer-cells and 81% PD-1+-TILs. Patients with increased expression of PD-1 by cancer-cells and TILs showed significantly reduced OS and DFS, as determined by univariate, but not multivariate analysis. Expression of PD-L1 by cancer-cells was found to be an independent predictor for improved DFS (p = 0.038) and OS (p = 0.042) in multivariate analysis. Conclusions. Cancer cells and TILs displayed PD-L1 expression in around 50% and PD-1 expression in around 80% of tumor-biospecimens obtained from AEG patients. Expression of PD-L1 is an independent predictor of favorable outcome in AEG, whereas PD-1 expression is associated with worse outcome and advanced tumor stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmar Kollmann
- Department of Surgery and Comprehensive Cancer Center, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Desislava Ignatova
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Julia Jedamzik
- Department of Surgery and Comprehensive Cancer Center, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yun-Tsan Chang
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gerd Jomrich
- Department of Surgery and Comprehensive Cancer Center, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Baierl
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dmitry Kazakov
- Department of Pathology, Charles University, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Plzen and Charles University Hospital Plzen, Plzen, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Michal
- Department of Pathology, Charles University, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Plzen and Charles University Hospital Plzen, Plzen, Czech Republic
| | - Lars E French
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wolfram Hoetzenecker
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Dermatology, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Reza Asari
- Department of Surgery and Comprehensive Cancer Center, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Clinical Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I and Comprehensive Cancer Center, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Gnant
- Department of Surgery and Comprehensive Cancer Center, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emmanuella Guenova
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian F Schoppmann
- Department of Surgery and Comprehensive Cancer Center, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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9
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Abstract
P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) and its glycostructural determinants facilitate responses to infection and cancer by promoting immune effector-cell trafficking into inflamed tissue. In this issue of Immunity, Tinoco et al. (2016) report homing-independent functions of PSGL-1 in immune checkpoint regulation and T cell effector activity, in models of chronic viral infection and melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R Barthel
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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10
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Sackstein R, Schatton T, Barthel SR. T-lymphocyte homing: an underappreciated yet critical hurdle for successful cancer immunotherapy. J Transl Med 2017; 97:669-697. [PMID: 28346400 PMCID: PMC5446300 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2017.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [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: 10/26/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in cancer immunotherapy have offered new hope for patients with metastatic disease. This unfolding success story has been exemplified by a growing arsenal of novel immunotherapeutics, including blocking antibodies targeting immune checkpoint pathways, cancer vaccines, and adoptive cell therapy (ACT). Nonetheless, clinical benefit remains highly variable and patient-specific, in part, because all immunotherapeutic regimens vitally hinge on the capacity of endogenous and/or adoptively transferred T-effector (Teff) cells, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, to home efficiently into tumor target tissue. Thus, defects intrinsic to the multi-step T-cell homing cascade have become an obvious, though significantly underappreciated contributor to immunotherapy resistance. Conspicuous have been low intralesional frequencies of tumor-infiltrating T-lymphocytes (TILs) below clinically beneficial threshold levels, and peripheral rather than deep lesional TIL infiltration. Therefore, a Teff cell 'homing deficit' may arguably represent a dominant factor responsible for ineffective immunotherapeutic outcomes, as tumors resistant to immune-targeted killing thrive in such permissive, immune-vacuous microenvironments. Fortunately, emerging data is shedding light into the diverse mechanisms of immune escape by which tumors restrict Teff cell trafficking and lesional penetrance. In this review, we scrutinize evolving knowledge on the molecular determinants of Teff cell navigation into tumors. By integrating recently described, though sporadic information of pivotal adhesive and chemokine homing signatures within the tumor microenvironment with better established paradigms of T-cell trafficking under homeostatic or infectious disease scenarios, we seek to refine currently incomplete models of Teff cell entry into tumor tissue. We further summarize how cancers thwart homing to escape immune-mediated destruction and raise awareness of the potential impact of immune checkpoint blockers on Teff cell homing. Finally, we speculate on innovative therapeutic opportunities for augmenting Teff cell homing capabilities to improve immunotherapy-based tumor eradication in cancer patients, with special focus on malignant melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Sackstein
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA,Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA,Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA,Program of Excellence in Glycosciences, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Rm 671, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA,Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Steven R. Barthel
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA,Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Correspondence to: Dr. Steven R. Barthel, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, Rm. 673B, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115;
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11
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Kollmann D, Ignatova D, Jedamzik J, Chang YT, Jomrich G, Paireder M, Kristo I, Kazakov D, Michal M, Cozzio A, Hoetzenecker W, Schatton T, Asari R, Preusser M, Guenova E, Schoppmann SF. Expression of Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 by Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Tumor Cells is Associated with Advanced Tumor Stage in Patients with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 2017; 24:2698-2706. [PMID: 28429196 PMCID: PMC5539275 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-017-5858-7] [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: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Despite recent advances in the therapy for adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG), overall prognosis remains poor. Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) is a co-inhibitory receptor primarily expressed by T-cells. Tumor cells can escape anticancer immune responses by triggering the PD1 pathway. Moreover, PD1 receptor engagement on cancer cells may trigger tumor-intrinsic growth signals. This study aimed to evaluate the potential clinical relevance of PD1 expression by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and cancer cells in the AEG. Methods Patients with AEG who underwent esophagectomy from 1992 to 2011 were included in the study. Expression of PD1was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and correlated with long-term overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and various clinicopathologic parameters. Results Tumor biospecimens from 168 patients were analyzed. In the analysis, 81% of the patients showed high tumoral frequencies (>5%) of PD1-expressing TILs (TIL-PD1+), and 77% of patient tumors harbored high levels (>5%) of PD1+ cancer cells (cancer-PD1+). Expression of PD1 by TILs and cancer cells correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with patients’ tumor stage and lymph node involvement. Compared with the patients who had low tumoral frequencies of PD1+ TILs or cancer cells, the TIL-PD1+ and cancer-PD1+ patients demonstrated significantly reduced DFS in the univariate analysis (5-year DFS: 73.3 vs. 41.9%, log-rank 0.008 and 71.3 vs. 41.6%, p = 0.008, respectively). Additionally, the cancer-PD1+ patients showed significantly decreased OS in the univariate analysis compared with the cancer-PD1− patients (5-year OS: 68.8 vs. 43.5%; p = 0.047). However, these correlations did not reach significance in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions The PD1 receptor is expressed by both TILs and cancer cells in AEG. High expression of PD1 is associated with advanced tumor stage and lymph node involvement, but not with survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmar Kollmann
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Upper-GI-Service, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Desislava Ignatova
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Julia Jedamzik
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Upper-GI-Service, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yun-Tsan Chang
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gerd Jomrich
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Upper-GI-Service, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Paireder
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Upper-GI-Service, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ivan Kristo
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Upper-GI-Service, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dmitry Kazakov
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine in Plzen and Charles University Hospital Plzen, Biomedical Center, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Michal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine in Plzen and Charles University Hospital Plzen, Biomedical Center, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Antonio Cozzio
- Department of Dermatology, Kantonspital St. Gallen, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wolfram Hoetzenecker
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Dermatology, Kantonspital St. Gallen, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Dermatology, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Reza Asari
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Upper-GI-Service, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Clinical Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I and Comprehensive Cancer Center, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emmanuella Guenova
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Department of Dermatology, Kantonspital St. Gallen, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Sebastian F Schoppmann
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Upper-GI-Service, GET-Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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12
