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Khoury LM, Sheehan KN, Mariencheck WI, Gershner KA, Maslonka M, Niehaus AG, Isom S, Bellinger CR. Endobronchial Ultrasound Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration and PD-L1 Yields. Lung 2024; 202:325-330. [PMID: 38637361 PMCID: PMC11143017 DOI: 10.1007/s00408-024-00692-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Immunotherapy is a leading approach for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint signaling pathway, particularly in tumors expressing high levels of PD-L1 (Jug et al. in J Am Soc Cytopathol 9:485-493, 2020; Perrotta et al. in Chest 158: 1230-1239, 2020). Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive method to obtain tissue for molecular studies, including PD-L1 analysis, in unresectable tumors (Genova et al. in Front Immunol 12: 799455, 2021; Wang et al. in Ann Oncol 29: 1417-1422, 2018). This study aimed to assess the adequacy of PD-L1 assessment in EBUS-TBNA cytology specimens. METHODS Data was collected retrospectively from patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA between 2017 and 2021 for suspected lung cancer biopsy. Samples positive for NSCLC were examined for PD-L1 expression. EBUS was performed by experienced practitioners, following institutional guidelines of a minimum of five aspirations from positively identified lesions. Sample adequacy for molecular testing was determined by the pathology department. RESULTS The analysis involved 387 NSCLC cases (149 squamous cell, 191 adenocarcinoma, 47 unspecified). Of the 263 EBUS-TBNA specimens tested for PD-L1, 237 (90.1%) were deemed adequate. While 84% adhered to the protocol, adherence did not yield better results. Significantly higher PD-L1 adequacy was observed in squamous cell carcinomas (93.2%) compared to adenocarcinoma (87.6%). The number of aspirations and sedation type did not correlate with PD-L1 adequacy in either cancer type, but lesion size and location had a significant impact in adenocarcinomas. Adenocarcinoma exhibited higher PD-L1 expression (68%) compared to squamous cell carcinoma (48%). CONCLUSION EBUS-TBNA offers high yields for assessing immunotherapy markers like PD-L1, with satisfactory adequacy regardless of NSCLC subtype, lesion size, or location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M Khoury
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - Kristin N Sheehan
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - William I Mariencheck
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Katherine A Gershner
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Matthew Maslonka
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Nebraska Pulmonary Specialties, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Angela G Niehaus
- Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Scott Isom
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Christina R Bellinger
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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Zgura A, Grasu MC, Dumitru RL, Toma L, Iliescu L, Baciu C. An Investigative Analysis of Therapeutic Strategies in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Raetrospective Examination of 23 Biopsy-Confirmed Cases Emphasizing the Significance of Histopathological Insights. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1916. [PMID: 38791994 PMCID: PMC11120296 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) combines standardized terminology with a classification system for imaging findings in patients with HCC, therefore rendering diagnostic biopsy unnecessary in many cases. This retrospective study included 23 patients with a biopsy diagnosis of HCC, performed either before or after local interventional procedures, in order to evaluate the histopathologic changes induced by previous procedures and their potential influence on the response to immune therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study encompassed a cohort of patients diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Diagnosis was established via contrast-enhanced computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging that identified LI-RADS-5 nodules in conjunction with historical liver disease and elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels or via histological examination confirming positivity for glypican3, heat shock protein 70, and glutamine synthetase. The study detailed the liver disease etiology, LI-RADS scores, characteristics and dimensions of HCC nodules, serum AFP concentrations, Edmondson-Steiner grading, and the expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in the tumor cells. RESULTS Among the study's cohort of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) patients, a portion had not received any prior treatments, while the remainder experienced local HCC recurrence following trans-arterial chemoembolization or radiofrequency ablation. Observations indicated elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels in those who had not undergone any previous interventions, showing statistical significance. The Edmondson-Steiner classification predominantly identified grade III differentiation across patients, irrespective of their treatment history. Furthermore, an increase in intra-tumoral programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression was noted in patients who had not been subjected to previous therapies. CONCLUSION Liver biopsy offers valuable insights for patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), assisting in the tailoring of immune therapy strategies, particularly in cases of recurrence following prior local interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anca Zgura
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (A.Z.); (R.L.D.); (L.T.); (L.I.); (C.B.)
| | - Mugur Cristian Grasu
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (A.Z.); (R.L.D.); (L.T.); (L.I.); (C.B.)
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Radu Lucian Dumitru
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (A.Z.); (R.L.D.); (L.T.); (L.I.); (C.B.)
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Letitia Toma
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (A.Z.); (R.L.D.); (L.T.); (L.I.); (C.B.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Laura Iliescu
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (A.Z.); (R.L.D.); (L.T.); (L.I.); (C.B.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cosmin Baciu
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (A.Z.); (R.L.D.); (L.T.); (L.I.); (C.B.)
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Brachelente C, Torrigiani F, Porcellato I, Drigo M, Brescia M, Treggiari E, Ferro S, Zappulli V, Sforna M. Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Its Clinicopathological and Prognostic Associations in Canine Splenic Hemangiosarcoma. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1224. [PMID: 38672372 PMCID: PMC11047608 DOI: 10.3390/ani14081224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells can induce important cellular and molecular modifications in the tissue or host where they grow. The idea that the host and tumor interact with each other has led to the concept of a tumor microenvironment, composed of immune cells, stromal cells, blood vessels, and extracellular matrix, representing a unique environment participating and, in some cases, promoting cancer progression. The study of the tumor immune microenvironment, particularly focusing on the role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), is highly relevant in oncology due to the prognostic and therapeutic significance of TILs in various tumors and their identification as targets for therapeutic intervention. Canine splenic hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a common tumor; however, its immune microenvironment remains poorly understood. This retrospective study aimed to characterize the histological and immunohistochemical features of 56 cases of canine splenic HSA, focusing particularly on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). We assessed the correlations between the lymphocytic response, the macroscopic and histological characteristics of the tumor, and the survival data. Our study demonstrated that FoxP3 distribution was associated with tumor-related death and survival, while the CD20 count was associated with metastasis. This study provides an in-depth characterization of the tumor immune microenvironment in canine splenic HSA and describes potential prognostic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Brachelente
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.B.); (M.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Filippo Torrigiani
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, AGRIPOLIS, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (F.T.); (S.F.); (V.Z.)
