1
|
Takahashi M, So TY, Chamberlain-Evans V, Hughes R, Yam-Puc JC, Kania K, Ruhle M, Mann T, Schuijs MJ, Coupland P, Naisbitt D, Halim TYF, Lyons PA, Lio P, Roychoudhuri R, Okkenhaug K, Adams DJ, Smith KGC, Jodrell DI, Chapman MA, Thaventhiran JED. Intratumoral antigen signaling traps CD8 + T cells to confine exhaustion to the tumor site. Sci Immunol 2024; 9:eade2094. [PMID: 38787961 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.ade2094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy advances have been hindered by difficulties in tracking the behaviors of lymphocytes after antigen signaling. Here, we assessed the behavior of T cells active within tumors through the development of the antigen receptor signaling reporter (AgRSR) mouse, fate-mapping lymphocytes responding to antigens at specific times and locations. Contrary to reports describing the ready egress of T cells out of the tumor, we find that intratumoral antigen signaling traps CD8+ T cells in the tumor. These clonal populations expand and become increasingly exhausted over time. By contrast, antigen-signaled regulatory T cell (Treg) clonal populations readily recirculate out of the tumor. Consequently, intratumoral antigen signaling acts as a gatekeeper to compartmentalize CD8+ T cell responses, even within the same clonotype, thus enabling exhausted T cells to remain confined to a specific tumor tissue site.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Munetomo Takahashi
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
- Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Tsz Y So
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
- University of Cambridge, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Vitalina Chamberlain-Evans
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Robert Hughes
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Juan Carlos Yam-Puc
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Katarzyna Kania
- University of Cambridge, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Michelle Ruhle
- University of Cambridge, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Tiffeney Mann
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Martijn J Schuijs
- University of Cambridge, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Paul Coupland
- University of Cambridge, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
- Altos Labs Cambridge Institute, Cambridge CB21 6GP, UK
| | - Dean Naisbitt
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Sherrington Building, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3G, UK
| | | | - Paul A Lyons
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pietro Lio
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FD, UK
| | | | - Klaus Okkenhaug
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David J Adams
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Ken G C Smith
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Duncan I Jodrell
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 197, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Michael A Chapman
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
- Department of Hematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - James E D Thaventhiran
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
- University of Cambridge, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sharma P, Guo A, Poudel S, Boada-Romero E, Verbist KC, Palacios G, Immadisetty K, Chen MJ, Haydar D, Mishra A, Peng J, Madan Babu M, Krenciute G, Glazer ES, Green DR. Rapid metabolic regulation of a novel arginine methylation of KCa3.1 attenuates T cell exhaustion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.09.593421. [PMID: 38798680 PMCID: PMC11118966 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.09.593421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
T cell exhaustion is linked to persistent antigen exposure and perturbed activation events, correlating with poor disease prognosis. Tumor-mediated T cell exhaustion is well documented; however, how the nutrient-deprived tumor niche affects T cell receptor (TCR) activation is largely unclear. We show that methionine metabolism licenses optimal TCR signaling by regulating the protein arginine methylome, and limiting methionine availability during early TCR signaling promotes subsequent T cell exhaustion. We discovered a novel arginine methylation of a Ca 2+ -activated potassium transporter, KCa3.1, prevention of which results in increased Ca 2+ -mediated NFAT1 activation, NFAT1 promoter occupancy, and T cell exhaustion. Furthermore, methionine supplementation reduces nuclear NFAT1 in tumor-infiltrating T cells and augments their anti-tumor activity. These findings demonstrate metabolic regulation of T cell exhaustion determined during TCR engagement.
Collapse
|
3
|
Nishimura CD, Corrigan D, Zheng XY, Galbo PM, Wang S, Liu Y, Wei Y, Suo L, Cui W, Mercado N, Zheng D, Zhang CC, Zang X. TOP CAR with TMIGD2 as a safe and effective costimulatory domain in CAR cells treating human solid tumors. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk1857. [PMID: 38718110 PMCID: PMC11078193 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk1857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy shows impressive efficacy treating hematologic malignancies but requires further optimization in solid tumors. Here, we developed a TMIGD2 optimized potent/persistent (TOP) CAR that incorporated the costimulatory domain of TMIGD2, a T and NK cell costimulator, and monoclonal antibodies targeting the IgV domain of B7-H3, an immune checkpoint expressed on solid tumors and tumor vasculature. Comparing second- and third-generation B7-H3 CARs containing TMIGD2, CD28, and/or 4-1BB costimulatory domains revealed superior antitumor responses in B7-H3.TMIGD2 and B7-H3.CD28.4-1BB CAR-T cells in vitro. Comparing these two constructs using in vivo orthotopic human cancer models demonstrated that B7-H3.TMIGD2 CAR-T cells had equivalent or superior antitumor activity, survival, expansion, and persistence. Mechanistically, B7-H3.TMIGD2 CAR-T cells maintained mitochondrial metabolism; produced less cytokines; and established fewer exhausted cells, more central memory cells, and a larger CD8/CD4 T cell ratio. These studies demonstrate that the TOP CAR with TMIGD2 costimulation offered distinct benefits from CD28.41BB costimulation and is effective against solid tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D. Nishimura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Institute for Immunotherapy of Cancer, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Devin Corrigan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Institute for Immunotherapy of Cancer, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Xiang Yu Zheng
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Phillip M. Galbo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Shan Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Yao Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Yao Wei
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Linna Suo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Wei Cui
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Nadia Mercado
- Department of Biostatistics, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Cheng Cheng Zhang
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Xingxing Zang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Institute for Immunotherapy of Cancer, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Quiros-Fernandez I, Libório-Ramos S, Leifert L, Schönfelder B, Vlodavsky I, Cid-Arregui A. Dual T cell receptor/chimeric antigen receptor engineered NK-92 cells targeting the HPV16 E6 oncoprotein and the tumor-associated antigen L1CAM exhibit enhanced cytotoxicity and specificity against tumor cells. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29630. [PMID: 38659368 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29630] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) causes a large fraction of genital and oropharyngeal carcinomas. To maintain the transformed state, the tumor cells must continuously synthesize the E6 and E7 viral oncoproteins, which makes them tumor-specific antigens. Indeed, specific T cell responses against them have been well documented and CD8+ T cells engineered to express T cell receptors (TCRs) that recognize epitopes of E6 or E7 have been tested in clinical studies with promising results, yet with limited clinical success. Using CD8+ T cells from peripheral blood of healthy donors, we have identified two novel TCRs reactive to an unexplored E618-26 epitope. These TCRs showed limited standalone cytotoxicity against E618-26-HLA-A*02:01-presenting tumor cells. However, a single-signaling domain chimeric antigen receptor (ssdCAR) targeting L1CAM, a cell adhesion protein frequently overexpressed in HPV16-induced cancer, prompted a synergistic effect that significantly enhanced the cytotoxic capacity of NK-92/CD3/CD8 cells armored with both TCR and ssdCAR when both receptors simultaneously engaged their respective targets, as shown by live microscopy of 2-D and 3-D co-cultures. Thus, virus-specific TCRs from the CD8+ T cell repertoire of healthy donors can be combined with a suitable ssdCAR to enhance the cytotoxic capacity of the effector cells and, indirectly, their specificity.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Humans
- Oncogene Proteins, Viral/immunology
- Oncogene Proteins, Viral/genetics
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/immunology
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Repressor Proteins/immunology
- Repressor Proteins/genetics
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Human papillomavirus 16/immunology
- Human papillomavirus 16/genetics
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Cell Line, Tumor
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Quiros-Fernandez
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Research Center on Tropical Diseases (CIET)/Research Center on Surgery and Cancer (CICICA), Faculty of Microbiology, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Sofia Libório-Ramos
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lena Leifert
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bruno Schönfelder
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Israel Vlodavsky
- Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC), Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Silva V, Matos C. Recent updates in the therapeutic uses of Pembrolizumab: a brief narrative review. Clin Transl Oncol 2024:10.1007/s12094-024-03491-8. [PMID: 38658461 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-024-03491-8] [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: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Treatment of cancer has been improved with the discovery of biological drugs that act as immune checkpoint inhibitors. In 2017, FDA designated pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor employed in immunotherapy, as the first tissue-agnostic cancer treatment. OBJECTIVES To review pembrolizumab's use in oncology, gather and examine the latest discoveries regarding the effectiveness of pembrolizumab in cancer treatment. METHODOLOGY A literature review was conducted through PubMed(Medline) from January 2015 to December 2023 using "pembrolizumab", "cancer" and "treatment" as search terms. RESULTS Pembrolizumab demonstrated effectiveness as primary treatment for metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer, unresectable esophageal cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and alternative treatment for notable triple-negative breast cancer, biliary, colorectal, endometrial, renal cell, cervical carcinoma, and high microsatellite instability or mismatch repair deficiencies tumors. Pediatric applications include treatment for refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. CONCLUSION Evolving research on pembrolizumab allows a deeper clinical understanding, despite challenges as variable patient responses. Pembrolizumab has emerged as a pivotal breakthrough in cancer treatment, improving patient outcomes and safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vítor Silva
- Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, 3004-561, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cristiano Matos
- QLV Research Consulting, 3030-199, Coimbra, Portugal.
- Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, ESTESC-Coimbra Health School Pharmacy, 3046-854, Coimbra, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wang L, Liang Z, Guo Y, Habimana JDD, Ren Y, Amissah OB, Mukama O, Peng S, Ding X, Lv L, Li J, Chen M, Liu Z, Huang R, Zhang Y, Li Y, Li Z, Sun Y. STING agonist diABZI enhances the cytotoxicity of T cell towards cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:265. [PMID: 38615022 PMCID: PMC11016101 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06638-1] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Antigen-specific T cell receptor-engineered T cell (TCR-T) based immunotherapy has proven to be an effective method to combat cancer. In recent years, cross-talk between the innate and adaptive immune systems may be requisite to optimize sustained antigen-specific immunity, and the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a promising therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy. The level of expression or presentation of antigen in tumor cells affects the recognition and killing of tumor cells by TCR-T. This study aimed at investigating the potential of innate immune stimulation of T cells and engineered T cells to enhance immunotherapy for low-expression antigen cancer cells. We systematically investigated the function and mechanism of cross-talk between STING agonist diABZI and adaptive immune systems. We established NY-ESO-1 full knockout Mel526 cells for this research and found that diABZI activated STING media and TCR signaling pathways. In addition, the results of flow cytometry showed that antigens presentation from cancer cells induced by STING agonist diABZI also improved the affinity of TCR-T cells function against tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Our findings revealed that diABZI enhanced the immunotherapy efficacy of TCR-T by activating STING media and TCR signaling pathways, improving interferon-γ expression, and increasing antigens presentation of tumor cells. This indicates that STING agonist could be used as a strategy to promote TCR-T cancer immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wang
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Zhaoduan Liang
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510005, China
| | - Yunzhuo Guo
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Jean de Dieu Habimana
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Yuefei Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Obed Boadi Amissah
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Omar Mukama
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda, Kigali, 3900, Rwanda
| | - Siqi Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuanyan Ding
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Linshuang Lv
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Junyi Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Min Chen
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Zhaoming Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Rongqi Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Yinchao Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Zhiyuan Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- GZMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
| | - Yirong Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
This S, Costantino S, Melichar HJ. Machine learning predictions of T cell antigen specificity from intracellular calcium dynamics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk2298. [PMID: 38446885 PMCID: PMC10917351 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk2298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Adoptive T cell therapies rely on the production of T cells with an antigen receptor that directs their specificity toward tumor-specific antigens. Methods for identifying relevant T cell receptor (TCR) sequences, predominantly achieved through the enrichment of antigen-specific T cells, represent a major bottleneck in the production of TCR-engineered cell therapies. Fluctuation of intracellular calcium is a proximal readout of TCR signaling and candidate marker for antigen-specific T cell identification that does not require T cell expansion; however, calcium fluctuations downstream of TCR engagement are highly variable. We propose that machine learning algorithms may allow for T cell classification from complex datasets such as polyclonal T cell signaling events. Using deep learning tools, we demonstrate accurate prediction of TCR-transgenic CD8+ T cell activation based on calcium fluctuations and test the algorithm against T cells bearing a distinct TCR as well as polyclonal T cells. This provides the foundation for an antigen-specific TCR sequence identification pipeline for adoptive T cell therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien This
- Centre de recherche de l'Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Santiago Costantino
- Centre de recherche de l'Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département d’Ophtalmologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Heather J. Melichar
- Centre de recherche de l'Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Srivastava PK. Cancer neoepitopes viewed through negative selection and peripheral tolerance: a new path to cancer vaccines. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e176740. [PMID: 38426497 PMCID: PMC10904052 DOI: 10.1172/jci176740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
A proportion of somatic mutations in tumors create neoepitopes that can prime T cell responses that target the MHC I-neoepitope complexes on tumor cells, mediating tumor control or rejection. Despite the compelling centrality of neoepitopes to cancer immunity, we know remarkably little about what constitutes a neoepitope that can mediate tumor control in vivo and what distinguishes such a neoepitope from the vast majority of similar candidate neoepitopes that are inefficacious in vivo. Studies in mice as well as clinical trials have begun to reveal the unexpected paradoxes in this area. Because cancer neoepitopes straddle that ambiguous ground between self and non-self, some rules that are fundamental to immunology of frankly non-self antigens, such as viral or model antigens, do not appear to apply to neoepitopes. Because neoepitopes are so similar to self-epitopes, with only small changes that render them non-self, immune response to them is regulated at least partially the way immune response to self is regulated. Therefore, neoepitopes are viewed and understood here through the clarifying lens of negative thymic selection. Here, the emergent questions in the biology and clinical applications of neoepitopes are discussed critically and a mechanistic and testable framework that explains the complexity and translational potential of these wonderful antigens is proposed.
Collapse
|
10
|
Kono M, Wakisaka R, Komatsuda H, Hayashi R, Kumai T, Yamaki H, Sato R, Nagato T, Ohkuri T, Kosaka A, Ohara K, Kishibe K, Kobayashi H, Hayashi T, Takahara M. Immunotherapy targeting tumor-associated antigen in a mouse model of head and neck cancer. Head Neck 2024. [PMID: 38390628 DOI: 10.1002/hed.27703] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The identification of epitope peptides from tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) is informative for developing tumor-specific immunotherapy. However, only a few epitopes have been detected in mouse TAAs of head and neck cancer (HNSCC). METHODS Novel mouse c-Met-derived T-cell epitopes were predicted by computer-based algorithms. Mouse HNSCC cell line-bearing mice were treated with a c-Met peptide vaccine. The effects of CD8 and/or CD4 T-cell depletion, and vaccine combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) were evaluated. Tumor re-inoculation was performed to assess T-cell memory. RESULTS We identified c-Met-derived short and long epitopes that elicited c-Met-reactive antitumor CD8 and/or CD4 T-cell responses. Vaccination using these peptides showed remarkable antitumor responses via T cells in which ICIs were not required. The c-Met peptide-vaccinated mice rejected the re-inoculated tumors. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that novel c-Met peptide vaccines can induce antitumor T-cell response, and could be a potent immunotherapy in a syngeneic mouse HNSCC model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michihisa Kono
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Risa Wakisaka
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Hiroki Komatsuda
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Hayashi
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Takumi Kumai
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
- Department of Innovative Head & Neck Cancer Research and Treatment, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Hidekiyo Yamaki
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Sato
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Nagato
- Department of Pathology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Takayuki Ohkuri
- Department of Pathology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Akemi Kosaka
- Department of Pathology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Kenzo Ohara
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Kan Kishibe
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Hiroya Kobayashi
- Department of Pathology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Hayashi
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Miki Takahara
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
- Department of Innovative Head & Neck Cancer Research and Treatment, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yin T, Wang G, Wang L, Mudgal P, Wang E, Pan CC, Alexander PB, Wu H, Cao C, Liang Y, Tan L, Huang D, Chong M, Chen R, Lim BJW, Xiang K, Xue W, Wan L, Hu H, Loh YH, Wang XF, Li QJ. Breaking NGF-TrkA immunosuppression in melanoma sensitizes immunotherapy for durable memory T cell protection. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:268-281. [PMID: 38195702 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01723-7] [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: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Melanoma cells, deriving from neuroectodermal melanocytes, may exploit the nervous system's immune privilege for growth. Here we show that nerve growth factor (NGF) has both melanoma cell intrinsic and extrinsic immunosuppressive functions. Autocrine NGF engages tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) on melanoma cells to desensitize interferon γ signaling, leading to T and natural killer cell exclusion. In effector T cells that upregulate surface TrkA expression upon T cell receptor activation, paracrine NGF dampens T cell receptor signaling and effector function. Inhibiting NGF, either through genetic modification or with the tropomyosin receptor kinase inhibitor larotrectinib, renders melanomas susceptible to immune checkpoint blockade therapy and fosters long-term immunity by activating memory T cells with low affinity. These results identify the NGF-TrkA axis as an important suppressor of anti-tumor immunity and suggest larotrectinib might be repurposed for immune sensitization. Moreover, by enlisting low-affinity T cells, anti-NGF reduces acquired resistance to immune checkpoint blockade and prevents melanoma recurrence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yin
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Guoping Wang
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Liuyang Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Ergang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christopher C Pan
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yaosi Liang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lianmei Tan
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - De Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mengyang Chong
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rui Chen
- Hervor Therapeutics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bryan Jian Wei Lim
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kun Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Wei Xue
- Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Lixin Wan
- Department of Molecular Oncology and Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Hailan Hu
- Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuin-Han Loh
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiao-Fan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Qi-Jing Li
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Jamaleddine H, Rogers D, Perreault G, Postat J, Patel D, Mandl JN, Khadra A. Chronic infection control relies on T cells with lower foreign antigen binding strength generated by N-nucleotide diversity. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002465. [PMID: 38300945 PMCID: PMC10833529 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002465] [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: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The breadth of pathogens to which T cells can respond is determined by the T cell receptors (TCRs) present in an individual's repertoire. Although more than 90% of the sequence diversity among TCRs is generated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated N-nucleotide addition during V(D)J recombination, the benefit of TdT-altered TCRs remains unclear. Here, we computationally and experimentally investigated whether TCRs with higher N-nucleotide diversity via TdT make distinct contributions to acute or chronic pathogen control specifically through the inclusion of TCRs with lower antigen binding strengths (i.e., lower reactivity to peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC)). When T cells with high pMHC reactivity have a greater propensity to become functionally exhausted than those of low pMHC reactivity, our computational model predicts a shift toward T cells with low pMHC reactivity over time during chronic, but not acute, infections. This TCR-affinity shift is critical, as the elimination of T cells with lower pMHC reactivity in silico substantially increased the time to clear a chronic infection, while acute infection control remained largely unchanged. Corroborating an affinity-centric benefit for TCR diversification via TdT, we found evidence that TdT-deficient TCR repertoires possess fewer T cells with weaker pMHC binding strengths in vivo and showed that TdT-deficient mice infected with a chronic, but not an acute, viral pathogen led to protracted viral clearance. In contrast, in the case of a chronic fungal pathogen where T cells fail to clear the infection, both our computational model and experimental data showed that TdT-diversified TCR repertoires conferred no additional protection to the hosts. Taken together, our in silico and in vivo data suggest that TdT-mediated TCR diversity is of particular benefit for the eventual resolution of prolonged pathogen replication through the inclusion of TCRs with lower foreign antigen binding strengths.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dakota Rogers