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Kleffel S, Lee N, Lezcano C, Wilson BJ, Sobolewski K, Saab KR, Mueller H, Zhan Q, Posch C, Elco CP, DoRosario A, Garcia SS, Thakuria M, Wang YE, Wang LC, Murphy GF, Frank MH, Schatton T. ABCB5-Targeted Chemoresistance Reversal Inhibits Merkel Cell Carcinoma Growth. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 136:838-846. [PMID: 26827764 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2015.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer with profound but poorly understood resistance to chemotherapy, which poses a significant barrier to clinical MCC treatment. Here we show that ATP-binding cassette member B5 (ABCB5) confers resistance to standard-of-care MCC chemotherapeutic agents and provide proof-of-principle that ABCB5 blockade can inhibit human MCC tumor growth through sensitization to drug-induced cell cytotoxicity. ABCB5 expression was detected in both established MCC lines and clinical MCC specimens at levels significantly higher than those in normal skin. Carboplatin- and etoposide-resistant MCC cell lines exhibited increased expression of ABCB5, along with enhanced ABCB1 and ABCC3 transcript expression. ABCB5-expressing MCC cells in heterogeneous cancers preferentially survived treatment with carboplatin and etoposide in vitro and in human MCC xenograft-bearing mice in vivo. Moreover, patients with MCC also exhibited enhanced ABCB5 positivity after carboplatin- and etoposide-based chemotherapy, pointing to clinical significance of this chemoresistance mechanism. Importantly, ABCB5 blockade reversed MCC drug resistance and impaired tumor growth in xenotransplantation models in vivo. Our results establish ABCB5 as a chemoresistance mechanism in MCC and suggest utility of this molecular target for improved MCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Kleffel
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nayoung Lee
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cecilia Lezcano
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian J Wilson
- Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristine Sobolewski
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Karim R Saab
- Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hansgeorg Mueller
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Qian Zhan
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christian Posch
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christopher P Elco
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew DoRosario
- Dana Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarah S Garcia
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dana Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Manisha Thakuria
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dana Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yaoyu E Wang
- Center for Cancer Computational Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Linda C Wang
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dana Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - George F Murphy
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Markus H Frank
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; School of Medical Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia.
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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13
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Abstract
Although human malignant melanoma is a highly immunogenic cancer, both the endogenous antitumor immune response and melanoma immunotherapy often fail to control neoplastic progression. Accordingly, characterizing melanoma cell subsets capable of evading antitumor immunity could unravel optimized treatment strategies that might reduce morbidity and mortality from melanoma. By virtue of their preferential capacity to modulate antitumor immune responses and drive inexorable tumor growth and progression, malignant melanoma-initiating cells (MMICs) warrant closer investigation to further elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying melanoma immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance. Here we describe methodologies that enable the characterization of immunoregulatory effects of purified MMICs versus melanoma bulk populations in coculture with syngeneic or allogeneic lymphocytes, using [3H]thymidine incorporation, enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT), or ELISA assays. These assays were traditionally developed to analyze alloimmune processes and we successfully adapted them for the study of tumor-mediated immunomodulatory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schatton
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Transplantation Research Program, Division of Nephrology, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ute Schütte
- Transplantation Research Program, Division of Nephrology, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Center of Integrated Oncology (CIO) Cologne-Bonn, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Markus H Frank
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Transplantation Research Program, Division of Nephrology, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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14
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Posch C, Cholewa BD, Vujic I, Sanlorenzo M, Ma J, Kim ST, Kleffel S, Schatton T, Rappersberger K, Gutteridge R, Ahmad N, Ortiz/Urda S. Combined Inhibition of MEK and Plk1 Has Synergistic Antitumor Activity in NRAS Mutant Melanoma. J Invest Dermatol 2015; 135:2475-2483. [PMID: 26016894 PMCID: PMC4567913 DOI: 10.1038/jid.2015.198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
About one-third of cancers harbor activating mutations in rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (RAS) oncogenes. In melanoma, aberrant neuroblastoma-RAS (NRAS) signaling fuels tumor progression in about 20% of patients. Current therapeutics for NRAS-driven malignancies barely affect overall survival. To date, pathway interference downstream of mutant NRAS seems to be the most promising approach. In this study, data revealed that mutant NRAS induced Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) expression, and pharmacologic inhibition of Plk1 stabilized the size of NRAS mutant melanoma xenografts. The combination of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) and Plk1 inhibitors resulted in a significant growth reduction of NRAS mutant melanoma cells in vitro, and regression of xenografted NRAS mutant melanoma in vivo. Independent cell cycle arrest and increased induction of apoptosis underlies the synergistic effect of this combination. Data further suggest that the p53 signaling pathway is of key importance to the observed therapeutic efficacy. This study provides in vitro, in vivo, and first mechanistic data that an MEK/Plk1 inhibitor combination might be a promising treatment approach for patients with NRAS-driven melanoma. As mutant NRAS signaling is similar across different malignancies, this inhibitor combination could also offer a previously unreported treatment modality for NRAS mutant tumors of other cell origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Posch
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Dermatology, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, 02115 Boston – USA
- The Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical University Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Juchgasse 25, 1030 Vienna – Austria
| | - BD Cholewa
- University of Wisconsin, Department of Dermatology, 7418 Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705 – USA
| | - I Vujic
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
- The Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical University Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Juchgasse 25, 1030 Vienna – Austria
| | - M Sanlorenzo
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Dermatology, University of Turin – Italy
| | - J Ma
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
| | - ST Kim
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
| | - S Kleffel
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Dermatology, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, 02115 Boston – USA
| | - T Schatton
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Dermatology, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, 02115 Boston – USA
| | - K Rappersberger
- The Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical University Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Juchgasse 25, 1030 Vienna – Austria
| | - R Gutteridge
- University of Wisconsin, Department of Dermatology, 7418 Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705 – USA
| | - N Ahmad
- University of Wisconsin, Department of Dermatology, 7418 Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705 – USA
| | - S Ortiz/Urda
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
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15
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Schatton T, Yang J, Kleffel S, Uehara M, Barthel SR, Schlapbach C, Zhan Q, Dudeney S, Mueller H, Lee N, de Vries JC, Meier B, Vander Beken S, Kluth MA, Ganss C, Sharpe AH, Waaga-Gasser AM, Sayegh MH, Abdi R, Scharffetter-Kochanek K, Murphy GF, Kupper TS, Frank NY, Frank MH. ABCB5 Identifies Immunoregulatory Dermal Cells. Cell Rep 2015; 12:1564-74. [PMID: 26321644 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-based strategies represent a new frontier in the treatment of immune-mediated disorders. However, the paucity of markers for isolation of molecularly defined immunomodulatory cell populations poses a barrier to this field. Here, we show that ATP-binding cassette member B5 (ABCB5) identifies dermal immunoregulatory cells (DIRCs) capable of exerting therapeutic immunoregulatory functions through engagement of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1). Purified Abcb5(+) DIRCs suppressed T cell proliferation, evaded immune rejection, homed to recipient immune tissues, and induced Tregs in vivo. In fully major-histocompatibility-complex-mismatched cardiac allotransplantation models, allogeneic DIRCs significantly prolonged allograft survival. Blockade of DIRC-expressed PD-1 reversed the inhibitory effects of DIRCs on T cell activation, inhibited DIRC-dependent Treg induction, and attenuated DIRC-induced prolongation of cardiac allograft survival, indicating that DIRC immunoregulatory function is mediated, at least in part, through PD-1. Our results identify ABCB5(+) DIRCs as a distinct immunoregulatory cell population and suggest promising roles of this expandable cell subset in cellular immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Transplantation Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jun Yang
- Transplantation Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Institute of Organ Transplantation, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Sonja Kleffel
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mayuko Uehara
- Transplantation Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Steven R Barthel
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christoph Schlapbach
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Dermatology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Qian Zhan
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stephen Dudeney
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hansgeorg Mueller
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nayoung Lee
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Juliane C de Vries
- Department of Dermatology and Allergic Diseases, University of Ulm, Ulm 89077, Germany
| | - Barbara Meier
- Department of Dermatology and Allergic Diseases, University of Ulm, Ulm 89077, Germany
| | - Seppe Vander Beken
- Department of Dermatology and Allergic Diseases, University of Ulm, Ulm 89077, Germany
| | - Mark A Kluth
- Rheacell GmbH & Co. KG, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | | | - Arlene H Sharpe
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Mohamed H Sayegh
- Transplantation Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Reza Abdi
- Transplantation Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - George F Murphy
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Thomas S Kupper
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Natasha Y Frank
- Transplantation Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston VA Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA 02132, USA; Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Markus H Frank
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Transplantation Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; School of Medical Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia.
