The myeloid cell type I IFN system promotes antitumor immunity over pro-tumoral inflammation in cancer T-cell therapy

Type I Interferon Drives a Cellular State Inert to TCR-Stimulation and Could Impede Effective T-Cell Differentiation in Cancer

BACKGROUND

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC exhibit distinct molecular and clinical characteristics. Although checkpoint inhibitors have shown efficiency in recurrent/metastatic HNSCC, response variability persists regardless of HPV status. This study aimed to explore the CD8+ T-cell landscape in HPV-negative HNSCC.

METHODS

We performed simultaneous single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from treatment-naïve HPV-negative HNSCC patients. Additionally, cells were stimulated ex vivo, which allowed for the tracking of clonal transcriptomic responses.

RESULTS

Our analysis identified a subset of CD8+ TILs highly enriched for interferon-stimulated genes (ISG). TCR analysis revealed ISG cells are clonally related to a population of granzyme K (GZMK)-expressing cells. However, unlike GZMK cells, which exhibited rapid effector-like phenotypes following stimulation, ISG cells were transcriptionally inert. Additionally, ISG cells showed specific enrichment within tumor and were found across multiple tumor entities.

CONCLUSIONS

ISG-enriched CD8+ TILs are a consistent feature of various tumor entities. These cells are poorly understood but possess characteristics that may impact antitumor immunity. Understanding the unique properties and functionality of ISG cells could offer innovative treatment approaches to improve patient outcomes in HPV-negative HNSCC and other cancer types.

Interferon-alpha 1 expression indicates the disease activity and response of patients with ankylosing spondylitis to anti-TNF-α treatment

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate whether interferon-alpha 1 (IFNA1) is predictive of Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) progression and treatment response to Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis).

METHODS

Data of 50 AS patients receiving TNFi for 24 weeks were retrospectively analysed. AS patients who reached the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society 40 response at the W24 were classified as responders to TNFi treatment; otherwise, they were classified as nonresponders. Human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (HFLS) isolated from AS patients (AS-HFLS) were used for in vitro validation.

RESULTS

When the IFNA1 expression level was used to diagnose AS patients, an area under the curve of 0.895 was yielded (P < .001). Pearson correlation analysis showed negative correlations between IFNA1 expression, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, Bath AS Disease Activity Index scores, AS Disease Activity Score with CRP, and the production of inflammatory cytokines. An increased IFNA1 expression level was found to be associated with a better treatment response to TNFi. IFNA1 overexpression could protect HFLS against inflammatory response in the setting of AS.

CONCLUSIONS

Blood IFNA1 deficiency is correlated with inflammatory cytokine production and disease activity and is indicative of unsatisfied response to TNFi treatment in AS patients.

Potentiating the radiation-induced type I interferon antitumoral immune response by ATM inhibition in pancreatic cancer

Radiotherapy induces a type I interferon-mediated (T1IFN-mediated) antitumoral immune response that we hypothesized could be potentiated by a first-in-class ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) inhibitor, leading to enhanced innate immune signaling, T1IFN expression, and sensitization to immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer. We evaluated the effects of AZD1390 or a structurally related compound, AZD0156, on innate immune signaling and found that both inhibitors enhanced radiation-induced T1IFN expression via the POLIII/RIG-I/MAVS pathway. In immunocompetent syngeneic mouse models of pancreatic cancer, ATM inhibitor enhanced radiation-induced antitumoral immune responses and sensitized tumors to anti-PD-L1, producing immunogenic memory and durable tumor control. Therapeutic responses were associated with increased intratumoral CD8+ T cell frequency and effector function. Tumor control was dependent on CD8+ T cells, as therapeutic efficacy was blunted in CD8+ T cell-depleted mice. Adaptive immune responses to combination therapy provided systemic control of contralateral tumors outside of the radiation field. Taken together, we show that a clinical candidate ATM inhibitor enhances radiation-induced T1IFN, leading to both innate and subsequent adaptive antitumoral immune responses and sensitization of otherwise resistant pancreatic cancer to immunotherapy.

