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Fleming CL, Benitez-Martin C, Bernson E, Xu Y, Kristenson L, Inghardt T, Lundbäck T, Thorén FB, Grøtli M, Andréasson J. All-photonic kinase inhibitors: light-controlled release-and-report inhibition. Chem Sci 2024; 15:6897-6905. [PMID: 38725520 PMCID: PMC11077529 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc00390j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Light-responsive molecular tools targeting kinases affords one the opportunity to study the underlying cellular function of selected kinases. In efforts to externally control lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK) activity, the development of release-and-report LCK inhibitors is described, in which (i) the release of the active kinase inhibitor can be controlled externally with light; and (ii) fluorescence is employed to report both the release and binding of the active kinase inhibitor. This introduces an unprecedented all-photonic method for users to both control and monitor real-time inhibitory activity. A functional cellular assay demonstrated light-mediated LCK inhibition in natural killer cells. The use of coumarin-derived caging groups resulted in rapid cellular uptake and non-specific intracellular localisation, while a BODIPY-derived caging group predominately localised in the cellular membrane. This concept of release-and-report inhibitors has the potential to be extended to other biorelevant targets where both spatiotemporal control in a cellular setting and a reporting mechanism would be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Fleming
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Göteborg Sweden
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg Box 462 SE-40530 Göteborg Sweden
| | - Carlos Benitez-Martin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Göteborg Sweden
| | - Elin Bernson
- TIMM Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Centre for Cancer Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg SE-41296 Göteborg Sweden
| | - Yongjin Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg Box 462 SE-40530 Göteborg Sweden
| | - Linnea Kristenson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Centre for Cancer Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg SE-41296 Göteborg Sweden
| | - Tord Inghardt
- Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, Innovative Medicines and Early Development, AstraZeneca SE-43183 Mölndal Sweden
| | - Thomas Lundbäck
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca SE-43183 Mölndal Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Centre for Cancer Research, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg SE-41296 Göteborg Sweden
| | - Morten Grøtli
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg Box 462 SE-40530 Göteborg Sweden
| | - Joakim Andréasson
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Chalmers University of Technology SE-41296 Göteborg Sweden
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Kristenson L, Badami C, Ljungberg A, Islamagic E, Tian Y, Xie G, Hussein BA, Pesce S, Tang KW, Thorén FB. Deletion of the TMEM30A gene enables leukemic cell evasion of NK cell cytotoxicity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316447121. [PMID: 38557174 PMCID: PMC11009675 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316447121] [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] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell immunotherapy has gained attention as a promising strategy for treatment of various malignancies. In this study, we used a genome-wide CRISPR screen to identify genes that provide protection or susceptibility to NK cell cytotoxicity. The screen confirmed the role of several genes in NK cell regulation, such as genes involved in interferon-γ signaling and antigen presentation, as well as genes encoding the NK cell receptor ligands B7-H6 and CD58. Notably, the gene TMEM30A, encoding CDC50A-beta-subunit of the flippase shuttling phospholipids in the plasma membrane, emerged as crucial for NK cell killing. Accordingly, a broad range of TMEM30A knock-out (KO) leukemia and lymphoma cells displayed increased surface levels of phosphatidylserine (PtdSer). TMEM30A KO cells triggered less NK cell degranulation, cytokine production and displayed lower susceptibility to NK cell cytotoxicity. Blockade of PtdSer or the inhibitory receptor TIM-3, restored the NK cell ability to eliminate TMEM30A-mutated cells. The key role of the TIM-3 - PtdSer interaction for NK cell regulation was further substantiated by disruption of the receptor gene in primary NK cells, which significantly reduced the impact of elevated PtdSer in TMEM30A KO leukemic cells. Our study underscores the potential significance of agents targeting the interaction between PtdSer and TIM-3 in the realm of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linnea Kristenson
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
| | - Chiara Badami
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
| | - Angelica Ljungberg
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
| | - Erna Islamagic
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
| | - Yarong Tian
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 46, Sweden
| | - Guojiang Xie
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 46, Sweden
| | - Brwa Ali Hussein
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
| | - Silvia Pesce
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università di Genova, Genoa16132, Italy
| | - Ka-Wei Tang
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 46, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg413 46, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B. Thorén
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg413 90, Sweden
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3
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Komic H, Hallner A, Hussein BA, Badami C, Wöhr A, Hellstrand K, Bernson E, Thorén FB. HLA-B*44 and the Bw4-80T motif are associated with poor outcome of relapse-preventive immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:3559-3566. [PMID: 37597015 PMCID: PMC10576699 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03506-3] [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] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
HLA-B alleles are associated with outcomes in various pathologies, including autoimmune diseases and malignancies. The encoded HLA-B proteins are pivotal in antigen presentation to cytotoxic T cells, and some variants containing a Bw4 motif also serve as ligands to the killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) 3DL1/S1 of NK cells. We investigated the potential impact of HLA-B genotypes on the efficacy of immunotherapy for relapse prevention in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Seventy-eight non-transplanted AML patients receiving HDC/IL-2 in the post-consolidation phase were genotyped for HLA-B and KIR genes. HLA-B*44 heralded impaired LFS (leukemia-free survival) and overall survival (OS), but the negative association with outcome was not shared across alleles of the HLA-B44 supertype. Notably, HLA-B*44 is one of few HLA-B44 supertype alleles containing a Bw4 motif with a threonine at position 80, which typically results in weak binding to the inhibitory NK receptor, KIR3DL1. Accordingly, a strong interaction between KIR3DL1 and Bw4 was associated with superior LFS and OS (p = 0.014 and p = 0.027, respectively). KIR3DL1+ NK cells from 80 T-Bw4 donors showed significantly lower degranulation responses and cytokine responses than NK cells from 80I-Bw4 donors, suggesting impaired KIR3DL1-mediated education in 80 T-Bw4 subjects. We propose that presence of a strong KIR3DL1+-Bw4 interaction improves NK cell education and thus is advantageous in AML patients receiving HDC/IL-2 immunotherapy for relapse prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Komic
- TIMM Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Hallner
- TIMM Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Brwa Ali Hussein
- TIMM Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Chiara Badami
- TIMM Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anne Wöhr
- TIMM Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elin Bernson
- TIMM Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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4