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Geneviève Perreault
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jérémy Postat
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dhanesh Patel
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Judith N. Mandl
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anmar Khadra
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Lander VE, DeNardo DG. Pancreatic Cancer's PD1-Roadblock: When T-Cell Reinvigoration Is Not Enough. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:474-476. [PMID: 38038687 PMCID: PMC10842790 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-2991] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
PD1-blockade combinations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma have been poorly effective, and the underlying reasons for this are unknown. A recent study revealed that chemoradiation plus PD1-blockade reinvigorates tumor-specific T cells; however, this T-cell activation is accompanied with exaggerated NFκB signaling, which may limit productive tumor-controlling immunity. See related article by Ali et al., p. 542.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Varintra E Lander
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - David G DeNardo
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wang P, Chen L, Mora-Cartin R, McIntosh CM, Sattar H, Chong AS, Alegre ML. Low-affinity CD8 + T cells provide interclonal help to high-affinity CD8 + T cells to augment alloimmunity. Am J Transplant 2024:S1600-6135(24)00073-X. [PMID: 38228228 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2024.01.008] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Following solid organ transplantation, small precursor populations of polyclonal CD8+ T cells specific for any graft-expressed antigen preferentially expand their high-affinity clones. This phenomenon, termed "avidity maturation," results in a larger population of CD8+ T cells with increased sensitivity to alloantigen, posing a greater risk for graft rejection. Using a mouse model of minor-mismatched skin transplantation, coupled with the tracking of 2 skin graft-reactive CD8+ T cell receptor-transgenic tracer populations with high and low affinity for the same peptide-major histocompatibility complex, we explored the conventional paradigm that CD8+ T cell avidity maturation occurs through T cell receptor affinity-based competition for cognate antigen. Our data revealed "interclonal CD8-CD8 help," whereby lower/intermediate affinity clones help drive the preferential expansion of their higher affinity counterparts in an interleukin-2/CD25-dependent manner. Consequently, the CD8-helped high-affinity clones exhibit greater expansion and develop augmented effector functions in the presence of their low-affinity counterparts, correlating with more severe graft damage. Finally, interclonal CD8-CD8 help was suppressed by costimulation blockade treatment. Thus, high-affinity CD8+ T cells can leverage help from low-affinity CD8+ T cells of identical specificity to promote graft rejection. Suppressing provision of interclonal CD8-CD8 help may be important to improve transplant outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Wang
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Luqiu Chen
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ricardo Mora-Cartin
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Christine M McIntosh
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Husain Sattar
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Anita S Chong
- Department of Surgery, Section of Transplantation, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Maria-Luisa Alegre
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wither MJ, White WL, Pendyala S, Leanza PJ, Fowler DM, Kueh HY. Antigen perception in T cells by long-term Erk and NFAT signaling dynamics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2308366120. [PMID: 38113261 PMCID: PMC10756264 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308366120] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune system threat detection hinges on T cells' ability to perceive varying peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) antigens. As the Erk and NFAT pathways link T cell receptor engagement to gene regulation, their signaling dynamics may convey information about pMHC inputs. To test this idea, we developed a dual reporter mouse strain and a quantitative imaging assay that, together, enable simultaneous monitoring of Erk and NFAT dynamics in live T cells over day-long timescales as they respond to varying pMHC inputs. Both pathways initially activate uniformly across various pMHC inputs but diverge only over longer (9+ h) timescales, enabling independent encoding of pMHC affinity and dose. These late signaling dynamics are decoded via multiple temporal and combinatorial mechanisms to generate pMHC-specific transcriptional responses. Our findings underscore the importance of long timescale signaling dynamics in antigen perception and establish a framework for understanding T cell responses under diverse contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Wither
- University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, Seattle, WA98195
| | - William L. White
- University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Sriram Pendyala
- University of Washington, Department of Genome Sciences, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Paul J. Leanza
- University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Douglas M. Fowler
- University of Washington, Department of Genome Sciences, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Hao Yuan Kueh
- University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98109
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Textor J, Buytenhuijs F, Rogers D, Gauthier ÈM, Sultan S, Wortel IMN, Kalies K, Fähnrich A, Pagel R, Melichar HJ, Westermann J, Mandl JN. Machine learning analysis of the T cell receptor repertoire identifies sequence features of self-reactivity. Cell Syst 2023; 14:1059-1073.e5. [PMID: 38061355 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.11.004] [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: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The T cell receptor (TCR) determines specificity and affinity for both foreign and self-peptides presented by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Although the strength of TCR interactions with self-pMHC impacts T cell function, it has been challenging to identify TCR sequence features that predict T cell fate. To discern patterns distinguishing TCRs from naive CD4+ T cells with low versus high self-reactivity, we used data from 42 mice to train a machine learning (ML) algorithm that identifies population-level differences between TCRβ sequence sets. This approach revealed that weakly self-reactive T cell populations were enriched for longer CDR3β regions and acidic amino acids. We tested our ML predictions of self-reactivity using retrogenic mice with fixed TCRβ sequences. Extrapolating our analyses to independent datasets, we predicted high self-reactivity for regulatory T cells and slightly reduced self-reactivity for T cells responding to chronic infections. Our analyses suggest a potential trade-off between TCR repertoire diversity and self-reactivity. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Textor
- Data Science Group, Institute for Computing and Information Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EC, the Netherlands; Medical BioSciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen 6525 GA, the Netherlands.
| | - Franka Buytenhuijs
- Data Science Group, Institute for Computing and Information Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EC, the Netherlands
| | - Dakota Rogers
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada; McGill Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Ève Mallet Gauthier
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Shabaz Sultan
- Data Science Group, Institute for Computing and Information Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EC, the Netherlands; Medical BioSciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen 6525 GA, the Netherlands
| | - Inge M N Wortel
- Data Science Group, Institute for Computing and Information Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EC, the Netherlands; Medical BioSciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen 6525 GA, the Netherlands
| | - Kathrin Kalies
- Institut für Anatomie, Universität zu Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Anke Fähnrich
- Institut für Anatomie, Universität zu Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - René Pagel
- Institut für Anatomie, Universität zu Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Heather J Melichar
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada; Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada
| | | | - Judith N Mandl
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada; McGill Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Yossef R, Krishna S, Sindiri S, Lowery FJ, Copeland AR, Gartner JJ, Parkhurst MR, Parikh NB, Hitscherich KJ, Levi ST, Chatani PD, Zacharakis N, Levin N, Vale NR, Nah SK, Dinerman A, Hill VK, Ray S, Bera A, Levy L, Jia L, Kelly MC, Goff SL, Robbins PF, Rosenberg SA. Phenotypic signatures of circulating neoantigen-reactive CD8 + T cells in patients with metastatic cancers. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:2154-2165.e5. [PMID: 38039963 PMCID: PMC10843665 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Circulating T cells from peripheral blood (PBL) can provide a rich and noninvasive source for antitumor T cells. By single-cell transcriptomic profiling of 36 neoantigen-specific T cell clones from 6 metastatic cancer patients, we report the transcriptional and cell surface signatures of antitumor PBL-derived CD8+ T cells (NeoTCRPBL). Comparison of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL)- and PBL-neoantigen-specific T cells revealed that NeoTCRPBL T cells are low in frequency and display less-dysfunctional memory phenotypes relative to their TIL counterparts. Analysis of 100 antitumor TCR clonotypes indicates that most NeoTCRPBL populations target the same neoantigens as TILs. However, NeoTCRPBL TCR repertoire is only partially shared with TIL. Prediction and testing of NeoTCRPBL signature-derived TCRs from PBL of 6 prospective patients demonstrate high enrichment of clonotypes targeting tumor mutations, a viral oncogene, and patient-derived tumor. Thus, the NeoTCRPBL signature provides an alternative source for identifying antitumor T cells from PBL of cancer patients, enabling immune monitoring and immunotherapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rami Yossef
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Sri Krishna
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Sivasish Sindiri
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Frank J Lowery
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Amy R Copeland
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jared J Gartner
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Maria R Parkhurst
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Neilesh B Parikh
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kyle J Hitscherich
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shoshana T Levi
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Praveen D Chatani
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nikolaos Zacharakis
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Noam Levin
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nolan R Vale
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shirley K Nah
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Aaron Dinerman
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Victoria K Hill
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Satyajit Ray
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alakesh Bera
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lior Levy
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Li Jia
- National Institutes of Health Library, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael C Kelly
- Single Cell Analysis Facility, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Stephanie L Goff
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Paul F Robbins
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Steven A Rosenberg
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Roetman JJ, Erwin MM, Rudloff MW, Favret NR, Detrés Román CR, Apostolova MKI, Murray KA, Lee TF, Lee YA, Philip M. Tumor-Reactive CD8+ T Cells Enter a TCF1+PD-1- Dysfunctional State. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1630-1641. [PMID: 37844197 PMCID: PMC10841346 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0939] [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: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
T cells recognize several types of antigens in tumors, including aberrantly expressed, nonmutated proteins, which are therefore shared with normal tissue and referred to as self/shared-antigens (SSA), and mutated proteins or oncogenic viral proteins, which are referred to as tumor-specific antigens (TSA). Immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) can activate T-cell responses against TSA, leading to tumor control, and also against SSA, causing immune-related adverse events (irAE). To improve anti-TSA immunity while limiting anti-SSA autoreactivity, we need to understand how tumor-specific CD8+ T cells (TST) and SSA-specific CD8+ T (SST) cells differentiate in response to cognate antigens during tumorigenesis. Therefore, we developed a genetic cancer mouse model in which we can track TST and SST differentiation longitudinally as liver cancers develop. We found that both TST and SST lost effector function over time, but while TST persisted long term and had a dysfunctional/exhausted phenotype (including expression of PD1, CD39, and TOX), SST exited cell cycle prematurely and disappeared from liver lesions. However, SST persisted in spleens in a dysfunctional TCF1+PD-1- state: unable to produce effector cytokines or proliferate in response to ICB targeting PD-1 or PD-L1. Thus, our studies identify a dysfunctional T-cell state occupied by T cells reactive to SSA: a TCF1+PD-1- state lacking in effector function, demonstrating that the type/specificity of tumor antigen may determine tumor-reactive T-cell differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J. Roetman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Megan M. Erwin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael W. Rudloff