| | - Ilaria Porcellato
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.B.); (M.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Michele Drigo
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padua, AGRIPOLIS, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy;
| | - Martina Brescia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.B.); (M.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Elisabetta Treggiari
- Clinica Veterinaria Croce Blu, via San Giovanni Bosco 27/C, 15121 Alessandria, Italy;
| | - Silvia Ferro
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, AGRIPOLIS, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (F.T.); (S.F.); (V.Z.)
| | - Valentina Zappulli
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, AGRIPOLIS, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (F.T.); (S.F.); (V.Z.)
| | - Monica Sforna
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.B.); (M.B.); (M.S.)
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Tian J, Quek C. Understanding the Tumor Microenvironment in Melanoma Patients with In-Transit Metastases and Its Impacts on Immune Checkpoint Immunotherapy Responses. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4243. [PMID: 38673829 PMCID: PMC11050678 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084243] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the leading cause of global skin cancer-related death and currently ranks as the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. Melanoma patients with in-transit metastases (ITM), a type of locoregional metastasis located close to the primary tumor site, exhibit a high likelihood of further disease progression and poor survival outcomes. Immunotherapies, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in ITM patients with reduced occurrence of further metastases and prolonged survival. The major challenge of immunotherapeutic efficacy lies in the limited understanding of melanoma and ITM biology, hindering our ability to identify patients who likely respond to ICIs effectively. In this review, we provided an overview of melanoma and ITM disease. We outlined the key ICI therapies and the critical immune features associated with therapy response or resistance. Lastly, we dissected the underlying biological components, including the cellular compositions and their communication networks within the tumor compartment, to enhance our understanding of the interactions between immunotherapy and melanoma, providing insights for future investigation and the development of drug targets and predictive biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Camelia Quek
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
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Padonou F, Vanhulst T, Langouo-Fontsa MD. Can we yet use tertiary lymphoid structures as predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy response in melanoma? Curr Opin Oncol 2024; 36:63-68. [PMID: 38441065 DOI: 10.1097/cco.0000000000001015] [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: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In this review, we explore the potential of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) as predictive biomarkers in the response to immunotherapy for melanoma patients. RECENT FINDINGS The significance of TLS as indicators predicting immunotherapy response becomes particularly pronounced. Melanoma, renowned for its aggressive characteristics, has undergone revolutionary transformations in treatment through immunotherapeutic interventions. Investigations have unveiled a compelling correlation between the presence of TLS in the melanoma tumor microenvironment and favorable responses to immunotherapy. These responses, characterized by heightened survival rates and improved clinical outcomes, imply that TLS might be pivotal in tailoring more efficient and personalized treatments for individuals with melanoma. The ongoing discourse regarding TLS as a predictive biomarker underscores the need for a meticulous examination of its potential in guiding clinical decisions and optimizing therapeutic strategies. SUMMARY TLS show great promises as potential biomarkers to melanoma patient's outcomes in ICI treatment; however, more studies are needed to understand their mechanisms of actions and the long-term impact of their functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francine Padonou
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels (Anderlecht), Belgium
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Shirasawa M, Yoshida T, Ohe Y. Biomarkers of immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer. Jpn J Clin Oncol 2024; 54:13-22. [PMID: 37823218 DOI: 10.1093/jjco/hyad134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is revolutionizing the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer by targeting immune checkpoint proteins, including programmed death-1, programmed death ligand 1 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4. Several immune checkpoint inhibitors, including programmed death ligand 1 inhibitors, programmed death-1 inhibitors and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 inhibitors, were approved for the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Programmed death ligand 1 expression is currently the only predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibitors to guide the treatment strategy in these patients. However, programmed death ligand 1 expression is not a perfect biomarker for predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy. Therefore, various biomarkers such as tumour mutation burden, tumour microenvironment, gut microbiome and T-cell receptor repertoire have been proposed to predict the efficacy of immunotherapy more accurately. Additionally, combining different biomarkers may provide a more accurate prediction of response to immunotherapy. This article reports the review of the latest evidence of the predictive marker of immunotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Shirasawa
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045 Japan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa 252-0375, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Yoshida
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045 Japan
| | - Yuichiro Ohe
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045 Japan
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Hélène C, Conrad O, Pflumio C, Borel C, Voegelin M, Bernard A, Schultz P, Onea MA, Jung A, Martin S, Burgy M. Dynamic profiling of immune microenvironment during anti-PD-1 immunotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: the IPRICE study. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:1209. [PMID: 38066522 PMCID: PMC10704641 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11672-x] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) represent a significant breakthrough in treating head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with long-lasting responses and prolonged survival observed in first- and second-line therapy. However, this is observed in < 20% of patients and high primary/secondary resistance may occur. The primary objective of the identification of predictive factors for the response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (IPRICE) study is to identify predictive factors of response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. METHODS The IPRICE study is a single-center, prospective, non-randomized, open-label, and interventional clinical trial. Liquid and tumor biopsies will be performed in 54 patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) HNSCC undergoing anti-PD-1 immunotherapy alone to compare the evolution of gene expression and immunological profile between responders and non-responders. We will use a multidisciplinary approach including spatial transcriptomics, single seq-RNA analysis, clinical data, and medical images. Genes, pathways, and transcription factors potentially involved in the immune response will also be analyzed, including genes involved in the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) pathway, immunogenic cell death and mitophagy, hypoxia, circulating miRNA-mediated immunomodulation, cytokines, and immune repertoire within the tumor microenvironment (TME). With a follow-up period of 3-years, these data will help generate effective biomarkers to define optimal therapeutic strategy and new immunomodulatory agents based on a better understanding of primary/secondary resistance mechanisms. Tumor biopsy will be performed initially before the start of immunotherapy at the first tumor assessment and is only proposed at tumor progression. Clinical data will be collected using a dedicated Case Report Form (CRF). DISCUSSION Identifying predictive factors of the response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and optimizing long-term immune response require a thorough understanding of the intrinsic and acquired resistance to immunotherapy. To achieve this, dynamic profiling of TME during anti-PD-1 immunotherapy based on analysis of tumor biopsy samples is critical. This will be accomplished through the anatomical localization of HNSCC, which will allow for the analysis of multiple biopsies during treatment and the emergence of breakthrough technologies including single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrial.gov. Registered April 14, 2022, https://www. CLINICALTRIALS gov/study/NCT05328024 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Carinato Hélène
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe France, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ombline Conrad
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathology, University of Strasbourg, UMR7021 CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Carole Pflumio
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe France, Strasbourg, France
| | - Christian Borel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe France, Strasbourg, France
| | - Manon Voegelin
- Department of Clinical Research, Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe France, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alexandre Bernard
- Department of Clinical Research, Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe France, Strasbourg, France
| | - Philippe Schultz
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathology, University of Strasbourg, UMR7021 CNRS, Strasbourg, France
- Department of Otolaryngology and Cervico-Facial Surgery, Strasbourg University Hospital France, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mihaela-Alina Onea
- Department of Pathology, Strasbourg University Hospital France, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alain Jung
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathology, University of Strasbourg, UMR7021 CNRS, Strasbourg, France
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe, Strasbourg, 67200, France
| | - Sophie Martin
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathology, University of Strasbourg, UMR7021 CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mickaël Burgy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe France, Strasbourg, France.
- Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathology, University of Strasbourg, UMR7021 CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
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Hoeijmakers LL, Reijers ILM, Blank CU. Biomarker-Driven Personalization of Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Melanoma. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:2319-2338. [PMID: 37668337 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0352] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of immunotherapy has ushered in a new era of anticancer therapy for many cancer types including melanoma. Given the increasing development of novel compounds and combinations and the investigation in earlier disease stages, the need grows for biomarker-based treatment personalization. Stage III melanoma is one of the front-runners in the neoadjuvant immunotherapy field, facilitating quick biomarker identification by its immunogenic capacity, homogeneous patient population, and reliable efficacy readout. In this review, we discuss potential biomarkers for response prediction to neoadjuvant immunotherapy, and how the neoadjuvant melanoma platform could pave the way for biomarker identification in other tumor types. SIGNIFICANCE In accordance with the increasing rate of therapy development, the need for biomarker-driven personalized treatments grows. The current landscape of neoadjuvant treatment and biomarker development in stage III melanoma can function as a poster child for these personalized treatments in other tumors, assisting in the development of new biomarker-based neoadjuvant trials. This will contribute to personalized benefit-risk predictions to identify the most beneficial treatment for each patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotte L Hoeijmakers
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Irene L M Reijers
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christian U Blank
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
- Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Zhang Y, Zhang C, Li K, Deng J, Liu H, Lai G, Xie B, Zhong X. Identification of Molecular Subtypes and Prognostic Characteristics of Adrenocortical Carcinoma Based on Unsupervised Clustering. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15465. [PMID: 37895143 PMCID: PMC10607826 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare endocrine malignancy with a poor prognosis. Increasing evidence highlights the significant role of immune-related genes (IRGs) in ACC progression and immunotherapy, but the research is still limited. Based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, immune-related molecular subtypes were identified by unsupervised consensus clustering. Univariate Cox analysis and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression were employed to further establish immune-related gene signatures (IRGS). An evaluation of immune cell infiltration, biological function, tumor mutation burden (TMB), predicted immunotherapy response, and drug sensitivity in ACC patients was conducted to elucidate the applicative efficacy of IRGS in precision therapy. ACC patients were divided into two molecular subtypes through consistent clustering. Furthermore, the 3-gene signature (including PRKCA, LTBP1, and BIRC5) based on two molecular subtypes demonstrated consistent prognostic efficacy across the TCGA and GEO datasets and emerged as an independent prognostic factor. The low-risk group exhibited heightened immune cell infiltration, TMB, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), associated with a favorable prognosis. Pathways associated with drug metabolism, hormone regulation, and metabolism were activated in the low-risk group. In conclusion, our findings suggest IRGS can be used as an independent prognostic biomarker, providing a foundation for shaping future ACC immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Biao Xie
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Yixue Road, Chongqing 400016, China; (Y.Z.); (C.Z.); (K.L.); (J.D.); (H.L.); (G.L.)
| | - Xiaoni Zhong
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Yixue Road, Chongqing 400016, China; (Y.Z.); (C.Z.); (K.L.); (J.D.); (H.L.); (G.L.)