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16
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Yazawa EM, Geddes-Sweeney JE, Cedeno-Laurent F, Walley KC, Barthel SR, Opperman MJ, Liang J, Lin JY, Schatton T, Laga AC, Mihm MC, Qureshi AA, Widlund HR, Murphy GF, Dimitroff CJ. Melanoma Cell Galectin-1 Ligands Functionally Correlate with Malignant Potential. J Invest Dermatol 2015; 135:1849-1862. [PMID: 25756799 DOI: 10.1038/jid.2015.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Galectin-1 (Gal-1)-binding to Gal-1 ligands on immune and endothelial cells can influence melanoma development through dampening antitumor immune responses and promoting angiogenesis. However, whether Gal-1 ligands are functionally expressed on melanoma cells to help control intrinsic malignant features remains poorly understood. Here, we analyzed expression, identity, and function of Gal-1 ligands in melanoma progression. Immunofluorescent analysis of benign and malignant human melanocytic neoplasms revealed that Gal-1 ligands were abundant in severely dysplastic nevi, as well as in primary and metastatic melanomas. Biochemical assessments indicated that melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) was a major Gal-1 ligand on melanoma cells that was largely dependent on its N-glycans. Other melanoma cell Gal-1 ligand activity conferred by O-glycans was negatively regulated by α2,6 sialyltransferase ST6GalNAc2. In Gal-1-deficient mice, MCAM-silenced (MCAM(KD)) or ST6GalNAc2-overexpressing (ST6(O/E)) melanoma cells exhibited slower growth rates, underscoring a key role for melanoma cell Gal-1 ligands and host Gal-1 in melanoma growth. Further analysis of MCAM(KD) or ST6(O/E) melanoma cells in cell migration assays indicated that Gal-1 ligand-dependent melanoma cell migration was severely inhibited. These findings provide a refined perspective on Gal-1/melanoma cell Gal-1 ligand interactions as contributors to melanoma malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika M Yazawa
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Kempland C Walley
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Steven R Barthel
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew J Opperman
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jennifer Liang
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jennifer Y Lin
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alvaro C Laga
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Martin C Mihm
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Abrar A Qureshi
- Department of Dermatology, The Warren Albert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Hans R Widlund
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - George F Murphy
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charles J Dimitroff
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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17
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Kleffel S, Vergani A, Tezza S, Ben Nasr M, Niewczas MA, Wong S, Bassi R, D'Addio F, Schatton T, Abdi R, Atkinson M, Sayegh MH, Wen L, Wasserfall CH, O'Connor KC, Fiorina P. Interleukin-10+ regulatory B cells arise within antigen-experienced CD40+ B cells to maintain tolerance to islet autoantigens. Diabetes 2015; 64:158-71. [PMID: 25187361 PMCID: PMC4274804 DOI: 10.2337/db13-1639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Impaired regulatory B cell (Breg) responses are associated with several autoimmune diseases in humans; however, the role of Bregs in type 1 diabetes (T1D) remains unclear. We hypothesized that naturally occurring, interleukin-10 (IL-10)-producing Bregs maintain tolerance to islet autoantigens, and that hyperglycemic nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice and T1D patients lack these potent negative regulators. IgVH transcriptome analysis revealed that islet-infiltrating B cells in long-term normoglycemic (Lnglc) NOD, which are naturally protected from diabetes, are more antigen-experienced and possess more diverse B-cell receptor repertoires compared to those of hyperglycemic (Hglc) mice. Importantly, increased levels of Breg-promoting CD40(+) B cells and IL-10-producing B cells were found within islets of Lnglc compared to Hglc NOD. Likewise, healthy individuals showed increased frequencies of both CD40(+) and IL-10(+) B cells compared to T1D patients. Rituximab-mediated B-cell depletion followed by adoptive transfer of B cells from Hglc mice induced hyperglycemia in Lnglc human CD20 transgenic NOD mouse models. Importantly, both murine and human IL-10(+) B cells significantly abrogated T-cell-mediated responses to self- or islet-specific peptides ex vivo. Together, our data suggest that antigen-matured Bregs may maintain tolerance to islet autoantigens by selectively suppressing autoreactive T-cell responses, and that Hglc mice and individuals with T1D lack this population of Bregs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Kleffel
- Nephrology Division, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Andrea Vergani
- Nephrology Division, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Transplant Medicine, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Tezza
- Nephrology Division, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Moufida Ben Nasr
- Nephrology Division, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Monika A Niewczas
- Section on Genetics and Epidemiology, Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Susan Wong
- Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, U.K
| | - Roberto Bassi
- Nephrology Division, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Francesca D'Addio
- Nephrology Division, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Transplant Medicine, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Transplant Research Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Reza Abdi
- Nephrology Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Mark Atkinson
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Mohamed H Sayegh
- Transplant Research Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Li Wen
- Department of Immunology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Clive H Wasserfall
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | | | - Paolo Fiorina
- Nephrology Division, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Transplant Medicine, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
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18
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Lezcano C, Kleffel S, Lee N, Larson AR, Zhan Q, DoRosario A, Wang LC, Schatton T, Murphy GF. Merkel cell carcinoma expresses vasculogenic mimicry: demonstration in patients and experimental manipulation in xenografts. J Transl Med 2014; 94:1092-102. [PMID: 25111691 PMCID: PMC4236190 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2014.99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 03/13/2014] [Revised: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly virulent cutaneous neoplasm that, like melanoma, is a frequent cause of patient morbidity and mortality. The cellular mechanisms responsible for the aggressive behavior of MCC remain unknown. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a phenomenon associated with cancer virulence, including in melanoma, whereby anastomosing laminin networks form in association with tumor cells that express certain endothelial genes. To determine whether VM is a factor in MCC, we employed a relevant xenograft model using two independent human MCC lines. Experimentally induced tumors were remarkably similar histologically to patient MCC, and both contained laminin networks associated with vascular endothelial-cadherin (CD144) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1, as well as Nodal expression typical of VM in melanoma. Moreover, two established chemotherapeutic agents utilized for human MCC, etoposide and carboplatin, induced necrosis in xenografts on systemic administration while enriching for laminin networks in apparently resistant viable tumor regions that persisted. These findings for the first time establish VM-like laminin networks as a biomarker in MCC, demonstrate the experimental utility of the MCC xenograft model, and suggest that VM-rich regions of MCC may be refractory to conventional chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Lezcano
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center,
Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Sonja Kleffel
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
Boston, MA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Nayoung Lee
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
Boston, MA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Allison R. Larson
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
Boston, MA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Qian Zhan
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
Boston, MA
| | - Andrew DoRosario
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,Center for Cutaneous Oncology, Dana-Farber/Brigham and
Women’s Cancer Center, Boston, MA
| | - Linda C. Wang
- Institute for Cancer Care, Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore,
MD
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,Transplantation Research Center, Children’s Hospital
Boston, MA
| | - George F. Murphy
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
Boston, MA
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19