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Natalie R. Favret
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Carlos R. Detrés Román
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Minna K. I. Apostolova
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kristen A. Murray
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ting-Fang Lee
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Youngmin A. Lee
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mary Philip
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Sheng Y, Liu J, Zhang M, Zheng S. Unveiling the link between inflammasomes and skin cutaneous melanoma: Insights into expression patterns and immunotherapy response prediction. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2023; 20:19912-19928. [PMID: 38052629 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2023881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is one of the most malignant forms of skin cancer, characterized by its high metastatic potential and low cure rate in advanced stages. Despite advancements in clinical therapies, the overall cure rate for SKCM remains low due to its resistance to conventional treatments. Inflammation is associated with the activation and regulation of inflammatory responses and plays a crucial role in the immune system. It has been implicated in various physiological and pathological processes, including cancer. However, the mechanisms of inflammasome activation in SKCM remain largely unexplored. In this study, we quantified the expression level of six inflammasome-related gene sets using transcriptomic data from SKCM patients. As a result, we found that inflammasome features were closely associated with various clinical characteristics and served as a favorable prognostic factor for patients. A functional enrichment analysis revealed the oncogenic role of inflammasome features in SKCM. Unsupervised clustering was applied to identify immune clusters and inflammatory subtypes, revealing a significant overlap between immune cluster 4 and SKCM subtype 2. The CASP1, GSDMD, NLRP3, IL1B, and IL18 features could predict immune checkpoint blockade therapy response in various SKCM cohorts. In conclusion, our study highlighted the significant association between the inflammasome and cancer treatment. Understanding the role of inflammasome signaling in SKCM pathology can help identify potential therapeutic targets and improve patient prognosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Sheng
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang 150001, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang 150001, China
| | - Miao Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Heilongjiang 150036, China
| | - Shuyun Zheng
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang 150001, China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Uhl LFK, Cai H, Oram SL, Mahale JN, MacLean AJ, Mazet JM, Piccirilli T, He AJ, Lau D, Elliott T, Gerard A. Interferon-γ couples CD8 + T cell avidity and differentiation during infection. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6727. [PMID: 37872155 PMCID: PMC10593754 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42455-4] [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: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective responses to intracellular pathogens are characterized by T cell clones with a broad affinity range for their cognate peptide and diverse functional phenotypes. How T cell clones are selected throughout the response to retain a breadth of avidities remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that direct sensing of the cytokine IFN-γ by CD8+ T cells coordinates avidity and differentiation during infection. IFN-γ promotes the expansion of low-avidity T cells, allowing them to overcome the selective advantage of high-avidity T cells, whilst reinforcing high-avidity T cell entry into the memory pool, thus reducing the average avidity of the primary response and increasing that of the memory response. IFN-γ in this context is mainly provided by virtual memory T cells, an antigen-inexperienced subset with memory features. Overall, we propose that IFN-γ and virtual memory T cells fulfil a critical immunoregulatory role by enabling the coordination of T cell avidity and fate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lion F K Uhl
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Han Cai
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sophia L Oram
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jagdish N Mahale
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew J MacLean
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julie M Mazet
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Theo Piccirilli
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alexander J He
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Doreen Lau
- Centre for Immuno-oncology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tim Elliott
- Centre for Immuno-oncology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Audrey Gerard
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Wijfjes Z, van Dalen FJ, Le Gall CM, Verdoes M. Controlling Antigen Fate in Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines by Targeting Dendritic Cell Receptors. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:4826-4847. [PMID: 37721387 PMCID: PMC10548474 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00330] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) orchestrate immune responses and are therefore of interest for the targeted delivery of therapeutic vaccines. Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional APCs that excel in presentation of exogenous antigens toward CD4+ T helper cells, as well as cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. DCs are highly heterogeneous and can be divided into subpopulations that differ in abundance, function, and phenotype, such as differential expression of endocytic receptor molecules. It is firmly established that targeting antigens to DC receptors enhances the efficacy of therapeutic vaccines. While most studies emphasize the importance of targeting a specific DC subset, we argue that the differential intracellular routing downstream of the targeted receptors within the DC subset should also be considered. Here, we review the mouse and human receptors studied as target for therapeutic vaccines, focusing on antibody and ligand conjugates and how their targeting affects antigen presentation. We aim to delineate how targeting distinct receptors affects antigen presentation and vaccine efficacy, which will guide target selection for future therapeutic vaccine development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zacharias Wijfjes
- Chemical
Immunology group, Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Institute
for Chemical Immunology, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Floris J. van Dalen
- Chemical
Immunology group, Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Institute
for Chemical Immunology, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Camille M. Le Gall
- Chemical
Immunology group, Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Institute
for Chemical Immunology, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Verdoes
- Chemical
Immunology group, Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Institute
for Chemical Immunology, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Elliot TAE, Lecky DAJ, Bending D. T-cell response to checkpoint blockade immunotherapies: from fundamental mechanisms to treatment signatures. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:967-977. [PMID: 37386922 PMCID: PMC10539945 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220247] [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: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint immunotherapies act to block inhibitory receptors on the surface of T cells and other cells of the immune system. This can increase activation of immune cells and promote tumour clearance. Whilst this is very effective in some types of cancer, significant proportions of patients do not respond to single-agent immunotherapy. To improve patient outcomes, we must first mechanistically understand what drives therapy resistance. Many studies have utilised genetic, transcriptional, and histological signatures to find correlates of effective responses to treatment. It is key that we understand pretreatment predictors of response, but also to understand how the immune system becomes treatment resistant during therapy. Here, we review our understanding of the T-cell signatures that are critical for response, how these immune signatures change during treatment, and how this information can be used to rationally design therapeutic strategies. We highlight how chronic antigen recognition drives heterogeneous T-cell exhaustion and the role of T-cell receptor (TCR) signal strength in exhausted T-cell differentiation and molecular response to therapy. We explore how dynamic changes in negative feedback pathways can promote resistance to single-agent therapy. We speculate that this resistance may be circumvented in the future through identifying the most effective combinations of immunotherapies to promote sustained and durable antitumour responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A E Elliot
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
| | - David A J Lecky
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
| | - David Bending
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Sayitoglu EC, Luca BA, Boss AP, Thomas BC, Freeborn RA, Uyeda MJ, Chen PP, Nakauchi Y, Waichler C, Lacayo N, Bacchetta R, Majeti R, Gentles AJ, Cepika AM, Roncarolo MG. AML/T cell interactomics uncover correlates of patient outcomes and the key role of ICAM1 in T cell killing of AML. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.21.558911. [PMID: 37790561 PMCID: PMC10542521 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.21.558911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
T cells are important for the control of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a common and often deadly malignancy. We observed that some AML patient samples are resistant to killing by human engineered cytotoxic CD4 + T cells. Single-cell RNA-seq of primary AML samples and CD4 + T cells before and after their interaction uncovered transcriptional programs that correlate with AML sensitivity or resistance to CD4 + T cell killing. Resistance-associated AML programs were enriched in AML patients with poor survival, and killing-resistant AML cells did not engage T cells in vitro . Killing-sensitive AML potently activated T cells before being killed, and upregulated ICAM1 , a key component of the immune synapse with T cells. Without ICAM1, killing-sensitive AML became resistant to killing to primary ex vivo -isolated CD8 + T cells in vitro , and engineered CD4 + T cells in vitro and in vivo . Thus, ICAM1 on AML acts as an immune trigger, allowing T cell killing, and could affect AML patient survival in vivo . SIGNIFICANCE AML is a common leukemia with sub-optimal outcomes. We show that AML transcriptional programs correlate with susceptibility to T cell killing. Killing resistance-associated AML programs are enriched in patients with poor survival. Killing-sensitive, but not resistant AML activate T cells and upregulate ICAM1 that binds to LFA-1 on T cells, allowing immune synapse formation which is critical for AML elimination. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Collapse
|
25
|
Lan X, Zebley CC, Youngblood B. Cellular and molecular waypoints along the path of T cell exhaustion. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadg3868. [PMID: 37656775 PMCID: PMC10618911 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adg3868] [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: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Thirty years of foundational research investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms promoting T cell exhaustion are now enabling rational design of T cell-based therapies for the treatment of chronic infections and cancer. Once described as a static cell fate, it is now well appreciated that the developmental path toward exhaustion is composed of a heterogeneous pool of cells with varying degrees of effector potential that ultimately converge on a terminally differentiated state. Recent description of the developmental stages along the differentiation trajectory of T cell exhaustion has provided insight into past immunotherapeutic success and future opportunities. Here, we discuss the hallmarks of distinct developmental stages occurring along the path to T cell dysfunction and the impact of these discrete CD8+ T cell fates on cancer immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Lan
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Caitlin C. Zebley
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ben Youngblood
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Hu JQ, Yan YH, Xie H, Feng XB, Ge WH, Zhou H, Yu LL, Sun LY, Xie Y. Targeting abnormal lipid metabolism of T cells for systemic lupus erythematosus treatment. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115198. [PMID: 37536033 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115198] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. However, the causes of SLE remain unknown. Dyslipidemia is a common symptom observed in SLE patients and animal models and is closely correlated to disease activity. Lipid metabolic reprogramming has been considered as a hallmark of the dysfunction of T cells in patients with SLE, therefore, manipulating lipid metabolism provides a potential therapeutic target for treating SLE. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms for the metabolic events of immune cells under pathological conditions is crucial for tuning immunometabolism to manage autoimmune diseases such as SLE. In this review, we aim to summarize the cross-link between lipid metabolism and the function of T cells as well as the underlying mechanisms, and provide light on the novel therapeutic strategies of active compounds from herbals for the treatment of SLE by targeting lipid metabolism in immune cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Qin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Yan-Hua Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Han Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao Special Administrative Region of China; The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Xue-Bing Feng