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Cui Q, Li W, Wang D, Wang S, Yu J. Prognostic significance of blood-based PD-L1 analysis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World J Surg Oncol 2023; 21:318. [PMID: 37821941 PMCID: PMC10566159 DOI: 10.1186/s12957-023-03215-2] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The main types of PD-L1 in the blood include soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1), exosomal PD-L1 (exoPD-L1), and PD-L1 in circulating tumor cells (CTCs). However, the predictive and prognostic values of these three indicators in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy are unclear, warranting a systematic meta-analysis. METHODS A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) values were extracted from the included studies to investigate the correlation between the three PD-L1 indicators and overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to examine the quality of the included studies. Subgroup analyses were employed to investigate the heterogeneity. The publication bias of the included studies was assessed using Begg's and Egger's tests. P < 0.05 was regarded as significantly different. RESULTS The pooled results revealed that high pre-treatment sPD-L1 levels were significantly associated with inferior OS (HR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.68-3.18, P < 0.001) and PFS (HR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.72-3.68, P < 0.001). However, dynamic changes in sPD-L1 after immunotherapy were not statistically significant for OS (HR = 1.46, 95% CI = 0.65-3.26, P > 0.05) or PFS (HR = 1.62, 95% CI = 0.92-2.86, P > 0.05). Meanwhile, the upregulated pre-treatment exoPD-L1 levels were significantly associated with poor PFS (HR = 4.44, 95% CI = 2.87-6.89, P < 0.001), whereas the post-treatment dynamic upregulation of exoPD-L1 was significantly correlated with superior PFS (HR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.24-0.54, P < 0.001) and OS (HR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.07-0.53, P < 0.001). For PD-L1 in CTCs, the pooled results indicated that PD-L1 expression in CTCs was not significantly correlated with OS (HR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.49-1.13, P = 0.170) and PFS (HR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.59-1.06, P = 0.12). CONCLUSIONS Blood-based PD-L1 analysis is a potential strategy for predicting treatment efficacy and prognosis in patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Cui
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Wentao Li
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuangcui Wang
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianchun Yu
- Department of Oncology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China.
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Kam NW, Lau CY, Che CM, Lee VHF. Nasopharynx Battlefield: Cellular Immune Responses Mediated by Midkine in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and COVID-19. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4850. [PMID: 37835544 PMCID: PMC10571800 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194850] [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: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical evidence suggests that the severe respiratory illness coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is often associated with a cytokine storm that results in dysregulated immune responses. Prolonged COVID-19 positivity is thought to disproportionately affect cancer patients. With COVID-19 disrupting the delivery of cancer care, it is crucial to gain momentum and awareness of the mechanistic intersection between these two diseases. This review discusses the role of the cytokine midkine (MK) as an immunomodulator in patients with COVID-19 and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), both of which affect the nasal cavity. We conducted a review and analysis of immunocellular similarities and differences based on clinical studies, research articles, and published transcriptomic datasets. We specifically focused on ligand-receptor pairs that could be used to infer intercellular communication, as well as the current medications used for each disease, including NPC patients who have contracted COVID-19. Based on our findings, we recommend close monitoring of the MK axis to maintain the desirable effects of therapeutic regimens in fighting both NPC and COVID-19 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngar-Woon Kam
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; (N.-W.K.); (C.-Y.L.)
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Ltd., Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China;
| | - Cho-Yiu Lau
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; (N.-W.K.); (C.-Y.L.)
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Ltd., Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China;
| | - Chi-Ming Che
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Ltd., Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China;
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Victor Ho-Fun Lee
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; (N.-W.K.); (C.-Y.L.)
- Clinical Oncology Center, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518053, China
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12
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Mishra A, Gupta K, Kumar D, Lofland G, Sharma AK, Solnes LB, Rowe SP, Forde PM, Pomper MG, Gabrielson EW, Nimmagadda S. Non-invasive PD-L1 quantification using [ 18F]DK222-PET imaging in cancer immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007535. [PMID: 37793856 PMCID: PMC10551964 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007535] [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: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Combination therapies that aim to improve the clinical efficacy to immune checkpoint inhibitors have led to the need for non-invasive and early pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a promising non-invasive approach to monitoring target dynamics, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is a central component in cancer immunotherapy strategies. [18F]DK222, a peptide-based PD-L1 imaging agent, was investigated in this study using humanized mouse models to explore the relationship between PD-L1 expression and therapy-induced changes in cancer. METHODS Cell lines and xenografts derived from three non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and three urothelial carcinomas (UCs) were used to validate the specificity of [18F]DK222 for PD-L1. PET was used to quantify anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) therapy-induced changes in PD-L1 expression in tumors with and without microsatellite instability (MSI) in humanized mice. Furthermore, [18F]DK222-PET was used to validate PD-L1 pharmacodynamics in the context of monotherapy and combination immunotherapy in humanized mice bearing A375 melanoma xenografts. PET measures of PD-L1 expression were used to establish a relationship between pathological and immunological changes. Lastly, spatial distribution analysis of [18F]DK222-PET was developed to assess the effects of different immunotherapy regimens on tumor heterogeneity. RESULTS [18F]DK222-PET and biodistribution studies in mice with NSCLC and UC xenografts revealed high but variable tumor uptake at 60 min that correlated with PD-L1 expression. In MSI tumors treated with anti-PD-1, [18F]DK222 uptake was higher than in control tumors. Moreover, [18F]DK222 uptake was higher in A375 tumors treated with combination therapy compared with monotherapy, and negatively correlated with final tumor volumes. In addition, a higher number of PD-L1+ cells and higher CD8+-to-CD4+ cell ratio was observed with combination therapy compared with monotherapy, and positively correlated with PET. Furthermore, spatial distribution analysis showed higher [18F]DK222 uptake towards the core of the tumors in combination therapy, indicating a more robust and distinct pattern of immune cell infiltration. CONCLUSION [18F]DK222-PET has potential as a non-invasive tool for monitoring the effects of immunotherapy on tumors. It was able to detect variable PD-L1 expression in tumors of different cancer types and quantify therapy-induced changes in tumors. Moreover, [18F]DK222-PET was able to differentiate the impact of different therapies on tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akhilesh Mishra