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Hussein BA, Kristenson L, Pesce S, Wöhr A, Tian Y, Hallner A, Brune M, Hellstrand K, Tang KW, Bernson E, Thorén FB. NKG2A gene variant predicts outcome of immunotherapy in AML and modulates the repertoire and function of NK cells. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007202. [PMID: 37648262 PMCID: PMC10471874 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The natural killer (NK) complex (NKC) harbors multiple genes such as KLRC1 (encoding NKG2A) and KLRK1 (encoding NKG2D) that are central to regulation of NK cell function. We aimed at determining to what extent NKC haplotypes impact on NK cell repertoire and function, and whether such gene variants impact on outcome of IL-2-based immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS Genotype status of NKG2D rs1049174 and NKG2A rs1983526 was determined using the TaqMan-Allelic discrimination approach. To dissect the impact of single nucloetide polymorphim (SNP) on NK cell function, we engineered the K562 cell line with CRISPR to be killed in a highly NKG2D-dependent fashion. NK cells were assayed for degranulation, intracellular cytokine production and cytotoxicity using flow cytometry. RESULTS In AML patients receiving immunotherapy, the NKG2A gene variant, rs1983526, was associated with superior leukemia-free survival and overall survival. We observed that superior NK degranulation from individuals with the high-cytotoxicity NKG2D variant was explained by presence of a larger, highly responsive NKG2A+ subset. Notably, NK cells from donors homozygous for a favorable allele encoding NKG2A mounted stronger cytokine responses when challenged with leukemic cells, and NK cells from AML patients with this genotype displayed higher accumulation of granzyme B during histamine dihydrochloride/IL-2 immunotherapy. Additionally, among AML patients, the NKG2A SNP defined a subset of patients with HLA-B-21 TT with a strikingly favorable outcome. CONCLUSIONS The study results imply that a dimorphism in the NKG2A gene is associated with enhanced NK cell effector function and improved outcome of IL-2-based immunotherapy in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brwa Ali Hussein
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Linnea Kristenson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Silvia Pesce
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università di Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Anne Wöhr
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yarong Tian
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Hallner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mats Brune
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ka-Wei Tang
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elin Bernson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg,Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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5
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Chuang TP, Lai WY, Gabre JL, Lind DE, Umapathy G, Bokhari AA, Bergman B, Kristenson L, Thorén FB, Le A, Doebele R, Eynden JV, Palmer RH, Hallberg B. Abstract 3936: ALK fusion oncogene driven SERPINB4 expression enhances tumor survival in NSCLC. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-3936] [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: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion variants in non-small-cell-lung cancer (NSCLC) consist of numerous dimerising fusion partners, with the most common being EML4. Clinical data suggests that the degree of treatment benefit in response to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) differs among the variant present in the patient tumor. Therefore, a better understanding the oncogenic signaling networks driven by different ALK-fusion variants is important. Here, we developed highly controlled doxycycline-inducible cell models bearing four different ALK fusion proteins, namely EML4-ALK-V1, EML4-ALK-V3, KIF5B-ALK, and TFG-ALK, in the context of non-tumorigenic NL20 human bronchial epithelial cells. These were complimented by patient-derived NSCLC cell lines harboring either EML4-ALK-V1 or EML4-ALK-V3 fusions. RNA-seq and phosphoproteomics analysis were employed to identify dysregulated genes and hyper/hypo-phosphorylated proteins associated with ALK fusion expression. Among ALK fusion induced responses, we noted a robust inflammatory signature that included up-regulation of the Serpin B4 serine protease inhibitor in both NL20-inducible cell models and ALK-positive NSCLC patient-derived cell lines. We show that STAT3 is a major transcriptional regulator of SERPINB4 downstream of ALK fusions, along with NF-kB and AP1. The upregulation of SERPINB4 promotes survival of ALK fusion expressing cells and inhibits natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity. In conclusion, our study reveals a novel ALK downstream survival axis that regulates Serpin B4 expression and identifies a molecular target that has potential for therapeutic impact targeting the immune response together with ALK TKIs in NSCLC.
Citation Format: Tzu-Po Chuang, Wei-Yun Lai, Jonatan L. Gabre, Dan E. Lind, Ganesh Umapathy, Abdulmalik A. Bokhari, Bengt Bergman, Linnea Kristenson, Fredrik B. Thorén, Anh Le, Robert Doebele, Jimmy V. Eynden, Ruth H. Palmer, Bengt Hallberg. ALK fusion oncogene driven SERPINB4 expression enhances tumor survival in NSCLC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3936.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wei-Yun Lai
- 1University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Dan E. Lind
- 1University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | | | - Bengt Bergman
- 2Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | | | - Anh Le
- 3University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
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6
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Hussein BA, Hallner A, Wennström L, Brune M, Martner A, Hellstrand K, Bernson E, Thorén FB. Corrigendum: Impact of NK Cell Activating Receptor Gene Variants on Receptor Expression and Outcome of Immunotherapy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Front Immunol 2022; 12:843461. [PMID: 35095937 PMCID: PMC8793824 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.843461] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brwa Ali Hussein
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Hallner
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lovisa Wennström
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mats Brune
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elin Bernson
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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7
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Hussein BA, Hallner A, Wennström L, Brune M, Martner A, Hellstrand K, Bernson E, Thorén FB. Impact of NK Cell Activating Receptor Gene Variants on Receptor Expression and Outcome of Immunotherapy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Front Immunol 2021; 12:796072. [PMID: 34956230 PMCID: PMC8695486 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.796072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer cells are important effector cells in the immune response against myeloid malignancies. Previous studies show that the expression of activating NK cell receptors is pivotal for efficient recognition of blasts from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and that high expression levels impact favorably on patient survival. This study investigated the potential impact of activating receptor gene variants on NK cell receptor expression and survival in a cohort of AML patients receiving relapse-preventive immunotherapy with histamine dihydrochloride and low-dose IL-2 (HDC/IL-2). Patients harboring the G allele of rs1049174 in the KLRK1 gene encoding NKG2D showed high expression of NKG2D by CD56bright NK cells and a favorable clinical outcome in terms of overall survival. For DNAM-1, high therapy-induced receptor expression entailed improved survival, while patients with high DNAM-1 expression before immunotherapy associated with unfavorable clinical outcome. The previously reported SNPs in NCR3 encoding NKp30, which purportedly influence mRNA splicing into isoforms with discrete functions, did not affect outcome in this study. Our results imply that variations in genes encoding activating NK cell receptors determine receptor expression and clinical outcome in AML immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brwa Ali Hussein
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Hallner
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lovisa Wennström
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mats Brune
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elin Bernson
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- Tumor Immunology (TIMM) Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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8