- The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Wei-Hong Ge
- The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Hua Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Li Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
| | - Ling-Yun Sun
- The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
| | - Ying Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Zhang D, Zou T, Liu Q, Chen J, Xiao M, Zheng A, Zhang Z, Du F, Dai Y, Xiang S, Wu X, Li M, Chen Y, Zhao Y, Shen J, Chen G, Xiao Z. Transcriptomic characterization revealed that METTL7A inhibits melanoma progression via the p53 signaling pathway and immunomodulatory pathway. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15799. [PMID: 37547717 PMCID: PMC10404031 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15799] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
METTL7A is a protein-coding gene expected to be associated with methylation, and its expression disorder is associated with a range of diseases. However, few research have been carried out to explore the relationship between METTL7A and tumor malignant phenotype as well as the involvement potential mechanism. We conducted our research via a combination of silico analysis and molecular biology techniques to investigate the biological function of METTL7A in the progression of cancer. Gene expression and clinical information were extracted from the TCGA database to explore expression variation and prognostic value of METTL7A. In vitro, CCK8, transwell, wound healing and colony formation assays were conducted to explore the biological functions of METT7A in cancer cell. GSEA was performed to explore the signaling pathway involved in METTL7A and validated via western blotting. In conclusion, METTL7A was downregulated in most cancer tissues and its low expression was associated with shorter overall survival. In melanoma, METTL7A downregulation was associated with poorer clinical staging, lower levels of TIL infiltration, higher IC50 levels of chemotherapeutic agents, and poorer immunotherapy outcomes. QPCR results confirm that METTL7A is down-regulated in melanoma cells. Cell function assays showed that METTL7A knockdown promoted proliferation, invasion, migration and clone formation of melanoma cells. Mechanistic studies showed that METTL7A inhibits tumorigenicity through the p53 signaling pathway. Meanwhile, METTL7A is also a potential immune regulatory factor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duoli Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
| | - Tao Zou
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
| | - Qingsong Liu
- Department of Pathology, The First People’s Hospital of Neijiang, Neijiang, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
| | - Mintao Xiao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
| | - Anfu Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhuo Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
| | - Fukuan Du
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy & Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yalan Dai
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Shixin Xiang
- Department of Pharmacy, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xu Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy & Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Mingxing Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy & Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy & Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yueshui Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy & Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Shen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy & Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Guiquan Chen
- Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhangang Xiao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy & Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Hudson D, Fernandes RA, Basham M, Ogg G, Koohy H. Can we predict T cell specificity with digital biology and machine learning? Nat Rev Immunol 2023; 23:511-521. [PMID: 36755161 PMCID: PMC9908307 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00835-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in machine learning and experimental biology have offered breakthrough solutions to problems such as protein structure prediction that were long thought to be intractable. However, despite the pivotal role of the T cell receptor (TCR) in orchestrating cellular immunity in health and disease, computational reconstruction of a reliable map from a TCR to its cognate antigens remains a holy grail of systems immunology. Current data sets are limited to a negligible fraction of the universe of possible TCR-ligand pairs, and performance of state-of-the-art predictive models wanes when applied beyond these known binders. In this Perspective article, we make the case for renewed and coordinated interdisciplinary effort to tackle the problem of predicting TCR-antigen specificity. We set out the general requirements of predictive models of antigen binding, highlight critical challenges and discuss how recent advances in digital biology such as single-cell technology and machine learning may provide possible solutions. Finally, we describe how predicting TCR specificity might contribute to our understanding of the broader puzzle of antigen immunogenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Hudson
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Didcot, UK
| | - Ricardo A Fernandes
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Graham Ogg
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hashem Koohy
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Poorebrahim M, Quiros-Fernandez I, Marmé F, Burdach SE, Cid-Arregui A. A costimulatory chimeric antigen receptor targeting TROP2 enhances the cytotoxicity of NK cells expressing a T cell receptor reactive to human papillomavirus type 16 E7. Cancer Lett 2023; 566:216242. [PMID: 37217069 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Immune cells modified to express a tumor-reactive T cell receptor (TCR) have shown limited efficacy as stand-alone therapy against solid tumors. Genital and oropharyngeal carcinomas induced by human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 express constitutively its E6 and E7 oncoproteins, which makes them convenient targets for adoptive cell immunotherapy. However, viral antigen presentation by tumor cells is low and limits the anti-tumor efficacy of CD8+ T cells. To enhance the functionality of immune effector cells, we have devised a strategy combining a costimulatory chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) with a TCR. We used a clinically tested TCR specific to E7 (E7-TCR) of HPV16 and a newly constructed CAR targeting the trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2), which carried the intracellular costimulatory domains CD28 and 4-1BB, but was devoid of the CD3ζ domain. Flow cytometry analyses showed a notable upregulation of activation markers and of cytolytic molecule release by NK-92 cells genetically engineered to express CD3, CD8 and both E7-TCR and TROP2-CAR, after co-incubation with HPV16+ cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, the E7-TCR/TROP2-CAR NK-92 cells demonstrated enhanced antigen-specific activation and augmented cytotoxicity against tumor cells compared with NK-92 cells expressing the E7-TCR alone. A costimulatory TROP2-CAR can synergistically cooperate with the E7-TCR in NK cells thereby enhancing their signaling strength and antigen-specific cytotoxicity. This approach might improve the outcome of adoptive cell immunotherapies for HPV16+ cancer patients that are currently under investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Isaac Quiros-Fernandez
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Research Center on Tropical Diseases (CIET)/Research Center on Surgery and Cancer (CICICA), Faculty of Microbiology, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Frederik Marmé
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Eg Burdach
- Translational Pediatric Cancer Research Action - Institute of Pathology, TUM School of Medicine - Technical University of Munich, Trogerstr. 22 - RG - 540.0.11, D-81675, München, Germany; Department of Molecular Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Espinosa-Carrasco G, Scrivo A, Zumbo P, Dave A, Betel D, Hellmann M, Burt BM, Lee HS, Schietinger A. Intratumoral immune triads are required for adoptive T cell therapy-mediated elimination of solid tumors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.03.547423. [PMID: 37461721 PMCID: PMC10349998 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.03.547423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-reactive CD8 T cells found in cancer patients are frequently dysfunctional, unable to halt tumor growth. Adoptive T cell transfer (ACT), the administration of large numbers of in vitro-generated cytolytic tumor-reactive CD8 T cells, is an important cancer immune therapy being pursued. However, a limitation of ACT is that transferred CD8 T cells often rapidly lose effector function, and despite exciting results in certain malignancies, few ACT clinical trials have shown responses in solid tumors. Here, we developed preclinical cancer mouse models to investigate if and how tumor-specific CD4 T cells can be enlisted to overcome CD8 T cell dysfunction in the setting of ACT. In situ confocal microscopy of color-coded cancer cells, tumor-specific CD8 and CD4 T cells, and antigen presenting cells (APC), combined with functional studies, revealed that the spatial positioning and interactions of CD8 and CD4 T cells, but not their numbers, dictates ACT efficacy and anti-tumor responses. We uncover a new role of antigen-specific CD4 T cells in addition to the known requirement for CD4 T cells during priming/activation of naïve CD8 T cells. CD4 T cells must co-engage with CD8 T cells and APC cross-presenting CD8- and CD4-tumor antigens during the effector phase, forming a three-cell-cluster (triad), to license CD8 T cell cytotoxicity and mediate cancer cell elimination. Triad formation transcriptionally and epigenetically reprogram CD8 T cells, prevent T cell dysfunction/exhaustion, and ultimately lead to the elimination of large established tumors and confer long-term protection from recurrence. When intratumoral triad formation was disrupted, adoptively transferred CD8 T cells could not be reprogrammed, and tumors progressed despite equal numbers of tumor-infiltrating CD8 and CD4 T cells. Strikingly, the formation of CD4 T cell::CD8 T cell::APC triads in tumors of patients with lung cancers treated with immune checkpoint blockade was associated with clinical responses, but not CD4::APC dyads or overall numbers of CD8 or CD4 T cells, demonstrating the importance of triads in non-ACT settings in humans. Our work uncovers intratumoral triads as a key requirement for anti-tumor immunity and a new role for CD4 T cells in CD8 T cell cytotoxicity and cancer cell eradication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Aurora Scrivo
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, and Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Paul Zumbo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Asim Dave
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Doron Betel
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Hellmann
- Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bryan M Burt
- Systems Onco-Immunology Laboratory, David J. Sugarbaker Division of Thoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Hyun-Sung Lee
- Systems Onco-Immunology Laboratory, David J. Sugarbaker Division of Thoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Andrea Schietinger
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Jiang N, Malone M, Chizari S. Antigen-specific and cross-reactive T cells in protection and disease. Immunol Rev 2023; 316:120-135. [PMID: 37209375 PMCID: PMC10524458 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13217] [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: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Human T cells have a diverse T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire that endows them with the ability to identify and defend against a broad spectrum of antigens. The universe of possible antigens that T cells may encounter, however, is even larger. To effectively surveil such a vast universe, the T-cell repertoire must adopt a high degree of cross-reactivity. Likewise, antigen-specific and cross-reactive T-cell responses play pivotal roles in both protective and pathological immune responses in numerous diseases. In this review, we explore the implications of these antigen-driven T-cell responses, with a particular focus on CD8+ T cells, using infection, neurodegeneration, and cancer as examples. We also summarize recent technological advances that facilitate high-throughput profiling of antigen-specific and cross-reactive T-cell responses experimentally, as well as computational biology approaches that predict these interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ning Jiang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
- Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
- Institute for RNA Innovation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
| | - Michael Malone
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
| | - Shahab Chizari
