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Lalle G, Lautraite R, Bouherrou K, Plaschka M, Pignata A, Voisin A, Twardowski J, Perrin-Niquet M, Stéphan P, Durget S, Tonon L, Ardin M, Degletagne C, Viari A, Belgarbi Dutron L, Davoust N, Postler TS, Zhao J, Caux C, Caramel J, Dalle S, Cassier PA, Klein U, Schmidt-Supprian M, Liblau R, Ghosh S, Grinberg-Bleyer Y. NF-κB subunits RelA and c-Rel selectively control CD4+ T cell function in multiple sclerosis and cancer. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20231348. [PMID: 38563819 PMCID: PMC10986815 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20231348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The outcome of cancer and autoimmunity is often dictated by the effector functions of CD4+ conventional T cells (Tconv). Although activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway has long been implicated in Tconv biology, the cell-autonomous roles of the separate NF-κB transcription-factor subunits are unknown. Here, we dissected the contributions of the canonical NF-κB subunits RelA and c-Rel to Tconv function. RelA, rather than c-Rel, regulated Tconv activation and cytokine production at steady-state and was required for polarization toward the TH17 lineage in vitro. Accordingly, RelA-deficient mice were fully protected against neuroinflammation in a model of multiple sclerosis due to defective transition to a pathogenic TH17 gene-expression program. Conversely, Tconv-restricted ablation of c-Rel impaired their function in the microenvironment of transplanted tumors, resulting in enhanced cancer burden. Moreover, Tconv required c-Rel for the response to PD-1-blockade therapy. Our data reveal distinct roles for canonical NF-κB subunits in different disease contexts, paving the way for subunit-targeted immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilhem Lalle
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Raphaëlle Lautraite
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Khaled Bouherrou
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Maud Plaschka
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Aurora Pignata
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (Infinity), UMR INSERM 1291, CNRS 5051, Université Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - Allison Voisin
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Julie Twardowski
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Marlène Perrin-Niquet
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Pierre Stéphan
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Sarah Durget
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Laurie Tonon
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, Gilles Thomas Bioinformatics Platform, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Maude Ardin
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, Gilles Thomas Bioinformatics Platform, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Cyril Degletagne
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Alain Viari
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, Gilles Thomas Bioinformatics Platform, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | | | - Nathalie Davoust
- Laboratory of Biology and Modelling of the Cell, Ecole Normale Supérieure of Lyon, CNRS UMR 5239, INSERM U1293, Lyon, France
| | - Thomas S. Postler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jingyao Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christophe Caux
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Julie Caramel
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Stéphane Dalle
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Philippe A. Cassier
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Ulf Klein
- Division of Haematology and Immunology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St. James’s, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Marc Schmidt-Supprian
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Roland Liblau
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (Infinity), UMR INSERM 1291, CNRS 5051, Université Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - Sankar Ghosh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yenkel Grinberg-Bleyer
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Labex DEV2CAN, Institut Convergence Plascan, Centre Léon Bérard, UMR INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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2
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Guruprasad P, Carturan A, Zhang Y, Cho JH, Kumashie KG, Patel RP, Kim KH, Lee JS, Lee Y, Kim JH, Chung J, Joshi A, Cohen I, Shestov M, Ghilardi G, Harris J, Pajarillo R, Angelos M, Lee YG, Liu S, Rodriguez J, Wang M, Ballard HJ, Gupta A, Ugwuanyi OH, Hong SJA, Bochi-Layec AC, Sauter CT, Chen L, Paruzzo L, Kammerman S, Shestova O, Liu D, Vella LA, Schuster SJ, Svoboda J, Porazzi P, Ruella M. The BTLA-HVEM axis restricts CAR T cell efficacy in cancer. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:1020-1032. [PMID: 38831106 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01847-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
The efficacy of T cell-based immunotherapies is limited by immunosuppressive pressures in the tumor microenvironment. Here we show a predominant role for the interaction between BTLA on effector T cells and HVEM (TNFRSF14) on immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment cells, namely regulatory T cells. High BTLA expression in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells correlated with poor clinical response to treatment. Therefore, we deleted BTLA in CAR T cells and show improved tumor control and persistence in models of lymphoma and solid malignancies. Mechanistically, BTLA inhibits CAR T cells via recruitment of tyrosine phosphatases SHP-1 and SHP-2, upon trans engagement with HVEM. BTLA knockout thus promotes CAR signaling and subsequently enhances effector function. Overall, these data indicate that the BTLA-HVEM axis is a crucial immune checkpoint in CAR T cell immunotherapy and warrants the use of strategies to overcome this barrier.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Humans
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 14/metabolism
- Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 14/immunology
- Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 14/genetics
- Mice
- Tumor Microenvironment/immunology
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/immunology
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/genetics
- Receptors, Immunologic/metabolism
- Receptors, Immunologic/genetics
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology
- Signal Transduction
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Neoplasms/immunology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- Mice, Knockout
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Affiliation(s)
- Puneeth Guruprasad
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alberto Carturan
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yunlin Zhang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jong Hyun Cho
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | | | - Ruchi P Patel
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ki-Hyun Kim
- R&D Center, AbClon Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Seo Lee
- R&D Center, AbClon Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Lee
- R&D Center, AbClon Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Junho Chung
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Akshita Joshi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ivan Cohen
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maksim Shestov
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Guido Ghilardi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jaryse Harris
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Raymone Pajarillo
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mathew Angelos
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yong Gu Lee
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Shan Liu
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jesse Rodriguez
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael Wang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hatcher J Ballard
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Aasha Gupta
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ositadimma H Ugwuanyi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Seok Jae Albert Hong
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Audrey C Bochi-Layec
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher T Sauter
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Linhui Chen
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Luca Paruzzo
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shane Kammerman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Olga Shestova
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dongfang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Laura A Vella
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephen J Schuster
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jakub Svoboda
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Patrizia Porazzi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marco Ruella
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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3
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Li N, Geng S, Dong ZZ, Jin Y, Ying H, Li HW, Shi L. A new era of cancer immunotherapy: combining revolutionary technologies for enhanced CAR-M therapy. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:117. [PMID: 38824567 PMCID: PMC11143597 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02032-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Significant advancements have been made in the application of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T treatment for blood cancers during the previous ten years. However, its effectiveness in treating solid tumors is still lacking, necessitating the exploration of alternative immunotherapies that can overcome the significant challenges faced by current CAR-T cells. CAR-based immunotherapy against solid tumors shows promise with the emergence of macrophages, which possess robust phagocytic abilities, antigen-presenting functions, and the ability to modify the tumor microenvironment and stimulate adaptive responses. This paper presents a thorough examination of the latest progress in CAR-M therapy, covering both basic scientific studies and clinical trials. This study examines the primary obstacles hindering the realization of the complete potential of CAR-M therapy, as well as the potential strategies that can be employed to overcome these hurdles. With the emergence of revolutionary technologies like in situ genetic modification, synthetic biology techniques, and biomaterial-supported gene transfer, which provide a wider array of resources for manipulating tumor-associated macrophages, we suggest that combining these advanced methods will result in the creation of a new era of CAR-M therapy that demonstrates improved efficacy, safety, and availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Li
- Key lab of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310015, China
- Department of Immunology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Shinan Geng
- Key lab of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310015, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Dong
- Key lab of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310015, China
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ying Jin
- Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Zhejiang Caner Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China
| | - Hangjie Ying
- Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Zhejiang Caner Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China
| | - Hung-Wing Li
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Liyun Shi
- Key lab of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310015, China.
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4
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Tang S, Sun R, Tang K, Wei X, Liu M, Zhang H. A novel prognostic model for predicting patient survival and immunotherapy responsiveness in hepatocellular carcinoma: insights into the involvement of T-cell proliferation. Clin Transl Oncol 2024; 26:1368-1383. [PMID: 38123874 PMCID: PMC11108937 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-023-03363-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cancer-associated biological mechanisms and the implementation of immunotherapy are heavily impacted by the activities of T cells, consequently influencing the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. Nevertheless, the mechanistic actions of T-cell proliferation in response to immunotherapy and the overall prognosis of individuals diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains insufficiently understood. The present work seeks to present a comprehensive analysis immune landscape in the context of HCC. METHODS To achieve this objective, both clinical data and RNA sequencing data were acquired from authoritative databases such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). RESULTS Through the utilization of consensus clustering techniques, distinct molecular subtypes associated with T-cell proliferation were delineated. Following this, seven genes of prognostic significance were identified via a combination of Cox and Lasso regression analyses. By integrating these genes into a prognostic signature, the predictive capability of the model was verified through an examination of internal and external datasets. Moreover, immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR tests have verified the reliability of prognostic markers. Notably, the high-risk group exhibited elevated expression of immune checkpoint genes as well as higher benefit in terms of drug sensitivity testing, as determined by the Chi-square test (P < 0.001). The risk score derived from the prognostic signature depicted considerable efficacy in predicting the survival outcomes of HCC cases. CONCLUSIONS Overall, prognostic markers may become valuable predictive tool for individuals diagnosed with HCC, allowing for the prediction of their prognosis as well as the assessment of their immunological condition and response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjie Tang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Kechao Tang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Metabolic Disease Research Center, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Xiang Wei
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Metabolic Disease Research Center, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Metabolic Disease Research Center, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Huabing Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Metabolic Disease Research Center, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
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5
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Yan T, Zhou W, Li C. Discovery of a T cell proliferation-associated regulator signature correlates with prognosis risk and immunotherapy response in bladder cancer. Int Urol Nephrol 2024:10.1007/s11255-024-04086-6. [PMID: 38789872 DOI: 10.1007/s11255-024-04086-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The efficacy of immunotherapy is heavily influenced by T cell activity. This study aimed to examine how T cell proliferation regulators can predict the prognosis and response to immunotherapy in patients with bladder cancer (BCa). METHODS T cell proliferation-related subtypes were determined by employing the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm that analyzed the expression patterns of T cell proliferation regulators. Subtypes were assessed for variations in prognosis, immune infiltration, and functional behaviors. Subsequently, a risk model related to T cell proliferation was created through Cox and Lasso regression analyses in the TCGA cohort and then confirmed in two GEO cohorts and an immunotherapy cohort. RESULTS BCa patients were categorized into two subtypes (C1 and C2) according to the expression profiles of 31 T cell proliferation-related genes (TRGs) with distinct prognoses and immune landscapes. The C2 subtype had a shorter overall survival (OS), with higher levels of M2 macrophage infiltration, and the activation of cancer-related pathways than the C1 subtype. Following this, thirteen prognosis-related genes that were involved in T cell proliferation were utilized to create the prognostic signature. The model's predictive accuracy was confirmed by analyzing both internal and external datasets. Individuals in the high-risk category experienced a poorer prognosis, increased immunosuppressive factors in the tumor microenvironment, and diminished responses to immunotherapy. Additionally, the immunotherapeutic prediction efficacy of the model was further confirmed by an immunotherapy cohort (anti-PD-L1 in the IMvigor210 cohort). CONCLUSIONS Our study characterized two subtypes linked to T cell proliferation in BCa patients with distinct prognoses and tumor microenvironment (TME) patterns, providing new insights into the heterogeneity of T cell proliferation in BCa and its connection to the immune landscape. The signature has prospective clinical implications for predicting outcomes and may help physicians to select prospective responders who prioritize current immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Yan
- Department of Blood Purification Center, Huangshi Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, No.141, Tianjin Road, Huangshi, 435000, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Urology, Huangshi Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun Li
- Department of Blood Purification Center, Huangshi Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, No.141, Tianjin Road, Huangshi, 435000, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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6