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Grauers Wiktorin H, Aydin E, Christenson K, Issdisai N, Thorén FB, Hellstrand K, Martner A. Impact of IL-1β and the IL-1R antagonist on relapse risk and survival in AML patients undergoing immunotherapy for remission maintenance. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1944538. [PMID: 34367728 PMCID: PMC8317920 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1944538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, has been ascribed a role in the expansion of myeloid progenitors in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and in promoting myeloid cell-induced suppression of lymphocyte-mediated immunity against malignant cells. This study aimed at defining the potential impact of IL-1β in the post-remission phase of AML patients receiving immunotherapy for relapse prevention in an international phase IV trial of 84 patients (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT01347996). Consecutive serum samples were collected from AML patients in first complete remission (CR) who received cycles of relapse-preventive immunotherapy with histamine dihydrochloride (HDC) and low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2). Low IL-1β serum levels before and after the first HDC/IL-2 treatment cycle favorably prognosticated leukemia-free survival and overall survival. Serum levels of IL-1β were significantly reduced in patients receiving HDC/IL-2. HDC also reduced the formation of IL-1β from activated human PBMCs in vitro. Additionally, high serum levels of the IL-1 receptor antagonist IL-1RA were associated with favorable outcome, and AML patients with low IL-1β along with high IL-1RA levels were strikingly protected against leukemic relapse. Our results suggest that strategies to target IL-1β might impact on relapse risk and survival in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Grauers Wiktorin
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ebru Aydin
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.,Molecular Genetics, Germany Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karin Christenson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nuttida Issdisai
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
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9
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Akhiani AA, Hallner A, Kiffin R, Aydin E, Werlenius O, Aurelius J, Martner A, Thorén FB, Hellstrand K. Idelalisib Rescues Natural Killer Cells from Monocyte-Induced Immunosuppression by Inhibiting NOX2-Derived Reactive Oxygen Species. Cancer Immunol Res 2020; 8:1532-1541. [PMID: 32967913 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-20-0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate-3 kinase-δ (PI3Kδ) inhibitor idelalisib, used alone or in combination with anti-CD20, is clinically efficacious in B-cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) by promoting apoptosis of malignant B cells. PI3K regulates the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the myeloid NADPH oxidase NOX2, but the role of PI3Kδ in myeloid cell-induced immunosuppression is unexplored. We assessed the effects of idelalisib on the spontaneous and IgG antibody-induced ROS production by human monocytes, on ROS-induced cell death of human natural killer (NK) cells, and on tumor cell clearance in an NK cell-dependent mouse model of metastasis. Idelalisib potently and efficiently inhibited the formation of NOX2-derived ROS from monocytes and rescued NK cells from ROS-induced cell death. Idelalisib also promoted NK cell cytotoxicity against anti-CD20-coated primary human CLL cells and cultured malignant B cells. Experiments using multiple PI3K inhibitors implicated the PI3Kδ isoform in regulating NOX2-induced ROS formation and immunosuppression. In B6 mice, systemic treatment with idelalisib significantly reduced the formation of lung metastases from intravenously injected melanoma cells but did not affect metastasis in B6.129S6-Cybbtm1Din (Nox2 -/-) mice or in NK cell-deficient mice. Our results imply that idelalisib rescues NK cells from NOX2/ROS-dependent immunosuppression and thus exerts antineoplastic efficacy beyond B-cell inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A Akhiani
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Hallner
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Roberta Kiffin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ebru Aydin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Olle Werlenius
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Hematology, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Aurelius
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Hematology, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. .,TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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10
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Nilsson MS, Hallner A, Brune M, Nilsson S, Thorén FB, Martner A, Hellstrand K. Complete remission after the first cycle of induction chemotherapy determines the clinical efficacy of relapse-preventive immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukaemia. Br J Haematol 2019; 188:e49-e53. [PMID: 31853942 PMCID: PMC7027927 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.16320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Malin S Nilsson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Hallner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mats Brune
- Department of Haematology, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Staffan Nilsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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11
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Bernson E, Christenson K, Pesce S, Pasanen M, Marcenaro E, Sivori S, Thorén FB. Downregulation of HLA Class I Renders Inflammatory Neutrophils More Susceptible to NK Cell-Induced Apoptosis. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2444. [PMID: 31681321 PMCID: PMC6803460 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are potent effector cells and contain a battery of harmful substances and degrading enzymes. A silent neutrophil death, i.e., apoptosis, is therefore of importance to avoid damage to the surrounding tissue and to enable termination of the acute inflammatory process. There is a pile of evidence supporting the role for pro-inflammatory cytokines in extending the life-span of neutrophils, but relatively few studies have been devoted to mechanisms actively driving apoptosis induction in neutrophils. We have previously demonstrated that natural killer (NK) cells can promote apoptosis in healthy neutrophils. In this study, we set out to investigate how neutrophil sensitivity to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity is regulated under inflammatory conditions. Using in vitro-activated neutrophils and a human skin chamber model that allowed collection of in vivo-transmigrated neutrophils, we performed a comprehensive characterization of neutrophil expression of ligands to NK cell receptors. These studies revealed a dramatic downregulation of HLA class I molecules in inflammatory neutrophils, which was associated with an enhanced susceptibility to NK cell cytotoxicity. Collectively, our data shed light on the complex regulation of interactions between NK cells and neutrophils during an inflammatory response and provide further support for a role of NK cells in the resolution phase of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Bernson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Karin Christenson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Silvia Pesce
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Malin Pasanen
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emanuela Marcenaro
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Sivori
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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12
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Nilsson MS, Hallner A, Brune M, Nilsson S, Thorén FB, Martner A, Hellstrand K. Immunotherapy with HDC/IL-2 may be clinically efficacious in acute myeloid leukemia of normal karyotype. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2019; 16:109-111. [PMID: 31242079 PMCID: PMC7012093 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2019.1636598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy with histamine dihydrochloride and low-dose interleukin-2 (HDC/IL-2) reduces the risk of relapse in the post-chemotherapy phase of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here we report the results of exploratory analyses of the clinical efficacy of HDC/IL-2 in AML with focus on the impact of karyotype aberrations in leukemic cells. Post-hoc analyses of phase III trial data suggested that HDC/IL-2 is primarily beneficial for patients with AML of normal karyotype. These results may be helpful in the selection of patients who are suitable for therapy and in the design of future immunotherapy protocols aiming at further defining the mechanism of relapse prevention by HDC/IL-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malin S Nilsson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Hallner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mats Brune
