Reprogramming lymphocytes for the treatment of melanoma: From biology to therapy

Pyroptosis-related lncRNA prognostic signatures for cutaneous melanoma and tumor microenvironment status

Aims: To explore whether the expression of pyroptosis-related lncRNAs makes a difference in the prognosis and antitumor immunity of cutaneous melanoma (CM) patients. Methods: A series of analyses were conducted to establish a prognostic risk model and validate its accuracy. Immune-related analyses were performed to further assess the associations among immune status, tumor microenvironment and the prognostic risk model. Results: Eight pyroptosis-related lncRNAs relevant to prognosis were ascertained and applied to establish the prognostic risk model. The low-risk group had a higher overall survival rate. Conclusion: The established prognostic risk model presents better prediction ability for the prognosis of CM patients and provides new possible therapeutic targets for CM.

DIRAS2 Is a Prognostic Biomarker and Linked With Immune Infiltrates in Melanoma

Background

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is a highly malignant skin tumor. DIRAS2 is considered to be a tumor suppressor gene; however, its function in SKCM has not been explored.

Methods

The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) was implemented to investigate the expression of DIRAS2 in SKCM, and plot the survival curve to determine the effect of DIRAS2 on the survival rates of SKCM patients. Then, the correlation between DIRAS2 and tumor immune infiltration was also discussed, and the expression of DIRAS2 and immune infiltration level in SKCM immune cells was determined using TIMER. The top 100 genes most associated with DIRAS2 expression were used for functional enrichment analysis. In order to confirm the anti-cancer effects of DIRAS2 in SKCM in the data analysis, in vitro assays as well as in vivo studies of DIRAS2 on SKCM tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis were conducted. Western blot and immunofluorescence assay were employed to study the relationship between DIRAS2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in SKCM.

Results

DIRAS2 expression was shown to be significantly correlated with tumor grade using univariate logistic regression analysis. DIRAS2 was found to be an independent prognostic factor for SKCM in multivariate analysis. Of note, DIRAS2 expression levels were positively correlated with the infiltration levels of B cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells in SKCM. The infiltration of B cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells was positively correlated with the cumulative survival rate of SKCM patients. In vitro experiments suggested that proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis of SKCM tumor cells were distinctly enhanced after DIRAS2 knockdown. Furthermore, DIRAS2 depletion promoted melanoma growth and metastasis in vivo. As for the mechanism, silencing DIRAS2 can activate the signal transduction of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Conclusion

DIRAS2 functions as a tumor suppressor gene in cases of SKCM by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. It is also associated with immune infiltration in SKCM.

The Inflammatory Status of Soluble Microenvironment Influences the Capacity of Melanoma Cells to Control T-Cell Responses

The development of immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of melanoma requires a better understanding of immunoescape mechanisms of tumor cells and how they interact with other tumor-resident cell types. Here, we evaluated how the conditioned media of resting (rCM) and immune-activated PBMCs (iCM) influence the ability of a metastatic melanoma cell line (MeWo) to control T-cells function. MeWo cells were expanded in RPMI, rCM, or iCM and the secretome generated after cell expansion was identified as MeSec (RPMI), niSec (non-inflammatory), or iSec (inflammatory secretome), respectively. Then, the immunomodulatory potential of such secretomes was tested in PHA-activated PBMCs. iCM induced higher levels of IFN-γ and IL-10 in treated melanoma cells compared to rCM, as well as higher IDO and PD-L1 expression. The iSec was able to inhibit T-cell activation and proliferation. Interestingly, PBMCs treated with iSec presented a reduced expression of the regulators of Th1 and Th2 responses T-BET and GATA-3, as well as low expression of IFN-γ, and co-stimulatory molecules TIM-3 and LAG-3. Importantly, our findings show that melanoma may benefit from an inflammatory microenvironment to enhance its ability to control the T-cell response. Interestingly, such an immunomodulatory effect involves the inhibition of the checkpoint molecules LAG-3 and TIM-3, which are currently investigated as important therapeutic targets for melanoma treatment. Further studies are needed to better understand how checkpoint molecules are modulated by paracrine and cell contact-dependent interaction between melanoma and immune cells. Such advances are fundamental for the development of new therapeutic approaches focused on melanoma immunotherapy.

Signal pathways of melanoma and targeted therapy

Melanoma is the most lethal skin cancer that originates from the malignant transformation of melanocytes. Although melanoma has long been regarded as a cancerous malignancy with few therapeutic options, increased biological understanding and unprecedented innovations in therapies targeting mutated driver genes and immune checkpoints have substantially improved the prognosis of patients. However, the low response rate and inevitable occurrence of resistance to currently available targeted therapies have posed the obstacle in the path of melanoma management to obtain further amelioration. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms underlying melanoma pathogenesis more comprehensively, which might lead to more substantial progress in therapeutic approaches and expand clinical options for melanoma therapy. In this review, we firstly make a brief introduction to melanoma epidemiology, clinical subtypes, risk factors, and current therapies. Then, the signal pathways orchestrating melanoma pathogenesis, including genetic mutations, key transcriptional regulators, epigenetic dysregulations, metabolic reprogramming, crucial metastasis-related signals, tumor-promoting inflammatory pathways, and pro-angiogenic factors, have been systemically reviewed and discussed. Subsequently, we outline current progresses in therapies targeting mutated driver genes and immune checkpoints, as well as the mechanisms underlying the treatment resistance. Finally, the prospects and challenges in the development of melanoma therapy, especially immunotherapy and related ongoing clinical trials, are summarized and discussed.