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Tian W, Qin G, Jia M, Li W, Cai W, Wang H, Zhao Y, Bao X, Wei W, Zhang Y, Shao Q. Hierarchical transcriptional network governing heterogeneous T cell exhaustion and its implications for immune checkpoint blockade. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1198551. [PMID: 37398674 PMCID: PMC10311999 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1198551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The fundamental principle of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is to protect tumor-infiltrating T cells from being exhausted. Despite the remarkable success achieved by ICB treatment, only a small group of patients benefit from it. Characterized by a hypofunctional state with the expression of multiple inhibitory receptors, exhausted T (Tex) cells are a major obstacle in improving ICB. T cell exhaustion is a progressive process which adapts to persistent antigen stimulation in chronic infections and cancers. In this review, we elucidate the heterogeneity of Tex cells and offer new insights into the hierarchical transcriptional regulation of T cell exhaustion. Factors and signaling pathways that induce and promote exhaustion are also summarized. Moreover, we review the epigenetic and metabolic alterations of Tex cells and discuss how PD-1 signaling affects the balance between T cell activation and exhaustion, aiming to provide more therapeutic targets for applications of combinational immunotherapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weihong Tian
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
- Life Science Institute, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China
| | - Gaofeng Qin
- Life Science Institute, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China
| | - Miaomiao Jia
- Jiaxing Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology, Jiaxing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wuhao Li
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weili Cai
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Reproductive Immunity, School of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huai’an, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yangjing Zhao
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuanwen Bao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University & Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wangzhi Wei
- Life Science Institute, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Life Science Institute, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China
| | - Qixiang Shao
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Reproductive Immunity, School of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huai’an, Jiangsu, China
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Gavil NV, Scott MC, Weyu E, Smith OC, O’Flanagan SD, Wijeyesinghe S, Lotfi-Emran S, Shiao SL, Vezys V, Masopust D. Chronic antigen in solid tumors drives a distinct program of T cell residence. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadd5976. [PMID: 37267383 PMCID: PMC10569081 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.add5976] [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: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Analyses of healthy tissue reveal signatures that identify resident memory CD8+ T cells (TRM), which survey tissues without recirculating. The density of TRM phenotype cells within solid tumors correlates favorably with prognosis, suggesting that intratumoral residents control cancer. However, residence has not been directly tested, and intratumoral TRM phenotype cells could instead reflect aspects of the microenvironment that correlate with prognosis. Using a breast cancer model in mice, we found that conventional TRM markers do not inform the tumor residence of either bystander or tumor-specific cells, which exhibit further distinct phenotypes in the tumor microenvironment and healthy mammary tissue. Rather, tumor-specific, stem progenitor CD8+ T cells migrate to tumors and become resident while acquiring select markers of exhaustion. These data indicate that tonic antigen stimulation and the tumor environment drive distinct programs of residence compared with healthy tissues and that tumor immunity is sustained by continued migration of tumor-specific stem cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noah V. Gavil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Milcah C. Scott
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Eyob Weyu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Olivia C. Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Stephen D. O’Flanagan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Sathi Wijeyesinghe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Sahar Lotfi-Emran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Stephen L. Shiao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Vaiva Vezys
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David Masopust
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School; Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Gräbnitz F, Stark D, Shlesinger D, Petkidis A, Borsa M, Yermanos A, Carr A, Barandun N, Wehling A, Balaz M, Schroeder T, Oxenius A. Asymmetric cell division safeguards memory CD8 T cell development. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112468. [PMID: 37178119 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112468] [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: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The strength of T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation and asymmetric distribution of fate determinants are both implied to affect T cell differentiation. Here, we uncover asymmetric cell division (ACD) as a safeguard mechanism for memory CD8 T cell generation specifically upon strong TCR stimulation. Using live imaging approaches, we find that strong TCR stimulation induces elevated ACD rates, and subsequent single-cell-derived colonies comprise both effector and memory precursor cells. The abundance of memory precursor cells emerging from a single activated T cell positively correlates with first mitosis ACD. Accordingly, preventing ACD by inhibition of protein kinase Cζ (PKCζ) during the first mitosis upon strong TCR stimulation markedly curtails the formation of memory precursor cells. Conversely, no effect of ACD on fate commitment is observed upon weak TCR stimulation. Our data provide relevant mechanistic insights into the role of ACD for CD8 T cell fate regulation upon different activation conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne Gräbnitz
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Stark
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Danielle Shlesinger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anthony Petkidis
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mariana Borsa
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland; The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, NDORMS, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Alexander Yermanos
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Andreas Carr
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Niculò Barandun
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Arne Wehling
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Miroslav Balaz
- Department of Metabolic Disease Research, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Timm Schroeder
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Annette Oxenius
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Jang HJ, Caron C, Lee CK, Wang L, Jama B, Bui JD, Morris GP. Dual receptor T cells mediate effective antitumor immune responses via increased recognition of tumor antigens. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e006472. [PMID: 37188395 PMCID: PMC10186424 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006472] [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] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Discovery that ~16% of T cells naturally co-express two T-cell receptor (TCR) clonotypes prompts examining the role of dual TCR cells in immune functions. METHODS Using TCRα-reporter transgenic mice, enabling unambiguous identification of single-TCR and dual-TCR cells, we tested the role of dual TCR cells in antitumor immune responses against immune-responsive syngeneic 6727 sarcoma and immune-resistant B16F10 melanoma. RESULTS Dual TCR cells were specifically increased among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in both models, indicating selective advantage in antitumor responses. Phenotype and single-cell gene expression analyses identified dual TCR are predominant during the effective antitumor response, demonstrating selectively increased activation in the TIL compartment and skewing toward an effector memory phenotype. Absence of dual TCR cells impaired immune response to B16F10 but not 6727, suggesting that dual TCR cells may be more influential in responses against poorly immunogenic tumors. Dual TCR cells demonstrated an advantage in recognition of B16F10-derived neoantigens in vitro, providing a mechanistic basis for their antitumor reactivity. CONCLUSIONS These results discover an unrecognized role for dual TCR cells in protective immune function and identify these cells and their TCRs as a potential resource for antitumor immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyun J Jang
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Christine Caron
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Calvin K Lee
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Burhan Jama
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jack D Bui
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gerald P Morris
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Muhowski EM, Rogers LM. Dual TCR-Expressing T Cells in Cancer: How Single-Cell Technologies Enable New Investigation. Immunohorizons 2023; 7:299-306. [PMID: 37129560 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2200062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
TCR diversity measures are often used to understand the immune response in cancer. Traditional measures of diversity rely on bulk RNA sequencing (RNAseq) of the β-chain variable regions. However, the full αβ TCR repertoire is a combination of both the α- and β-chains, which are encoded by separate genes. In contrast with bulk RNAseq, single-cell RNAseq (scRNAseq) allows paired chain analyses, yielding a more accurate measure of the repertoire. Interestingly, ∼30% of mature peripheral T cells express multiple TCR alleles (e.g., two α-chains) and may exhibit dual Ag specificity. scRNAseq has become increasingly common, and data from both human and animal studies are publicly available. However, routine workflows discard secondary TCR alleles and focus on a single TCR clone per cell. This perspectives piece emphasizes why this may not be good practice and highlights unanswered questions in the field of T cell dual specificity.
Collapse
|
37
|
Soto-Heredero G, Gómez de Las Heras MM, Escrig-Larena JI, Mittelbrunn M. Extremely Differentiated T Cell Subsets Contribute to Tissue Deterioration During Aging. Annu Rev Immunol 2023; 41:181-205. [PMID: 37126417 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-101721-064501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
There is a dramatic remodeling of the T cell compartment during aging. The most notorious changes are the reduction of the naive T cell pool and the accumulation of memory-like T cells. Memory-like T cells in older people acquire a phenotype of terminally differentiated cells, lose the expression of costimulatory molecules, and acquire properties of senescent cells. In this review, we focus on the different subsets of age-associated T cells that accumulate during aging. These subsets include extremely cytotoxic T cells with natural killer properties, exhausted T cells with altered cytokine production, and regulatory T cells that gain proinflammatory features. Importantly, all of these subsets lose their lymph node homing capacity and migrate preferentially to nonlymphoid tissues, where they contribute to tissue deterioration and inflammaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Soto-Heredero
- Homeostasis de Tejidos y Órganos, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel M Gómez de Las Heras
- Homeostasis de Tejidos y Órganos, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Ignacio Escrig-Larena
- Homeostasis de Tejidos y Órganos, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain;
| | - María Mittelbrunn
- Homeostasis de Tejidos y Órganos, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Steele MM, Jaiswal A, Delclaux I, Dryg ID, Murugan D, Femel J, Son S, du Bois H, Hill C, Leachman SA, Chang YH, Coussens LM, Anandasabapathy N, Lund AW. T cell egress via lymphatic vessels is tuned by antigen encounter and limits tumor control. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:664-675. [PMID: 36849745 PMCID: PMC10998279 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01443-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Antigen-specific CD8+ T cell accumulation in tumors is a prerequisite for effective immunotherapy, and yet the mechanisms of lymphocyte transit are not well defined. Here we show that tumor-associated lymphatic vessels control T cell exit from tumors via the chemokine CXCL12, and intratumoral antigen encounter tunes CXCR4 expression by effector CD8+ T cells. Only high-affinity antigen downregulates CXCR4 and upregulates the CXCL12 decoy receptor, ACKR3, thereby reducing CXCL12 sensitivity and promoting T cell retention. A diverse repertoire of functional tumor-specific CD8+ T cells, therefore, exit the tumor, which limits the pool of CD8+ T cells available to exert tumor control. CXCR4 inhibition or loss of lymphatic-specific CXCL12 boosts T cell retention and enhances tumor control. These data indicate that strategies to limit T cell egress might be an approach to boost the quantity and quality of intratumoral T cells and thereby response to immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Steele
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology and Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Abhinav Jaiswal
- Department of Dermatology, Microbiology and Immunology, Meyer Cancer Center, Englander Institute of Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ines Delclaux
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ian D Dryg
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dhaarini Murugan
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology and Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Julia Femel
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology and Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sunny Son
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Haley du Bois
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cameron Hill
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sancy A Leachman
- Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Young H Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Biology Program, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- OHSU Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lisa M Coussens