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Staffan Nilsson
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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13
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Bernson E, Hallner A, Sander FE, Nicklasson M, Nilsson MS, Christenson K, Aydin E, Liljeqvist JÅ, Brune M, Foà R, Aurelius J, Martner A, Hellstrand K, Thorén FB. Cytomegalovirus Serostatus Affects Autoreactive NK Cells and Outcomes of IL2-Based Immunotherapy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cancer Immunol Res 2018; 6:1110-1119. [PMID: 29980537 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-17-0711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is reported to promote NK cell differentiation and education. The CMV-induced generation of highly differentiated adaptive-like NK cells has been proposed to affect favorably on the maintenance of remission in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). The impact of CMV infection and adaptive-like NK cells on relapse and survival of patients with AML not receiving allo-SCT remains unknown. We assayed CMV IgG serostatus to determine past CMV infection in 81 nontransplanted AML patients who were receiving relapse-prevention immunotherapy comprising histamine dihydrochloride and low-dose interleukin-2 (HDC/IL2; NCT01347996). CMV seropositivity correlated negatively with leukemia-free and overall survival of patients receiving HDC/IL2, but did not correlate with outcomes in a contemporary control cohort. Analysis of outcome after stratification of patients based on concordant or discordant killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) and HLA genotypes implied that the negative impact of CMV seropositivity was restricted to patients lacking a ligand to inhibitory KIRs (iKIR). Previous CMV infection was also associated with fewer NK cells expressing only nonself iKIRs (NS-iKIR). We propose that CMV-driven NK cell education depletes the population of NS-iKIR NK cells, which in turn reduces the clinical benefit of relapse-preventive immunotherapy in AML. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(9); 1110-9. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Bernson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Hallner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Frida E Sander
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Malin Nicklasson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Malin S Nilsson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Karin Christenson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ebru Aydin
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jan-Åke Liljeqvist
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mats Brune
- Department of Hematology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Robin Foà
- Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University, Sapienza, Italy
| | - Johan Aurelius
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Hematology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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14
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Kiffin R, Grauers Wiktorin H, Nilsson MS, Aurelius J, Aydin E, Lenox B, Nilsson JA, Ståhlberg A, Thorén FB, Hellstrand K, Martner A. Anti-Leukemic Properties of Histamine in Monocytic Leukemia: The Role of NOX2. Front Oncol 2018; 8:218. [PMID: 29967760 PMCID: PMC6015904 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [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: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), treatment with histamine dihydrochloride (HDC) and low-dose IL-2 (HDC/IL-2) in the post-chemotherapy phase has been shown to reduce the incidence of leukemic relapse. The clinical benefit of HDC/IL-2 is pronounced in monocytic forms of AML, where the leukemic cells express histamine type 2 receptors (H2R) and the NAPDH oxidase-2 (NOX2). HDC ligates to H2Rs to inhibit NOX2-derived formation of reactive oxygen species, but details regarding the anti-leukemic actions of HDC remain to be elucidated. Here, we report that human NOX2+ myelomonocytic/monocytic AML cell lines showed increased expression of maturation markers along with reduced leukemic cell proliferation after exposure to HDC in vitro. These effects of HDC were absent in corresponding leukemic cells genetically depleted of NOX2 (NOX2-/-). We also observed that exposure to HDC altered the expression of genes involved in differentiation and cell cycle progression in AML cells and that these effects required the presence of NOX2. HDC promoted the differentiation also of primary monocytic, but not non-monocytic, AML cells in vitro. In a xenograft model, immunodeficient NOG mice were inoculated with wild-type or NOX2-/- human monocytic AML cells and treated with HDC in vivo. The administration of HDC reduced the in vivo expansion of NOX2+/+, but not of NOX2-/- human monocytic AML cells. We propose that NOX2 may be a conceivable target in the treatment of monocytic AML.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Anna Martner
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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15
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Bernson E, Hallner A, Sander FE, Wilsson O, Werlenius O, Rydström A, Kiffin R, Brune M, Foà R, Aurelius J, Martner A, Hellstrand K, Thorén FB. Impact of killer-immunoglobulin-like receptor and human leukocyte antigen genotypes on the efficacy of immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia. Leukemia 2017; 31:2552-2559. [PMID: 28529313 PMCID: PMC5729331 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2017.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [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: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between killer-immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and their HLA class I ligands are instrumental in natural killer (NK) cell regulation and protect normal tissue from NK cell attack. Human KIR haplotypes comprise genes encoding mainly inhibitory receptors (KIR A) or activating and inhibitory receptors (KIR B). A substantial fraction of humans lack ligands for inhibitory KIRs (iKIRs), that is, a ‘missing ligand’ genotype. KIR B/x and missing ligand genotypes may thus give rise to potentially autoreactive, unlicensed NK cells. Little is known regarding the impact of such genotypes in untransplanted acute myeloid leukemia (AML). For this study, NK cell phenotypes and KIR/HLA genotypes were determined in 81 AML patients who received immunotherapy with histamine dihydrochloride and low-dose IL-2 for relapse prevention (NCT01347996). We observed that presence of unlicensed NK cells impacted favorably on clinical outcome, in particular among patients harboring functional NK cells reflected by high expression of the natural cytotoxicity receptor (NCR) NKp46. Genotype analyses suggested that the clinical benefit of high NCR expression was restricted to patients with a missing ligand genotype and/or a KIR B/x genotype. These data imply that functional NK cells are significant anti-leukemic effector cells in patients with KIR/HLA genotypes that favor NK cell autoreactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Bernson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - A Hallner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - F E Sander
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - O Wilsson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - O Werlenius
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Hematology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - A Rydström
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - R Kiffin
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - M Brune
- Department of Hematology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - R Foà
- Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - J Aurelius
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Hematology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - A Martner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - K Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - F B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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16