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Wilson BJ, Saab KR, Ma J, Schatton T, Pütz P, Zhan Q, Murphy GF, Gasser M, Waaga-Gasser AM, Frank NY, Frank MH. ABCB5 maintains melanoma-initiating cells through a proinflammatory cytokine signaling circuit. Cancer Res 2014; 74:4196-207. [PMID: 24934811 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-14-0582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The drug efflux transporter ABCB5 identifies cancer stem-like cells (CSC) in diverse human malignancies, where its expression is associated with clinical disease progression and tumor recurrence. ABCB5 confers therapeutic resistance, but other functions in tumorigenesis independent of drug efflux have not been described that might help explain why it is so broadly overexpressed in human cancer. Here we show that in melanoma-initiating cells, ABCB5 controls IL1β secretion, which serves to maintain slow cycling, chemoresistant cells through an IL1β/IL8/CXCR1 cytokine signaling circuit. This CSC maintenance circuit involved reciprocal paracrine interactions with ABCB5-negative cancer cell populations. ABCB5 blockade induced cellular differentiation, reversed resistance to multiple chemotherapeutic agents, and impaired tumor growth in vivo. Together, our results defined a novel function for ABCB5 in CSC maintenance and tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Wilson
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Transplant Research Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karim R Saab
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Transplant Research Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Transplant Research Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Transplant Research Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Pablo Pütz
- Transplant Research Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Qian Zhan
- Program in Dermatopathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - George F Murphy
- Program in Dermatopathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Martin Gasser
- Department of Surgery, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Natasha Y Frank
- Transplant Research Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts. Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Markus H Frank
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Transplant Research Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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20
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Abstract
The role of the tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) and its relationship to prognosis has been most extensively studied in malignant melanoma. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss in depth the immunobiology and molecular aspects of lymphocyte function in general and particularly TIL function in the context of antimelanoma immunity. Emphasis is placed upon the role of these inflammatory mediators in the enhancement and impairment of progression of this often fatal human cancer. In addition, the analysis of TILs in melanoma and their direct relationship to prognosis as well as their effect on the positivity of the sentinel lymph node will be discussed. Furthermore, details of lymph node responses to metastatic melanomas and their prognostic significance will be clarified. Finally, the importance of TILs for the evaluation of therapeutic response and how TIL immunobiology could critically inform the design of novel melanoma immunotherapeutic protocols will be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schatton
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Transplantation Research Center, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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21
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Lee N, Barthel SR, Schatton T. Melanoma stem cells and metastasis: mimicking hematopoietic cell trafficking? J Transl Med 2014; 94:13-30. [PMID: 24126889 PMCID: PMC3941309 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2013.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2013] [Revised: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 09/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is a highly metastatic cancer that bears responsibility for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths. Amidst the research efforts to better understand melanoma progression, there has been increasing evidence that hints at a role for a subpopulation of virulent cancer cells, termed malignant melanoma stem or initiating cells (MMICs), in metastasis formation. MMICs are characterized by their preferential ability to initiate and propagate tumor growth and their selective capacity for self-renewal and differentiation into less tumorigenic melanoma cells. The frequency of MMICs has been shown to correlate with poor clinical prognosis in melanoma. In addition, MMICs are enriched among circulating tumor cells in the peripheral blood of cancer patients, suggesting that MMICs may be a critical factor in the metastatic cascade. Although these links exist between MMICs and metastatic disease, the mechanisms by which MMICs may advance metastatic progression are only beginning to be elucidated. Recent studies have shown that MMICs express molecules critical for hematopoietic cell maintenance and trafficking, providing a possible explanation for how circulating MMICs could drive melanoma dissemination. We therefore propose that MMICs might fuel melanoma metastasis by exploiting homing mechanisms commonly utilized by hematopoietic cells. Here we review the biological properties of MMICs and the existing literature on their metastatic potential. We will discuss possible mechanisms by which MMICs might initiate metastases in the context of established knowledge of cancer stem cells in other cancers and of hematopoietic homing molecules, with a particular focus on selectins, integrins, chemokines and chemokine receptors known to be expressed by melanoma cells. Biological understanding of how these molecules might be utilized by MMICs to propel the metastatic cascade could critically impact the development of more effective therapies for advanced disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayoung Lee
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven R. Barthel
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tobias Schatton
- Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Transplantation Research Center, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed: Tobias Schatton, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, Rm. 673B, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
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22
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Lin JY, Zhang M, Schatton T, Wilson BJ, Alloo A, Ma J, Qureshi AA, Frank NY, Han J, Frank MH. Genetically determined ABCB5 functionality correlates with pigmentation phenotype and melanoma risk. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 436:536-42. [PMID: 23770371 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
ABCB5 is a multidrug resistance (MDR) member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of active transporters and represents a marker for chemoresistant malignant melanoma-initiating cells. ABCB5 expression is closely linked to tumorigenicity and progression of diverse human malignancies, including melanoma, and is functionally required for tumor growth. Here, we genotyped 585 melanoma cases and 605 age-matched controls for 44 ABCB5 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to span a region covering 108.2kb of the gene on the 7p21.1 locus. We identified three SNPs that were associated with decreased melanoma risk in additive models: rs10231520 (OR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.70-0.98), rs17817117 (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68-0.98), and rs2301641 (OR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.69-0.98). Additionally, the rs2301641 SNP was associated with non-red compared to red hair color (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.14-1.03) in controls. Twelve human melanoma cell lines were genotyped for the rs2301641 SNP, which encodes a non-synonymous ABCB5 amino acid change (K115E). Functional studies revealed that the E form associated with lower melanoma risk correlated significantly with decreased ABCB5 transport capacity (P<0.01) and increased melanin production (P<0.05). Our results identify novel associations of the ABCB5 K115E polymorphism with human pigmentation phenotype and melanoma risk and point to potential functional roles of ABCB5 in melanomagenesis. Moreover, they provide a first example that functional variation in a prospective cancer stem cell marker can be associated with disease risk for the corresponding malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Y Lin
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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23
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Wilson BJ, Saab KR, Schatton T, Ma J, Murphy GF, Gasser M, Waaga-Gasser AM, Frank NY, Frank MH. Abstract 243: ABCB5 is functionally required for melanoma growth. Cancer Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2013-243] [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
Melanoma remains a disease with relatively few beneficial treatments currently available, for late-stage patients. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter ABCB5 has recently been identified as a cell-surface marker for malignant melanoma initiating cells (MMICs; Schatton et al, Nature 2008), opening a new paradigm for investigation of this aggressive cancer. We have previously demonstrated that these ABCB5+ MMICs can evade the host immune system, and also express VEGFR-1, required for efficient tumor formation. However, the possibility that ABCB5 itself plays a functional role in melanoma tumorigenic growth and progression has not been investigated, until now.
