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Khoshtinat Nikkhoi S, Yang G, Owji H, Grizotte-Lake M, Cohen RI, Gil Gonzalez L, Massumi M, Hatefi A. Bispecific immune cell engager enhances the anticancer activity of CD16+ NK cells and macrophages in vitro, and eliminates cancer metastasis in NK humanized NOG mice. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008295. [PMID: 38490714 PMCID: PMC10946374 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In a prior report, we detailed the isolation and engineering of a bispecific killer cell engager, referred to as BiKE:E5C1. The BiKE:E5C1 exhibits high affinity/specificity for the CD16a activating receptor on natural killer (NK) cells and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) on cancer cells. In vitro studies have demonstrated that BiKE:E5C1 can activate the NK cells and induce the killing of HER2+ ovarian and breast cancer cells, surpassing the performance of the best-in-class monoclonal antibody, Trazimera (trastuzumab). To advance this BiKE technology toward clinical application, the objective of this research was to demonstrate the ability of BiKE:E5C1 to activate CD16+ immune cells such as NK cells and macrophages to kill cancer cells, and eradicate metastatic HER2+ tumors in NK humanized NOG mice. METHODS We assessed BiKE:E5C1's potential to activate CD16-expressing peripheral blood (PB)-NK cells, laNK92 cells, and THP-1-CD16A monocyte-macrophages through flowcytometry and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity/phagocytosis (ADCC) assays. Subsequently, laNK92 cells were selected as effector cells and genetically modified to express the nanoluciferase gene, enabling the monitoring of their viability in NK humanized NOG mice using quantitative bioluminescent imaging (qBLI). To evaluate the functionality of BiKE:E5C1 in vivo, we introduced firefly luciferase-expressing ovarian cancer cells via intraperitoneal injection into hIL-15 and hIL-2 NOG mice, creating a model of ovarian cancer metastasis. Once tumor establishment was confirmed, we treated the mice with laNK92 cells plus BiKE:E5C1 and the response to therapy was assessed using qBLI. RESULTS Our data demonstrate that BiKE:E5C1 activates not only laNK92 cells but also PB-NK cells and macrophages, significantly enhancing their anticancer activities. ADCC assay demonstrated that IgG1 Fc region had no impact on BiKE:E5C1's anticancer activity. In vivo results reveal that both hIL-15 and hIL-2 NOG mouse models support the viability and proliferation of laNK92 cells. Furthermore, it was observed that BiKE:E5C1 activates laNK92 cells in mice, leading to eradication of cancer metastasis in both NK humanized hIL-15 and hIL-2 NOG mouse models. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our in vivo findings underscore BiKE:E5C1's potential as an immune cell engager capable of activating immune cells for cancer cell elimination, thereby expanding the arsenal of available BiKEs for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ge Yang
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Hajar Owji
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Rick I Cohen
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Lazaro Gil Gonzalez
- St Michael's Hospital Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohammad Massumi
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Arash Hatefi
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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Lee E, Lee S, Park S, Son YG, Yoo J, Koh Y, Shin DY, Lim Y, Won J. Asymmetric anti-CLL-1×CD3 bispecific antibody, ABL602 2+1, with attenuated CD3 affinity endows potent antitumor activity but limited cytokine release. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007494. [PMID: 37848261 PMCID: PMC10582864 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of leukemia in adults with a high mortality rate and poor prognosis. Although targeted therapeutics, chemotherapy, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can improve the prognosis, the recurrence rate is still high, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 40%. This study aimed to develop an IgG-based asymmetric bispecific antibody that targets CLL-1 and CD3 for treating AML. METHODS ABL602 candidates were compared in terms of binding activity, T-cell activation, and tumor-killing activities. ABL602-mediated T-cell activation and tumor-killing activities were determined by measuring the expression of activation markers, cytokines, cytolytic proteins, and the proportion of dead cells. We evaluated in vivo tumor growth inhibitory activity in two mouse models bearing subcutaneously and orthotopically engrafted human AML. Direct tumor-killing activity and T-cell activation in patient-derived AML blasts were also evaluated. RESULTS ABL602 2+1 showed a limited CD3 binding in the absence of CLL-1, suggesting that steric hindrance on the CD3 binding arm could reduce CLL-1 expression-independent CD3 binding. Although the CD3 binding activity was attenuated compared with that of 1+1, ABL602 2+1 exhibited much stronger T-cell activation and potent tumor-killing activities in AML cell lines. ABL602 2+1 efficiently inhibited tumor progression in subcutaneously and orthotopically engrafted AML mouse models. In the orthotopic mouse model, tumor growth inhibition was observed by gross measurement of luciferase activity, as well as a reduced proportion of AML blasts in the bone marrow, as determined by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. ABL602 2+1 efficiently activated T cells and induced the lysis of AML blasts, even at very low effector:target (E:T) ratios (eg, 1:50). Compared with the reference 1+1 antibody, ABL602 did not induce the release of cytokines including interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the healthy donor-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cell. CONCLUSIONS With its potent tumor-killing activity and reduced cytokine release, ABL602 2+1 is a promising candidate for treating patients with AML and warrants further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunhee Lee
- ABL Bio Inc, Seongnam, Korea (the Republic of)
| | - Shinai Lee
- ABL Bio Inc, Seongnam, Korea (the Republic of)
| | | | | | - Jiseon Yoo
- ABL Bio Inc, Seongnam, Korea (the Republic of)
| | - Youngil Koh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Jongno-gu, Korea (the Republic of)
| | - Dong-Yeop Shin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Jongno-gu, Korea (the Republic of)
| | - Yangmi Lim
- ABL Bio Inc, Seongnam, Korea (the Republic of)
| | - Jonghwa Won
- ABL Bio Inc, Seongnam, Korea (the Republic of)
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Anderson KG, Braun DA, Buqué A, Gitto SB, Guerriero JL, Horton B, Keenan BP, Kim TS, Overacre-Delgoffe A, Ruella M, Triplett TA, Veeranki O, Verma V, Zhang F. Leveraging immune resistance archetypes in solid cancer to inform next-generation anticancer therapies. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e006533. [PMID: 37399356 PMCID: PMC10314654 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Anticancer immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, bispecific antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells, have improved outcomes for patients with a variety of malignancies. However, most patients either do not initially respond or do not exhibit durable responses due to primary or adaptive/acquired immune resistance mechanisms of the tumor microenvironment. These suppressive programs are myriad, different between patients with ostensibly the same cancer type, and can harness multiple cell types to reinforce their stability. Consequently, the overall benefit of monotherapies remains limited. Cutting-edge technologies now allow for extensive tumor profiling, which can be used to define tumor cell intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of primary and/or acquired immune resistance, herein referred to as features or feature sets of immune resistance to current therapies. We propose that cancers can be characterized by immune resistance archetypes, comprised of five feature sets encompassing known immune resistance mechanisms. Archetypes of resistance may inform new therapeutic strategies that concurrently address multiple cell axes and/or suppressive mechanisms, and clinicians may consequently be able to prioritize targeted therapy combinations for individual patients to improve overall efficacy and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin G Anderson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carter Center for Immunology Research, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - David A Braun