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Aurelius J, Hallner A, Werlenius O, Riise R, Möllgård L, Brune M, Hansson M, Martner A, Thorén FB, Hellstrand K. NOX2-dependent immunosuppression in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. J Leukoc Biol 2017; 102:459-466. [PMID: 28292946 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.5vma1116-454r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic neoplasm with few treatment options and dismal prognosis. The role of natural killer (NK) cells and other antileukemic lymphocytes in CMML is largely unknown. We aimed to provide insight into the mechanisms of immune evasion in CMML with a focus on immunosuppressive reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed by the myeloid cell NADPH oxidase-2 (NOX2). The dominant population of primary human CMML cells was found to express membrane-bound NOX2 and to release ROS, which, in turn, triggered extensive PARP-1-dependent cell death in cocultured NK cells, CD8+ T effector memory cells, and CD8+ T effector cells. Inhibitors of ROS formation and scavengers of extracellular ROS prevented CMML cell-induced lymphocyte death and facilitated NK cell degranulation toward Ab-coated, primary CMML cells. In patients with CMML, elevation of immature cell counts (CD34+) in blood was associated with reduced expression of several NK cell-activating receptors. We propose that CMML cells may use extracellular ROS as a targetable mechanism of immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Aurelius
- Department of Hematology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.,TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; and
| | - Alexander Hallner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; and
| | - Olle Werlenius
- Department of Hematology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.,TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; and
| | - Rebecca Riise
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; and
| | - Lars Möllgård
- Department of Hematology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mats Brune
- Department of Hematology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Markus Hansson
- Department of Hematology, Skåne University Hospital, Scania, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; and
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; and
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; and
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17
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Sander FE, Rydström A, Bernson E, Kiffin R, Riise R, Aurelius J, Anderson H, Brune M, Foà R, Hellstrand K, Thorén FB, Martner A. Dynamics of cytotoxic T cell subsets during immunotherapy predicts outcome in acute myeloid leukemia. Oncotarget 2016; 7:7586-96. [PMID: 26863635 PMCID: PMC4884940 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Preventing relapse after chemotherapy remains a challenge in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Eighty-four non-transplanted AML patients in first complete remission received relapse-preventive immunotherapy with histamine dihydrochloride and low-dose interleukin-2 in an international phase IV trial (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT01347996). Blood samples were drawn during cycles of immunotherapy and analyzed for CD8+ (cytotoxic) T cell phenotypes in blood. During the first cycle of therapy, a re-distribution of cytotoxic T cells was observed comprising a reduction of T effector memory cells and a concomitant increase of T effector cells. The dynamics of T cell subtypes during immunotherapy prognosticated relapse and survival, in particular among older patients and remained significantly predictive of clinical outcome after correction for potential confounders. Presence of CD8+ T cells with specificity for leukemia-associated antigens identified patients with low relapse risk. Our results point to novel aspects of T cell-mediated immunosurveillance in AML and provide conceivable biomarkers in relapse-preventive immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frida Ewald Sander
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Rydström
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elin Bernson
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Roberta Kiffin
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rebecca Riise
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Aurelius
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Hematology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Harald Anderson
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mats Brune
- Department of Hematology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Robin Foà
- Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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18
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Martner A, Rydström A, Riise RE, Aurelius J, Brune M, Foà R, Hellstrand K, Thorén FB. NK cell expression of natural cytotoxicity receptors may determine relapse risk in older AML patients undergoing immunotherapy for remission maintenance. Oncotarget 2016; 6:42569-74. [PMID: 26544512 PMCID: PMC4767453 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.5559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [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: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In a phase IV trial, eighty-four patients (age 18-79) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission (CR) received cycles of immunotherapy with histamine dihydrochloride (HDC) and low-dose human recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) to prevent relapse in the post-consolidation phase. Aspects of natural killer (NK) cell biology were analyzed before and during immunotherapy with focus on outcome in older patients. In younger (<60 years old, n = 37) and older patients (>60 years old, n = 47), treatment with HDC/IL-2 resulted in an expansion of CD56(bright) and CD16+ NK cells in blood along with an increased NK cell expression of the natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCR) NKp30 and NKp46. In older patients, a high expression of NKp30 or NKp46 on CD16+ NK cells before and during therapy predicted leukemia-free and overall survival. These results suggest that NK cell functions determine relapse risk and survival in older AML patients and point to biomarkers of efficacy in protocols for remission maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Martner
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 405 30, Sweden
| | - Anna Rydström
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 405 30, Sweden
| | - Rebecca E Riise
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 405 30, Sweden
| | - Johan Aurelius
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 405 30, Sweden.,Department of Hematology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 413 45, Sweden
| | - Mats Brune
- Department of Hematology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 413 45, Sweden
| | - Robin Foà
- Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 405 30, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 405 30, Sweden
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19
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Strannegård Ö, Thorén FB. Opposing effects of immunotherapy in melanoma using multisubtype interferon-alpha - can tumor immune escape after immunotherapy accelerate disease progression? Oncoimmunology 2015; 5:e1091147. [PMID: 27141351 PMCID: PMC4839365 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2015.1091147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
With checkpoint inhibitors, patients with advanced melanoma display durable responses suggesting cure of disease. However, the immune system has dual roles in cancer; while the immune system may eradicate a tumor, a subtotal elimination may selectively destroy immunogenic cells driving the proliferation of non-immunogenic tumors. Here, we performed a retrospective analysis of results obtained in a controlled trial of patients with melanoma treated with adjuvant, multisubtype interferon-α. The survival curves displayed a late divergence for treated patients and controls resulting in substantially higher estimates of overall (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) rates among treated patients after 9 y of follow up. Interestingly, succumbing patients in the treatment group displayed reduced time between relapse and death, suggesting therapy-induced acceleration of disease progression. These findings suggest that effective immunotherapy that induces durable, curative responses in some patients, may potentially accelerate disease progression in others, highlighting the importance of developing advanced strategies to identify patients who are likely to benefit from immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Örjan Strannegård
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg,Sweden; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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20