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Walsh ZH, Shah P, Kothapalli N, Shah SB, Nikolenyi G, Brodtman DZ, Leuzzi G, Rogava M, Mu M, Ho P, Abuzaid S, Vasan N, AlQuraishi M, Milner JD, Ciccia A, Melms JC, Izar B. Mapping variant effects on anti-tumor hallmarks of primary human T cells with base-editing screens. Nat Biotechnol 2024:10.1038/s41587-024-02235-x. [PMID: 38783148 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02235-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in key T cell genes can drive clinical pathologies and could be repurposed to improve cellular cancer immunotherapies. Here, we perform massively parallel base-editing screens to generate thousands of variants at gene loci annotated with known or potential clinical relevance. We discover a broad landscape of putative gain-of-function (GOF) and loss-of-function (LOF) mutations, including in PIK3CD and the gene encoding its regulatory subunit, PIK3R1, LCK, SOS1, AKT1 and RHOA. Base editing of PIK3CD and PIK3R1 variants in T cells with an engineered T cell receptor specific to a melanoma epitope or in different generations of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells demonstrates that discovered GOF variants, but not LOF or silent mutation controls, enhanced signaling, cytokine production and lysis of cognate melanoma and leukemia cell models, respectively. Additionally, we show that generations of CD19 CAR T cells engineered with PIK3CD GOF mutations demonstrate enhanced antigen-specific signaling, cytokine production and leukemia cell killing, including when benchmarked against other recent strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary H Walsh
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Parin Shah
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Neeharika Kothapalli
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shivem B Shah
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gergo Nikolenyi
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - D Zack Brodtman
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Giuseppe Leuzzi
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Meri Rogava
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Mu
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Patricia Ho
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sinan Abuzaid
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Neil Vasan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mohammed AlQuraishi
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua D Milner
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alberto Ciccia
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Johannes C Melms
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin Izar
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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7
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Wang S, Zhang W, Wu X, Zhu Z, Chen Y, Liu W, Xu J, Chen L, Zhuang C. Comprehensive analysis of T-cell regulatory factors and tumor immune microenvironment in stomach adenocarcinoma. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:570. [PMID: 38714987 PMCID: PMC11077837 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12302-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. However, the specific biomarkers used to predict the postoperative prognosis of patients with gastric cancer remain unknown. Recent research has shown that the tumor microenvironment (TME) has an increasingly positive effect on anti-tumor activity. This study aims to build signatures to study the effect of certain genes on gastric cancer. METHODS Expression profiles of 37 T cell-related genes and their TME characteristics were comprehensively analyzed. A risk signature was constructed and validated based on the screened T cell-related genes, and the roles of hub genes in GC were experimentally validated. RESULTS A novel T cell-related gene signature was constructed based on CD5, ABCA8, SERPINE2, ESM1, SERPINA5, and NMU. The high-risk group indicated lower overall survival (OS), poorer immune efficacy, and higher drug resistance, with SERPINE2 promoting GC cell proliferation, according to experiments. SERPINE2 and CXCL12 were significantly correlated, indicating poor OS via the Youjiang cohort. CONCLUSIONS This study identified T cell-related genes in patients with stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) for prognosis estimation and proposed potential immunotherapeutic targets for STAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuchang Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Weifeng Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Xinrui Wu
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Zhu Zhu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yuanbiao Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Wangrui Liu
- Department of Interventional Oncology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Junnfei Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
- Department of Nursing, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
| | - Chun Zhuang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
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8
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Perez CR, Garmilla A, Nilsson A, Baghdassarian HM, Gordon KS, Lima LG, Smith BE, Maus MV, Lauffenburger DA, Birnbaum ME. Library-based single-cell analysis of CAR signaling reveals drivers of in vivo persistence. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.29.591541. [PMID: 38746119 PMCID: PMC11092467 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.591541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The anti-tumor function of engineered T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) is dependent on signals transduced through intracellular signaling domains (ICDs). Different ICDs are known to drive distinct phenotypes, but systematic investigations into how ICD architectures direct T cell function-particularly at the molecular level-are lacking. Here, we use single-cell sequencing to map diverse signaling inputs to transcriptional outputs, focusing on a defined library of clinically relevant ICD architectures. Informed by these observations, we functionally characterize transcriptionally distinct ICD variants across various contexts to build comprehensive maps from ICD composition to phenotypic output. We identify a unique tonic signaling signature associated with a subset of ICD architectures that drives durable in vivo persistence and efficacy in liquid, but not solid, tumors. Our findings work toward decoding CAR signaling design principles, with implications for the rational design of next-generation ICD architectures optimized for in vivo function.
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9
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Montoya M, Gallus M, Phyu S, Haegelin J, de Groot J, Okada H. A Roadmap of CAR-T-Cell Therapy in Glioblastoma: Challenges and Future Perspectives. Cells 2024; 13:726. [PMID: 38727262 PMCID: PMC11083543 DOI: 10.3390/cells13090726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor, with a median overall survival of less than 2 years and a nearly 100% mortality rate under standard therapy that consists of surgery followed by combined radiochemotherapy. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. The success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in hematological cancers has prompted preclinical and clinical investigations into CAR-T-cell treatment for GBM. However, recent trials have not demonstrated any major success. Here, we delineate existing challenges impeding the effectiveness of CAR-T-cell therapy for GBM, encompassing the cold (immunosuppressive) microenvironment, tumor heterogeneity, T-cell exhaustion, local and systemic immunosuppression, and the immune privilege inherent to the central nervous system (CNS) parenchyma. Additionally, we deliberate on the progress made in developing next-generation CAR-T cells and novel innovative approaches, such as low-intensity pulsed focused ultrasound, aimed at surmounting current roadblocks in GBM CAR-T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Montoya
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Marco Gallus
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Su Phyu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jeffrey Haegelin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - John de Groot
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Hideho Okada
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA
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10
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Chen X, Zhong S, Zhan Y, Zhang X. CRISPR-Cas9 applications in T cells and adoptive T cell therapies. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2024; 29:52. [PMID: 38609863 PMCID: PMC11010303 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-024-00561-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
T cell immunity is central to contemporary cancer and autoimmune therapies, encompassing immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive T cell therapies. Their diverse characteristics can be reprogrammed by different immune challenges dependent on antigen stimulation levels, metabolic conditions, and the degree of inflammation. T cell-based therapeutic strategies are gaining widespread adoption in oncology and treating inflammatory conditions. Emerging researches reveal that clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) genome editing has enabled T cells to be more adaptable to specific microenvironments, opening the door to advanced T cell therapies in preclinical and clinical trials. CRISPR-Cas9 can edit both primary T cells and engineered T cells, including CAR-T and TCR-T, in vivo and in vitro to regulate T cell differentiation and activation states. This review first provides a comprehensive summary of the role of CRISPR-Cas9 in T cells and its applications in preclinical and clinical studies for T cell-based therapies. We also explore the application of CRISPR screen high-throughput technology in editing T cells and anticipate the current limitations of CRISPR-Cas9, including off-target effects and delivery challenges, and envisioned improvements in related technologies for disease screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Institute of Zhengzhou University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Shuhan Zhong
- Department of Hematology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Second Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Yonghao Zhan
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China.
| | - Xuepei Zhang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China.
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11
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Lin CP, Levy PL, Alflen A, Apriamashvili G, Ligtenberg MA, Vredevoogd DW, Bleijerveld OB, Alkan F, Malka Y, Hoekman L, Markovits E, George A, Traets JJH, Krijgsman O, van Vliet A, Poźniak J, Pulido-Vicuña CA, de Bruijn B, van Hal-van Veen SE, Boshuizen J, van der Helm PW, Díaz-Gómez J, Warda H, Behrens LM, Mardesic P, Dehni B, Visser NL, Marine JC, Markel G, Faller WJ, Altelaar M, Agami R, Besser MJ, Peeper DS. Multimodal stimulation screens reveal unique and shared genes limiting T cell fitness. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:623-645.e10. [PMID: 38490212 PMCID: PMC11003465 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2024.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Genes limiting T cell antitumor activity may serve as therapeutic targets. It has not been systematically studied whether there are regulators that uniquely or broadly contribute to T cell fitness. We perform genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens in primary CD8 T cells to uncover genes negatively impacting fitness upon three modes of stimulation: (1) intense, triggering activation-induced cell death (AICD); (2) acute, triggering expansion; (3) chronic, causing dysfunction. Besides established regulators, we uncover genes controlling T cell fitness either specifically or commonly upon differential stimulation. Dap5 ablation, ranking highly in all three screens, increases translation while enhancing tumor killing. Loss of Icam1-mediated homotypic T cell clustering amplifies cell expansion and effector functions after both acute and intense stimulation. Lastly, Ctbp1 inactivation induces functional T cell persistence exclusively upon chronic stimulation. Our results functionally annotate fitness regulators based on their unique or shared contribution to traits limiting T cell antitumor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Pu Lin
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pierre L Levy
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Astrid Alflen
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Georgi Apriamashvili
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten A Ligtenberg
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - David W Vredevoogd
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Onno B Bleijerveld
- Proteomics Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ferhat Alkan
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yuval Malka
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Liesbeth Hoekman
- Proteomics Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ettai Markovits
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology and Melanoma, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 52612, Israel; Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Austin George
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joleen J H Traets
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Oscar Krijgsman
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Alex van Vliet
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joanna Poźniak
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Carlos Ariel Pulido-Vicuña
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Beaunelle de Bruijn
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Susan E van Hal-van Veen
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Julia Boshuizen
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pim W van der Helm
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Judit Díaz-Gómez
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hamdy Warda
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Leonie M Behrens
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Paula Mardesic
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bilal Dehni
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nils L Visser
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jean-Christophe Marine
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gal Markel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel; Davidoff Cancer Center and Samueli Integrative Cancer Pioneering Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva 4941492, Israel
| | - William J Faller
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten Altelaar
- Proteomics Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Reuven Agami
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michal J Besser
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology and Melanoma, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 52612, Israel; Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel; Davidoff Cancer Center and Samueli Integrative Cancer Pioneering Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva 4941492, Israel; Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Daniel S Peeper
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Pathology, VU University Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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12
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Xiang M, Li H, Zhan Y, Ma D, Gao Q, Fang Y. Functional CRISPR screens in T cells reveal new opportunities for cancer immunotherapies. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:73. [PMID: 38581063 PMCID: PMC10996278 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01987-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
T cells are fundamental components in tumour immunity and cancer immunotherapies, which have made immense strides and revolutionized cancer treatment paradigm. However, recent studies delineate the predicament of T cell dysregulation in tumour microenvironment and the compromised efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. CRISPR screens enable unbiased interrogation of gene function in T cells and have revealed functional determinators, genetic regulatory networks, and intercellular interactions in T cell life cycle, thereby providing opportunities to revamp cancer immunotherapies. In this review, we briefly described the central roles of T cells in successful cancer immunotherapies, comprehensively summarised the studies of CRISPR screens in T cells, elaborated resultant master genes that control T cell activation, proliferation, fate determination, effector function, and exhaustion, and highlighted genes (BATF, PRDM1, and TOX) and signalling cascades (JAK-STAT and NF-κB pathways) that extensively engage in multiple branches of T cell responses. In conclusion, this review bridged the gap between discovering element genes to a specific process of T cell activities and apprehending these genes in the global T cell life cycle, deepened the understanding of T cell biology in tumour immunity, and outlined CRISPR screens resources that might facilitate the development and implementation of cancer immunotherapies in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghua Xiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huayi Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhan
- Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ding Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qinglei Gao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yong Fang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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13
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Wu Q, Liu Z, Li B, Liu YE, Wang P. Immunoregulation in cancer-associated cachexia. J Adv Res 2024; 58:45-62. [PMID: 37150253 PMCID: PMC10982873 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated cachexia is a multi-organ disorder associated with progressive weight loss due to a variable combination of anorexia, systemic inflammation and excessive energy wasting. Considering the importance of immunoregulation in cachexia, it still lacks a complete understanding of the immunological mechanisms in cachectic progression. AIM OF REVIEW Our aim here is to describe the complex immunoregulatory system in cachexia. We summarize the effects and translational potential of the immune system on the development of cancer-associated cachexia and we attempt to conclude with thoughts on precise and integrated therapeutic strategies under the complex immunological context of cachexia. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW This review is focused on three main key concepts. First, we highlight the inflammatory factors and additional mediators that have been identified to modulate this syndrome. Second, we decipher the potential role of immune checkpoints in tissue wasting. Third, we discuss the multilayered insights in cachexia through the immunometabolic axis, immune-gut axis and immune-nerve axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wu
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University.