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology and Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Niroshana Anandasabapathy
- Department of Dermatology, Microbiology and Immunology, Meyer Cancer Center, Englander Institute of Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amanda W Lund
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology and Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
The theory that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are immunosuppressive cells has prevailed throughout the past decade. However, recent high-throughput, high-resolution mesenchyme-directed single-cell studies have harnessed computational advances to functionally characterize cell states, highlighting the existence of immunostimulatory CAFs. Our group and others have uncovered and experimentally substantiated key functions of cancer antigen-presenting CAFs in T cell immunity, both in vitro and in vivo, refuting the conventional assumption that CAFs impede adaptive immune rejection of tumours. In this Perspective, I unify the follicular and non-follicular, non-endothelial stroma of tumours under the 'peripheral adaptive immune mesenchyme' framework and position subsets of CAFs as direct positive regulators of the adaptive immune system. Building on the understanding of cancer antigen presentation by CAFs and the second touch hypothesis, which postulates that full T cell polarization requires interaction with antigen-presenting cells in the non-lymphoid tissue where the antigen resides, I re-design the 'cancer-immunity cycle' to incorporate intratumoural activation of cancer-specific CD4+ T cells. Lastly, a road map to therapeutic harnessing of immunostimulatory CAF states is proposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tsoumakidou
- Institute of Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center 'Alexander Fleming', Vari, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Trefny MP, Kirchhammer N, Auf der Maur P, Natoli M, Schmid D, Germann M, Fernandez Rodriguez L, Herzig P, Lötscher J, Akrami M, Stinchcombe JC, Stanczak MA, Zingg A, Buchi M, Roux J, Marone R, Don L, Lardinois D, Wiese M, Jeker LT, Bentires-Alj M, Rossy J, Thommen DS, Griffiths GM, Läubli H, Hess C, Zippelius A. Deletion of SNX9 alleviates CD8 T cell exhaustion for effective cellular cancer immunotherapy. Nat Commun 2023; 14:86. [PMID: 36732507 PMCID: PMC9895440 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35583-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-specific T cells are frequently exhausted by chronic antigenic stimulation. We here report on a human antigen-specific ex vivo model to explore new therapeutic options for T cell immunotherapies. T cells generated with this model resemble tumor-infiltrating exhausted T cells on a phenotypic and transcriptional level. Using a targeted pooled CRISPR-Cas9 screen and individual gene knockout validation experiments, we uncover sorting nexin-9 (SNX9) as a mediator of T cell exhaustion. Upon TCR/CD28 stimulation, deletion of SNX9 in CD8 T cells decreases PLCγ1, Ca2+, and NFATc2-mediated T cell signaling and reduces expression of NR4A1/3 and TOX. SNX9 knockout enhances memory differentiation and IFNγ secretion of adoptively transferred T cells and results in improved anti-tumor efficacy of human chimeric antigen receptor T cells in vivo. Our findings highlight that targeting SNX9 is a strategy to prevent T cell exhaustion and enhance anti-tumor immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcel P Trefny
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Nicole Kirchhammer
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Priska Auf der Maur
- Laboratory of Tumor Heterogeneity, Metastasis and Resistance, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marina Natoli
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dominic Schmid
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus Germann
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Fernandez Rodriguez
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Petra Herzig
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Lötscher
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maryam Akrami
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jane C Stinchcombe
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Michal A Stanczak
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Zingg
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Buchi
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julien Roux
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Romina Marone
- Laboratory of Molecular Immune Regulation, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Transplantation Immunology & Nephrology, Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Leyla Don
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Didier Lardinois
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mark Wiese
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lukas T Jeker
- Laboratory of Molecular Immune Regulation, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Transplantation Immunology & Nephrology, Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mohamed Bentires-Alj
- Laboratory of Tumor Heterogeneity, Metastasis and Resistance, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jérémie Rossy
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau, University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Daniela S Thommen
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gillian M Griffiths
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Heinz Läubli
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Hess
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Alfred Zippelius
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. .,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Choi H, Kim Y, Jung YW. The Function of Memory CD8+ T Cells in Immunotherapy for Human Diseases. Immune Netw 2023; 23:e10. [PMID: 36911798 PMCID: PMC9995995 DOI: 10.4110/in.2023.23.e10] [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: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory T (Tm) cells protect against Ags that they have previously contacted with a fast and robust response. Therefore, developing long-lived Tm cells is a prime goal for many vaccines and therapies to treat human diseases. The remarkable characteristics of Tm cells have led scientists and clinicians to devise methods to make Tm cells more useful. Recently, Tm cells have been highlighted for their role in coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines during the ongoing global pandemic. The importance of Tm cells in cancer has been emerging. However, the precise characteristics and functions of Tm cells in these diseases are not completely understood. In this review, we summarize the known characteristics of Tm cells and their implications in the development of vaccines and immunotherapies for human diseases. In addition, we propose to exploit the beneficial characteristics of Tm cells to develop strategies for effective vaccines and overcome the obstacles of immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanbyeul Choi
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | - Yeaji Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | - Yong Woo Jung
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University, Sejong 30019, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Martinov T, Greenberg PD. Targeting Driver Oncogenes and Other Public Neoantigens Using T Cell Receptor-Based Cellular Therapy. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY 2023; 7:331-351. [PMID: 37655310 PMCID: PMC10470615 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-061521-082114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
T cell reactivity to tumor-specific neoantigens can drive endogenous and therapeutically induced antitumor immunity. However, most tumor-specific neoantigens are unique to each patient (private) and targeting them requires personalized therapy. A smaller subset of neoantigens includes epitopes that span recurrent mutation hotspots, translocations, or gene fusions in oncogenic drivers and tumor suppressors, as well as epitopes that arise from viral oncogenic proteins. Such antigens are likely to be shared across patients (public), uniformly expressed within a tumor, and required for cancer cell survival and fitness. Although a limited number of these public neoantigens are naturally immunogenic, recent studies affirm their clinical utility. In this review, we highlight efforts to target mutant KRAS, mutant p53, and epitopes derived from oncogenic viruses using T cells engineered with off-the-shelf T cell receptors. We also discuss the challenges and strategies to achieving more effective T cell therapies, particularly in the context of solid tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tijana Martinov
- Program in Immunology and Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Philip D Greenberg
- Program in Immunology and Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Immunology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Prokhnevska N, Cardenas MA, Valanparambil RM, Sobierajska E, Barwick BG, Jansen C, Reyes Moon A, Gregorova P, delBalzo L, Greenwald R, Bilen MA, Alemozaffar M, Joshi S, Cimmino C, Larsen C, Master V, Sanda M, Kissick H. CD8 + T cell activation in cancer comprises an initial activation phase in lymph nodes followed by effector differentiation within the tumor. Immunity 2023; 56:107-124.e5. [PMID: 36580918 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2022.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 81.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Improvements in tumor immunotherapies depend on better understanding of the anti-tumor T cell response. By studying human tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs), we found that activated CD8+ T cells in TDLNs shared functional, transcriptional, and epigenetic traits with TCF1+ stem-like cells in the tumor. The phenotype and TCR overlap suggested that these TDLN cells were precursors to tumor-resident stem-like CD8+ T cells. Murine tumor models revealed that tumor-specific CD8+ T cells were activated in TDLNs but lacked an effector phenotype. These stem-like cells migrated into the tumor, where additional co-stimulation from antigen-presenting cells drove effector differentiation. This model of CD8+ T cell activation in response to cancer is different from that of canonical CD8+ T cell activation to acute viruses, and it proposes two stages of tumor-specific CD8+ T cell activation: initial activation in TDLNs and subsequent effector program acquisition within the tumor after additional co-stimulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria A Cardenas
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rajesh M Valanparambil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ewelina Sobierajska
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Benjamin G Barwick
- Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Caroline Jansen
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Adriana Reyes Moon
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Petra Gregorova
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Luke delBalzo
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rachel Greenwald
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mehmet Asim Bilen
- Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mehrdad Alemozaffar
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shreyas Joshi
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Cara Cimmino
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Christian Larsen
- Emory Transplant Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Viraj Master
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Martin Sanda
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Haydn Kissick
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Palomero J, Panisello C, Lozano-Rabella M, Tirtakasuma R, Díaz-Gómez J, Grases D, Pasamar H, Arregui L, Dorca Duch E, Guerra Fernández E, Vivancos A, de Andrea CE, Melero I, Ponce J, Vidal A, Piulats JM, Matias-Guiu X, Gros A. Biomarkers of tumor-reactive CD4 + and CD8 + TILs associate with improved prognosis in endometrial cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-005443. [PMID: 36581331 PMCID: PMC9806064 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the growing interest in immunotherapeutic interventions for endometrial cancer (EC), the prevalence, phenotype, specificity and prognostic value of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in this tumor type remains unclear. METHODS To better understand the role of TILs in EC, we analyzed the phenotypic traits of CD8+ and CD4+ EC-resident T cells from 47 primary tumors by high-dimensional flow cytometry. In addition, CD8+ and CD4+ TIL subpopulations were isolated based on the differential expression of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) (negative, dim and high) and CD39 (positive or negative) by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), expanded in vitro, and screened for autologous tumor recognition. We further investigated whether phenotypic markers preferentially expressed on CD8+ and CD4+ tumor-reactive TIL subsets were associated with the four distinct molecular subtypes of EC, tumor mutational burden and patient survival. RESULTS We found that CD8+TILs expressing high levels of PD-1 (PD-1hi) co-expressed CD39, TIM-3, HLA-DR and CXCL13, as compared with TILs lacking or displaying intermediate levels of PD-1 expression (PD-1- and PD-1dim, respectively). Autologous tumor reactivity of sorted and in vitro expanded CD8+ TILs demonstrated that the CD8+PD-1dimCD39+ and PD-1hiCD39+ T cell subsets both contained tumor-reactive TILs and that a higher level of PD-1 expression was associated with increased CD39 and a superior frequency of tumor reactivity. With respect to CD4+ T conventional (Tconv) TILs, co-expression of inhibitory and activation markers was more apparent on PD-1hi compared with PD-1- or PD-1dim T cells, and in fact, it was the CD4+PD-1hi subpopulation that accumulated the antitumor T cells irrespective of CD39 expression. Most importantly, detection of CD8+PD-1hiCD39+ and CD4+PD-1hi tumor-reactive T-cell subsets, but also markers specifically expressed by these subpopulations of TILs, that is, PD-1hi, CD39, CXCL13 and CD103 by CD8+ TILs and PD-1hi and CXCL13 by CD4+ Tconv TILs, correlated with prolonged survival of patients with EC. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that EC are frequently infiltrated by tumor-reactive TILs, and that expression of PD-1hi and CD39 or PD-1hi can be used to select and expand CD8+ and CD4+ tumor-reactive TILs, respectively. In addition, biomarkers preferentially expressed on tumor-reactive TILs, rather than the frequency of CD3+, CD8+ and CD4+ lymphocytes, hold prognostic value suggesting their protective role in antitumor immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jara Palomero