Overcoming challenges in the delivery of STING agonists for cancer immunotherapy: A comprehensive review of strategies and future perspectives

STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) agonists have emerged as promising agents in the field of cancer immunotherapy, owing to their excellent capacity to activate the innate immune response and combat tumor-induced immunosuppression. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of the strategies employed to develop effective formulations for STING agonists, with particular emphasis on versatile nano-delivery systems. The recent advancements in delivery systems based on lipids, natural/synthetic polymers, and proteins for STING agonists are summarized. The preparation methodologies of nanoprecipitation, self-assembly, and hydrogel, along with their advantages and disadvantages, are also discussed. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities in developing next-generation STING agonist delivery systems are elaborated. This review aims to serve as a reference for researchers in designing novel and effective STING agonist delivery systems for cancer immunotherapy.

Systemic administration of STING agonist promotes myeloid cells maturation and antitumor immunity through regulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell fate

STING is a pivotal mediator of effective innate and adaptive anti-tumor immunity; however, intratumoral administration of STING agonists have shown limited therapeutic benefit in clinical trials. The systemic effect of the intravenous delivery of STING agonists in cancer is not well-defined. Here, we demonstrated that systemic administration of STING agonist inhibited melanoma growth, improved inflammatory effector cell infiltration, and induced bone marrow mobilization and extramedullary hematopoiesis, causing widespread changes in immune components in the peripheral blood. The systemically administered STING agonist promoted HSC expansion and influenced lineage fate commitment, which was manifested as the differentiation of HSPCs was skewed toward myeloid cells at the expense of B-cell lymphopoiesis and erythropoiesis. Transcriptome analysis revealed upregulation of myeloid lineage differentiation-related and type I interferon-related genes. This myeloid-biased differentiation promoted the production and maturation of myeloid cells toward an activated phenotype. Furthermore, depletion of Gr-1+ myeloid cells attenuated the anti-tumor immunity of STING agonist. Our findings reveal the anti-tumor mechanism of systemic administration of STING agonist that involves modulating HSPC differentiation and promoting myeloid cells maturation. Our study may help explain the limited clinical activity of STING agonists administered intratumorally.

Correlation between IFNAR1 expression in peripheral blood T lymphocytes and inflammatory cytokines, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and chemosensitivity in patients with colorectal cancer

IFN-α receptor (IFNAR) is critical for maintaining the crosstalk between cancer cells and lymphocytes. We investigated IFNAR1 expression in peripheral blood CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells and explored their relationships with plasma cytokines, chemosensitivity and infiltrated T cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of colorectal cancer (CRC). The levels of IFNAR1, IFN-γ, and PD1 in peripheral T cells were tested using flow cytometry. Immunohistochemical staining of IFNAR1 in CRC tissues was performed. A cytometric bead array was used to determine the plasma concentrations of cytokines. In CRC patients, IFNAR1 levels were significantly increased in peripheral blood T cells, and plasma IL-6 levels were also significantly increased. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that IFNAR1 expression in CD8⁺ T cells was negatively associated with plasma IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNFα. IFNAR1 expression in CD4⁺ T cells was positively associated with TME infiltrated levels of CD8⁺ T cells. The levels of CD8⁺ T cells with IFNAR1 and plasma IFN-γ were associated with chemosensitivity. Collectively, IFNAR1 levels in CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells were significantly upregulated in CRC patients and positively associated with T-cell infiltration. IFNAR1 may be a chemotherapy biomarker for predicting response.

Chemico-biological aspects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to improve its stability, bioavailability and membrane permeability: Current status and future prospects

Natural products have been a bedrock for drug discovery for decades. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is one of the widely studied natural polyphenolic compounds derived from green tea. It is the key component believed to be responsible for the medicinal value of green tea. Significant studies implemented in in vitro, in cellulo, and in vivo models have suggested its anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, neuroprotective activities etc. Despite having such a wide array of therapeutic potential and promising results in preclinical studies, its applicability to humans has encountered with rather limited success largely due to the poor bioavailability, poor membrane permeability, rapid metabolic clearance and lack of stability of EGCG. Therefore, novel techniques are warranted to address those limitations so that EGCG or its modified analogs can be used in the clinical setup. This review comprehensively covers different strategies such as structural modifications, nano-carriers as efficient drug delivery systems, synergistic studies with other bioactivities to improve the chemico-biological aspects (e.g., stability, bioavailability, permeability, etc.) of EGCG for its enhanced pharmacokinetics and pharmacological properties, eventually enhancing its therapeutic potentials. We think this review article will serve as a strong platform with comprehensive literature on the development of novel techniques to improve the bioavailability of EGCG so that it can be translated to the clinical applications.