- Center of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Yale University Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Aitziber Buqué
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sarah B Gitto
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jennifer L Guerriero
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brendan Horton
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bridget P Keenan
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Teresa S Kim
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Abigail Overacre-Delgoffe
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marco Ruella
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Todd A Triplett
- Department of Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Abilene, Texas, USA
| | - Omkara Veeranki
- Medical Affairs and Clinical Development, Caris Life Sciences Inc, Irving, Texas, USA
| | - Vivek Verma
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, Minnesota, USA
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Lee YG, Yang N, Chun I, Porazzi P, Carturan A, Paruzzo L, Sauter CT, Guruprasad P, Pajarillo R, Ruella M. Apoptosis: a Janus bifrons in T-cell immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e005967. [PMID: 37055217 PMCID: PMC10106075 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer. In particular, immune checkpoint blockade, bispecific antibodies, and adoptive T-cell transfer have yielded unprecedented clinical results in hematological malignancies and solid cancers. While T cell-based immunotherapies have multiple mechanisms of action, their ultimate goal is achieving apoptosis of cancer cells. Unsurprisingly, apoptosis evasion is a key feature of cancer biology. Therefore, enhancing cancer cells' sensitivity to apoptosis represents a key strategy to improve clinical outcomes in cancer immunotherapy. Indeed, cancer cells are characterized by several intrinsic mechanisms to resist apoptosis, in addition to features to promote apoptosis in T cells and evade therapy. However, apoptosis is double-faced: when it occurs in T cells, it represents a critical mechanism of failure for immunotherapies. This review will summarize the recent efforts to enhance T cell-based immunotherapies by increasing apoptosis susceptibility in cancer cells and discuss the role of apoptosis in modulating the survival of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment and potential strategies to overcome this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Gu Lee
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Nicholas Yang
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Inkook Chun
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Patrizia Porazzi
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alberto Carturan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Luca Paruzzo
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Torino, Piemonte, Italy
| | - Christopher Tor Sauter
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Puneeth Guruprasad
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Raymone Pajarillo
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marco Ruella
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Moreno-Castaño AB, Fernández S, Ventosa H, Palomo M, Martinez-Sanchez J, Ramos A, Ortiz-Maldonado V, Delgado J, Fernández de Larrea C, Urbano-Ispizua A, Penack O, Nicolás JM, Téllez A, Escolar G, Carreras E, Fernández-Avilés F, Castro P, Diaz-Ricart M. Characterization of the endotheliopathy, innate-immune activation and hemostatic imbalance underlying CAR-T cell toxicities: laboratory tools for an early and differential diagnosis. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-006365. [PMID: 37045474 PMCID: PMC10106034 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell-based immunotherapy constitutes a revolutionary advance for treatment of relapsed/refractory hematological malignancies. Nevertheless, cytokine release and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndromes are life-threatening toxicities in which the endothelium could be a pathophysiological substrate. Furthermore, differential diagnosis from sepsis, highly incident in these patients, is challenging. Suitable laboratory tools could be determinant for their appropriate management. METHODS Sixty-two patients treated with CAR-T cell immunotherapy for hematological malignancies (n=46 with CD19-positive diseases, n=16 with multiple myeloma) were included. Plasma samples were obtained: before CAR-T cell infusion (baseline); after 24-48 hours; at suspicion of any toxicity onset and 24-48 hours after immunomodulatory treatment. Biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction (soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1), soluble TNF receptor 1 (sTNFRI), thrombomodulin (TM), soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2 factor (ST2), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2)), innate immunity activation (neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), soluble C5b-9 (sC5b-9)) and hemostasis/fibrinolysis (von Willebrand Factor antigen (VWF:Ag), ADAMTS-13 (A13), α2-antiplasmin (α2-AP), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen (PAI-1 Ag)) were measured and compared with those in cohorts of patients with sepsis and healthy donors. RESULTS Patients who developed CAR-T cell toxicities presented increased levels of sVCAM-1, sTNFRI and ST2 at the clinical onset versus postinfusion values. Twenty-four hours after infusion, ST2 levels were good predictors of any CAR-T cell toxicity, and combination of ST2, Ang-2 and NETs differentiated patients requiring intensive care unit admission from those with milder clinical presentations. Association of Ang-2, NETs, sC5b-9, VWF:Ag and PAI-1 Ag showed excellent discrimination between severe CAR-T cell toxicities and sepsis. CONCLUSIONS This study provides relevant contributions to the current knowledge of the CAR-T cell toxicities pathophysiology. Markers of endotheliopathy, innate immunity activation and hemostatic imbalance appear as potential laboratory tools for their prediction, severity and differential diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Belen Moreno-Castaño
- Hemostasis and Erythropathology Laboratory, Hematopathology, Pathology Department, Biomedical Diagnostic Center (CDB), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Fernández
- Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Institute of Medicine and Dermatology (ICMID), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Helena Ventosa
- Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Institute of Medicine and Dermatology (ICMID), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Palomo
- Hematology External Quality Assessment Laboratory, Biomedical Diagnostic Center (CDB), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Alex Ramos
- Institut de Recerca Contra la Leucèmia Josep Carreras, Campus Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valentín Ortiz-Maldonado
- Hematology Department, Clinical Institute of Hematologic and Oncologic Diseases (ICMHO), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julio Delgado
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Hematology Department, Clinical Institute of Hematologic and Oncologic Diseases (ICMHO), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Fernández de Larrea
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Hematology Department, Clinical Institute of Hematologic and Oncologic Diseases (ICMHO), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alvaro Urbano-Ispizua
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Hematology Department, Clinical Institute of Hematologic and Oncologic Diseases (ICMHO), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olaf Penack