| | - Zhou Liu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Bei Li
- Department of Pathology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Yu-E Liu
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University
| | - Ping Wang
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University.
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14
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Lagattuta KA, Park HL, Rumker L, Ishigaki K, Nathan A, Raychaudhuri S. The genetic basis of autoimmunity seen through the lens of T cell functional traits. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1204. [PMID: 38331990 PMCID: PMC10853555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45170-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune disease heritability is enriched in T cell-specific regulatory regions of the genome. Modern-day T cell datasets now enable association studies between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and a myriad of molecular phenotypes, including chromatin accessibility, gene expression, transcriptional programs, T cell antigen receptor (TCR) amino acid usage, and cell state abundances. Such studies have identified hundreds of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in T cells that colocalize with genetic risk for autoimmune disease. The key challenge facing immunologists today lies in synthesizing these results toward a unified understanding of the autoimmune T cell: which genes, cell states, and antigens drive tissue destruction?
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A Lagattuta
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hannah L Park
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laurie Rumker
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kazuyoshi Ishigaki
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Laboratory for Human Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Aparna Nathan
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Soumya Raychaudhuri
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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15
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Peng W, Li Y, Cheng B, Cao M, Liu L, Yang Y, Bai S, Xiong S, Chen W, Zhao Y. Liquid-liquid phase separation-related lncRNA prognostic signature and ZNF32-AS2 as a novel biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma. Comput Biol Med 2024; 169:107975. [PMID: 38199212 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.107975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) enhances oncogenic signaling pathways and advances cancer progression, and has been proposed as a promising cancer biomarker and intervention target. Nevertheless, doubts remain about the prognostic importance of LLPS-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS An LLPS-related lncRNA prognostic signature was generated by drivers and regulators of LLPS, and was validated in external datasets. The underlying genetic changes and functional enrichment of the signature were assessed. The drug sensitivity and response to immunotherapy were predicted in patients categorized as high-risk and low-risk. Clinical samples, phase separation agonist, and dispersant were used to identify lncRNAs with the most significant expression change. Cancer cells with ZNF32-AS2 expression regulation were subjected to colony formation assay, scratch test assay, migration and invasion assay, sorafenib resistance assay, and xenograft tumor model. RESULTS The signature of LLPS-related hub lncRNAs identified through Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis showed outstanding performance in training and external validation cohorts consistently, and the molecular characteristics varied between different risk groups. Potential drugs for high-risk individuals were identified, and low-risk individuals demonstrated a more favorable reaction to immunotherapy. ZNF32-AS2 showed the most significant expression change in phase separation agonist and dispersant treatment. ZNF32-AS2 promoted the proliferation, mobility, and sorafenib resistance of liver cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS The LLPS-related lncRNA signature may help assess prognosis and predict treatment efficacy in clinical settings. LLPS-related ZNF32-AS2 promoted the proliferation, mobility, and sorafenib resistance of liver cancer cells, and may be a novel potential biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yanling Li
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Bin Cheng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Mengdie Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Luyao Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yilei Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shuya Bai
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Si Xiong
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yuchong Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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16
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Morris JA, Sun JS, Sanjana NE. Next-generation forward genetic screens: uniting high-throughput perturbations with single-cell analysis. Trends Genet 2024; 40:118-133. [PMID: 37989654 PMCID: PMC10872607 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Programmable genome-engineering technologies, such as CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) nucleases and massively parallel CRISPR screens that capitalize on this programmability, have transformed biomedical science. These screens connect genes and noncoding genome elements to disease-relevant phenotypes, but until recently have been limited to individual phenotypes such as growth or fluorescent reporters of gene expression. By pairing massively parallel screens with high-dimensional profiling of single-cell types/states, we can now measure how individual genetic perturbations or combinations of perturbations impact the cellular transcriptome, proteome, and epigenome. We review technologies that pair CRISPR screens with single-cell multiomics and the unique opportunities afforded by extending pooled screens using deep multimodal phenotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Morris
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY 10013, USA; Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Jennifer S Sun
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY 10013, USA; Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Neville E Sanjana
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY 10013, USA; Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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17
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Garcia J, Daniels J, Lee Y, Zhu I, Cheng K, Liu Q, Goodman D, Burnett C, Law C, Thienpont C, Alavi J, Azimi C, Montgomery G, Roybal KT, Choi J. Naturally occurring T cell mutations enhance engineered T cell therapies. Nature 2024; 626:626-634. [PMID: 38326614 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07018-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Adoptive T cell therapies have produced exceptional responses in a subset of patients with cancer. However, therapeutic efficacy can be hindered by poor T cell persistence and function1. In human T cell cancers, evolution of the disease positively selects for mutations that improve fitness of T cells in challenging situations analogous to those faced by therapeutic T cells. Therefore, we reasoned that these mutations could be co-opted to improve T cell therapies. Here we systematically screened the effects of 71 mutations from T cell neoplasms on T cell signalling, cytokine production and in vivo persistence in tumours. We identify a gene fusion, CARD11-PIK3R3, found in a CD4+ cutaneous T cell lymphoma2, that augments CARD11-BCL10-MALT1 complex signalling and anti-tumour efficacy of therapeutic T cells in several immunotherapy-refractory models in an antigen-dependent manner. Underscoring its potential to be deployed safely, CARD11-PIK3R3-expressing cells were followed up to 418 days after T cell transfer in vivo without evidence of malignant transformation. Collectively, our results indicate that exploiting naturally occurring mutations represents a promising approach to explore the extremes of T cell biology and discover how solutions derived from evolution of malignant T cells can improve a broad range of T cell therapies.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins/genetics
- CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins/metabolism
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Cytokines/biosynthesis
- Cytokines/immunology
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Evolution, Molecular
- Guanylate Cyclase/genetics
- Guanylate Cyclase/metabolism
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous/genetics
- Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous/immunology
- Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous/pathology
- Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous/therapy
- Mutation
- Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
- Signal Transduction/genetics
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes/transplantation
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Garcia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Moonlight Bio, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jay Daniels
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Moonlight Bio, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yujin Lee
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Iowis Zhu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kathleen Cheng
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Qing Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Daniel Goodman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Cassandra Burnett
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Calvin Law
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Chloë Thienpont
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Josef Alavi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Camillia Azimi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Garrett Montgomery
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kole T Roybal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute for Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- UCSF Cell Design Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Jaehyuk Choi
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
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18
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Zeng L, Chen X, Cui J, Zhang L, Li L, Yin C, Chen X, Sun J. High-resolution transcriptomics analysis of CXCL13 + EPSTI1 + CDK1 + cells with a specific focus on lung adenocarcinoma. J Thorac Dis 2024; 16:201-214. [PMID: 38410612 PMCID: PMC10894425 DOI: 10.21037/jtd-23-1164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Background Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking therapy has transformed the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), which has significantly changed the landscape of immunotherapy. We aimed to explore specific cell subpopulations to understand tumor progression and identify markers of response to PD-L1 blocking therapy. Methods Bulk, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and single-cell RNA (scRNA) sequencing were used to profile CXCL13, EPSTI1, and CDK1. The gene set variation analysis (GSVA) R package was utilized for score calculation, and prognostic analyses included receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Cox proportional hazard models, and meta-analysis. Additionally, we analyzed tumor microenvironment (TME), genomics, compound perturbations, and clinical indicators. The high-dimensional analysis captured the intrinsic characteristics of the subpopulation. Furthermore, subpopulation differential genes were used for enrichment analysis of transcription factors and compounds. Results Literature and website analyses supported the essential role of CXCL13, CDK1, and EPSTI1 in immunotherapy. This led us to focus specifically on LUAD by representing a pan-cancer profile of immune-sensitive genes. Logically, the high-characteristic population may consist of samples positive for CXCL13, EPSTI1, and CDK1. The three-gene signature was a favorable indicator of immunotherapy response in the Stand Up to Cancer-Mark Foundation (SU2C-MARK) LUAD cohort but showed a poor prognosis before treatment in the Lung Cancer Explorer (LCE) database. Further mechanistic exploration revealed specific mutations associated with the three-gene signature in SU2C-MARK LUAD, such as STK11. In The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LUAD cohort, the high-scoring group exhibited a higher tumor mutational burden (TMB) and global methylation but a lower fraction genome altered (FGA) and estimated tumor purity. Moreover, dasatinib demonstrated sensitivity in the high-scoring group. The co-localization of the CXCL13, EPSTI1, and CDK1 subpopulation was validated through spatial transcriptome and immunohistochemical databases. Assessment of the subpopulation depicted high-resolution intercellular communication. Maintenance of specific pathways, such as TNF, CD74, and CD44, contributed to immunotherapy sensitivity. Finally, the subpopulation-enriched targets and drugs were confirmed through ConnectivityMap (CMAP) analysis and multi-omics, respectively. Conclusions In this study, positive samples for CXCL13, EPSTI1, and CDK1 exhibited poor prognostic significance in treatment-naïve LUAD cases but demonstrated benefits from PD-L1 blockade and dasatinib therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longjin Zeng
- College of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Medical Affairs, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianxiong Cui
- Cancer Institute, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Longyao Zhang
- Cancer Institute, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lingchen Li
- Cancer Institute, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chenrui Yin
- Cancer Institute, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiewan Chen
- College of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Institute, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianguo Sun
- Cancer Institute, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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19
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Liao X, Li W, Zhou H, Rajendran BK, Li A, Ren J, Luan Y, Calderwood DA, Turk B, Tang W, Liu Y, Wu D. The CUL5 E3 ligase complex negatively regulates central signaling pathways in CD8 + T cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:603. [PMID: 38242867 PMCID: PMC10798966 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44885-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T cells play an important role in anti-tumor immunity. Better understanding of their regulation could advance cancer immunotherapies. Here we identify, via stepwise CRISPR-based screening, that CUL5 is a negative regulator of the core signaling pathways of CD8+ T cells. Knocking out CUL5 in mouse CD8+ T cells significantly improves their tumor growth inhibiting ability, with significant proteomic alterations that broadly enhance TCR and cytokine signaling and their effector functions. Chemical inhibition of neddylation required by CUL5 activation, also enhances CD8 effector activities with CUL5 validated as a major target. Mechanistically, CUL5, which is upregulated by TCR stimulation, interacts with the SOCS-box-containing protein PCMTD2 and inhibits TCR and IL2 signaling. Additionally, CTLA4 is markedly upregulated by CUL5 knockout, and its inactivation further enhances the anti-tumor effect of CUL5 KO. These results together reveal a negative regulatory mechanism for CD8+ T cells and have strong translational implications in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Liao
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutic Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
| | - Wenxue Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Hongyue Zhou
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutic Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Barani Kumar Rajendran
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutic Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Ao Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Jingjing Ren
- Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Yi Luan
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutic Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - David A Calderwood
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Benjamin Turk
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Wenwen Tang
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutic Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
| | - Yansheng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Yale Cancer Research Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA.