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kuldeep Gupta
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Dhiraj Kumar
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Gabriela Lofland
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ajay Kumar Sharma
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lilja B Solnes
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Steven P Rowe
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Patrick M Forde
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Martin G Pomper
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Edward W Gabrielson
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sridhar Nimmagadda
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Medicine (Clinical Pharmacology), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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13
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Liu WL, Zhang YQ, Luo XJ, Zhu YY, Song L, Ming ZH, Zhang LX, Li MJ, Lv RC, Zhang GJ, Chen M. Novel Dual-Mode NIR-II/MRI Nanoprobe Targeting PD-L1 Accurately Evaluates the Efficacy of Immunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Int J Nanomedicine 2023; 18:5141-5157. [PMID: 37705867 PMCID: PMC10497065 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s417944] [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: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Durable responses to immune-checkpoint blocking therapy (ICT) targeting programmed cell death protein-1/ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) have improved outcomes for patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Unfortunately, only 19-23% of patients benefit from ICT. Hence, non-invasive strategies evaluating responses to therapy and selecting patients who will benefit from ICT are critical issues for TNBC immunotherapy. Methods We developed a novel nanoparticle-Atezolizumab (NPs-Ate) consisting of indocyanine green (ICG), gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA), human serum albumin (HSA), and Atezolizumab. The efficiency of Gd-DTPA linking was verified using mass spectrometry, and the size of NPs-Ate was characterized using Nano-flow cytometry. The synthesized NPs-Ate were evaluated for fluorescence stability, penetration depth, and target specificity. TNBC cell lines and tumor-bearing mice models were used to identify the feasibility of this dual-modal second near-infrared/magnetic resonance imaging (NIR-II/MRI) system. Additionally, ICT combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy in TNBC tumor-bearing mice models were used to assess dynamic changes of PD-L1 and predicted therapeutic responses with NPs-Ate. Results Atezolizumab, a monoclonal antibody, was successfully labeled with ICG and Gd-DTPA to generate NPs-Ate. This demonstrated strong fluorescence signals in our NIR-II imaging system, and relaxivity (γ1) of 9.77 mM-1 s-1. In tumor-bearing mice, the NIR-II imaging signal background ratio (SBR) reached its peak of 11.51 at 36 hours, while the MRI imaging SBR reached its highest as 1.95 after 12 hours of tracer injection. NPs-Ate specifically targets cells and tumors expressing PD-L1, enabling monitoring of PD-L1 status during immunotherapy. Combining therapies led to inhibited tumor growth, prolonged survival, and increased PD-L1 expression, effectively monitored using the non-invasive NPs-Ate imaging system. Conclusion The NIR-II/MRI NPs-Ate effectively reflected PD-L1 status during immunotherapy. Real-time and non-invasive immunotherapy and response/prognosis monitoring under NIR-II/MRI imaging guidance in TNBC is a promising and innovative technology with potential for extensive clinical applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Ling Liu
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yong-Qu Zhang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiang-Jie Luo
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Zhu
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liang Song
- Xiamen Institute of Rare Earth Materials, Haixi Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Technology University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zi-He Ming
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li-Xin Zhang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meng-Jun Li
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Rui-Chan Lv
- Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, Shanxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guo-Jun Zhang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Min Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China
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Boutros C, Belkadi-Sadou D, Marchand A, Roy S, Routier E, Robert C. Cured or Not? Long-term Outcomes of Immunotherapy Responders. Focus on Melanoma. Curr Oncol Rep 2023; 25:989-996. [PMID: 37266890 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-023-01429-x] [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] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) demonstrated robust antitumor activity and tolerable safety in advanced melanoma. Data on long-term outcome of patients who benefited from this therapy and who are still free of progression despite ICI discontinuation is now available. We review here the characteristics of long-term ICI responders and address the critical question of cure. RECENT FINDINGS Long-term outcome of patients with metastatic melanoma enrolled in large phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials evaluating ICI in metastatic melanoma is now available. Durable responses, with more than 6 years of median follow-up, may persist after discontinuation. They occur more frequently in patients who achieved a complete response rather than in patients who had partial response or stable disease. Although long-term clinical benefit is more frequent in patients with high PDL-1 expression and smaller tumor burden, durable response may also be observed regardless of baseline characteristics. In patients with asymptomatic brain metastasis, combined immunotherapy (ipilimumab plus nivolumab) may also lead to long-term remission. Clinical trials confirm the durable antitumor activity of ICI. Although the hope for cure seems reasonable for many patients in this situation, late relapses may occur and no relapse-predictive biomarkers have been identified yet. Long-term responders who relapse can respond to a rechallenge of ICI although data are limited concerning the rate and the duration of this new response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Boutros
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif, France
- Outpatient Clinic, Department of Medicine, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - Djaouida Belkadi-Sadou
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif, France
| | - Antoine Marchand
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif, France
| | - Séverine Roy
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif, France
| | - Emilie Routier
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif, France
| | - Caroline Robert
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif, France.
- University Paris-Saclay, Faculty of Medicine, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
- INSERM Unit U981, Villejuif, France.