- Hematology Department, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - J M Nicolás
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Institute of Medicine and Dermatology (ICMID), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adrian Téllez
- Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Institute of Medicine and Dermatology (ICMID), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gines Escolar
- Hemostasis and Erythropathology Laboratory, Hematopathology, Pathology Department, Biomedical Diagnostic Center (CDB), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enric Carreras
- Fundación Josep Carreras contra la Leucemia, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Fernández-Avilés
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Hematology Department, Clinical Institute of Hematologic and Oncologic Diseases (ICMHO), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Castro
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Institute of Medicine and Dermatology (ICMID), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maribel Diaz-Ricart
- Hemostasis and Erythropathology Laboratory, Hematopathology, Pathology Department, Biomedical Diagnostic Center (CDB), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Abstract
Increased immune cell infiltration into tumors is associated with improved patient survival and predicts response to immune therapies. Thus, identification of factors that determine the extent of immune infiltration is crucial, so that methods to intervene on these targets can be developed. T cells enter tumor tissues through the vasculature, and under control of interactions between homing receptors on the T cells and homing receptor ligands (HRLs) expressed by tumor vascular endothelium and tumor cell nests. HRLs are often deficient in tumors, and there also may be active barriers to infiltration. These remain understudied but may be crucial for enhancing immune-mediated cancer control. Multiple intratumoral and systemic therapeutic approaches show promise to enhance T cell infiltration, including both approved therapies and experimental therapies. This review highlights the intracellular and extracellular determinants of immune cell infiltration into tumors, barriers to infiltration, and approaches for intervention to enhance infiltration and response to immune therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marit M Melssen
- Immunology, Genetics & Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Natasha D Sheybani
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Crist M, Yaniv B, Palackdharry S, Lehn MA, Medvedovic M, Stone T, Gulati S, Karivedu V, Borchers M, Fuhrman B, Crago A, Curry J, Martinez-Outschoorn U, Takiar V, Wise-Draper TM. Metformin increases natural killer cell functions in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through CXCL1 inhibition. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-005632. [PMID: 36328378 PMCID: PMC9639146 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [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] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metformin slows tumor growth and progression in vitro, and in combination with chemoradiotherapy, resulted in high overall survival in patients with head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in our phase 1 clinical trial (NCT02325401). Metformin is also postulated to activate an antitumor immune response. Here, we investigate immunologic effects of metformin on natural killer (NK) and natural killer T cells, including results from two phase I open-label studies in patients with HNSCC treated with metformin (NCT02325401, NCT02083692). METHODS Peripheral blood was collected before and after metformin treatment or from newly diagnosed patients with HNSCC. Peripheral immune cell phenotypes were evaluated using flow cytometry, cytokine expression by ELISA and/or IsoLight, and NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity was determined with a flow-based NK cell cytotoxicity assay (NKCA). Patient tumor immune infiltration before and after metformin treatment was analyzed with immunofluorescence. NK cells were treated with either vehicle or metformin and analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). NK cells were then treated with inhibitors of significant pathways determined by RNA-seq and analyzed by NKCA, ELISA, and western blot analyses. RESULTS Increased peripheral NK cell activated populations were observed in patients treated with metformin. NK cell tumor infiltration was enhanced in patients with HNSCC treated with metformin preoperatively. Metformin increased antitumorigenic cytokines ex vivo, including significant increases in perforin. Metformin increased HNSCC NK cell cytotoxicity and inhibited the CXCL1 pathway while stimulating the STAT1 pathway within HNSCC NK cells. Exogenous CXCL1 prevented metformin-enhanced NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Metformin-mediated NK cell cytotoxicity was found to be AMP-activated protein kinase independent, but dependent on both mechanistic target of rapamycin and pSTAT1. CONCLUSIONS Our data identifies a new role for metformin-mediated immune antitumorigenic function through NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity and downregulation of CXCL1 in HNSCC. These findings will inform future immunomodulating therapies in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- McKenzie Crist
- Department of Internal Medicine; Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Benyamin Yaniv
- Department of Medicine, UMass Memorial Medical Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarah Palackdharry
- University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Maria A Lehn
- Department of Internal Medicine; Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Division of Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Mario Medvedovic
- Department of Environmental Health; Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Timothy Stone
- Department of Environmental Health; Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Shuchi Gulati
- Department of Internal Medicine; Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Vidhya Karivedu
- Department of Medical Oncology Head and Neck Oncology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Michael Borchers
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Bethany Fuhrman
- University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Audrey Crago
- University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Joseph Curry
- Department of Otolaryngology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Vinita Takiar
- Division of Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Trisha M Wise-Draper
- Department of Internal Medicine; Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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de la Torre-Aláez M, Matilla A, Varela M, Iñarrairaegui M, Reig M, Lledó JL, Arenas JI, Lorente S, Testillano M, Márquez L, Da Fonseca L, Argemí J, Gómez-Martin C, Rodriguez-Fraile M, Bilbao JI, Sangro B. Nivolumab after selective internal radiation therapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a phase 2, single-arm study. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-005457. [PMID: 36450386 PMCID: PMC9716796 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [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] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) and liver-only disease ineligible for chemoembolization. PATIENTS AND METHODS NASIR-HCC is a single-arm, multicenter, open-label, phase 2 trial that recruited from 2017 to 2019 patients who were naïve to immunotherapy and had tumors in the BCLC B2 substage (single or multiple tumors beyond the up-to-7 rule), or unilobar tumors with segmental or lobar portal vein invasion (PVI); no extrahepatic spread; and preserved liver function. Patients received SIRT followed 3 weeks later by nivolumab (240 mg every 2 weeks) for up to 24 doses or until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Safety was the primary endpoint. Secondary objectives included objective response rate (ORR), time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS 42 patients received SIRT (31 BCLC-B2, 11 with PVI) and were followed for a median of 22.2 months. 27 patients discontinued and 1 never received Nivolumab. 41 patients had any-grade adverse events (AE) and 21 had serious AEs (SAE). Treatment-related AEs and SAEs grade 3-4 occurred in 8 and 5 patients, respectively. Using RECIST 1.1 criteria, ORR reported by investigators was 41.5% (95% CI 26.3% to 57.9%). Four patients were downstaged to partial hepatectomy. Median TTP was 8.8 months (95% CI 7.0 to 10.5) and median OS was 20.9 months (95% CI 17.7 to 24.1). CONCLUSIONS The combination of SIRT and nivolumab has shown an acceptable safety profile and signs of antitumor activity in the treatment of patients with uHCC that were fit for SIRT. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03380130.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Matilla