To test whether ABCB5 plays a functional role in melanoma growth, or is solely a marker of the cancer stem-cell subset, we generated ABCB5-shRNA knockdown (ABCB5-KD) cell populations in melanoma model cell-lines. To distinguish a bona fide role in intrinsic tumorigenesis from immuno-modulatory effects we subcutaneously injected these cells, versus control cells, into highly immunocompromised NOD/SCID Il2rγ-/- mice and followed tumor progression. We observed a marked and significant downregulation in the ability of ABCB5-KD cells to maintain efficient tumor growth, implying a direct role for ABCB5 in melanoma progression.
To obtain mechanistic data to explain this phenotype we generated RNA from ABCB5-KD cells versus controls, and performed microarray analysis of global genomic changes in transcript levels of these cells. We then validated potential “ABCB5-pathway” genes, which also change in the reciprocal manner in an ABCB5 overexpression system that we have developed.
Our study links ABCB5 to a direct role in melanoma carcinogenesis, identifies genes and pathways of interest, and uncovers ABCB5 as a putative master-regulator of melanoma.
Citation Format: Brian J. Wilson, Karim R. Saab, Tobias Schatton, Jie Ma, George F. Murphy, Martin Gasser, Ana Maria Waaga-Gasser, Natasha Y. Frank, Markus H. Frank. ABCB5 is functionally required for melanoma growth. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 243. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-243
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jie Ma
- 1Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
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24
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Lezcano C, Kleffel S, Laga AC, Zhan Q, DoRosario A, Frank MH, Wang L, Murphy GF, Schatton T. Expression of MDR‐transporter, ABCB5, in Merkel cell carcinoma. FASEB J 2013. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.1087.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Qian Zhan
- PathologyBrigham and Women's HospitalBostonMA
| | - Andrew DoRosario
- Center for Cutaneous OncologyDana‐Farber Cancer InstituteBostonMA
| | - Markus H Frank
- DermatologyBrigham and Women's HospitalBostonMA
- Transplantation Research CenterChildren's Hospital BostonBostonMA
| | - Linda Wang
- DermatologyInstitute for Cancer Care at Mercy Medical CenterBaltimoreMD
| | | | - Tobias Schatton
- DermatologyBrigham and Women's HospitalBostonMA
- Transplantation Research CenterChildren's Hospital BostonBostonMA
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25
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Lian CG, Xu Y, Ceol C, Wu F, Larson A, Dresser K, Xu W, Tan L, Hu Y, Zhan Q, Lee CW, Hu D, Lian BQ, Kleffel S, Yang Y, Neiswender J, Khorasani AJ, Fang R, Lezcano C, Duncan LM, Scolyer RA, Thompson JF, Kakavand H, Houvras Y, Zon LI, Mihm MC, Kaiser UB, Schatton T, Woda BA, Murphy GF, Shi YG. Loss of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine is an epigenetic hallmark of melanoma. Cell 2012; 150:1135-46. [PMID: 22980977 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 581] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2011] [Revised: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 07/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation at the 5 position of cytosine (5-mC) is a key epigenetic mark that is critical for various biological and pathological processes. 5-mC can be converted to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) by the ten-eleven translocation (TET) family of DNA hydroxylases. Here, we report that "loss of 5-hmC" is an epigenetic hallmark of melanoma, with diagnostic and prognostic implications. Genome-wide mapping of 5-hmC reveals loss of the 5-hmC landscape in the melanoma epigenome. We show that downregulation of isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) and TET family enzymes is likely one of the mechanisms underlying 5-hmC loss in melanoma. Rebuilding the 5-hmC landscape in melanoma cells by reintroducing active TET2 or IDH2 suppresses melanoma growth and increases tumor-free survival in animal models. Thus, our study reveals a critical function of 5-hmC in melanoma development and directly links the IDH and TET activity-dependent epigenetic pathway to 5-hmC-mediated suppression of melanoma progression, suggesting a new strategy for epigenetic cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Guo Lian
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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26
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Wilson BJ, Schatton T, Zhan Q, Gasser M, Ma J, Saab KR, Schanche R, Waaga-Gasser AM, Gold JS, Huang Q, Murphy GF, Frank MH, Frank NY. ABCB5 identifies a therapy-refractory tumor cell population in colorectal cancer patients. Cancer Res 2011; 71:5307-16. [PMID: 21652540 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-11-0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Identification and reversal of treatment resistance mechanisms of clinically refractory tumor cells is critical for successful cancer therapy. Here we show that ATP-binding cassette member B5 (ABCB5) identifies therapy-refractory tumor cells in colorectal cancer patients following fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemoradiation therapy and provide evidence for a functional role of ABCB5 in colorectal cancer 5-FU resistance. Examination of human colon and colorectal cancer specimens revealed ABCB5 to be expressed only on rare cells within healthy intestinal tissue, whereas clinical colorectal cancers exhibited substantially increased levels of ABCB5 expression. Analysis of successive, patient-matched biopsy specimens obtained prior to and following neoadjuvant 5-FU-based chemoradiation therapy in a series of colorectal cancer patients revealed markedly enhanced abundance of ABCB5-positive tumor cells when residual disease was detected. Consistent with this finding, the ABCB5-expressing tumor cell population was also treatment refractory and exhibited resistance to 5-FU-induced apoptosis in a colorectal cancer xenograft model of 5-FU monotherapy. Mechanistically, short hairpin RNA-mediated ABCB5 knockdown significantly inhibited tumorigenic xenograft growth and sensitized colorectal cancer cells to 5-FU-induced cell killing. Our results identify ABCB5 as a novel molecular marker of therapy-refractory tumor cells in colorectal cancer patients and point to a need for consistent eradication of ABCB5-positive resistant tumor cell populations for more effective colorectal cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Wilson
- Transplantation Research Center, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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27
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Ho J, Pandey P, Schatton T, Sims-Lucas S, Khalid M, Frank MH, Hartwig S, Kreidberg JA. The pro-apoptotic protein Bim is a microRNA target in kidney progenitors. J Am Soc Nephrol 2011; 22:1053-63. [PMID: 21546576 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2010080841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms that regulate nephron progenitors during kidney development should aid development of therapies for renal failure. MicroRNAs, which modulate gene expression through post-transcriptional repression of specific target mRNAs, contribute to the differentiation of stem cells, but their role in nephrogenesis is incompletely understood. Here, we found that the loss of miRNAs in nephron progenitors results in a premature depletion of this population during kidney development. Increased apoptosis and expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bim accompanied this depletion. Profiling of miRNA expression during nephrogenesis identified several highly expressed miRNAs (miR-10a, miR-106b, miR-17-5p) in nephron progenitors that are either known or predicted to target Bim. We propose that modulation of apoptosis by miRNAs may determine congenital nephron endowment. Furthermore, our data implicate the pro-apoptotic protein Bim as a miRNA target in nephron progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Ho
- Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, MA, USA
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28
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Abstract