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
| | - Dianqing Wu
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutic Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
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20
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Wang G, Zheng H, Xiang Y, Wang Y, Wang K, Ren X, Du J. Identifying the critical oncogenic mechanism of LDHA based on a prognostic model of T-cell synthetic drivers. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 126:111265. [PMID: 38000233 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite its early success, immunotherapy focused on removing T-cell inhibition does not achieve the desired effect in most patients. New strategies that target antigen-driven T-cell activation are needed to improve immunotherapy outcomes. However, a comprehensive analysis of synthetic drivers of T-cells is greatly lacking in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and other types of tumors. METHODS We comprehensively evaluated the patterns of LUAD patients based on T -cell synthetic drivers by unsupervised clustering analysis. A risk model was constructed using Lasso Cox regression analysis. The predicted survival and immunotherapy efficacy of the model was validated by independent cohorts. Finally, single-cell sequencing analysis, and a series of in vitro experiments were conducted to explore the role of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) in the malignant progression of LUAD. RESULTS Patients in the high-risk group were characterized by survival disadvantage, a "cold" immune phenotype, and by not having benefitted from immunotherapy. LDHA was shown to promote LUAD cell proliferation, cell cycle, invasion, and migration. Secondly, we found that LDHA induced NF-κB pathway activation, tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance and immunosuppressant microenvironment. Finally, LDHA was found to be highly expressed in fibroblasts, which may be involved in promoting TKI resistance and mediating the immune escape. CONCLUSION This study revealed that the T-cell synthetic driver-associated prognostic model developed herein significantly predicted prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy in LUAD. We further investigated the role of LDHA in the malignant phenotype of tumor cells and tumor microenvironment remodeling, providing a promising and novel therapeutic strategy for LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanghui Wang
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Haotian Zheng
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yunzhi Xiang
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yadong Wang
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Department of Healthcare Respiratory Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoyang Ren
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Jiajun Du
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
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21
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Yang C, Lei Y, Ren T, Yao M. The Current Situation and Development Prospect of Whole-Genome Screening. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:658. [PMID: 38203828 PMCID: PMC10779205 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
High-throughput genetic screening is useful for discovering critical genes or gene sequences that trigger specific cell functions and/or phenotypes. Loss-of-function genetic screening is mainly achieved through RNA interference (RNAi), CRISPR knock-out (CRISPRko), and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) technologies. Gain-of-function genetic screening mainly depends on the overexpression of a cDNA library and CRISPR activation (CRISPRa). Base editing can perform both gain- and loss-of-function genetic screening. This review discusses genetic screening techniques based on Cas9 nuclease, including Cas9-mediated genome knock-out and dCas9-based gene activation and interference. We compare these methods with previous genetic screening techniques based on RNAi and cDNA library overexpression and propose future prospects and applications for CRISPR screening.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mingze Yao
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; (C.Y.); (Y.L.); (T.R.)
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22
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Li X, Chen Z, Ye W, Yu J, Zhang X, Li Y, Niu Y, Ran S, Wang S, Luo Z, Zhao J, Hao Y, Zong J, Xia C, Xia J, Wu J. High-throughput CRISPR technology: a novel horizon for solid organ transplantation. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1295523. [PMID: 38239344 PMCID: PMC10794540 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1295523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Organ transplantation is the gold standard therapy for end-stage organ failure. However, the shortage of available grafts and long-term graft dysfunction remain the primary barriers to organ transplantation. Exploring approaches to solve these issues is urgent, and CRISPR/Cas9-based transcriptome editing provides one potential solution. Furthermore, combining CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing with an ex vivo organ perfusion system would enable pre-implantation transcriptome editing of grafts. How to determine effective intervention targets becomes a new problem. Fortunately, the advent of high-throughput CRISPR screening has dramatically accelerated the effective targets. This review summarizes the current advancements, utilization, and workflow of CRISPR screening in various immune and non-immune cells. It also discusses the ongoing applications of CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing in transplantation and the prospective applications of CRISPR screening in solid organ transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohan Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhang Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Weicong Ye
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jizhang Yu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuqing Niu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuan Ran
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zilong Luo
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiulu Zhao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanglin Hao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Junjie Zong
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chengkun Xia
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiahong Xia
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education, National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education, National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
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Wu Y, Zhao S, Guo W, Liu Y, Requena Mullor MDM, Rodrìguez RA, Wei R. Systematic analysis of the prognostic value and immunological function of LTBR in human cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:129-152. [PMID: 38175686 PMCID: PMC10817409 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTBR) is a positive T cell proliferation regulator gene. It is closely associated with the tumor immune microenvironment. However, its role in cancer and immunotherapy is unclear. Firstly, the expression level and prognostic value of LTBR were analyzed. Secondly, the expression of LTBR in clinical stages, immune subtypes, and molecular subtypes was analyzed. The correlation between LTBR and immune regulatory genes, immune checkpoint genes, and RNA modification genes was then analyzed. Correlations between LTBR and immune cells, scores, cancer-related functional status, tumor stemness index, mismatch repair (MMR) genes, and DNA methyltransferase were also analyzed. In addition, we analyzed the role of LTBR in DNA methylation, mutational status, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI). Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were used to explore the role of LTBR in pan-cancer. Finally, the drugs associated with LTBR were analyzed. The expression of LTBR was confirmed using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot. LTBR is significantly overexpressed in most cancers and is associated with low patient survival. In addition, LTBR expression was strongly correlated with immune cells, score, cancer-related functional status, tumor stemness index, MMR genes, DNA methyltransferase, DNA methylation, mutational status, TMB, and MSI. Enrichment analysis revealed that LTBR was associated with apoptosis, necroptosis, and immune-related pathways. Finally, multiple drugs targeting LTBR were identified. LTBR is overexpressed in several tumors and is associated with a poor prognosis. It is related to immune-related genes and immune cell infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinteng Wu
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Shijian Zhao
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Wenliang Guo
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guigang, Guangxi 537100, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | | | | | - Ruqiong Wei
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
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Wang X, Chan S, Dai L, Xu Y, Yang Q, Wang M, Han Q, Chen J, Zuo X, Wang Z, Yang Y, Zhao H, Zhang G, Zhang H, Chen W. Identification of novel T cell proliferation patterns, potential biomarkers and therapeutic drugs in colorectal cancer. J Cancer 2024; 15:1234-1254. [PMID: 38356712 PMCID: PMC10861827 DOI: 10.7150/jca.91835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: T cells are crucial components of antitumor immunity. A list of genes associated with T cell proliferation was recently identified; however, the impact of T cell proliferation-related genes (TRGs) on the prognosis and therapeutic responses of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. Methods: 33 TRG expression information and clinical information of patients with CRC gathered from multiple datasets were subjected to bioinformatic analysis. Consensus clustering was used to determine the molecular subtypes associated with T cell proliferation. Utilizing the Lasso-Cox regression, a predictive signature was created and verified in external cohorts. A tumor immune environment analysis was conducted, and potential biomarkers and therapeutic drugs were identified and confirmed via in vitro and in vivo studies. Results: CRC patients were separated into two TRG clusters, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Patient information was divided into three different gene clusters, and the determined molecular subtypes were linked to patient survival, immune cells, and immune functions. Prognosis-associated DEGs in the three gene clusters were used to evaluate the risk score, and a predictive signature was developed. The ability of the risk score to predict patient survival and treatment response has been successfully validated using multiple datasets. To discover more possible biomarkers for CRC, the weighted gene co-expression network analysis algorithm was utilized to screen key TRG variations between groups with high- and low-risk. CDK1, BATF, IL1RN, and ITM2A were screened out as key TRGs, and the expression of key TRGs was confirmed using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. According to the key TRGs, 7,8-benzoflavone was identified as the most significant drug molecule, and MTT, colony formation, wound healing, transwell assays, and in vivo experiments indicated that 7,8-benzoflavone significantly suppressed the proliferation and migration of CRC cells. Conclusion: T cell proliferation-based molecular subtypes and predictive signatures can be utilized to anticipate patient results, immunological landscape, and treatment response in CRC. Novel biomarker candidates and potential therapeutic drugs for CRC were identified and verified using in vitro and in vivo tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Shixin Chan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Longfei Dai
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yuanmin Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Qi Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241000, China
| | - Ming Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Qijun Han
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Jiajie Chen
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaomin Zuo
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Zhenglin Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Hu Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Guihong Zhang
- The Pathology Department of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Huabing Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Metabolic Disease Research Center, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
- The First Affiliated Chuzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Chuzhou 239000, Anhui, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
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Li YR, Lyu Z, Tian Y, Fang Y, Zhu Y, Chen Y, Yang L. Advancements in CRISPR screens for the development of cancer immunotherapy strategies. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2023; 31:100733. [PMID: 37876793 PMCID: PMC10591018 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2023.100733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR screen technology enables systematic and scalable interrogation of gene function by using the CRISPR-Cas9 system to perturb gene expression. In the field of cancer immunotherapy, this technology has empowered the discovery of genes, biomarkers, and pathways that regulate tumor development and progression, immune reactivity, and the effectiveness of immunotherapeutic interventions. By conducting large-scale genetic screens, researchers have successfully identified novel targets to impede tumor growth, enhance anti-tumor immune responses, and surmount immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we present an overview of CRISPR screens conducted in tumor cells for the purpose of identifying novel therapeutic targets. We also explore the application of CRISPR screens in immune cells to propel the advancement of cell-based therapies, encompassing T cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. Furthermore, we outline the crucial components necessary for the successful implementation of immune-specific CRISPR screens and explore potential directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ruide Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Zibai Lyu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yanxin Tian