- Digestive Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Spain
| | - Maria Varela
- Liver Unit, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, IUOPA, ISPA, FINBA, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Mercedes Iñarrairaegui
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Spain.,Liver Unit, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maria Reig
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Spain.,BCLC group, Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic, ICMDM, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Luis Lledó
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Spain.,Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Sara Lorente
- Liver Unit, Hospital Clínico Lozano Blesa, IIS Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Laura Márquez
- Digestive Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Leonardo Da Fonseca
- BCLC group, Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic, ICMDM, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josepmaria Argemí
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Spain.,Liver Unit, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | | | | | - Jose I Bilbao
- Interventional Radiology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Bruno Sangro
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Spain .,Liver Unit, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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9
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Coukos A, Vionnet J, Obeid M, Bouchaab H, Peters S, Latifyan S, Wicky A, Michielin O, Chtioui H, Moradpour D, Fasquelle F, Sempoux C, Fraga M. Systematic comparison with autoimmune liver disease identifies specific histological features of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related adverse events. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:e005635. [PMID: 36283734 PMCID: PMC9608549 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become a mainstay of cancer treatment. Their immune-boosting quality has one major drawback, their proclivity to induce a broad array of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) affecting, among others, the liver and sharing some similarities with classic autoimmune liver diseases (AILD).We aimed to compare clinical, laboratory and histological features of patients with liver-related irAEs and AILD. METHODS We systematically compared liver irAEs with AILD, namely autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary biliary cholangitis, regarding their clinical, laboratory, and histological features. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients with liver irAEs (ICI group) and 14 patients with AILD were identified. We observed three distinct ICI-induced histological liver injury patterns: hepatitic (52%), cholangitic (19%), and mixed (29%). When comparing the ICI and AILD groups, centrilobular injury as well as granuloma formation were more prevalent in the former (p=0.067 and 0.002, respectively). CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratios were heterogeneous between the two groups, without statistically significant difference but with a trend toward increased CD8+ T cells among hepatitic irAEs as compared with AIH. Pattern of liver function test alteration was predictive for the type of irAEs but did not correlate with histological severity. CONCLUSIONS Liver irAEs have broad clinical, laboratory and histological presentations. Histological features of irAEs and AILD are distinct, likely underpinning their different immunological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julien Vionnet
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Transplantation Center, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michel Obeid
- Immunology Division, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hasna Bouchaab
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Solange Peters
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sofiya Latifyan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Wicky
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Michielin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Haithem Chtioui
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
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10
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Lin J, Dai Y, Sang C, Song G, Xiang B, Zhang M, Dong L, Xia X, Ma J, Shen X, Ji S, Zhang S, Wang M, Fang H, Zhang X, Wang X, Zhang B, Zhou J, Fan J, Zhou H, Gao D, Gao Q. Multimodule characterization of immune subgroups in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma reveals distinct therapeutic vulnerabilities. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-004892. [PMID: 35863823 PMCID: PMC9310257 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [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] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Immune microenvironment is well recognized as a critical regulator across cancer types, despite its complex roles in different disease conditions. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is characterized by a tumor-reactive milieu, emphasizing a deep insight into its immunogenomic profile to provide prognostic and therapeutic implications. Methods We performed genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic characterization of 255 paired iCCA and adjacent liver tissues. We validated our findings through H&E staining (n=177), multiplex immunostaining (n=188), single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) (n=10), in vitro functional studies, and in vivo transposon-based mouse models. Results Integrated multimodule data identified three immune subgroups with distinct clinical, genetic, and molecular features, designated as IG1 (immune-suppressive, 25.1%), IG2 (immune-exclusion, 42.7%), and IG3 (immune-activated, 32.2%). IG1 was characterized by excessive infiltration of neutrophils and immature dendritic cells (DCs). The hallmark of IG2 was the relatively higher tumor-proliferative activity and tumor purity. IG3 exhibited an enrichment of adaptive immune cells, natural killer cells, and activated DCs. These immune subgroups were significantly associated with prognosis and validated in two independent cohorts. Tumors with KRAS mutations were enriched in IG1 and associated with myeloid inflammation-dominated immunosuppression. Although tumor mutation burden was relatively higher in IG2, loss of heterozygosity in human leucocyte antigen and defects in antigen presentation undermined the recognition of neoantigens, contributing to immune-exclusion behavior. Pathological analysis confirmed that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and tertiary lymphoid structures were both predominant in IG3. Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related samples tended to be under-represented in IG1, and scRNA-seq analyses implied that HBV infection indeed alleviated myeloid inflammation and reinvigorated antitumor immunity. Conclusions Our study elucidates that the immunogenomic traits of iCCA are intrinsically heterogeneous among patients, posing great challenge and opportunity for the application of personalized immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Lin