The hypothesis that cancer is driven by a subpopulation of tumor-initiating or cancer stem cells (CSC), defined by their selective ability for extensive self-renewal and capacity to give rise to nontumorigenic cancer cell progeny through differentiation, has been validated experimentally in diverse human malignancies. Translational relevance of the CSC hypothesis is underlined by emerging novel strategies designed to target all subpopulations within a given tumor in order to effect cancer eradication and improve patient outcomes. Colorectal cancer stem cells (CRSCs) have been identified and successfully isolated by several research groups based on distinct cell-surface marker characteristics. Identification of CRSC populations has led to a wave of discoveries describing novel self-renewal and drug resistance mechanisms in colorectal cancer that represent novel future therapeutic targets. In this review, we will discuss emerging CRSC-specific pathways and the therapeutic promise of targeting this cancer population in colorectal cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Wilson
- Transplantation Research Center, Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Enders 814, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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29
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Frank NY, Schatton T, Kim S, Zhan Q, Wilson BJ, Ma J, Saab KR, Osherov V, Widlund HR, Gasser M, Waaga-Gasser AM, Kupper TS, Murphy GF, Frank MH. VEGFR-1 expressed by malignant melanoma-initiating cells is required for tumor growth. Cancer Res 2011; 71:1474-85. [PMID: 21212411 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-10-1660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Melanoma growth is driven by malignant melanoma-initiating cells (MMIC) identified by expression of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) member ABCB5. ABCB5(+) melanoma subpopulations have been shown to overexpress the vasculogenic differentiation markers CD144 (VE-cadherin) and TIE1 and are associated with CD31(-) vasculogenic mimicry (VM), an established biomarker associated with increased patient mortality. Here we identify a critical role for VEGFR-1 signaling in ABCB5(+) MMIC-dependent VM and tumor growth. Global gene expression analyses, validated by mRNA and protein determinations, revealed preferential expression of VEGFR-1 on ABCB5(+) tumor cells purified from clinical melanomas and established melanoma lines. In vitro, VEGF induced the expression of CD144 in ABCB5(+) subpopulations that constitutively expressed VEGFR-1 but not in ABCB5(-) bulk populations that were predominantly VEGFR-1(-). In vivo, melanoma-specific shRNA-mediated knockdown of VEGFR-1 blocked the development of ABCB5(+) VM morphology and inhibited ABCB5(+) VM-associated production of the secreted melanoma mitogen laminin. Moreover, melanoma-specific VEGFR-1 knockdown markedly inhibited tumor growth (by > 90%). Our results show that VEGFR-1 function in MMIC regulates VM and associated laminin production and show that this function represents one mechanism through which MMICs promote tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Y Frank
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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30
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Ma J, Lin JY, Alloo A, Wilson BJ, Schatton T, Zhan Q, Murphy GF, Waaga-Gasser AM, Gasser M, Stephen Hodi F, Frank NY, Frank MH. Isolation of tumorigenic circulating melanoma cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2010; 402:711-7. [PMID: 20977885 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2010.10.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2010] [Accepted: 10/19/2010] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTC) have been identified in several human malignancies, including malignant melanoma. However, whether melanoma CTC are tumorigenic and cause metastatic progression is currently unknown. Here, we isolate for the first time viable tumorigenic melanoma CTC and demonstrate that this cell population is capable of metastasis formation in human-to-mouse xenotransplantation experiments. The presence of CTC among peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of murine recipients of subcutaneous (s.c.) human melanoma xenografts could be detected based on mRNA expression for human GAPDH and/or ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 5 (ABCB5), a marker of malignant melanoma-initiating cells previously shown to be associated with metastatic disease progression in human patients. ABCB5 expression could also be detected in PBMC preparations from human stage IV melanoma patients but not healthy controls. The detection of melanoma CTC in human-to-mouse s.c. tumor xenotransplantation models correlated significantly with pulmonary metastasis formation. Moreover, prospectively isolated CTC from murine recipients of s.c. melanoma xenografts were capable of primary tumor initiation and caused metastasis formation upon xenotransplantation to secondary murine NOD-scid IL2Rγ(null) recipients. Our results provide initial evidence that melanoma CTC are tumorigenic and demonstrate that CTC are capable of causing metastatic tumor progression. These findings suggest a need for CTC eradication to inhibit metastatic progression and provide a rationale for assessment of therapeutic responses of this tumorigenic cell population to promising emerging melanoma treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Ma
- Transplantation Research Center, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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31
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Yamaura K, Watanabe T, Boenisch O, Yeung M, Yang S, Magee CN, Padera R, Datta S, Schatton T, Kamimura Y, Azuma M, Najafian N. In vivo function of immune inhibitory molecule B7-H4 in alloimmune responses. Am J Transplant 2010; 10:2355-62. [PMID: 21143433 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2010.03250.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
B7 ligands deliver both costimulatory and coinhibitory signals to the CD28 family of receptors on T lymphocytes, the balance between which determines the ultimate immune response. Although B7-H4, a recently discovered member of the B7 family, is known to negatively regulate T cell immunity in autoimmunity and cancer, its role in solid organ allograft rejection and tolerance has not been established. Targeting the B7-H4 molecule by a blocking antibody or use of B7-H4(-/-) mice as recipients of fully MHC-mismatched cardiac allografts did not affect graft survival. However, B7-H4 blockade resulted in accelerated allograft rejection in CD28-deficient recipients. B7-1/B7-2-double-deficient recipients are truly independent of CD28/CTLA-4:B7 signals and usually accept MHC-mismatched heart allografts. Blockade of B7-H4 in these mice also precipitated rejection, demonstrating regulatory function of this molecule independent of an intact CD28/CTLA-4:B7 costimulatory pathway. Accelerated allograft rejection was always accompanied by increased frequencies of alloreactive IFN-γ-, IL-4- and Granzyme B-producing splenocytes. Finally, intact recipient, but not donor, B7-H4 is essential for prolongation of allograft survival by blocking CD28/CTLA4:B7 pathway using CTLA4-Ig. These data are the first to provide evidence of the regulatory effects of B7-H4 in alloimmune responses in a murine model of solid organ transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Yamaura
- Transplantation Research Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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32
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Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent malignant subpopulations that initiate and maintain tumorigenic growth in hierarchically organized tumors via their considerable capacity for self-renewal and differentiation. CSCs have been identified in several human malignancies, including human malignant melanoma. Perego and colleagues' report in this issue indicates that CSCs capable of melanoma initiation in serial human-to-mouse xenotransplantation assays may be contained both among spheroid melanoma cell cultures (melanospheres) and among adherent melanoma cultures upon in vitro expansion. These results challenge the utility of the melanosphere assay as a surrogate tool for CSC identification in human melanomas and underline the importance of molecularly defined malignant melanoma initiating cells for CSC-focused diagnostic and therapeutic investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schatton
- Transplantation Research Center, Children's Hospital Boston and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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33
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Schatton T, Schütte U, Frank NY, Zhan Q, Hoerning A, Robles SC, Zhou J, Hodi FS, Spagnoli GC, Murphy GF, Frank MH. Abstract 4286: Modulation of T cell activation by malignant melanoma initiating cells. Cancer Res 2010. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am10-4286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [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