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15
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Li L, Tianrui K, Chunlei L, Zhendong Q, Xiaoyan C, Wenhong D. HYDIN mutation status as a potential predictor of immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy in melanoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:7997-8012. [PMID: 37595251 PMCID: PMC10496993 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204925] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has altered the outlook for cancer treatment. The estimation of predictive biomarkers could contribute to maximizing the benefits from ICIs treatment. Here, we explored the association between HYDIN mutations (HYDIN-MUT) in melanoma and ICIs efficacy. METHODS Clinical data and sequencing data from published studies were utilized to assess the association between HYDIN-MUT and the efficacy of ICIs treatment in melanoma patients. RESULTS Compared to other tumor types, HYDIN (36.14%) has the highest mutation rate in melanoma patients. In the anti-PD-1 treated cohort (n = 254), the HYDIN-MUT patients had a longer OS after ICIs treatment than the HYDIN wild-type (HYDIN-WT) patients (HR = 0.590 [95% CI, 0.410-0.847], P = 0.004); the objective response rate (ORR) and durable clinical benefit (DCB) were increased in patients with HYDIN-MUT (ORR = 46.25, DCB = 56.00%) compared to patients with HYDIN-WT (ORR = 30.99%, DCB = 42.76%) (ORR: P = 0.019; DCB: P = 0.060). In the anti-CTLA4 treated cohort (n = 174), HYDIN-MUT patients achieved significantly longer OS than HYDIN-WT patients (HR = 0.549 [95% CI, 0.366-0.823], P = 0.003); the proportion of ORR and DCB in HYDIN-MUT patients was significantly higher than that in HYDIN-WT patients (ORR 40.54% vs. 14.42%, P = 0.031; DCB 45.76% vs. 22.22%, P = 0.002). Further gene set enrichment analysis demonstrated that DNA repair and anti-tumor immunity were significantly enhanced in HYDIN-MUT patients. CONCLUSIONS HYDIN mutations are a potential predictive biomarker of ICIs efficacy in melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Li
- Department of General Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Kuang Tianrui
- Department of General Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Li Chunlei
- Department of General Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qiu Zhendong
- Department of General Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Chen Xiaoyan
- Department of General Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Deng Wenhong
- Department of General Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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16
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Gerton TJ, Green A, Campisi M, Chen M, Gjeci I, Mahadevan N, Lee CAA, Mishra R, Vo HV, Haratani K, Li ZH, Hasselblatt KT, Testino B, Connor T, Lian CG, Elias KM, Lizotte P, Ivanova EV, Barbie DA, Dinulescu DM. Development of a Patient-Derived 3D Immuno-Oncology Platform to Potentiate Immunotherapy Responses in Ascites-Derived Circulating Tumor Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4128. [PMID: 37627156 PMCID: PMC10452550 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164128] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is responsible for the majority of gynecology cancer-related deaths. Patients in remission often relapse with more aggressive forms of disease within 2 years post-treatment. Alternative immuno-oncology (IO) strategies, such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) targeting the PD-(L)1 signaling axis, have proven inefficient so far. Our aim is to utilize epigenetic modulators to maximize the benefit of personalized IO combinations in ex vivo 3D patient-derived platforms and in vivo syngeneic models. Using patient-derived tumor ascites, we optimized an ex vivo 3D screening platform (PDOTS), which employs autologous immune cells and circulating ascites-derived tumor cells, to rapidly test personalized IO combinations. Most importantly, patient responses to platinum chemotherapy and poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors in 3D platforms recapitulate clinical responses. Furthermore, similar to clinical trial results, responses to ICB in PDOTS tend to be low and positively correlated with the frequency of CD3+ immune cells and EPCAM+/PD-L1+ tumor cells. Thus, the greatest response observed with anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy alone is seen in patient-derived HGSOC ascites, which present with high levels of systemic CD3+ and PD-L1+ expression in immune and tumor cells, respectively. In addition, priming with epigenetic adjuvants greatly potentiates ICB in ex vivo 3D testing platforms and in vivo tumor models. We further find that epigenetic priming induces increased tumor secretion of several key cytokines known to augment T and NK cell activation and cytotoxicity, including IL-6, IP-10 (CXCL10), KC (CXCL1), and RANTES (CCL5). Moreover, epigenetic priming alone and in combination with ICB immunotherapy in patient-derived PDOTS induces rapid upregulation of CD69, a reliable early activation of immune markers in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Consequently, this functional precision medicine approach could rapidly identify personalized therapeutic combinations able to potentiate ICB, which is a great advantage, especially given the current clinical difficulty of testing a high number of potential combinations in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Gerton
- Division of Women’s and Perinatal Pathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Allen Green
- Division of Women’s and Perinatal Pathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marco Campisi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Minyue Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Iliana Gjeci
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Navin Mahadevan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Catherine A. A. Lee
- Division of Dermatopathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ranjan Mishra
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ha V. Vo
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Koji Haratani
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ze-Hua Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kathleen T. Hasselblatt
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bryanna Testino
- Division of Women’s and Perinatal Pathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Trevor Connor
- Division of Women’s and Perinatal Pathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christine G. Lian
- Division of Dermatopathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kevin M. Elias
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Patrick Lizotte
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Elena V. Ivanova
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - David A. Barbie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Daniela M. Dinulescu
- Division of Women’s and Perinatal Pathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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17
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Sarkar J, Cortes Gomez E, Oba T, Chen H, Dy GK, Segal BH, Ernstoff MS, Ito F. Fluctuations in Gut Microbiome Composition During Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy. World J Oncol 2023; 14:178-187. [PMID: 37350807 PMCID: PMC10284636 DOI: 10.14740/wjon1587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors or PD-1 ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors have led to remarkable improvement in outcomes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Unfortunately, the significant benefits of ICI therapy are frequently limited by resistance to treatment and adverse effects, and the predictive value of pre-treatment tumor tissue PD-L1 expression is limited. Development of less invasive biomarkers that could identify responders and non-responders in early on-treatment could markedly improve the treatment regimen. Accumulating evidence suggests that baseline gut microbiota profile is associated with response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy. However, change in the gut microbiome composition during PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy and its relation to response remain unclear. Methods Here, we analyzed pre- and on-treatment fecal samples from five NSCLC patients receiving anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, alone or in tandem with