Homology and Immune Checkpoint Dual-Targeted Sonocatalytic Nanoagents for Enhancing Sonodynamic Tumor Therapy

Sonocatalytic nanoagents (SCNs), a kind of sonosensitizers, could catalyze oxygen to generate abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS) under stimulations of noninvasive and deep-penetrating ultrasound (US), which is commonly used for sonodynamic therapy (SDT) of tumors such as malignant melanoma. However, poor bioavailability of most SCNs and fast quenching of extracellular-generating ROS from SDT limit further applications of SCNs in the SDT of tumors. Herein, we synthesized a new kind of TiO2-based SCN functionalized with the malignant melanoma cell membrane (B16F10M) and programmed cell death-ligand 1 antibody (aPD-L1) for homology and immune checkpoint dual-targeted and enhanced sonodynamic tumor therapy. Under US irradiation, the synthesized SCN can catalytically generate a large amount of 1O2. In vitro experiments validate that functionalized SCNs exhibit precise targeting effects, high tumor cell uptake, and intracellular sonocatalytic killing of the B16F10 cells by a large amount of localized ROS. Utilizing the melanoma animal model, the functionalized SCN displays visible long-term retention in the tumor area, which assists the homology and immune checkpoint synergistically dual-targeted and enhanced in vivo SDT of the tumor. We suggest that this highly bioavailable and dual-functionalized SCN may provide a promising strategy and nanoplatform for enhancing sonodynamic tumor therapies.

microRNA expression patterns in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes are strongly associated with response to adoptive cell transfer therapy

Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) using autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was previously shown to yield clinical response in metastatic melanoma patients as an advanced line. Unfortunately, there is no reliable marker for predicting who will benefit from the treatment. We analyzed TIL samples from the infusion bags used for treatment of 57 metastatic melanoma patients and compared their microRNA profiles. The discovery cohort included six responding patients and seven patients with progressive disease, as defined by RECIST1.1. High throughput analysis with NanoString nCounter demonstrated significantly higher levels of miR-34a-5p and miR-22-3p among TIL from non-responders. These results were validated in TIL infusion bag samples from an independent cohort of 44 patients, using qRT-PCR of the individual microRNAs. Using classification trees, a data-driven predictive model for response was built, based on the level of expression of these microRNAs. Patients that achieved stable disease were classified with responders, setting apart the patients with progressive disease. Moreover, the expression levels of miR-34a-5p in the infused TIL created distinct survival groups, which strongly supports its role as a potential biomarker for TIL-ACT therapy. Indeed, when tested against autologous melanoma cells, miR^Low TIL cultures exhibited significantly higher cytotoxic activity than miR^High TIL cultures, and expressed features of terminally exhausted effectors. Finally, overexpression of miR-34a-5p or miR-22-3p in TIL inhibited their cytotoxic ability in vitro. Overall, we show that a two-microRNA signature correlates with failure of TIL-ACT therapy and survival in melanoma patients.

Identification of Genes Related to Immune Infiltration in the Tumor Microenvironment of Cutaneous Melanoma

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is the leading cause of skin cancer deaths and is typically diagnosed at an advanced stage, resulting in a poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a significant role in tumorigenesis and CM progression, but the dynamic regulation of immune and stromal components is not yet fully understood. In the present study, we quantified the ratio between immune and stromal components and the proportion of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs), based on the ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT computational methods, in 471 cases of skin CM (SKCM) obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed by univariate Cox regression analysis, least absolute shrinkage, and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis, and multivariate Cox regression analysis to identify prognosis-related genes. The developed prognosis model contains ten genes, which are all vital for patient prognosis. The areas under the curve (AUC) values for the developed prognostic model at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 0.832, 0.831, 0.880, and 0.857 in the training dataset, respectively. The GSE54467 dataset was used as a validation set to determine the predictive ability of the prognostic signature. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were used to verify “real” hub genes closely related to the TME. These hub genes were verified for differential expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses. In conclusion, this study might provide potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CM.