Highly immunogenic cancers such as malignant melanoma are capable of inexorable tumor growth despite the presence of antitumor immunity. This raises the possibility that only a restricted minority of tumorigenic malignant cells might possess the phenotypic and functional characteristics to modulate tumor-directed immune activation. Here we provide evidence supporting this hypothesis, by demonstrating that tumorigenic ABCB5+ malignant melanoma-initiating cells (MMICs) possess the capacity to preferentially inhibit interleukin (IL)-2-dependent T cell activation and to support, in a B7.2-dependent manner, regulatory T (Treg) cell induction. Compared to melanoma bulk populations, ABCB5+ MMICs expressed lower levels of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, showed aberrant positivity for MHC class II, and exhibited lower expression levels of the melanoma-associated antigens (MAAs) MART-1, ML-IAP, NY-ESO-1, and MAGE-A. In addition, tumorigenic ABCB5+ subpopulations preferentially expressed the costimulatory molecules B7.2 and PD-1 in both established melanoma xenografts and clinical tumor specimens in vivo. In immune activation assays, ABCB5+ melanoma cells inhibited mitogen-dependent human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation and IL-2 production more efficiently than ABCB5− populations. Moreover, coculture with ABCB5+ MMICs increased, in a B7.2 signalling-dependent manner, CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Treg cell abundance and IL-10 production by mitogen-activated PBMCs. Consistent with these findings, ABCB5+ melanoma subsets also preferentially inhibited IL-2 production and induced IL-10 secretion by cocultured patient-derived, syngeneic PBMCs. Our findings identify novel T cell-modulatory functions of ABCB5+ melanoma subpopulations and suggest specific roles for MMICs in the evasion of antitumor immunity and in cancer immunotherapeutic resistance.
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4286.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Qian Zhan
- 3Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | | | | | - Jun Zhou
- 4Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
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34
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Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of tumor cells that selectively possess tumor initiation and self-renewal capacity and the ability to give rise to bulk populations of nontumorigenic cancer cell progeny through differentiation. As we discuss here, they have been prospectively identified in several human malignancies, and their relative abundance in clinical cancer specimens has been correlated with malignant disease progression in human patients. Furthermore, recent findings suggest that clinical cancer progression driven by CSCs may contribute to the failure of existing therapies to consistently eradicate malignant tumors. Therefore, CSC-directed therapeutic approaches might represent translationally relevant strategies to improve clinical cancer therapy, in particular for those malignancies that are currently refractory to conventional anticancer agents directed predominantly at tumor bulk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Y Frank
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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35
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Schatton T, Schütte U, Frank NY, Zhan Q, Hoerning A, Robles SC, Zhou J, Hodi FS, Spagnoli GC, Murphy GF, Frank MH. Modulation of T-cell activation by malignant melanoma initiating cells. Cancer Res 2010; 70:697-708. [PMID: 20068175 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-09-1592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [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
Highly immunogenic cancers such as malignant melanoma are capable of inexorable tumor growth despite the presence of antitumor immunity. Thus, only a restricted minority of tumorigenic malignant cells may possess the phenotypic and functional characteristics needed to modulate tumor-directed immune activation. Here we provide evidence supporting this hypothesis. Tumorigenic ABCB5(+) malignant melanoma initiating cells (MMICs) possessed the capacity to preferentially inhibit IL-2-dependent T-cell activation and to support, in a B7.2-dependent manner, induction of CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs). Compared with melanoma bulk cell populations, ABCB5(+) MMICs displayed lower levels of MHC class I, aberrant positivity for MHC class II, and lower expression levels of the melanoma-associated antigens MART-1, ML-IAP, NY-ESO-1, and MAGE-A. Additionally, these tumorigenic ABCB5(+) subpopulations preferentially expressed the costimulatory molecules B7.2 and PD-1, both in established melanoma xenografts and in clinical tumor specimens. In immune activation assays, MMICs inhibited mitogen-dependent human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation and IL-2 production more efficiently than ABCB5(-) melanoma cell populations. Moreover, coculture with ABCB5(+) MMICs increased the abundance of Tregs, in a B7.2 signaling-dependent manner, along with IL-10 production by mitogen-activated PBMCs. Consistent with these findings, MMICs also preferentially inhibited IL-2 production and induced IL-10 secretion by cocultured patient-derived, syngeneic PBMCs. Our findings identify novel T-cell modulatory functions of ABCB5(+) melanoma subpopulations and suggest specific roles for these MMICs in the evasion of antitumor immunity and in cancer immunotherapeutic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schatton
- Transplantation Research Center, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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36
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Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSC) represent malignant cell subsets in hierarchically organized tumors, which are selectively capable of tumor initiation and self-renewal and give rise to bulk populations of non-tumorigenic cancer cell progeny through differentiation. Robust evidence for the existence of prospectively identifiable CSC among cancer bulk populations has been generated using marker-specific genetic lineage tracking of molecularly defined cancer subpopulations in competitive tumor development models. Moreover, novel mechanisms and relationships have been discovered that link CSC to cancer therapeutic resistance and clinical tumor progression. Importantly, proof-of-principle for the potential therapeutic utility of the CSC concept has recently been provided by demonstrating that selective killing of CSC through a prospective molecular marker can inhibit tumor growth. Herein, we review these novel and translationally relevant research developments and discuss potential strategies for CSC-targeted therapy in the context of resistance mechanisms and molecular pathways preferentially operative in CSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schatton
- Transplantation Research Center, Children's Hospital Boston & Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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37
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Abstract
Self-renewing cancer stem cells (CSC) capable of spawning more differentiated tumor cell progeny are required for tumorigenesis and neoplastic progression of leukemias and several solid cancers. The mechanisms by which CSC cause tumor initiation and growth are currently unknown. Recent findings that suggest a negative correlation between degrees of host immunocompetence and rates of cancer development raise the possibility that only a restricted minority of malignant cells, namely CSC, may possess the phenotypic and functional characteristics to evade host antitumor immunity. In human malignant melanoma, a highly immunogenic cancer, we recently identified malignant melanoma initiating cells (MMIC), a novel type of CSC, based on selective expression of the chemoresistance mediator ABCB5. Here we present evidence of a relative immune privilege of ABCB5(+) MMIC, suggesting refractoriness to current immunotherapeutic treatment strategies. We discuss our findings in the context of established immunomodulatory functions of physiologic stem cells and in relation to mechanisms responsible for the downregulation of immune responses against tumors. We propose that the MMIC subset might be responsible for melanoma immune evasion and that immunomodulation might represent one mechanism by which CSC advance tumorigenic growth and resistance to immunotherapy. Accordingly, the possibility of an MMIC-driven tumor escape from immune-mediated rejection has important implications for current melanoma immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schatton
- Transplantation Research Center, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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38