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ying Fang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yichen Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yuning Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Park JJ, Lee KAV, Lam SZ, Tang K, Chen S. Genome Engineering for Next-Generation Cellular Immunotherapies. Biochemistry 2023; 62:3455-3464. [PMID: 35930700 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, cellular immunotherapies such as CAR-T, TCR-T, and NK cell therapies have achieved tremendous success in cancer treatment. However, various challenges and obstacles remain, including antigen escape, immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment, toxicities, and on-target off-tumor effects. Recent strategies for overcoming these roadblocks have included the use of genome engineering. Multiplexed CRISPR-Cas and synthetic biology approaches facilitate the development of cell therapies with higher potency and sophisticated modular control; they also offer a toolkit for allogeneic therapy development. Engineering approaches have targeted genetic modifications to enhance long-term persistence through cytokine modulation, knockout of genes mediating immunosuppressive signals, and genes such as the endogenous TCR and MHC-I that elicit adverse host-graft interactions in an allogeneic context. Genome engineering approaches for other immune cell types are also being explored, such as CAR macrophages and CAR-NK cells. Future therapeutic development of cellular immunotherapies may also be guided by novel target discovery through unbiased CRISPR genetic screening approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Park
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- M.D.-Ph.D. Program, Yale University, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development Program, Yale University, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Kyoung A V Lee
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, United States
| | - Stanley Z Lam
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
| | - Kaiyuan Tang
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
| | - Sidi Chen
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- M.D.-Ph.D. Program, Yale University, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development Program, Yale University, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Immunobiology Program, Yale University, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Yale Center for Biomedical Data Science, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
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Walsh ZH, Shah P, Kothapalli N, Nikolenyi G, Shah SB, Leuzzi G, Mu M, Ho P, Abuzaid S, Brodtman ZD, Vasan N, AlQuraishi M, Milner JD, Ciccia A, Melms JC, Izar B. Massively parallel base editing screens to map variant effects on anti-tumor hallmarks of primary human T cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.13.571465. [PMID: 38168306 PMCID: PMC10760091 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.13.571465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Base editing enables generation of single nucleotide variants, but large-scale screening in primary human T cells is limited due to low editing efficiency, among other challenges 1 . Here, we developed a high-throughput approach for high-efficiency and massively parallel adenine and cytosine base-editor screening in primary human T cells. We performed multiple large-scale screens editing 102 genes with central functions in T cells and full-length tiling mutagenesis of selected genes, and read out variant effects on hallmarks of T cell anti-tumor immunity, including activation, proliferation, and cytokine production. We discovered a broad landscape of gain- and loss-of-function mutations, including in PIK3CD and its regulatory subunit encoded by PIK3R1, LCK , AKT1, CTLA-4 and JAK1 . We identified variants that affected several (e.g., PIK3CD C416R) or only selected (e.g. LCK Y505C) hallmarks of T cell activity, and functionally validated several hits by probing downstream signaling nodes and testing their impact on T cell polyfunctionality and proliferation. Using primary human T cells in which we engineered a T cell receptor (TCR) specific to a commonly presented tumor testis antigen as a model for cellular immunotherapy, we demonstrate that base edits identified in our screens can tune specific or broad T cell functions and ultimately improve tumor elimination while exerting minimal off-target activity. In summary, we present the first large-scale base editing screen in primary human T cells and provide a framework for scalable and targeted base editing at high efficiency. Coupled with multi-modal phenotypic mapping, we accurately nominate variants that produce a desirable T cell state and leverage these synthetic proteins to improve models of cellular cancer immunotherapies.
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28
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Li XP, Dai Y, Zhang WN, Pan MM, Mao J, Zhao B, Jiang L, Gao Y. Single-cell RNA-seq reveals novel immune-associated biomarkers for predicting prognosis in AML patients with RUNX1::RUNX1T1. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 125:111178. [PMID: 37951201 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t(8;21)(q22;q22);(RUNX1::RUNX1T1) is highly heterogeneous and malignant. It has a relapse rate of nearly 40 %, resulting in clinical resistance or refractoriness to chemotherapy. Immune cells, particularly CD4(+) T and CD8(+) T lymphocytes, have been discovered to be dysfunctional in this condition, and functional recovery shows promising efficiency in preclinical trials. Here, with single-cell transcriptomic data from de novo AML patients with RUNX1::RUNX1T1 and at various stages following disease progression, we investigated the genes correlated with T-cell proliferation and activation. In leukemia cells, ADA, AHCY, GPN3 and LTBR were markedly highly expressed compared to those in T-cell at diagnosis, and they tended to increase with disease progression. Additionally, we discovered that AHCY was an effective biomarker to predict the overall survival as well as relapse-free survival of AML patients with RUNX1::RUNX1T1. The correlation of AHCY with infiltrated immune cells and immune checkpoints was also investigated. AML cohorts from two other independent studies, TCGA LAML (n = 145) and the GEO dataset (n = 104), also demonstrated an inferior outcome for AML patients with high AHCY expression. In conclusion, our research revealed that AHCY might function as a novel indicator to predict the prognosis and efficiency of T-cell proliferation and activation in AML patients with RUNX1::RUNX1T1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Ping Li
- Department of Hematologic Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yuting Dai
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Na Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Meng-Meng Pan
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaying Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Baitian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Lu Jiang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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29
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McCutcheon SR, Swartz AM, Brown MC, Barrera A, McRoberts Amador C, Siklenka K, Humayun L, Ter Weele MA, Isaacs JM, Reddy TE, Allen AS, Nair SK, Antonia SJ, Gersbach CA. Transcriptional and epigenetic regulators of human CD8 + T cell function identified through orthogonal CRISPR screens. Nat Genet 2023; 55:2211-2223. [PMID: 37945901 PMCID: PMC10703699 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01554-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Clinical response to adoptive T cell therapies is associated with the transcriptional and epigenetic state of the cell product. Thus, discovery of regulators of T cell gene networks and their corresponding phenotypes has potential to improve T cell therapies. Here we developed pooled, epigenetic CRISPR screening approaches to systematically profile the effects of activating or repressing 120 transcriptional and epigenetic regulators on human CD8+ T cell state. We found that BATF3 overexpression promoted specific features of memory T cells and attenuated gene programs associated with cytotoxicity, regulatory T cell function, and exhaustion. Upon chronic antigen stimulation, BATF3 overexpression countered phenotypic and epigenetic signatures of T cell exhaustion. Moreover, BATF3 enhanced the potency of CAR T cells in both in vitro and in vivo tumor models and programmed a transcriptional profile that correlates with positive clinical response to adoptive T cell therapy. Finally, we performed CRISPR knockout screens that defined cofactors and downstream mediators of the BATF3 gene network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R McCutcheon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Adam M Swartz
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael C Brown
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Alejandro Barrera
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christian McRoberts Amador
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Keith Siklenka
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lucas Humayun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Maria A Ter Weele
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - James M Isaacs
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Timothy E Reddy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew S Allen
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Smita K Nair
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Scott J Antonia
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Charles A Gersbach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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30
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Jing Y, Jiang X, Ji Q, Wu Z, Wang W, Liu Z, Guillen-Garcia P, Esteban CR, Reddy P, Horvath S, Li J, Geng L, Hu Q, Wang S, Belmonte JCI, Ren J, Zhang W, Qu J, Liu GH. Genome-wide CRISPR activation screening in senescent cells reveals SOX5 as a driver and therapeutic target of rejuvenation. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:1452-1471.e10. [PMID: 37832549 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of the molecular basis for cellular senescence remains incomplete, limiting the development of strategies to ameliorate age-related pathologies by preventing stem cell senescence. Here, we performed a genome-wide CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) screening using a human mesenchymal precursor cell (hMPC) model of the progeroid syndrome. We evaluated targets whose activation antagonizes cellular senescence, among which SOX5 outperformed as a top hit. Through decoding the epigenomic landscapes remodeled by overexpressing SOX5, we uncovered its role in resetting the transcription network for geroprotective genes, including HMGB2. Mechanistically, SOX5 binding elevated the enhancer activity of HMGB2 with increased levels of H3K27ac and H3K4me1, raising HMGB2 expression so as to promote rejuvenation. Furthermore, gene therapy with lentiviruses carrying SOX5 or HMGB2 rejuvenated cartilage and alleviated osteoarthritis in aged mice. Our study generated a comprehensive list of rejuvenators, pinpointing SOX5 as a potent driver for rejuvenation both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaobin Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xiaoyu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qianzhao Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zeming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zunpeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Pedro Guillen-Garcia
- Department of Traumatology and Research Unit, Clinica CEMTRO, 28035 Madrid, Spain
| | - Concepcion Rodriguez Esteban
- Altos Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA 94022, USA; Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Pradeep Reddy
- Altos Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA 94022, USA; Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Altos Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA 94022, USA; Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 10833, USA
| | - Jingyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lingling Geng
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Aging Translational Medicine Center, International Center for Aging and Cancer, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Qinchao Hu
- Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Si Wang
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Aging Translational Medicine Center, International Center for Aging and Cancer, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Chongqing Renji Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400062, China
| | - Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte
- Altos Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA 94022, USA; Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jie Ren
- Key Laboratory of RNA Science and Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Weiqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of RNA Science and Engineering, CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Jing Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Guang-Hui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Aging Translational Medicine Center, International Center for Aging and Cancer, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
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31
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Li J, Ma S, Pei H, Jiang J, Zou Q, Lv Z. Review of T cell proliferation regulatory factors in treatment and prognostic prediction for solid tumors. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21329. [PMID: 37954355 PMCID: PMC10637962 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell proliferation regulators (Tcprs), which are positive regulators that promote T cell function, have made great contributions to the development of therapies to improve T cell function. CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) -T cell therapy, a type of adoptive cell transfer therapy that targets tumor cells and enhances immune lethality, has led to significant progress in the treatment of hematologic tumors. However, the applications of CAR-T in solid tumor treatment remain limited. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the development of Tcprs for solid tumor therapy and prognostic prediction. We summarize potential strategies for targeting different Tcprs to enhance T cell proliferation and activation and inhibition of cancer progression, thereby improving the antitumor activity and persistence of CAR-T. In summary, we propose means of enhancing CAR-T cells by expressing different Tcprs, which may lead to the development of a new generation of cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Li
- Student Innovation Competition Team, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Shuhan Ma
- Student Innovation Competition Team, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Hongdi Pei
- Student Innovation Competition Team, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jici Jiang
- Student Innovation Competition Team, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Quan Zou