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Riise RE, Bernson E, Aurelius J, Martner A, Pesce S, Della Chiesa M, Marcenaro E, Bylund J, Hellstrand K, Moretta L, Moretta A, Thorén FB. TLR-Stimulated Neutrophils Instruct NK Cells To Trigger Dendritic Cell Maturation and Promote Adaptive T Cell Responses. J Immunol 2015; 195:1121-8. [PMID: 26085684 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1500709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are innate effector cells with pivotal roles in pathogen recognition, phagocytosis, and eradication. However, their role in the development of subsequent immune responses is incompletely understood. This study aimed to identify mechanisms of relevance to the cross talk between human neutrophils and NK cells and its potential role in promoting adaptive immunity. TLR-stimulated PMNs were found to release soluble mediators to attract and activate NK cells in vitro. PMN-conditioned NK cells displayed enhanced cytotoxicity and cytokine production, and responded vigorously to ensuing stimulation with exogenous and endogenous IL-12. The neutrophil-induced activation of NK cells was prevented by caspase-1 inhibitors and by natural antagonists to IL-1 and IL-18, suggesting a role for the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing-3 inflammasome. In addition, PMN-conditioned NK cells triggered the maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells, which promoted T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production. These data imply that neutrophils attract NK cells to sites of infection to convert these cells into an active state, which drives adaptive immune responses via maturation of dendritic cells. Our results add to a growing body of evidence that suggests a sophisticated role for neutrophils in orchestrating the immune response to pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Riise
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elin Bernson
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Aurelius
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Silvia Pesce
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università di Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Emanuela Marcenaro
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università di Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy; Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica, Università di Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Johan Bylund
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; and
| | | | | | - Alessandro Moretta
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università di Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy; Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica, Università di Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden;
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21
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Martner A, Rydström A, Riise RE, Aurelius J, Anderson H, Brune M, Foà R, Hellstrand K, Thorén FB. Role of natural killer cell subsets and natural cytotoxicity receptors for the outcome of immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia. Oncoimmunology 2015; 5:e1041701. [PMID: 26942055 PMCID: PMC4760300 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2015.1041701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In a phase IV trial, 84 patients (age 18–79) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in
first complete remission (CR) received cycles of immunotherapy with histamine
dihydrochloride (HDC) and low-dose human recombinant interleukin 2 (IL-2) for
18 months to prevent leukemic relapse. During cycles, the treatment resulted in
expansion of CD56bright
(CD3−/16−/56bright) and
CD16+ (CD3−/16+/56+)
natural killer (NK) cells in the blood along with increased NK cell expression of the
natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs) NKp30 and NKp46. Multivariate analyses correcting
for age and risk group demonstrated that high CD56bright NK cell counts and
high expression of NKp30 or NKp46 on CD16+ NK cells independently
predicted leukemia-free survival (LFS) and overall survival (OS). Our results suggest that
the dynamics of NK cell subsets and their NCR expression may determine the efficiency of
relapse-preventive immunotherapy in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Martner
- TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Rydström
- TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rebecca E Riise
- TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Aurelius
- TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg; Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Hematology; University of Gothenburg; Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Harald Anderson
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology; University of Lund ; Lund, Sweden
| | - Mats Brune
- Department of Hematology; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Robin Foà
- Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology; Sapienza University of Rome ; Rome, Italy
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden
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22
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Martner A, Wiktorin HG, Lenox B, Ewald Sander F, Aydin E, Aurelius J, Thorén FB, Ståhlberg A, Hermodsson S, Hellstrand K. Histamine promotes the development of monocyte-derived dendritic cells and reduces tumor growth by targeting the myeloid NADPH oxidase. J Immunol 2015; 194:5014-21. [PMID: 25870245 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1402991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The efficiency of immune-mediated clearance of cancer cells is hampered by immunosuppressive mediators in the malignant microenvironment, including NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species. We aimed at defining the effects of histamine, an inhibitor of the myeloid NADPH oxidase/NOX2, on the development of Ag-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) from myeloid precursors and the impact of these mechanisms for tumor growth. Histamine was found to promote the maturation of human DCs from monocytes by increasing the expression of HLA-DR and costimulatory molecules, which resulted in improved induction of Th cells with Th0 polarity. Experiments using wild-type and NOX2-deficient myelomonoblastic cells showed that histamine facilitated myeloid cell maturation only in cells capable of generating reactive oxygen species. Treatment of mice with histamine reduced the growth of murine EL-4 lymphomas in parallel with an increment of tumor-infiltrating DCs in NOX2-sufficient mice but not in NOX2-deficient (gp91(phox) (-/-)) mice. We propose that strategies to target the myeloid NADPH oxidase may facilitate the development of endogenous DCs in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Martner
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hanna G Wiktorin
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Brianna Lenox
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Frida Ewald Sander
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ebru Aydin
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Aurelius
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik B Thorén
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anders Ståhlberg
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Svante Hermodsson
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
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23
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Akhiani AA, Werlenius O, Aurelius J, Movitz C, Martner A, Hellstrand K, Thorén FB. Role of the ERK pathway for oxidant-induced parthanatos in human lymphocytes. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89646. [PMID: 24586933 PMCID: PMC3931820 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are formed by myeloid cells as a defense strategy against microorganisms. ROS however also trigger poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1- (PARP-1) dependent cell death (parthanatos) in adjacent lymphocytes, which has been forwarded as a mechanism of immune escape in several forms of cancer. The present study assessed the role of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), in particular the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), in ROS-induced signal transduction leading to lymphocyte parthanatos. We report that inhibitors of ERK1/2 phosphorylation upheld natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity under conditions of oxidative stress and rescued NK cells and CD8+ T lymphocytes from cell death induced by ROS-producing monocytes. ERK1/2 phosphorylation inhibition also protected lymphocytes from cell death induced by exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and from ROS generated by xanthine oxidase or glucose oxidase. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was observed in lymphocytes shortly after exposure to ROS. ROS-generating myeloid cells and exogenous H2O2 triggered PARP 1-dependent accumulation of poly ADP-ribose (PAR), which was prevented by ERK pathway inhibitors. ERK1/2 phosphorylation was induced by ROS independently of PARP-1. Our findings are suggestive of a role for ERK1/2 in ROS-induced lymphocyte parthanatos, and that the ERK axis may provide a therapeutic target for the protection of lymphocytes against oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A. Akhiani