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuting Dai
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Sang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guohe Song
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Mao Zhang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liangqing Dong
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoli Xia
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaqiang Ma
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xia Shen
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuyi Ji
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shu Zhang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingjie Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hai Fang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoming Zhang
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institute Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangdong Wang
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hu Zhou
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Daming Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Gao
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China .,Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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11
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Trad R, Warda W, Alcazer V, Neto da Rocha M, Berceanu A, Nicod C, Haderbache R, Roussel X, Desbrosses Y, Daguindau E, Renosi F, Roumier C, Bouquet L, Biichle S, Guiot M, Seffar E, Caillot D, Depil S, Robinet E, Salma Y, Deconinck E, Deschamps M, Ferrand C. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cells targeting IL-1RAP: a promising new cellular immunotherapy to treat acute myeloid leukemia. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-004222. [PMID: 35803613 PMCID: PMC9272123 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [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] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a very difficult disease to cure due to the persistence of leukemic stem cells (LSCs), which are resistant to different lines of chemotherapy and are the basis of refractory/relapsed (R/R) disease in 80% of patients with AML not receiving allogeneic transplantation. Methods In this study, we showed that the interleukin-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAP) protein is overexpressed on the cell surface of LSCs in all subtypes of AML and confirmed it as an interesting and promising target in AML compared with the most common potential AML targets, since it is not expressed by the normal hematopoietic stem cell. After establishing the proof of concept for the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells targeting IL-1RAP in chronic myeloid leukemia, we hypothesized that third-generation IL-1RAP CAR T-cells could eliminate AML LSCs, where the medical need is not covered. Results We first demonstrated that IL-1RAP CAR T-cells can be produced from AML T-cells at the time of diagnosis and at relapse. In vitro and in vivo, we showed the effectiveness of IL-1RAP CAR T-cells against AML cell lines expressing different levels of IL-1RAP and the cytotoxicity of autologous IL-1RAP CAR T-cells against primary cells from patients with AML at diagnosis or at relapse. In patient-derived relapsed AML xenograft models, we confirmed that IL-1RAP CAR T-cells are able to circulate in peripheral blood and to migrate in the bone marrow and spleen, are cytotoxic against primary AML cells and increased overall survival. Conclusion In conclusion, our preclinical results suggest that IL-1RAP CAR T-based adoptive therapy could be a promising strategy in AML treatment and it warrants the clinical investigation of this CAR T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rim Trad
- TIMC, EFSBFC, INSERM UMR1098 RIGHT,UFC, Besancon, France
| | - Walid Warda
- TIMC, EFSBFC, INSERM UMR1098 RIGHT,UFC, Besancon, France.,CanCell Therapeutics, Besancon, France
| | | | - Mathieu Neto da Rocha
- TIMC, EFSBFC, INSERM UMR1098 RIGHT,UFC, Besancon, France.,CanCell Therapeutics, Besancon, France
| | - Ana Berceanu
- Clinical Hematology, C.H. Univ Jean Minjoz, Besancon, France
| | | | | | - Xavier Roussel
- Clinical Hematology, C.H. Univ Jean Minjoz, Besancon, France
| | | | | | - Florain Renosi
- TIMC, EFSBFC, INSERM UMR1098 RIGHT,UFC, Besancon, France
| | | | - Lucie Bouquet
- TIMC, EFSBFC, INSERM UMR1098 RIGHT,UFC, Besancon, France
| | - Sabeha Biichle
- TIMC, EFSBFC, INSERM UMR1098 RIGHT,UFC, Besancon, France
| | - Melanie Guiot
- TIMC, EFSBFC, INSERM UMR1098 RIGHT,UFC, Besancon, France
| | - Evan Seffar
- TIMC, EFSBFC, INSERM UMR1098 RIGHT,UFC, Besancon, France
| | - Denis Caillot
- Clinical Hematology, CHU François Mitterrand, Dijon, France
| | | | | | - Yahya Salma
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology (LBA3B), Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Eric Deconinck
- Clinical Hematology, C.H. Univ Jean Minjoz, Besancon, France
| | - Marina Deschamps
- TIMC, EFSBFC, INSERM UMR1098 RIGHT,UFC, Besancon, France.,CanCell Therapeutics, Besancon, France
| | - Christophe Ferrand
- TIMC, EFSBFC, INSERM UMR1098 RIGHT,UFC, Besancon, France .,CanCell Therapeutics, Besancon, France
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12
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Renken S, Nakajima T, Magalhaes I, Mattsson J, Lundqvist A, Arnér ESJ, Kiessling R, Wickström SL. Targeting of Nrf2 improves antitumoral responses by human NK cells, TIL and CAR T cells during oxidative stress. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-004458. [PMID: 35738800 PMCID: PMC9226989 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [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] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adoptive cell therapy using cytotoxic lymphocytes is an efficient immunotherapy against solid and hematological cancers. However, elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the hostile tumor microenvironment can impair NK cell and T cell function. Auranofin, a gold (I)-containing phosphine compound, is a strong activator of the transcription factor Nrf2. Nrf2 controls a wide range of downstream targets important for the cells to obtain increased resistance to ROS. In this study, we present a strategy using auranofin to render human cytotoxic lymphocytes resistant toward oxidative stress. Methods Melanoma patient-derived tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and healthy donor-derived NK cells and CD19-directed CAR T cells were pretreated with a low dose of auranofin. Their resistance toward oxidative stress was assessed by measuring antitumoral responses (killing-assay, degranulation/CD107a, cytokine production) and intracellular ROS levels (flow cytometry) in conditions of oxidative stress. To confirm that the effects were Nrf2 dependent, the transcription level of Nrf2-driven target genes was analyzed by qPCR. Results Pretreatment of human TIL and NK cells ex vivo with a low-dose auranofin significantly lowered their accumulation of intracellular ROS and preserved their antitumoral activity despite high H2O2 levels or monocyte-derived ROS. Furthermore, auranofin pretreatment of CD19 CAR-T cells or TIL increased their elimination of CD19 +tumor cells or autologous tumor spheroids, respectively, especially during ROS exposure. Analysis of Nrf2-driven target genes revealed that the increased resistance against ROS was Nrf2 dependent. Conclusion These novel findings suggest that Nrf2 activation in human cytotoxic lymphocytes could be used to enhance the efficacy of adoptive cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Renken
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Takahiro Nakajima
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Isabelle Magalhaes
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Mattsson
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Gloria and Seymour Epstein Chair in Cell Therapy and Transplantation, Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andreas Lundqvist
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Theme Cancer, Patient area Head and Neck, Lung and Skin, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elias S J Arnér