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
- Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Quzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Quzhou 324000, China
| | - Zhibin Lv
- Student Innovation Competition Team, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
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Abstract
T cells can acquire a broad spectrum of differentiation states following activation. At the extreme ends of this continuum are short-lived cells equipped with effector machinery and more quiescent, long-lived cells with heightened proliferative potential and stem cell-like developmental plasticity. The latter encompass stem-like exhausted T cells and memory T cells, both of which have recently emerged as key determinants of cancer immunity and response to immunotherapy. Here, we discuss key similarities and differences in the regulation and function of stem-like exhausted CD8+ T cells and memory CD8+ T cells, and consider their context-specific contributions to protective immunity in diverse outcomes of cancer, including tumour escape, long-term control and eradication. Finally, we emphasize how recent advances in the understanding of the molecular regulation of stem-like exhausted T cells and memory T cells are being explored for clinical benefit in cancer immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibition, adoptive cell therapy and vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Gebhardt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Simone L Park
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ian A Parish
- Cancer Immunology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
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Zhou X, Renauer PA, Zhou L, Fang SY, Chen S. Applications of CRISPR technology in cellular immunotherapy. Immunol Rev 2023; 320:199-216. [PMID: 37449673 PMCID: PMC10787818 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR technology has transformed multiple fields, including cancer and immunology. CRISPR-based gene editing and screening empowers direct genomic manipulation of immune cells, opening doors to unbiased functional genetic screens. These screens aid in the discovery of novel factors that regulate and reprogram immune responses, offering novel drug targets. The engineering of immune cells using CRISPR has sparked a transformation in the cellular immunotherapy field, resulting in a multitude of ongoing clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the development and applications of CRISPR and related gene editing technologies in immune cells, focusing on functional genomics screening, gene editing-based cell therapies, as well as future directions in this rapidly advancing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Paul A. Renauer
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Liqun Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Immunobiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shao-Yu Fang
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sidi Chen
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Immunobiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biomedical Data Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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34
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Alsalloum A, Alrhmoun S, Shevchenko J, Fisher M, Philippova J, Perik-Zavodskii R, Perik-Zavodskaia O, Lopatnikova J, Kurilin V, Volynets M, Akahori Y, Shiku H, Silkov A, Sennikov S. TCR-Engineered Lymphocytes Targeting NY-ESO-1: In Vitro Assessment of Cytotoxicity against Tumors. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2805. [PMID: 37893178 PMCID: PMC10604587 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive T-cell therapies tailored for the treatment of solid tumors encounter intricate challenges, necessitating the meticulous selection of specific target antigens and the engineering of highly specific T-cell receptors (TCRs). This study delves into the cytotoxicity and functional characteristics of in vitro-cultured T-lymphocytes, equipped with a TCR designed to precisely target the cancer-testis antigen NY-ESO-1. Flow cytometry analysis unveiled a notable increase in the population of cells expressing activation markers upon encountering the NY-ESO-1-positive tumor cell line, SK-Mel-37. Employing the NanoString platform, immune transcriptome profiling revealed the upregulation of genes enriched in Gene Ontology Biological Processes associated with the IFN-γ signaling pathway, regulation of T-cell activation, and proliferation. Furthermore, the modified T cells exhibited robust cytotoxicity in an antigen-dependent manner, as confirmed by the LDH assay results. Multiplex immunoassays, including LEGENDplex™, additionally demonstrated the elevated production of cytotoxicity-associated cytokines driven by granzymes and soluble Fas ligand (sFasL). Our findings underscore the specific targeting potential of engineered TCR T cells against NY-ESO-1-positive tumors. Further comprehensive in vivo investigations are essential to thoroughly validate these results and effectively harness the intrinsic potential of genetically engineered T cells for combating cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Alsalloum
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Saleh Alrhmoun
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Julia Shevchenko
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Marina Fisher
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Julia Philippova
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Roman Perik-Zavodskii
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Olga Perik-Zavodskaia
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Julia Lopatnikova
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Vasily Kurilin
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Marina Volynets
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Yasushi Akahori
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan;
| | - Hiroshi Shiku
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan;
| | - Alexander Silkov
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Sergey Sennikov
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk 630099, Russia; (A.A.); (S.A.); (J.S.); (M.F.); (J.P.); (R.P.-Z.); (O.P.-Z.); (J.L.); (V.K.); (M.V.); (A.S.)
- Department of Immunology, V. Zelman Institute for Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
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35
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Xia L, Komissarova A, Jacover A, Shovman Y, Arcila-Barrera S, Tornovsky-Babeay S, Jaya Prakashan MM, Nasereddin A, Plaschkes I, Nevo Y, Shiff I, Yosefov-Levi O, Izhiman T, Medvedev E, Eilon E, Wilensky A, Yona S, Parnas O. Systematic identification of gene combinations to target in innate immune cells to enhance T cell activation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6295. [PMID: 37813864 PMCID: PMC10562403 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41792-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic engineering of immune cells has opened new avenues for improving their functionality but it remains a challenge to pinpoint which genes or combination of genes are the most beneficial to target. Here, we conduct High Multiplicity of Perturbations and Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes (HMPCITE-seq) to find combinations of genes whose joint targeting improves antigen-presenting cell activity and enhances their ability to activate T cells. Specifically, we perform two genome-wide CRISPR screens in bone marrow dendritic cells and identify negative regulators of CD86, that participate in the co-stimulation programs, including Chd4, Stat5b, Egr2, Med12, and positive regulators of PD-L1, that participate in the co-inhibitory programs, including Sptlc2, Nckap1l, and Pi4kb. To identify the genetic interactions between top-ranked genes and find superior combinations to target, we perform high-order Perturb-Seq experiments and we show that targeting both Cebpb and Med12 results in a better phenotype compared to the single perturbations or other combinations of perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xia
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Anastasia Komissarova
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Arielle Jacover
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Yehuda Shovman
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
| | - Sebastian Arcila-Barrera
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Sharona Tornovsky-Babeay
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Milsee Mol Jaya Prakashan
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Abdelmajeed Nasereddin
- Core Research Facility, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Inbar Plaschkes
- I-CORE Bioinformatics Unit of the Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Yuval Nevo
- I-CORE Bioinformatics Unit of the Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Idit Shiff
- Core Research Facility, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Oshri Yosefov-Levi
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Tamara Izhiman
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Eleonora Medvedev
- Core Research Facility, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Elad Eilon
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Asaf Wilensky
- Department of Periodontology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Simon Yona
- The Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Oren Parnas
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
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36
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Blaeschke F, Chen YY, Apathy R, Daniel B, Chen AY, Chen PA, Sandor K, Zhang W, Li Z, Mowery CT, Yamamoto TN, Nyberg WA, To A, Yu R, Bueno R, Kim MC, Schmidt R, Goodman DB, Feuchtinger T, Eyquem J, Jimmie Ye C, Carnevale J, Satpathy AT, Shifrut E, Roth TL, Marson A. Modular pooled discovery of synthetic knockin sequences to program durable cell therapies. Cell 2023; 186:4216-4234.e33. [PMID: 37714135 PMCID: PMC10508323 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stimulation can cause T cell dysfunction and limit the efficacy of cellular immunotherapies. Improved methods are required to compare large numbers of synthetic knockin (KI) sequences to reprogram cell functions. Here, we developed modular pooled KI screening (ModPoKI), an adaptable platform for modular construction of DNA KI libraries using barcoded multicistronic adaptors. We built two ModPoKI libraries of 100 transcription factors (TFs) and 129 natural and synthetic surface receptors (SRs). Over 30 ModPoKI screens across human TCR- and CAR-T cells in diverse conditions identified a transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) construct that enhanced fitness of chronically stimulated CAR-T cells and anti-cancer function in vitro and in vivo. ModPoKI's modularity allowed us to generate an ∼10,000-member library of TF combinations. Non-viral KI of a combined BATF-TFAP4 polycistronic construct enhanced fitness. Overexpressed BATF and TFAP4 co-occupy and regulate key gene targets to reprogram T cell function. ModPoKI facilitates the discovery of complex gene constructs to program cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Blaeschke
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yan Yi Chen
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ryan Apathy
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Bence Daniel
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Andy Y Chen
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Peixin Amy Chen
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Katalin Sandor
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Wenxi Zhang
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Zhongmei Li
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Cody T Mowery
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Tori N Yamamoto
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - William A Nyberg
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Angela To
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ruby Yu
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Raymund Bueno
- Institute for Human Genetics (IHG), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Min Cheol Kim
- Institute for Human Genetics (IHG), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ralf Schmidt
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Daniel B Goodman
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA
| | - Tobias Feuchtinger
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich 80337, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich 80336, Germany; National Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Justin Eyquem
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Human Genetics (IHG), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Chun Jimmie Ye
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Human Genetics (IHG), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA; Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Julia Carnevale
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ansuman T Satpathy
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA; Program in Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Eric Shifrut
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Theodore L Roth
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Alexander Marson
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Human Genetics (IHG), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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Schertzer MD, Stirn A, Isaev K, Pereira L, Das A, Harbison C, Park SH, Wessels HH, Sanjana NE, Knowles DA. Cas13d-mediated isoform-specific RNA knockdown with a unified computational and experimental toolbox. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.12.557474. [PMID: 37745416 PMCID: PMC10515814 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.12.557474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing is an essential mechanism for diversifying proteins, in which mature RNA isoforms produce proteins with potentially distinct functions. Two major challenges in characterizing the cellular function of isoforms are the lack of experimental methods to specifically and efficiently modulate isoform expression and computational tools for complex experimental design. To address these gaps, we developed and methodically tested a strategy which pairs the RNA-targeting CRISPR/Cas13d system with guide RNAs that span exon-exon junctions in the mature RNA. We performed a high-throughput essentiality screen, quantitative RT-PCR assays, and PacBio long read sequencing to affirm our ability to specifically target and robustly knockdown individual RNA isoforms. In parallel, we provide computational tools for experimental design and screen analysis. Considering all possible splice junctions annotated in GENCODE for multi-isoform genes and our gRNA efficacy predictions, we estimate that our junction-centric strategy can uniquely target up to 89% of human RNA isoforms, including 50,066 protein-coding and 11,415 lncRNA isoforms. Importantly, this specificity spans all splicing and transcriptional events, including exon skipping and inclusion, alternative 5' and 3' splice sites, and alternative starts and ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan D Schertzer