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Olle Werlenius
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Aurelius
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Charlotta Movitz
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Martner
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Hellstrand
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Fredrik B. Thorén
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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24
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Martner A, Thorén FB, Aurelius J, Söderholm J, Brune M, Hellstrand K. Immunotherapy with histamine dihydrochloride for the prevention of relapse in acute myeloid leukemia. Expert Rev Hematol 2014; 3:381-91. [DOI: 10.1586/ehm.10.30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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25
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Thorén FB, Anderson H, Strannegård Ö. Late divergence of survival curves in cancer immunotherapy trials: interpretation and implications. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2013; 62:1547-51. [PMID: 23979447 PMCID: PMC11028660 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-013-1458-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Late divergence of survival curves of treated patients and controls is commonly seen in successful cancer immunotherapy trials. Although late survival curve divergence may be caused by a delayed action of therapy, it may also be related to early effects of the treatment. We suggest that late survival divergence most often reflects a specific benefit of therapy for patients who suffer from a comparatively slow progression of disease. The occurrence of delayed survival curve divergence has important implications for the statistical analysis of immunotherapy trials. Thus, it leads to non-proportional hazard ratios that make commonly used statistical tests, e.g., the logrank test, suboptimal. It is therefore suggested that the statistical analysis of immunotherapy trials primarily should be based on a test that compares the survival curves at or after a prespecified, fixed, late time point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik B Thorén
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Box 425, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden,
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26
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Davidsson L, Björkman L, Christenson K, Alsterholm M, Movitz C, Thorén FB, Karlsson A, Welin A, Bylund J. A simple skin blister technique for the study of in vivo transmigration of human leukocytes. J Immunol Methods 2013; 393:8-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2013.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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27
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Aurelius J, Martner A, Riise RE, Romero AI, Palmqvist L, Brune M, Hellstrand K, Thorén FB. Chronic myeloid leukemic cells trigger poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-dependent inactivation and cell death in lymphocytes. J Leukoc Biol 2012; 93:155-60. [PMID: 23072905 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.0512257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
NK cells and T cells are commonly dysfunctional in CML, and their status may determine the course of disease. We aimed to define the molecular mechanisms of leukemia-induced immunosuppression with focus on the role of ROS and the PARP-1 pathway of cell death. Malignant granulocytes from patients with BCR-ABL-positive CML expressed the oxygen radical-producing enzyme NOX, produced large amounts of ROS, and triggered extensive cell death in NK cells. Inhibition of PARP-1 maintained NK cell viability in cocultures with suppressive leukemic cells. Under conditions of oxidative stress, PARP-1 inhibition upheld the capacity of NK cells to kill myeloid leukemic cells, in addition to restoring the proliferation and cytokine production of NK cells and cytotoxic T cells. Our findings are suggestive of a novel pathway of relevance to immunosuppression in CML.
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28
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Thorén FB, Riise RE, Ousbäck J, Della Chiesa M, Alsterholm M, Marcenaro E, Pesce S, Prato C, Cantoni C, Bylund J, Moretta L, Moretta A. Human NK Cells Induce Neutrophil Apoptosis via an NKp46- and Fas-Dependent Mechanism. J I 2012; 188:1668-74. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1102002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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29
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Martner A, Aurelius J, Rydström A, Hellstrand K, Thorén FB. Redox Remodeling by Dendritic Cells Protects Antigen-Specific T Cells against Oxidative Stress. J I 2011; 187:6243-8. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1102138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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30
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Strannegård O, Thorén FB. [The discussion about Multiferon should go on]. Lakartidningen 2010; 107:3227; discussion 3227. [PMID: 21294341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
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31
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Strannegård O, Thorén FB. [Underutilization of anticancer agents--an example]. Lakartidningen 2010; 107:3150-3151. [PMID: 21280349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Orjan Strannegård
- Avdelningen för infektionssjukdomar/klinisk virologi, institutionen för biomedicin, Göteborgs universitet.
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Thorén FB, Romero AI, Brune M, Hellstrand K. Histamine dihydrochloride and low-dose interleukin-2 as post-consolidation immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2009; 9:1217-23. [PMID: 19653866 DOI: 10.1517/14712590903130566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults. Although most patients achieve complete remission (CR) after chemotherapy, the majority suffer from subsequent leukemic relapse, which is associated with poor long-term survival. Thus, new therapies to maintain CR are highly warranted. After the completion of chemotherapy, AML patients have a minimal burden of leukemic cells, which are reportedly susceptible to cytotoxic lymphocytes such as NK cells and T cells. A therapy that boosts the function of these effector cells therefore has the potential to eradicate the malignant clone in AML and prevent relapse, Here, we briefly review the literature on the role of the immune system in AML and introduce the rationale for the use of histamine dihydrochloride (HDC) in conjuction with low-dose IL-2 as relapse-preventive immunotherapy for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik B Thorén
- The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Department of Hematology, Göteborg, Sweden
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33
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Romero AI, Thorén FB, Aurelius J, Askarieh G, Brune M, Hellstrand K. Post-consolidation immunotherapy with histamine dihydrochloride and interleukin-2 in AML. Scand J Immunol 2009; 70:194-205. [PMID: 19703009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2009.02303.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The initial chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) comprises a first phase of induction and a second phase of consolidation. In the majority of patients, the induction treatment leads to complete remission (CR), defined as microscopic disappearance of leukaemic disease along with the return of normal haematopoiesis. However, despite the introduction of more efficacious consolidation regimens, a worryingly large proportion of AML patients in CR will subsequently experience relapses with poor prospects of long-term survival. A relapse is assumed to be the result of expansion of residual leukaemic cells that have escaped the initial chemotherapy. The anti-leukaemic functions of T cells and natural killer (NK) cells has formed the background to the use of interleukin-2 (IL-2), a T- and NK cell-activating cytokine, with the aim to eliminate residual leukaemia and hence reduce the relapse rate in AML, but the clinical trials using IL-2 monotherapy have yielded disappointment. A recent phase III study has demonstrated that post-consolidation treatment with the combination of histamine dihydrochloride (HDC) and IL-2 significantly prevents relapse in AML patients. Here we account for the preclinical background to the use of HDC/IL-2 in AML along with a review of clinical results.