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Selenoprotein Research and National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Rolf Kiessling
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Theme Cancer, Patient area Head and Neck, Lung and Skin, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stina Linnea Wickström
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden .,Theme Cancer, Patient area Head and Neck, Lung and Skin, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.,Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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13
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van Rees DJ, Bouti P, Klein B, Verkuijlen PJH, van Houdt M, Schornagel K, Tool ATJ, Venet D, Sotiriou C, El-Abed S, Izquierdo M, Guillaume S, Saura C, Di Cosimo S, Huober J, Roylance R, Kim SB, Kuijpers TW, van Bruggen R, van den Berg TK, Matlung HL. Cancer cells resist antibody-mediated destruction by neutrophils through activation of the exocyst complex. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:e004820. [PMID: 35728876 PMCID: PMC9214435 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neutrophils kill antibody-opsonized tumor cells using trogocytosis, a unique mechanism of destruction of the target plasma. This previously unknown cytotoxic process of neutrophils is dependent on antibody opsonization, Fcγ receptors and CD11b/CD18 integrins. Here, we demonstrate that tumor cells can escape neutrophil-mediated cytotoxicity by calcium (Ca2+)-dependent and exocyst complex-dependent plasma membrane repair. METHODS We knocked down EXOC7 or EXOC4, two exocyst components, to evaluate their involvement in tumor cell membrane repair after neutrophil-induced trogocytosis. We used live cell microscopy and flow cytometry for visualization of the host and tumor cell interaction and tumor cell membrane repair. Last, we reported the mRNA levels of exocyst in breast cancer tumors in correlation to the response in trastuzumab-treated patients. RESULTS We found that tumor cells can evade neutrophil antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by Ca2+-dependent cell membrane repair, a process induced upon neutrophil trogocytosis. Absence of exocyst components EXOC7 or EXOC4 rendered tumor cells vulnerable to neutrophil-mediated ADCC (but not natural killer cell-mediated killing), while neutrophil trogocytosis remained unaltered. Finally, mRNA levels of exocyst components in trastuzumab-treated patients were inversely correlated to complete response to therapy. CONCLUSIONS Our results support that neutrophil attack towards antibody-opsonized cancer cells by trogocytosis induces an active repair process by the exocyst complex in vitro. Our findings provide insight to the possible contribution of neutrophils in current antibody therapies and the tolerance mechanism of tumor cells and support further studies for potential use of the exocyst components as clinical biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieke J van Rees
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Panagiota Bouti
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart Klein
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paul J H Verkuijlen
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michel van Houdt
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Schornagel
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anton T J Tool
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David Venet
- Breast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory JC Heuson, Institut Jules Bordet, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Christos Sotiriou
- Breast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory JC Heuson, Institut Jules Bordet, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | | | | | - Sébastien Guillaume
- Department of Psychiatric Emergency & Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Cristina Saura
- SOLTI Innovative Breast Cancer Research, Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jens Huober
- Breast Center, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Rebecca Roylance
- Department of Oncology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Sung-Bae Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Taco W Kuijpers
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robin van Bruggen
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Timo K van den Berg
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hanke L Matlung
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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14
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Abstract
Genetically engineered T cells have been successfully used in the treatment of hematological malignancies, greatly increasing both progression-free and overall survival in patients. However, the outcomes of patients treated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cells targeting solid tumors have been disappointing. There is an unmet clinical need for therapies which are specifically designed to overcome the challenges associated with solid tumors such as tumor heterogeneity and antigen escape. Genetic engineering employing the use of biological logic gating in T cells is an emerging and cutting-edge field that may address these issues. The advantages of logic gating include localized secretion of anti-tumor proteins into the tumor microenvironment, multi antigen targeting of tumors and a potential increase in safety when targeting tumor antigens which may not be exclusively tumor specific. In this review, we introduce the concept of biological logic gating and how this technology addresses some of the challenges of current CAR T treatment. We outline the types of logic gating circuits and finally discuss the application of this new technology to engineered T cells, in the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C Abbott
- Immunology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hannah E Hughes-Parry
- Immunology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Misty R Jenkins
- Immunology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia .,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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15
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Chen H, Chen Y, Deng M, John S, Gui X, Kansagra A, Chen W, Kim J, Lewis C, Wu G, Xie J, Zhang L, Huang R, Liu X, Arase H, Huang Y, Yu H, Luo W, Xia N, Zhang N, An Z, Zhang CC. Antagonistic anti-LILRB1 monoclonal antibody regulates antitumor functions of natural killer cells. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2019-000515. [PMID: 32771992 PMCID: PMC7418854 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2019-000515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current immune checkpoint blockade strategies have been successful in treating certain types of solid cancer. However, checkpoint blockade monotherapies have not been successful against most hematological malignancies including multiple myeloma and leukemia. There is an urgent need to identify new targets for development of cancer immunotherapy. LILRB1, an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif-containing receptor, is widely expressed on human immune cells, including B cells, monocytes and macrophages, dendritic cells and subsets of natural killer (NK) cells and T cells. The ligands of LILRB1, such as major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, activate LILRB1 and transduce a suppressive signal, which inhibits the immune responses. However, it is not clear whether LILRB1 blockade can be effectively used for cancer treatment. METHODS First, we measured the LILRB1 expression on NK cells from cancer patients to determine whether LILRB1 upregulated on NK cells from patients with cancer, compared with NK cells from healthy donors. Then, we developed specific antagonistic anti-LILRB1 monoclonal antibodies and studied the effects of LILRB1 blockade on the antitumor immune function of NK cells, especially in multiple myeloma models, in vitro and in vivo xenograft model using non-obese diabetic (NOD)-SCID interleukin-2Rγ-null mice. RESULTS We demonstrate that percentage of LILRB1+ NK cells is significantly higher in patients with persistent multiple myeloma after treatment than that in healthy donors. Further, the percentage of LILRB1+ NK cells is also significantly higher in patients with late-stage prostate cancer than that in healthy donors. Significantly, we showed that LILRB1 blockade by our antagonistic LILRB1 antibody increased the tumoricidal activity of NK cells against several types of cancer cells, including multiple myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma and solid tumors, in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that blocking LILRB1 signaling on immune effector cells such as NK cells may represent a novel strategy for the development of anticancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heyu Chen