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Andrew Stirn
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Keren Isaev
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | | | - Anjali Das
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | | | - Stella H Park
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Hans-Hermann Wessels
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY
| | - Neville E Sanjana
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY
| | - David A Knowles
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
- Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY
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38
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Liang Y, Fu YX. LIGHTing CAR T in the tumor microenvironment. Mol Ther 2023; 31:2570-2571. [PMID: 37607540 PMCID: PMC10492016 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yong Liang
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yang-Xin Fu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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Neeser A, Ramasubramanian R, Wang C, Ma L. Engineering enhanced chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy for solid tumors. IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY TECHNOLOGY 2023; 19:100385. [PMID: 37483659 PMCID: PMC10362352 DOI: 10.1016/j.iotech.2023.100385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The early clinical success and subsequent US Food and Drug Administration approval of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy for leukemia and lymphoma affirm that engineered T cells can be a powerful treatment for hematologic malignancies. Yet this success has not been replicated in solid tumors. Numerous challenges emerged from clinical experience and well-controlled preclinical animal models must be met to enable safe and efficacious CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors. Here, we review recent advances in bioengineering strategies developed to enhance CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors, focusing on targeted single-gene perturbation, genetic circuits design, cytokine engineering, and interactive biomaterials. These bioengineering approaches present a unique set of tools that synergize with CAR-T cells to overcome obstacles in solid tumors and achieve robust and long-lasting therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Neeser
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - R. Ramasubramanian
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - C. Wang
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
| | - L. Ma
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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40
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Guo Y, Zhang Y, Cen K, Dai Y, Mai Y, Hong K. Construction and validation of a signature for T cell-positive regulators related to tumor microenvironment and heterogeneity of gastric cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1125203. [PMID: 37711621 PMCID: PMC10498473 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1125203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Positive regulators of T cell function play a vital role in the proliferation and differentiation of T cells. However, their functions in gastric cancer have not been explored so far. Methods The TCGA-STAD dataset was utilized to perform consensus clustering in order to identify subtypes related to T cell-positive regulators. The prognostic differentially expressed genes of these subtypes were identified using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. To validate the robustness of the identified signature, verification analyses were conducted across the TCGA-train, TCGA-test, and GEO datasets. Additionally, a nomogram was constructed to enhance the clinical efficacy of this predictive tool. Transwell migration, colony formation, and T cell co-culture assays were used to confirm the function of the signature gene in gastric cancer and its influence on T cell activation. Results Two distinct clusters of gastric cancer, related to T cell-positive regulation, were discovered through the analysis of gene expression. These clusters exhibited notable disparities in terms of survival rates (P = 0.028), immune cell infiltration (P< 0.05), and response to immunotherapy (P< 0.05). Furthermore, a 14-gene signature was developed to classify gastric cancer into low- and high-risk groups, revealing significant differences in survival rates, tumor microenvironment, tumor mutation burden, and drug sensitivity (P< 0.05). Lastly, a comprehensive nomogram model was constructed, incorporating risk factors and various clinical characteristics, to provide an optimal predictive tool. Additionally, an assessment was conducted on the purported molecular functionalities of low- and high-risk gastric cancers. Suppression of DNAAF3 has been observed to diminish the migratory and proliferative capabilities of gastric cancer, as well as attenuate the activation of T cells induced by gastric cancer within the tumor microenvironment. Conclusion We identified an ideal prognostic signature based on the positive regulators of T cell function in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Guo
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yingjue Zhang
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kenan Cen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying Dai
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yifeng Mai
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Kai Hong
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Medicine School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
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Glez-Vaz J, Azpilikueta A, Ochoa MC, Olivera I, Gomis G, Cirella A, Luri-Rey C, Álvarez M, Pérez-Gracia JL, Ciordia S, Eguren-Santamaria I, Alexandru R, Berraondo P, de Andrea C, Teijeira Á, Corrales F, Zapata JM, Melero I. CD137 (4-1BB) requires physically associated cIAPs for signal transduction and antitumor effects. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf6692. [PMID: 37595047 PMCID: PMC11044178 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
CD137 (4-1BB) is a member of the TNFR family that mediates potent T cell costimulatory signals upon ligation by CD137L or agonist monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). CD137 agonists attain immunotherapeutic antitumor effects in cancer mouse models, and multiple agents of this kind are undergoing clinical trials. We show that cIAP1 and cIAP2 are physically associated with the CD137 signaling complex. Moreover, cIAPs are required for CD137 signaling toward the NF-κB and MAPK pathways and for costimulation of human and mouse T lymphocytes. Functional evidence was substantiated with SMAC mimetics that trigger cIAP degradation and by transfecting cIAP dominant-negative variants. Antitumor effects of agonist anti-CD137 mAbs are critically dependent on the integrity of cIAPs in cancer mouse models, and cIAPs are also required for signaling from CARs encompassing CD137's cytoplasmic tail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Glez-Vaz
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Arantza Azpilikueta
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - María C. Ochoa
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Departments of Immunology-Immunotherapy, Pathology and Oncology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Olivera
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Gabriel Gomis
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Asunta Cirella
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Departments of Immunology-Immunotherapy, Pathology and Oncology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Carlos Luri-Rey
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maite Álvarez
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose L. Pérez-Gracia
- Departments of Immunology-Immunotherapy, Pathology and Oncology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Sergio Ciordia
- Functional Proteomics Laboratory, CNB-CSIC, Proteored-ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Iñaki Eguren-Santamaria
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Departments of Immunology-Immunotherapy, Pathology and Oncology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Raluca Alexandru
- Departments of Immunology-Immunotherapy, Pathology and Oncology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pedro Berraondo
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos de Andrea
- Departments of Immunology-Immunotherapy, Pathology and Oncology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Álvaro Teijeira
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Corrales
- Functional Proteomics Laboratory, CNB-CSIC, Proteored-ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan M. Zapata
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols (IIBm), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Paz (IdiPaz), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Melero
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Departments of Immunology-Immunotherapy, Pathology and Oncology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Zhu I, Piraner DI, Roybal KT. Synthesizing a Smarter CAR T Cell: Advanced Engineering of T-cell Immunotherapies. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1030-1043. [PMID: 37429007 PMCID: PMC10527511 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
The immune system includes an array of specialized cells that keep us healthy by responding to pathogenic cues. Investigations into the mechanisms behind immune cell behavior have led to the development of powerful immunotherapies, including chimeric-antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Although CAR T cells have demonstrated efficacy in treating blood cancers, issues regarding their safety and potency have hindered the use of immunotherapies in a wider spectrum of diseases. Efforts to integrate developments in synthetic biology into immunotherapy have led to several advancements with the potential to expand the range of treatable diseases, fine-tune the desired immune response, and improve therapeutic cell potency. Here, we examine current synthetic biology advances that aim to improve on existing technologies and discuss the promise of the next generation of engineered immune cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iowis Zhu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Dan I. Piraner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Kole T. Roybal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA 8Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Gladstone UCSF Institute for Genetic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
- UCSF Cell Design Institute, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Wei W, Chen ZN, Wang K. CRISPR/Cas9: A Powerful Strategy to Improve CAR-T Cell Persistence. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12317. [PMID: 37569693 PMCID: PMC10418799 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
As an emerging treatment strategy for malignant tumors, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has been widely used in clinical practice, and its efficacy has been markedly improved in the past decade. However, the clinical effect of CAR-T therapy is not so satisfying, especially in solid tumors. Even in hematologic malignancies, a proportion of patients eventually relapse after receiving CAR-T cell infusions, owing to the poor expansion and persistence of CAR-T cells. Recently, CRISPR/Cas9 technology has provided an effective approach to promoting the proliferation and persistence of CAR-T cells in the body. This technology has been utilized in CAR-T cells to generate a memory phenotype, reduce exhaustion, and screen new targets to improve the anti-tumor potential. In this review, we aim to describe the major causes limiting the persistence of CAR-T cells in patients and discuss the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in promoting CAR-T cell persistence and its anti-tumor function. Finally, we investigate clinical trials for CRISPR/Cas9-engineered CAR-T cells for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhi-Nan Chen
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China;
| | - Ke Wang
- National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine & Department of Cell Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China;
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McKenzie C, El-Kholy M, Parekh F, Robson M, Lamb K, Allen C, Sillibourne J, Cordoba S, Thomas S, Pule M. Novel Fas-TNFR chimeras that prevent Fas ligand-mediated kill and signal synergistically to enhance CAR T cell efficacy. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 32:603-621. [PMID: 37200859 PMCID: PMC10185706 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The hostile tumor microenvironment limits the efficacy of adoptive cell therapies. Activation of the Fas death receptor initiates apoptosis and disrupting these receptors could be key to increasing CAR T cell efficacy. We screened a library of Fas-TNFR proteins identifying several novel chimeras that not only prevented Fas ligand-mediated kill, but also enhanced CAR T cell efficacy by signaling synergistically with the CAR. Upon binding Fas ligand, Fas-CD40 activated the NF-κB pathway, inducing greatest proliferation and IFN-γ release out of all Fas-TNFRs tested. Fas-CD40 induced profound transcriptional modifications, particularly genes relating to the cell cycle, metabolism, and chemokine signaling. Co-expression of Fas-CD40 with either 4-1BB- or CD28-containing CARs increased in vitro efficacy by augmenting CAR T cell proliferation and cancer target cytotoxicity, and enhanced tumor killing and overall mouse survival in vivo. Functional activity of the Fas-TNFRs were dependent on the co-stimulatory domain within the CAR, highlighting crosstalk between signaling pathways. Furthermore, we show that a major source for Fas-TNFR activation derives from CAR T cells themselves via activation-induced Fas ligand upregulation, highlighting a universal role of Fas-TNFRs in augmenting CAR T cell responses. We have identified Fas-CD40 as the optimal chimera for overcoming Fas ligand-mediated kill and enhancing CAR T cell efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Martin Pule
- Autolus Therapeutics, London W12 7FP, UK
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, UK
- Corresponding author Martin Pule, Autolus Therapeutics, London W12 7FP, UK.