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Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSC) have been identified in hematological malignancies and several solid cancers. Similar to physiological stem cells, CSC are capable of self-renewal and differentiation and have the potential for indefinite proliferation, a function through which they may cause tumor growth. Although conventional anti-cancer treatments might eradicate most malignant cells in a tumor, they are potentially ineffective against chemoresistant CSC, which may ultimately be responsible for recurrence and progression. Human malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive and drug-resistant cancer. Detection of tumor heterogeneity, undifferentiated molecular signatures, and increased tumorigenicity of melanoma subsets with embryonic-like differentiation plasticity strongly suggest the presence and involvement of malignant melanoma stem cells (MMSC) in the initiation and propagation of this malignancy. Here, we review these findings in the context of functional properties ascribed to melanocyte stem cells and CSC in other cancers. We discuss the association of deregulated signaling pathways, genomic instability, and vasculogenic mimicry phenomena observed in melanoma subpopulations in light of the CSC concept. We propose that a subset of MMSC may be responsible for melanoma therapy-resistance, tumor invasiveness, and neoplastic progression and that targeted abrogation of a MMSC compartment could therefore ultimately lead to stable remissions and perhaps cures of metastatic melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schatton
- Transplantation Research Center, Children's Hospital Boston & Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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39
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Abstract
P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expressed on human antigen presenting cells (APC) regulates alloantigen-dependent T-cell activation, but the associated mechanisms are not well understood. Here we demonstrate that P-gp functions in IL-12-dependent monocyte differentiation into dendritic cell (DC) lineages during APC maturation, thereby regulating the capacity of myeloid-derived APCs to elicit alloimmune Th1 responses. Human CD14+ monocytes cultured in vitro in the presence of IL-4/GM-CSF differentiated into CD14(-) CD1A+ APCs of the immature DC phenotype. In contrast, P-gp blockade during differentiation inhibited CD1a induction, down-regulated CD80 expression, enhanced CD86 expression and induced CD68 expression. APCs differentiated in the presence of P-gp blockade stimulated alloimmune T-cell proliferation significantly less than controls and this effect was associated with 97% inhibition of Th1 IFN-gamma production, but preserved Th2 IL-5 secretion. MAb-mediated blockade of the P-gp transport substrate IL-12 in the course of APC differentiation also inhibited IFN-gamma production, while addition of rIL-12 to P-gp-blocked APC differentiation cultures significantly reversed this effect, demonstrating that P-gp functions in APC differentiation in part via IL-12 regulation. Our findings define a novel role for P-gp as a differentiation switch in APC maturation and resultant alloimmune Th1 responses, thereby identifying P-gp as a potential novel therapeutic target in allotransplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S S Pendse
- Transplantation Research Center, Children's Hospital Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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40
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Frank NY, Kho AT, Schatton T, Murphy GF, Molloy MJ, Zhan Q, Ramoni MF, Frank MH, Kohane IS, Gussoni E. Regulation of myogenic progenitor proliferation in human fetal skeletal muscle by BMP4 and its antagonist Gremlin. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 175:99-110. [PMID: 17015616 PMCID: PMC2064502 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200511036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle side population (SP) cells are thought to be “stem”-like cells. Despite reports confirming the ability of muscle SP cells to give rise to differentiated progeny in vitro and in vivo, the molecular mechanisms defining their phenotype remain unclear. In this study, gene expression analyses of human fetal skeletal muscle demonstrate that bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is highly expressed in SP cells but not in main population (MP) mononuclear muscle-derived cells. Functional studies revealed that BMP4 specifically induces proliferation of BMP receptor 1a–positive MP cells but has no effect on SP cells, which are BMPR1a-negative. In contrast, the BMP4 antagonist Gremlin, specifically up-regulated in MP cells, counteracts the stimulatory effects of BMP4 and inhibits proliferation of BMPR1a-positive muscle cells. In vivo, BMP4-positive cells can be found in the proximity of BMPR1a-positive cells in the interstitial spaces between myofibers. Gremlin is expressed by mature myofibers and interstitial cells, which are separate from BMP4-expressing cells. Together, these studies propose that BMP4 and Gremlin, which are highly expressed by human fetal skeletal muscle SP and MP cells, respectively, are regulators of myogenic progenitor proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Y Frank
- Division of Genetics, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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41
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Frank NY, Margaryan A, Huang Y, Schatton T, Waaga-Gasser AM, Gasser M, Sayegh MH, Sadee W, Frank MH. ABCB5-mediated doxorubicin transport and chemoresistance in human malignant melanoma. Cancer Res 2005; 65:4320-33. [PMID: 15899824 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-04-3327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 401] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced drug efflux mediated by ABCB1 P-glycoprotein and related ATP-binding cassette transporters is one of several mechanisms of multidrug resistance thought to impair chemotherapeutic success in human cancers. In malignant melanoma, its potential contribution to chemoresistance is uncertain. Here, we show that ABCB5, which functions as a determinant of membrane potential and regulator of cell fusion in physiologic skin progenitor cells, is expressed in clinical malignant melanoma tumors and preferentially marks a subset of hyperpolarized, CD133+ stem cell phenotype-expressing tumor cells in malignant melanoma cultures and clinical melanomas. We found that ABCB5 blockade significantly reversed resistance of G3361 melanoma cells to doxorubicin, an agent to which clinical melanomas have been found refractory, resulting in a 43% reduction in the LD50 from 4 to 2.3 micromol/L doxorubicin (P < 0.05). Our results identified ABCB5-mediated doxorubicin efflux transport as the underlying mechanism of resistance, because ABCB5 blockade significantly enhanced intracellular drug accumulation. Consistent with this novel ABCB5 function and mechanism in doxorubicin resistance, gene expression levels of the transporter across a panel of human cancer cell lines used by the National Cancer Institute for drug screening correlated significantly with tumor resistance to doxorubicin (r = 0.44; P = 0.016). Our results identify ABCB5 as a novel drug transporter and chemoresistance mediator in human malignant melanoma. Moreover, our findings show that ABCB5 is a novel molecular marker for a distinct subset of chemoresistant, stem cell phenotype-expressing tumor cells among melanoma bulk populations and indicate that these chemoresistant cells can be specifically targeted via ABCB5 to enhance cytotoxic efficacy.
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MESH Headings
- AC133 Antigen
- ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B
- ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1/biosynthesis
- ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1/genetics
- ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1/metabolism
- Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/pharmacokinetics
- Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/pharmacology
- Antigens, CD
- Doxorubicin/pharmacokinetics
- Doxorubicin/pharmacology
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
- Flow Cytometry
- Gene Expression
- Glycoproteins/biosynthesis
- Glycoproteins/genetics
- Glycoproteins/metabolism
- Humans
- Melanoma/drug therapy
- Melanoma/genetics
- Melanoma/metabolism
- Melanoma/pathology
- Peptides/genetics
- Peptides/metabolism
- Stem Cells/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Y Frank
- Department of Genetics, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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