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carla Panisello
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Lozano-Rabella
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ricky Tirtakasuma
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judit Díaz-Gómez
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniela Grases
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Helena Pasamar
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Arregui
- HUB-ICO-IDIBELL Biobank, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Eduard Dorca Duch
- Pathology, Bellvitge University Hospital, IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | | | - Ana Vivancos
- Cancer Genomics, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos E de Andrea
- Pathology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomedica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Melero
- Centro de Investigación Biomedica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain,Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, CIMA Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain,Navarra Institute for Health Research IDISNA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Jordi Ponce
- Department of Gynaecology, Bellvitge University Hospital, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - August Vidal
- Pathology, Bellvitge University Hospital, IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomedica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Josep Maria Piulats
- Medical Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), IDIBELL-OncoBell, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Xavier Matias-Guiu
- Pathology, Bellvitge University Hospital, IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomedica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain,Pathology, Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital, University of LLeida, IRBLLEIDA, Lleida, Spain
| | - Alena Gros
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Beppler C, Eichorst J, Marchuk K, Cai E, Castellanos CA, Sriram V, Roybal KT, Krummel MF. Hyperstabilization of T cell microvilli contacts by chimeric antigen receptors. J Cell Biol 2022; 222:213760. [PMID: 36520493 PMCID: PMC9757849 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202205118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells typically recognize their ligands using a defined cell biology-the scanning of their membrane microvilli (MV) to palpate their environment-while that same membrane scaffolds T cell receptors (TCRs) that can signal upon ligand binding. Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) present both a therapeutic promise and a tractable means to study the interplay between receptor affinity, MV dynamics and T cell function. CARs are often built using single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) with far greater affinity than that of natural TCRs. We used high-resolution lattice lightsheet (LLS) and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) imaging to visualize MV scanning in the context of variations in CAR design. This demonstrated that conventional CARs hyper-stabilized microvillar contacts relative to TCRs. Reducing receptor affinity, antigen density, and/or multiplicity of receptor binding sites normalized microvillar dynamics and synapse resolution, and effector functions improved with reduced affinity and/or antigen density, highlighting the importance of understanding the underlying cell biology when designing receptors for optimal antigen engagement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Casey Beppler
- Department of Pathology and ImmunoX, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John Eichorst
- Biological Imaging Development CoLab, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kyle Marchuk
- Biological Imaging Development CoLab, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - En Cai
- Department of Pathology and ImmunoX, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carlos A. Castellanos
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sandler Asthma Basic Research Center, 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 Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew F. Krummel
- Department of Pathology and ImmunoX, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA,Correspondence to Matthew F. Krummel:
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Chow A, Perica K, Klebanoff CA, Wolchok JD. Clinical implications of T cell exhaustion for cancer immunotherapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2022; 19:775-790. [PMID: 36216928 PMCID: PMC10984554 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-022-00689-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 93.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has been a remarkable clinical advancement in the treatment of cancer. T cells are pivotal to the efficacy of current cancer immunotherapies, including immune-checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapies. However, cancer is associated with T cell exhaustion, a hypofunctional state characterized by progressive loss of T cell effector functions and self-renewal capacity. The 'un-exhausting' of T cells in the tumour microenvironment is commonly regarded as a key mechanism of action for immune-checkpoint inhibitors, and T cell exhaustion is considered a pathway of resistance for cellular immunotherapies. Several elegant studies have provided important insights into the transcriptional and epigenetic programmes that govern T cell exhaustion. In this Review, we highlight recent discoveries related to the immunobiology of T cell exhaustion that offer a more nuanced perspective beyond this hypofunctional state being entirely undesirable. We review evidence that T cell exhaustion might be as much a reflection as it is the cause of poor tumour control. Furthermore, we hypothesize that, in certain contexts of chronic antigen stimulation, interruption of the exhaustion programme might impair T cell persistence. Therefore, the prioritization of interventions that mitigate the development of T cell exhaustion, including orthogonal cytoreduction therapies and novel cellular engineering strategies, might ultimately confer superior clinical outcomes and the greatest advances in cancer immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Chow
- Thoracic Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Ludwig Collaborative and Swim Across America Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Karlo Perica
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Cell Engineering, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Cell Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher A Klebanoff
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Cell Engineering, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Cell Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jedd D Wolchok
- Ludwig Collaborative and Swim Across America Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Mao W. Overcoming current challenges to T-cell receptor therapy via metabolic targeting to increase antitumor efficacy, durability, and tolerability. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1056622. [PMID: 36479131 PMCID: PMC9720167 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1056622] [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: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The antitumor potential of personalized immunotherapy, including adoptive T-cell therapy, has been shown in both preclinical and clinical studies. Combining cell therapy with targeted metabolic interventions can further enhance therapeutic outcomes in terms of magnitude and durability. The ability of a T cell receptor to recognize peptides derived from tumor neoantigens allows for a robust yet specific response against cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. However, there exist challenges to adoptive T cell therapy such as a suppressive tumor milieu, the fitness and survival of transferred cells, and tumor escape, all of which can be targeted to further enhance the antitumor potential of T cell receptor-engineered T cell (TCR-T) therapy. Here, we explore current strategies involving metabolic reprogramming of both the tumor microenvironment and the cell product, which can lead to increased T cell proliferation, survival, and anti-tumor cytotoxicity. In addition, we highlight potential metabolic pathways and targets which can be leveraged to improve engraftment of transferred cells and obviate the need for lymphodepletion, while minimizing off-target effects. Metabolic signaling is delicately balanced, and we demonstrate the need for thoughtful and precise interventions that are tailored for the unique characteristics of each tumor. Through improved understanding of the interplay between immunometabolism, tumor resistance, and T cell signaling, we can improve current treatment regimens and open the door to potential synergistic combinations.
Collapse
|
48
|
Experiences with Glofitamab Administration following CAR T Therapy in Patients with Relapsed Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Cells 2022; 11:cells11172747. [PMID: 36078155 PMCID: PMC9454987 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare type of B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) affecting predominantly male patients. While complete remissions following first-line treatment are frequent, most patients ultimately relapse, with a usually aggressive further disease course. The use of cytarabine-comprising induction chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation, Rituximab maintenance, Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and CAR T therapy has substantially improved survival. Still, options for patients relapsing after CAR T therapy are limited and recommendations for the treatment of these patients are lacking. We report two cases of patients with mantle cell lymphoma who relapsed after CAR T therapy and were treated with the bispecific CD20/CD3 T cell engaging antibody glofitamab. Both patients showed marked increases of circulating CAR T cells and objective responses after glofitamab administration. Therapy was tolerated without relevant side effects in both patients. One patient completed all 12 planned cycles of glofitamab therapy and was alive and without clinical progression at the last follow-up. The second patient declined further treatment after the first cycle and succumbed to disease progression. We review the literature and investigate possible mechanisms involved in the observed responses after administration of glofitamab, such as proliferation of CAR T cells, anti-tumor effects of the bispecific antibody and the role of other possibly contributing factors. Therapy with bispecific antibodies might offer an effective and well-tolerated option for patients with mantle cell lymphoma relapsing after CAR T therapy.
Collapse
|
49
|
Xiong C, Huang L, Kou H, Wang C, Zeng X, Sun H, Liu S, Wu B, Li J, Wang X, Wang Z, Chen L. Identification of novel HLA-A*11:01-restricted HPV16 E6/E7 epitopes and T-cell receptors for HPV-related cancer immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-004790. [PMID: 36180070 PMCID: PMC9528665 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chengjie Xiong
- Guangzhou Medical University-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Lihong Huang
- Guangzhou Medical University-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hedan Kou
- Department of Immunotherapy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Chenwei Wang
- Guangzhou Medical University-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaomin Zeng
- Guangzhou Medical University-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hanli Sun
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shangyuan Liu
- Guangzhou Medical University-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Guangzhou Medical University-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingyao Li
- Guangzhou Medical University-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoling Wang
- Guangzhou Medical University-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zibing Wang
- Department of Immunotherapy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Guangzhou Medical University-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Füchsl F, Krackhardt AM. Paving the Way to Solid Tumors: Challenges and Strategies for Adoptively Transferred Transgenic T Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4192. [PMID: 36077730 PMCID: PMC9454442 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells are important players in the antitumor immune response. Over the past few years, the adoptive transfer of genetically modified, autologous T cells-specifically redirected toward the tumor by expressing either a T cell receptor (TCR) or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-has been adopted for use in the clinic. At the moment, the therapeutic application of CD19- and, increasingly, BCMA-targeting-engineered CAR-T cells have been approved and have yielded partly impressive results in hematologic malignancies. However, employing transgenic T cells for the treatment of solid tumors remains more troublesome, and numerous hurdles within the highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) need to be overcome to achieve tumor control. In this review, we focused on the challenges that these therapies must face on three different levels: infiltrating the tumor, exerting efficient antitumor activity, and overcoming T cell exhaustion and dysfunction. We aimed to discuss different options to pave the way for potent transgenic T cell-mediated tumor rejection by engineering either the TME or the transgenic T cell itself, which responds to the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Füchsl
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin III, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstr. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Angela M. Krackhardt
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin III, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstr. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium of Translational Cancer Research (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|