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Van de Sande B, Lee JS, Mutasa-Gottgens E, Naughton B, Bacon W, Manning J, Wang Y, Pollard J, Mendez M, Hill J, Kumar N, Cao X, Chen X, Khaladkar M, Wen J, Leach A, Ferran E. Applications of single-cell RNA sequencing in drug discovery and development. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:496-520. [PMID: 37117846 PMCID: PMC10141847 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00688-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell technologies, particularly single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) methods, together with associated computational tools and the growing availability of public data resources, are transforming drug discovery and development. New opportunities are emerging in target identification owing to improved disease understanding through cell subtyping, and highly multiplexed functional genomics screens incorporating scRNA-seq are enhancing target credentialling and prioritization. ScRNA-seq is also aiding the selection of relevant preclinical disease models and providing new insights into drug mechanisms of action. In clinical development, scRNA-seq can inform decision-making via improved biomarker identification for patient stratification and more precise monitoring of drug response and disease progression. Here, we illustrate how scRNA-seq methods are being applied in key steps in drug discovery and development, and discuss ongoing challenges for their implementation in the pharmaceutical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Bart Naughton
- Computational Neurobiology, Eisai, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wendi Bacon
- EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
- The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | | | - Yong Wang
- Precision Bioinformatics, Prometheus Biosciences, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Melissa Mendez
- Genomic Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Jon Hill
- Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., Ridgefield, CT, USA
| | - Namit Kumar
- Informatics & Predictive Sciences, Bristol Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Xiaohong Cao
- Genomic Research Center, AbbVie Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xiao Chen
- Magnet Biomedicine, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mugdha Khaladkar
- Human Genetics and Computational Biology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Ji Wen
- Oncology Research and Development Unit, Pfizer, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Chen J, Wang D, Chan S, Yang Q, Wang C, Wang X, Sun R, Gui Y, Yu S, Yang J, Zhang H, Zhang X, Tang K, Zhang H, Liu S. Development and validation of a novel T cell proliferation-related prognostic model for predicting survival and immunotherapy benefits in melanoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:204748. [PMID: 37227816 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND T cell plays a crucial role in the occurrence and progression of Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM). This research aims to identify the actions of T cell proliferation-related genes (TRGs) on the prognosis and immunotherapy response of tumor patients. METHOD The clinical manifestation and gene expression data of SKCM patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. T cell proliferation-related molecular subtypes were identified utilizing consensus clustering. Subsequently, Cox and Lasso regression analysis was conducted to identify six prognostic genes, and a prognostic signature was constructed. A series of experiments, such as qRT-PCR, Western blotting and CCK8 assay, were then conducted to verify the reliability of the six genes. RESULTS In this study, a grading system was established to forecast survival time and responses to immunotherapy, providing an overview of the tumoral immune landscape. Meanwhile, we identified six prognostic signature genes. Notably, we also found that C1RL protein may inhibit the growth of melanoma cell lines. CONCLUSION The scoring system depending on six prognostic genes showed great efficiency in predicting survival time. The system could help to forecast prognosis of SKCM patients, characterize SKCM immunological condition, assess patient immunotherapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Chen
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Dermatology, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Daiyue Wang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Dermatology, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Shixin Chan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Qingqing Yang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Dermatology, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Dermatology, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Yu Gui
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Dermatology, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Shuling Yu
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Dermatology, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Jinwei Yang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Haoxue Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Dermatology, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Xiaomin Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Metabolic Disease Research Center, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Kechao Tang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Metabolic Disease Research Center, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Huabing Zhang
- Affiliated Chuzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The First People’s Hospital of Chuzhou, Chuzhou, Anhui 230022, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Metabolic Disease Research Center, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Shengxiu Liu
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Dermatology, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
- Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
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Morris JA, Caragine C, Daniloski Z, Domingo J, Barry T, Lu L, Davis K, Ziosi M, Glinos DA, Hao S, Mimitou EP, Smibert P, Roeder K, Katsevich E, Lappalainen T, Sanjana NE. Discovery of target genes and pathways at GWAS loci by pooled single-cell CRISPR screens. Science 2023; 380:eadh7699. [PMID: 37141313 PMCID: PMC10518238 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh7699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Most variants associated with complex traits and diseases identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) map to noncoding regions of the genome with unknown effects. Using ancestrally diverse, biobank-scale GWAS data, massively parallel CRISPR screens, and single-cell transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing, we discovered 124 cis-target genes of 91 noncoding blood trait GWAS loci. Using precise variant insertion through base editing, we connected specific variants with gene expression changes. We also identified trans-effect networks of noncoding loci when cis target genes encoded transcription factors or microRNAs. Networks were themselves enriched for GWAS variants and demonstrated polygenic contributions to complex traits. This platform enables massively parallel characterization of the target genes and mechanisms of human noncoding variants in both cis and trans.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Morris
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, 10013, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | | | - Zharko Daniloski
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, 10013, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | | | - Timothy Barry
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Lu Lu
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, 10013, USA
| | - Kyrie Davis
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, 10013, USA
| | | | | | - Stephanie Hao
- Technology Innovation Lab, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, 10013, USA
| | - Eleni P. Mimitou
- Technology Innovation Lab, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, 10013, USA
| | - Peter Smibert
- Technology Innovation Lab, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, 10013, USA
| | - Kathryn Roeder
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Computational Biology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Eugene Katsevich
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Tuuli Lappalainen
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, 10013, USA
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 171 65 Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Neville E. Sanjana
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, 10013, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
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Wu SY, Zhang SW, Ma D, Xiao Y, Liu Y, Chen L, Song XQ, Ma XY, Xu Y, Chai WJ, Jin X, Shao ZM, Jiang YZ. CCL19 + dendritic cells potentiate clinical benefit of anti-PD-(L)1 immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer. MED 2023:S2666-6340(23)00140-X. [PMID: 37201522 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2023.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The extensive involvement of dendritic cells (DCs) in immune contexture indicates their potent value in cancer immunotherapy. Understanding DC diversity in patient cohorts may strengthen the clinical benefit of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). METHODS Single-cell profiling of breast tumors from two clinical trials was performed to investigate DC heterogeneity. Multiomics, tissue characterization, and pre-clinical experiments were used to evaluate the role of the identified DCs in the tumor microenvironment. Four independent clinical trials were leveraged to explore biomarkers to predict ICI and chemotherapy outcomes. FINDINGS We identified a distinct CCL19-expressing functional state of DCs associated with favorable responses to anti-programmed death (ligand)-1 (PD-(L)1), which displayed migratory and immunomodulatory phenotypes. These cells were correlated with antitumor T cell immunity and the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures and lymphoid aggregates, defining immunogenic microenvironments in triple-negative breast cancer. In vivo, CCL19+ DC deletion by Ccl19 gene ablation dampened CCR7+CD8+ T cells and tumor elimination in response to anti-PD-1. Notably, high circulating and intratumoral CCL19 levels were associated with superior response and survival in patients receiving anti-PD-1 but not chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS We uncovered a critical role of DC subsets in immunotherapy, which has implications for designing novel therapies and patient stratification strategies. FUNDING This study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Project of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Program of Shanghai Academic/Technology Research Leader, the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer, the Shanghai Hospital Development Center (SHDC), and the Shanghai Health Commission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Yang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Si-Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ding Ma
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Li Chen
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Song
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Ma
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wen-Jun Chai
- Laboratory Animal Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xi Jin
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Zhi-Ming Shao
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Precision Cancer Medical Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 201315, China.
| | - Yi-Zhou Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Precision Cancer Medical Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 201315, China.
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Cui Y, Cheng Y, Huang W, Liu J, Zhang X, Bu M, Li X. A novel T-cell proliferation-associated gene predicts prognosis and reveals immune infiltration in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Arch Oral Biol 2023; 152:105719. [PMID: 37178584 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2023.105719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a highly malignant tumour, and the prediction of its prognosis remains challenging. The prognostic value of T-lymphocyte proliferation regulators in OSCC remains to be explored. DESIGN We integrated mRNA expression profiles and relevant clinical information of OSCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The expression and function of T-lymphocyte proliferation regulators and their relationship with overall survival (OS) were analysed. The T-lymphocyte proliferation regulator signature was screened using univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator coefficients and used to construct models for prognosis and staging prediction as well as for immune infiltration analysis. Final validation was performed using single-cell sequencing database and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS Most T-lymphocyte proliferation regulators in the TCGA cohort exhibited different expression levels between OSCC and paracancerous tissues. A prognostic model constructed using the T-lymphocyte proliferation regulator signature (RAN, CDK1, and CDK2) was used to categorise patients into high- and low-risk groups. The OS was significantly lower in the high-risk group than the low-risk group (p < 0.01). The predictive ability of the T-lymphocyte proliferation regulator signature was validated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Immune infiltration analysis revealed different immune statuses in both groups. CONCLUSIONS We established a new T-lymphocyte proliferation regulator signature that can predict the prognosis of OSCC. The results of this study will contribute to studies of T-cell proliferation and the immune microenvironment in OSCC to improve prognosis and immunotherapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyi Cui
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Hebei Medical University & Hebei Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Hebei Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Yiming Cheng
- Department of Periodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Hebei Medical University & Hebei Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Hebei Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Hebei Medical University & Hebei Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Hebei Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Jianping Liu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 3900821, Japan
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Hebei Medical University & Hebei Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Hebei Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Mingyang Bu
- Department of Oral Prophylaxis, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Hebei Medical University & Hebei Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Hebei Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Xiangjun Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Hebei Medical University & Hebei Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Hebei Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
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Peng W, Bai S, Zheng M, Chen W, Li Y, Yang Y, Zhao Y, Xiong S, Wang R, Cheng B. An exosome-related lncRNA signature correlates with prognosis, immune microenvironment, and therapeutic responses in hepatocellular carcinoma. Transl Oncol 2023; 31:101651. [PMID: 36933293 PMCID: PMC10031146 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exosomes act as essential modulators of cancer development and progression in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, little is known about the potential prognostic value and underlying molecular features of exosome-related long non-coding RNAs. METHODS Genes associated with exosome biogenesis, exosome secretion, and exosome biomarkers were collected. Exosome-related lncRNA modules were identified using PCA and WGCNA analysis. A prognostic model based on data from the TCGA, GEO, NODE, and ArrayExpress was developed and validated. A comprehensive analysis of the genomic landscape, functional annotation, immune profile, and therapeutic responses underlying the prognostic signature was performed on multi-omics data, and bioinformatics methods were also applied to predict potential drugs for patients with high risk scores. qRT-PCR was used to validate the differentially expressed lncRNAs in normal and cancer cell lines. RESULTS Twenty-six hub lncRNAs were identified as highly correlated with exosomes and overall survival and were used for prognosis modeling. Three cohorts consistently showed higher scores in the high-risk group, with an AUC greater than 0.7 over time. These higher scores implied poorer overall survival, higher genomic instability, higher tumor purity, higher tumor stemness, pro-tumor pathway activation, lower anti-tumor immune cell and tertiary lymphoid structure infiltration, and poor responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapy and transarterial chemoembolization therapy. CONCLUSION Through developing an exosome-related lncRNA predictor for HCC patients, we revealed the clinical relevance of exosome-related lncRNAs and their potential as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic response predictors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shuya Bai
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Mengli Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yanlin Li
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yilei Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yuchong Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Si Xiong
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Ronghua Wang
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Bin Cheng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
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