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Affiliation(s)
- A I Romero
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Gothenburg, S-41346 Gothenburg, Sweden
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34
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Strannegärd O, Thorén FB, Lundgren E. [Interferon-alpha can improve the prognosis in high-risk melanoma. Combination of surgery, cytostatics and natural IFN-alpha doubled the survival rate]. Lakartidningen 2008; 105:358-361. [PMID: 18380352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
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35
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Abstract
Phagocyte-derived reactive oxygen species ("oxygen radicals") have been ascribed a suppressive role in immunoregulation by inducing dysfunction and apoptotic cell death in lymphocytes. Earlier studies show that human NK cells are exceptionally sensitive to oxygen radical-induced apoptosis and functional inhibition. Two subsets of human CD56(+) NK cells have been identified: the highly cytotoxic CD56(dim) cells which constitute >90% of NK cells in peripheral blood, and the less cytotoxic but efficiently cytokine-producing CD56(bright) cells. In this study, we demonstrate that the CD56(bright) subset of NK cells, in contrast to CD56(dim) cells, remains viable and functionally intact after exposure to phagocyte-derived or exogenously added oxygen radicals. The resistance of CD56(bright) cells to oxidative stress was accompanied by a high capacity of neutralizing exogenous hydrogen peroxide, and by a high cell-surface expression of antioxidative thiols. Our results imply that CD56(bright) NK cells are endowed with an efficient antioxidative defense system that protects them from oxygen radical-induced inactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik B Thorén
- Department of Infectious Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden
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36
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Thorén FB, Betten A, Romero AI, Hellstrand K. Cutting Edge: Antioxidative Properties of Myeloid Dendritic Cells: Protection of T Cells and NK Cells from Oxygen Radical-Induced Inactivation and Apoptosis. J Immunol 2007; 179:21-5. [PMID: 17579015 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.179.1.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) communicate with nonadaptive and adaptive lymphocytes on multiple levels. Efficient DC-lymphocyte interactions require that lymphocytes remain viable and functional also under conditions of oxidative stress, such as in microbial infection or in the malignant microenvironment. For this study, we exposed human T and NK cells to oxidants delivered either by autologous phagocytes or in the form of exogenous hydrogen peroxide. In accordance with earlier studies, these lymphocytes became dysfunctional and subsequently apoptotic. The presence of myeloid DCs efficiently rescued T cells (CD4+ and CD8+) and NK cells from oxidant-induced inactivation and apoptosis. The mechanism of the myeloid DC-mediated lymphocyte protection was, at least in part, explained by the capacity of the myeloid DCs to neutralize extracellular oxygen radicals, which, in turn, was reversible upon coincubation with a catalase inhibitor. Our results are suggestive of a novel aspect of DC-lymphocyte interaction that may have implications for lymphocyte function in inflamed tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik B Thorén
- Department of Infectious Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Guldhedsgatan 10b, S-413 46 Göteborg, Sweden
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Itou T, Collins LV, Thorén FB, Dahlgren C, Karlsson A. Changes in activation states of murine polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) during inflammation: a comparison of bone marrow and peritoneal exudate PMN. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2006; 13:575-83. [PMID: 16682479 PMCID: PMC1459655 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.13.5.575-583.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
To study different activation states in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in mice, we compared the function of murine PMN obtained from the bone marrow (BMPMN) with those of PMN obtained by intraperitoneal induction with thioglycolate (TGPMN) or uric acid (UAPMN). When stimulated with chemotactic peptides, e.g., formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLF), WKYMVM, or WKYMVm, the TGPMN and UAPMN showed greatly enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared with BMPMN, which suggests that exudation to the peritoneum per se induces a primed state in the cells. The WKYMVm peptide was the most potent stimulant of ROS generation, and it desensitized for subsequent stimulation with fMLF or WKYMVM. This desensitization was broken by the addition of cytochalasin B. The TGPMN and UAPMN appeared to be fully primed, since no increase in response was induced by pretreatment with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). In contrast, the BMPMN response was increased 2.5- to 3-fold. The differences in oxidative responses were supported by degranulation studies. Preincubation with TNF-alpha promoted CR3 expression on BMPMN, and this level of expression was also enhanced by WKYMVm. In contrast, CR3 expression on untreated TGPMN and UAPMN was already similar to that on TNF-alpha-primed BMPMN and could be only slightly enhanced by TNF-alpha treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that BMPMN are in a resting state and have the capacity to become primed, while peritoneal exudate PMN are already fully primed upon isolation. These results have major implications for murine neutrophil research and show the importance of defining which PMN subsets to use when investigating murine models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Itou
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Nihon University School of Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-8510, Japan.
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Abstract
Cytotoxic T cells and NK cells will acquire features of apoptosis when exposed to oxygen radicals, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are incompletely understood. We have investigated the role of two enzyme systems responsible for execution of cell death, caspases and the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). We report that although human cytotoxic lymphocytes were only marginally protected by caspase inhibitors, PARP inhibitors completely protected lymphocytes from radical-induced apoptosis and restored their cytotoxic function. The radical-induced, PARP-dependent cell death was accompanied by nuclear accumulation of apoptosis-inducing factor and a characteristic pattern of large-fragment DNA degradation. It is concluded that the PARP/apoptosis-inducing factor axis is critically involved in oxygen radical-induced apoptosis in cytotoxic lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik B Thorén
- Department of Virology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Göteborg University, Sweden
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Romero AI, Thorén FB, Brune M, Hellstrand K. NKp46 and NKG2D receptor expression in NK cells with CD56dim and CD56bright phenotype: regulation by histamine and reactive oxygen species. Br J Haematol 2006; 132:91-8. [PMID: 16371024 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2005.05842.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells is dependent on the interaction between target cell ligands and a series of stimulatory receptors on NK cells. Two of these triggering receptors, the NKp46 natural cytotoxicity receptor (NKp46) and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-interactive NKG2D receptor, are deficiently expressed by NK cells recovered from patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), but little is known regarding the regulation of NKp46 and NKG2D expression. Here we report that mononuclear and polymorphonuclear phagocytes downregulate the cell surface density of NKp46 and NKG2D on NK cells with CD56(dim) phenotype in vitro by a mechanism that is dependent on the availability of phagocyte-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS). Histamine maintained NKp46 and NKG2D expression despite the presence of inhibitory phagocytes by targeting an H2 receptor on phagocytes. By contrast, NKp46 and NKG2D expression by the CD56(bright) subset of NK cells was resistant to inhibition by phagocytes. Our findings are suggestive of a novel mechanism of relevance to the regulation of NKp46/NKG2D receptor expression. Moreover, our findings suggest that the previously reported action of histamine on NK cell-mediated killing of leukaemic cells may be related to the preservation of activatory NK-cell receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana I Romero
- Department of Virology, Göteborg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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