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Yuanzhi Chen
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.,School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Mi Deng
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Samuel John
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology- Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Xun Gui
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ankit Kansagra
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Weina Chen
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Jaehyup Kim
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Cheryl Lewis
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Guojin Wu
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Jingjing Xie
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Lingbo Zhang
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ryan Huang
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Xiaoye Liu
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Hisashi Arase
- Department of Immunochemistry, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases and Laboratory of Immunochemistry, World Premier International Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yang Huang
- School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Hai Yu
- School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Wenxin Luo
- School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Ningshao Xia
- School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Ningyan Zhang
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Cheng Cheng Zhang
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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16
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Bonnans C, Thomas G, He W, Jung B, Chen W, Liao M, Heyen J, Buetow B, Pillai S, Matsumoto D, Chaparro-Riggers J, Salek-Ardakani S, Qu Y. CD40 agonist-induced IL-12p40 potentiates hepatotoxicity. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2020-000624. [PMID: 32474414 PMCID: PMC7264827 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-000624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CD40 is a compelling target for cancer immunotherapy, however, attempts to successfully target this pathway have consistently been hampered by dose-limiting toxicity issues in the clinic that prevents the administration of efficacious doses. Methods Here, using cytokine and cytokine receptor depletion strategies in conjunction with a potent CD40 agonist, we investigated mechanisms underlying the two primary sources of CD40 agonist-associated toxicity, hepatotoxicity and cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Results We demonstrate that CD40 agonist -induced hepatotoxicity and CRS are mechanistically independent. Historical data have supported a role for interleukin-6 (IL-6) in CRS-associated wasting, however, our findings instead show that an inflammatory cytokine network involving TNF, IL-12p40, and IFNγ underlie this process. Deficiency of TNF or IFNγ did not influence CD40-induced hepatitis however loss of IL-12p40 significantly decreased circulating concentrations of liver enzymes and reduced the frequency of activated CD14+MHCII+ myeloid cells in the liver, indicating a role for IL-12p40 in liver pathology. Conclusions As clinical research programs aim to circumnavigate toxicity concerns while maintaining antitumor efficacy it will be essential to understand which features of CD40 biology mediate antitumor function to develop both safe and efficacious agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Bonnans
- Cancer Immunology Discovery, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Graham Thomas
- Cancer Immunology Discovery, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Wenqian He
- Cancer Immunology Discovery, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Breanna Jung
- Cancer Immunology Discovery, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Cancer Immunology Discovery, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Min Liao
- Cancer Immunology Discovery, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | | | - Smitha Pillai
- Cancer Immunology Discovery, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yan Qu
- Cancer Immunology Discovery, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, USA
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17
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Abstract
Whether cell death caused by T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells would be immunogenic per se has been a matter of intense debate. Two back-to-back papers from the Melero’s and Pardo’s groups have now resolved this conundrum, demonstrating that T and NK cell–mediated cytotoxicity represents indeed a bona fide variant of immunogenic cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA .,Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.,Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Giulia Petroni
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Université de Paris, Paris, France .,Equipe labellisée par la Ligue contre le cancer, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.,Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Villejuif, France.,Pôle de Biologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, Paris, France.,Suzhou Institute for Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.,Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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18
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Kumar S, Singh SK, Viswakarma N, Sondarva G, Nair RS, Sethupathi P, Dorman M, Sinha SC, Hoskins K, Thatcher G, Rana B, Rana A. Rationalized inhibition of mixed lineage kinase 3 and CD70 enhances life span and antitumor efficacy of CD8 + T cells. J Immunother Cancer 2020; 8:e000494. [PMID: 32759234 PMCID: PMC7410077 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2019-000494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are important for T cell survival and their effector function. Mixed lineage kinase 3 (MLK3) (MAP3K11) is an upstream regulator of MAP kinases and emerging as a potential candidate for targeted cancer therapy; yet, its role in T cell survival and effector function is not known. METHODS T cell phenotypes, apoptosis and intracellular cytokine expressions were analyzed by flow cytometry. The apoptosis-associated gene expressions in CD8+CD38+ T cells were measured using RT2 PCR array. In vivo effect of combined blockade of MLK3 and CD70 was analyzed in 4T1 tumor model in immunocompetent mice. The serum level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS We report that genetic loss or pharmacological inhibition of MLK3 induces CD70-TNFα-TNFRSF1a axis-mediated apoptosis in CD8+ T cells. The genetic loss of MLK3 decreases CD8+ T cell population, whereas CD4+ T cells are partially increased under basal condition. Moreover, the loss of MLK3 induces CD70-mediated apoptosis in CD8+ T cells but not in CD4+ T cells. Among the activated CD8+ T cell phenotypes, CD8+CD38+ T cell population shows more than five fold increase in apoptosis due to loss of MLK3, and the expression of TNFRSF1a is significantly higher in CD8+CD38+ T cells. In addition, we observed that CD70 is an upstream regulator of TNFα-TNFRSF1a axis and necessary for induction of apoptosis in CD8+ T cells. Importantly, blockade of CD70 attenuates apoptosis and enhances effector function of CD8+ T cells from MLK3-/- mice. In immune-competent breast cancer mouse model, pharmacological inhibition of MLK3 along with CD70 increased tumor infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, leading to reduction in tumor burden largely via mitochondrial apoptosis. CONCLUSION Together, these results demonstrate that MLK3 plays an important role in CD8+ T cell survival and effector function and MLK3-CD70 axis could serve as a potential target in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar
- Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Navin Viswakarma
- Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gautam Sondarva
- Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | | | - Matthew Dorman
- Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Kent Hoskins
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gregory Thatcher
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Basabi Rana
- Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ajay Rana
- Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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19
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Roelands J, Hendrickx W, Zoppoli G, Mall R, Saad M, Halliwill K, Curigliano G, Rinchai D, Decock J, Delogu LG, Turan T, Samayoa J, Chouchane L, Ballestrero A, Wang E, Finetti P, Bertucci F, Miller LD, Galon J, Marincola FM, Kuppen PJK, Ceccarelli M, Bedognetti D. Oncogenic states dictate the prognostic and predictive connotations of intratumoral immune response. J Immunother Cancer 2020; 8:e000617. [PMID: 32376723 PMCID: PMC7223637 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-000617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An immune active cancer phenotype typified by a T helper 1 (Th-1) immune response has been associated with increased responsiveness to immunotherapy and favorable prognosis in some but not all cancer types. The reason of this differential prognostic connotation remains unknown. METHODS To explore the contextual prognostic value of cancer immune phenotypes, we applied a multimodal pan-cancer analysis among 31 different histologies (9282 patients), encompassing immune and oncogenic transcriptomic analysis, mutational and neoantigen load and copy number variations. RESULTS We demonstrated that the favorable prognostic connotation conferred by the presence of a Th-1 immune response was abolished in tumors displaying specific tumor-cell intrinsic attributes such as high transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling and low proliferation capacity. This observation was independent of mutation rate. We validated this observation in the context of immune checkpoint inhibition. WNT-β catenin, barrier molecules, Notch, hedgehog, mismatch repair, telomerase activity and AMPK signaling were the pathways most coherently associated with an immune silent phenotype together with mutations of driver genes including IDH1/2, FOXA2, HDAC3, PSIP1, MAP3K1, KRAS, NRAS, EGFR, FGFR3, WNT5A and IRF7. CONCLUSIONS This is the first systematic study demonstrating that the prognostic and predictive role of a bona fide favorable intratumoral immune response is dependent on the disposition of specific oncogenic pathways. This information could be used to refine stratification algorithms and prioritize hierarchically relevant targets for combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Roelands
- Cancer Research Department, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Hendrickx
- Cancer Research Department, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Gabriele Zoppoli
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Raghvendra Mall
- Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohamad Saad
- Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Kyle Halliwill
- Genomics Research Center (GRC), AbbVie Biotherapeutics, Redwood City, California, USA
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Darawan Rinchai
- Cancer Research Department, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Lucia G Delogu
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica, Fondazione Città della Speranza, Padua, Italy
| | - Tolga Turan
- Genomics Research Center (GRC), AbbVie Biotherapeutics, Redwood City, California, USA
| | - Josue Samayoa
- Genomics Research Center (GRC), AbbVie Biotherapeutics, Redwood City, California, USA
| | | | - Alberto Ballestrero
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Peter J K Kuppen
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michele Ceccarelli
- Genomics Research Center (GRC), AbbVie Biotherapeutics, Redwood City, California, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (DIETI), University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
- Istituto di Ricerche Genetiche "G. Salvatore", Biogem s.c.ar.l, 83031, Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - Davide Bedognetti
- Cancer Research Department, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
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20
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Chen QK, Yuan SZ, Zeng ZY, Huang ZQ. Tumoricidal activation of murine resident peritoneal macrophages on pancreatic carcinoma by interleukin-2 and monoclonal antibodies. World J Gastroenterol 2000; 6:287-289. [PMID: 11819579 PMCID: PMC4723507 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v6.i2.287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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21
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Lou Z, Jevremovic D, Billadeau DD, Leibson PJ. A balance between positive and negative signals in cytotoxic lymphocytes regulates the polarization of lipid rafts during the development of cell-mediated killing. J Exp Med 2000; 191:347-54. [PMID: 10637278 PMCID: PMC2195747 DOI: 10.1084/jem.191.2.347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/1999] [Accepted: 11/16/1999] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasma membrane microdomains containing sphingolipids and cholesterol (lipid rafts) are enriched in signaling molecules. The cross-linking of certain types of cell surface receptors initiates the redistribution of these lipid rafts, resulting in the formation of signaling complexes. However, little is known about the regulation of the initial raft redistribution and whether negative regulatory signaling pathways target this phase of cellular activation. We used natural killer (NK) cells as a model to investigate the regulation of raft redistribution, as both positive and negative signals have been implicated in the development of their cellular function. Here we show that after NK cells form conjugates with sensitive tumor cells, rafts become polarized to the site of target recognition. This redistribution of lipid rafts requires the activation of both Src and Syk family protein tyrosine kinases. In contrast, engagement of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-recognizing killer cell inhibitory receptors (KIRs) on NK cells by resistant, MHC-bearing tumor targets blocks raft redistribution. This inhibition is dependent on the catalytic activity of KIR-associated SHP-1, a Src homology 2 (SH2) domain containing tyrosine phosphatase. These results suggest that the influence of integrated positive and negative signals on raft redistribution critically influences the development of cell-mediated cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenkun Lou
- Department of Pharmacology, Mayo Graduate and Medical Schools, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
| | - Dragan Jevremovic
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Graduate and Medical Schools, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
| | - Daniel D. Billadeau
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Graduate and Medical Schools, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
| | - Paul J. Leibson
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Graduate and Medical Schools, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
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