chemotherapy, and performed 16S rRNA sequencing. Results The overall alpha diversity of the baseline gut microbiome was similar between three responders and two non-responders. While the gut microbiome composition remained stable overall during treatment (R2 = 0.145), responders showed significant changes in microbiome diversity between pre- and on-treatment samples during anti-PD-1 therapy compared to non-responders (P = 0.0274). Within the diverse microbiota, responders showed decreases in the abundance of genera Odoribacter, Gordonibacter, Candidatus Stoquefichus, Escherichia-Shigella, and Collinsella, and increase in abundance of Clostridium sensu stricto 1. In contrast, non-responders demonstrated on-treatment increases in genera Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Streptococcus, and Escherichia-Shigella, and decrease in abundance of Akkermansia. Conclusions This pilot study identified a substantial change in gut microbiome diversity between pre- and on-treatment samples in NSCLC patients responding to anti-PD-1 therapy compared to non-responders. Our findings highlight the potential utility of gut microbiota dynamics as a noninvasive biomarker to predict response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy for a wide variety of malignancies, which sets a path for future investigation in larger prospective studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Sarkar
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
- These authors contributed equally to the study
| | - Eduardo Cortes Gomez
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Professions, SUNY at Buffalo, NY, USA
- These authors contributed equally to the study
| | - Takaaki Oba
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Hongbin Chen
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Grace K. Dy
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Brahm H. Segal
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Marc S. Ernstoff
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
- National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Fumito Ito
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Surgery, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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18
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Indini A, Lombardo M, Sidoni A, Gianatti A, Mandalà M, Massi D. Pathology of Immunotherapy-induced Responses in Cutaneous Melanoma: Current Evidences and Future Perspectives. Adv Anat Pathol 2023; 30:218-229. [PMID: 36221225 DOI: 10.1097/pap.0000000000000375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Over the last years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated remarkable anti-tumor activity and beneficial effects in patients with early and advanced melanoma. However, ICIs provide clinical benefit only in a minority of patients due to primary and/or acquired resistance mechanisms. Immunotherapy resistance is a complex phenomenon relying on genetic and epigenetic factors, which ultimately influence the interplay between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment. Information is accumulating on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the production of resistance and the resulting diminished therapeutic efficacy. In addition, current knowledge on predictors of response and toxicity to immunotherapy and on biomarkers that reliably identify resistant patients is in progress. In this review, we will focus on the tumor microenvironment changes induced by ICIs in melanoma, summarizing the available evidence of clinical trials in the neoadjuvant and metastatic setting. We will also overview the role of potential biomarkers in predicting disease response to ICIs, providing insight into current and future research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurizio Lombardo
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, ASST dei Sette Laghi, Varese
| | - Angelo Sidoni
- Section of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia
| | | | - Mario Mandalà
- Unit of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia
| | - Daniela Massi
- Section of Pathological Anatomy, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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19
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Long GV, Menzies AM, Scolyer RA. Neoadjuvant Checkpoint Immunotherapy and Melanoma: The Time Is Now. J Clin Oncol 2023:JCO2202575. [PMID: 37104746 DOI: 10.1200/jco.22.02575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of neoadjuvant therapy is undergoing an historic shift in oncology. The emergence of potent immunostimulatory anticancer agents has transformed neoadjuvant therapy from a useful tool in minimizing surgical morbidity to a life-saving treatment with curative promise, led by research in the field of melanoma. Health practitioners have witnessed remarkable improvements in melanoma survival outcomes over the past decade, beginning with checkpoint immunotherapies and BRAF-targeted therapies in the advanced setting that were successfully adopted into the postsurgical adjuvant setting for high-risk resectable disease. Despite substantial reductions in postsurgical recurrence, high-risk resectable melanoma has remained a life-altering and potentially fatal disease. In recent years, data from preclinical models and early-phase clinical trials have pointed to the potential for greater clinical efficacy when checkpoint inhibitors are administered in the neoadjuvant rather than adjuvant setting. Early feasibility studies showed impressive pathologic response rates to neoadjuvant immunotherapy, which were associated with recurrence-free survival rates of over 90%. Recently, the randomized phase II SWOG S1801 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03698019) reported a 42% reduction in 2-year event-free survival risk with neoadjuvant versus adjuvant pembrolizumab in resectable stage IIIB-D/IV melanoma (72% v 49%; hazard ratio, 0.58; P = .004), establishing neoadjuvant single-agent immunotherapy as a new standard of care. A randomized phase III trial of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in resectable stage IIIB-D melanoma, NADINA (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04949113), is ongoing, as are feasibility studies in high-risk stage II disease. With a swathe of clinical, quality-of-life, and economic benefits, neoadjuvant immunotherapy has the potential to redefine the contemporary management of resectable tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina V Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alexander M Menzies
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard A Scolyer
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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20
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Yu SJ. Immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: Recent advances and future targets. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 244:108387. [PMID: 36948423 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a promising approach to treating various types of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While single immunotherapy drugs show limited effectiveness on a small subset of patients, the combination of the anti PD-L1 atezolizumab and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor bevacizumab has shown significant improvement in survival compared to sorafenib as a first-line treatment. However, the current treatment options still have a low success rate of about 30%. Thus, more effective treatments for HCC are urgently required. Several novel immunotherapeutic methods, including the use of novel immune checkpoint inhibitors, innovative immune cell therapies like chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T), TCR gene-modified T cells and stem cells, as well as combination strategies are being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of HCC. However, some crucial issues still exist such as the presence of heterogeneous antigens in solid tumors, the immune-suppressive environment within tumors, the risk of on-target/off-tumor, infiltrating CAR-T cells, immunosuppressive checkpoint molecules, and cytokines. Overall, immunotherapy is on the brink of major advancements in the fight against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Jong Yu
- Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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21
