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Zhang J, Yan W, Duan W, Wüthrich K, Cheng J. Tumor Immunotherapy Using A 2A Adenosine Receptor Antagonists. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13090237. [PMID: 32911819 PMCID: PMC7558881 DOI: 10.3390/ph13090237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) plays critical roles in human physiology and pathophysiology, which makes it an important drug target. Previous drug-discovery efforts targeting the A2AAR have been focused on the use of A2AAR antagonists for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. More recently, the A2AAR has attracted additional attention for its roles in immuno-oncology, and a number of A2AAR antagonists are currently used as lead compounds for antitumor drugs in both preclinical models and clinical trials. This review surveys recent advances in the development of A2AAR antagonists for cancer immunotherapy. The therapeutic potential of representative A2AAR antagonists is discussed based on both animal efficacy studies and clinical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinfeng Zhang
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (J.Z.); (W.Y.); (W.D.); (K.W.)
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wenzhong Yan
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (J.Z.); (W.Y.); (W.D.); (K.W.)
| | - Wenwen Duan
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (J.Z.); (W.Y.); (W.D.); (K.W.)
| | - Kurt Wüthrich
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (J.Z.); (W.Y.); (W.D.); (K.W.)
- Department of Integrated Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jianjun Cheng
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (J.Z.); (W.Y.); (W.D.); (K.W.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-21-20685237
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Vigano S, Alatzoglou D, Irving M, Ménétrier-Caux C, Caux C, Romero P, Coukos G. Targeting Adenosine in Cancer Immunotherapy to Enhance T-Cell Function. Front Immunol 2019; 10:925. [PMID: 31244820 PMCID: PMC6562565 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells play a critical role in cancer control, but a range of potent immunosuppressive mechanisms can be upregulated in the tumor microenvironment (TME) to abrogate their activity. While various immunotherapies (IMTs) aiming at re-invigorating the T-cell-mediated anti-tumor response, such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), and the adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of natural or gene-engineered ex vivo expanded tumor-specific T cells, have led to unprecedented clinical responses, only a small proportion of cancer patients benefit from these treatments. Important research efforts are thus underway to identify biomarkers of response, as well as to develop personalized combinatorial approaches that can target other inhibitory mechanisms at play in the TME. In recent years, adenosinergic signaling has emerged as a powerful immuno-metabolic checkpoint in tumors. Like several other barriers in the TME, such as the PD-1/PDL-1 axis, CTLA-4, and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO-1), adenosine plays important physiologic roles, but has been co-opted by tumors to promote their growth and impair immunity. Several agents counteracting the adenosine axis have been developed, and pre-clinical studies have demonstrated important anti-tumor activity, alone and in combination with other IMTs including ICB and ACT. Here we review the regulation of adenosine levels and mechanisms by which it promotes tumor growth and broadly suppresses protective immunity, with extra focus on the attenuation of T cell function. Finally, we present an overview of promising pre-clinical and clinical approaches being explored for blocking the adenosine axis for enhanced control of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selena Vigano
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dimitrios Alatzoglou
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melita Irving
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christine Ménétrier-Caux
- Department of Immunology Virology and Inflammation, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Léon Bérard Cancer Center, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, University of Lyon, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Christophe Caux
- Department of Immunology Virology and Inflammation, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Léon Bérard Cancer Center, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, University of Lyon, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Pedro Romero
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - George Coukos
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Chambers AM, Lupo KB, Matosevic S. Tumor Microenvironment-Induced Immunometabolic Reprogramming of Natural Killer Cells. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2517. [PMID: 30467503 PMCID: PMC6235907 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Energy metabolism is key to the promotion of tumor growth, development, and metastasis. At the same time, cellular metabolism also mediates immune cell survival, proliferation and cytotoxic responses within the tumor microenvironment. The ability of natural killer cells to eradicate tumors relies on their ability to functionally persist for the duration of their anti-tumor effector activity. However, a tumor's altered metabolic requirements lead to compromised functional responses of cytokine-activated natural killer cells, which result in decreased effectiveness of adoptive cell-based immunotherapies. Tumors exert these immunosuppressive effects through a number of mechanisms, a key driver of which is hypoxia. Hypoxia also fuels the generation of adenosine from the cancer-associated ectoenzymes CD39 and CD73. Adenosine's immunosuppression manifests in decreased proliferation and impaired anti-tumor function, with adenosinergic signaling emerging as an immunometabolic checkpoint blockade target. Understanding such immunometabolic suppression is critical in directing the engineering of a new generation of natural killer cell-based immunotherapies that have the ability to more effectively target difficult-to-treat solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M. Chambers
- Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Kyle B. Lupo
- Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Sandro Matosevic
- Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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