Low-dose paclitaxel via hyaluronan-functionalized bovine serum albumin nanoparticulate assembly for metastatic melanoma treatment

Due to the critical role of CD44 in mediating cell adhesion and migration, CD44-targeted drug delivery via hyaluronan has been extensively explored. Herein, cationic bovine serum albumin nanoparticles were assembled with hyaluronan (HA) of various molecular weights via simple electrostatic interaction to afford hierarchical nanoparticles (HNPs) with various size distributions and structures. Next, HNPs obtained using 49 kDa HA have been used to encapsulate paclitaxel (PTX-HNPs), which demonstrated selective lung accumulation due to both size effect and CD44-mediated targetability. Biodistribution studies showed that HNPs enhanced the lung specific accumulation of HNPs in the C57BL/6 mice melanoma lung metastasis model. In the antitumor studies, compared with the Taxol or bovine serum albumin nanoparticle (NP) groups, PTX-HNPs significantly inhibited B16F10 lung metastasis at a relatively low dose. Additionally, cell migration and invasion experiments in vitro further confirmed that PTX-HNPs significantly inhibited the migration of B16F10 cells compared to Taxol or paclitaxel-loaded NP groups. Overall, our results suggest that PTX-HNPs represent a highly promising strategy for the treatment of lung metastatic melanoma.

The Efficacy and Safety of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Combination with Conventional Therapies for Advanced Solid Tumors: A Meta-Analysis

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy of immuno-oncology combinational therapy (IOCT) versus monotherapy with programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors or conventional therapies, i.e., non-IOCT, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Methods

We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from January 2015 to October 2018 for eligible studies. We included randomized trials of IOCT with available hazard ratios (HR) for death. The random effects model was used to calculate pooled HR for death; heterogeneity was assessed using I² statistics. The main outcome measure was overall survival (OS).

Results

After screening 483 relevant articles, we identified twelve trials comprising 5388 patients for quantitative analysis. IOCT-treated patients had significantly higher tumor response rate (relative risk (RR): 2.51, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.82-3.47), prolonged progression-free survival (HR 0.62, 95% CI: 0.53-0.74), and OS (HR 0.69, 95% CI: 0.61-0.78), compared with non-IOCT–treated patients. Sensitivity analyses also demonstrated the OS advantage of IOCT across different combination modalities, intervention agents, malignancy types, and PD-L1 expression (all P < 0.05). Notably, there were higher odds of high-grade (grade ≥ 3) adverse events with IOCT (RR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.13-2.90), but the risk of treatment-related death (RR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.84–1.60) was not increased compared with non-IOCT.

Conclusions

IOCT is a preferable treatment option over PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy and conventional therapy for patients with advanced solid tumors. However, we should note the increased incidence rate of high-grade AEs in IOCT.

Robust immunoscore model to predict the response to anti-PD1 therapy in melanoma

This study aimed to construct immune-related predictors to identify responders to anti-PD1 therapy of melanoma through CIBERSORT algorithm. Using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression, we constructed an immunoscore consisting of 8 immune subsets to predict the anti-PD1 response. This score achieved an overall accuracy of AUC = 0.77, 0.80 and 0.73 in the training cohort, validation cohort and on-anti-PD1 cohort, respectively. Patients with high immunoscores had significantly higher objective response rates (ORRs) than did those with low immunoscores (ORR: 53.8% vs 17.7%, P < 0.001 for entire pre-anti-PD1 cohort; 42.1% vs 15.1%, P = 0.022 for on-anti-PD1 cohort; 66.7% vs 16.7%, P = 0.038 for neoadjuvant anti-PD1 cohort). Prolonged survival trends were observed in high-immunoscore group (1-year PFS: 42.4% vs 14.3%, P = 0.059; 3-year OS: 41.5% vs 31.6%, P = 0.057). Furthermore, we found that high-immunoscore group exhibited higher fractions of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and an increased IFN-γ response. Analysis of the results of the GSEA indicated a significant enrichment of antitumor immunity pathways in the high-immunoscore group. Therefore, this study indicated that we constructed a robust immunoscore model to predict the anti-PD1 response of metastatic melanoma and the neoadjuvant anti-PD1 response of resectable melanoma.

Melanoma-Bearing Libechov Minipig (MeLiM): The Unique Swine Model of Hereditary Metastatic Melanoma

National cancer databases document that melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly cutaneous malignancy with worldwide increasing incidence in the Caucasian population. Around 10% of melanomas occur in families. Several germline mutations were identified that might help to indicate individuals at risk for preventive interventions and early disease detection. More than 50% of sporadic melanomas carry mutations in Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK/MEK) pathway, which may represent aims of novel targeted therapies. Despite advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapies, the outcomes in metastatic tumor are still unsatisfactory. Here, we review animal models that help our understanding of melanoma development and treatment, including non-vertebrate, mouse, swine, and other mammal models, with an emphasis on those with spontaneously developing melanoma. Special attention is paid to the melanoma-bearing Libechov minipig (MeLiM). This original swine model of hereditary metastatic melanoma enables studying biological processes underlying melanoma progression, as well as spontaneous regression. Current histological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, genetic, hematological, immunological, and skin microbiome findings in the MeLiM model are summarized, together with development of new therapeutic approaches based on tumor devitalization. The ongoing study of molecular and immunological base of spontaneous regression in MeLiM model has potential to bring new knowledge of clinical importance.