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Ni JJ, Zhang ZZ, Ge MJ, Chen JY, Zhuo W. Immune-based combination therapy to convert immunologically cold tumors into hot tumors: an update and new insights. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2023; 44:288-307. [PMID: 35927312 PMCID: PMC9889774 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-022-00953-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
As a breakthrough strategy for cancer treatment, immunotherapy mainly consists of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and other immunomodulatory drugs that provide a durable protective antitumor response by stimulating the immune system to fight cancer. However, due to the low response rate and unique toxicity profiles of immunotherapy, the strategies of combining immunotherapy with other therapies have attracted enormous attention. These combinations are designed to exert potent antitumor effects by regulating different processes in the cancer-immunity cycle. To date, immune-based combination therapy has achieved encouraging results in numerous clinical trials and has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for certain cancers with more studies underway. This review summarizes the emerging strategies of immune-based combination therapy, including combinations with another immunotherapeutic strategy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, anti-angiogenic therapy, targeted therapy, bacterial therapy, and stroma-targeted therapy. Here, we highlight the rationale of immune-based combination therapy, the biomarkers and the clinical progress for these immune-based combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao-Jiao Ni
- Department of Cell Biology and Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Institution of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zi-Zhen Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Institution of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ming-Jie Ge
- Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Jing-Yu Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Institution of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Wei Zhuo
- Department of Cell Biology and Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
- Institution of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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22
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Meric-Bernstam F, Sweis RF, Kasper S, Hamid O, Bhatia S, Dummer R, Stradella A, Long GV, Spreafico A, Shimizu T, Steeghs N, Luke JJ, McWhirter SM, Müller T, Nair N, Lewis N, Chen X, Bean A, Kattenhorn L, Pelletier M, Sandhu S. Combination of the STING Agonist MIW815 (ADU-S100) and PD-1 Inhibitor Spartalizumab in Advanced/Metastatic Solid Tumors or Lymphomas: An Open-Label, Multicenter, Phase Ib Study. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:110-121. [PMID: 36282874 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-2235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The stimulator of IFN genes (STING) is a transmembrane protein that plays a role in the immune response to tumors. Single-agent STING agonist MIW815 (ADU-S100) has demonstrated immune activation but limited antitumor activity. This phase Ib, multicenter, dose-escalation study assessed the safety and tolerability of MIW815 plus spartalizumab (PDR001), a humanized IgG4 antibody against PD-1, in 106 patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were treated with weekly intratumoral injections of MIW815 (50-3,200 μg) on a 3-weeks-on/1-week-off schedule or once every 4 weeks, plus a fixed dose of spartalizumab (400 mg) intravenously every 4 weeks. RESULTS Common adverse events were pyrexia (n = 23; 22%), injection site pain (n = 21; 20%), and diarrhea (n = 12; 11%). Overall response rate was 10.4%. The MTD was not reached. Pharmacodynamic biomarker analysis demonstrated on-target activity. CONCLUSIONS The combination of MIW815 and spartalizumab was well tolerated in patients with advanced/metastatic cancers, including in patients with anti-PD-1 refractory disease. Minimal antitumor responses were seen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stefan Kasper
- University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, Essen, Germany
| | - Omid Hamid
- The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, A Cedars Sinai Affiliate, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Reinhard Dummer
- Universitaetsspital Zuerich Dermatology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Agostina Stradella
- Institut Català d'Oncologia - Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Georgina V Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, and Mater and Royal North Shore Hospitals, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Jason J Luke
- The University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | - Nitya Nair
- Aduro Biotech, Inc., Berkeley, California
| | - Nancy Lewis
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, New Jersey
| | - Xinhui Chen
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, East Hanover, New Jersey
| | - Andrew Bean
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, New Jersey
| | - Lisa Kattenhorn
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Marc Pelletier
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Shahneen Sandhu
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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23
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Jiang C, Tian Q, Xu X, Li P, He S, Chen J, Yao B, Zhang J, Yang Z, Song S. Enhanced antitumor immune responses via a new agent [ 131I]-labeled dual-target immunosuppressant. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2023; 50:275-286. [PMID: 36242616 PMCID: PMC9816240 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-022-05986-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Radionuclides theranostic are ideal "partners" for bispecific antibodies to explore the immune response of patients and synergistic treatment. A bispecific single-domain antibody-Fc fusion protein, KN046, exhibits a good treatment effect by binding to programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4). An ionizing-radiation stimulus mediated by a low-dose of [131I] may be used for immunopotentiation. In this study, we established [131I]-labeled KN046 as a novel radioimmunotherapy agent to treat malignant melanoma and explored the mechanism. METHODS After intravenous injection of [131I]-KN046, SPECT/CT imaging was applied to identify candidate targets for KN046 immunotherapy. [18F]-FDG and [68 Ga]-NOTA-GZP (granzyme B-specific PET imaging agent) micro-PET/CT imaging was used to assess the immune response in vivo after [131I]-KN046 treatment. The synergistic treatment effect of [131I]-KN046 was evaluated by exploring the [131I]-based radionuclide-induced release of tumor immunogenicity-related antigens as well as the histology and survival of tumor-bearing mice after treatment. RESULTS The constructed [131I]-KN046 exhibited high affinity and specificity for PD-L1/CTLA-4 immune targets and had excellent in vivo intratumoral retention capability so as to achieve good antitumor efficacy. More importantly, the combination of low-dose [131I] and KN046-enhanced immunosensitivity increased the immunotherapy response rates significantly. Exposure of tumor cells to [131I]-KN046 led to upregulated expression of MHC-I and Fas surface molecules and significant increases in the degree of T-cell activation and counts of tumor-infiltrating immunocytes. CONCLUSION Use of low-dose [131I] combined with a dual-target immunosuppressant could be exploited to identify the subset of treatment responders but also exhibited great potential for enhancing antitumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjuan Jiang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiwei Tian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoping Xu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, China
| | - Panli Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, China
| | - Simin He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bolin Yao
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianping Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziyi Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaoli Song
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, China.
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24
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Barnestein R, Galland L, Kalfeist L, Ghiringhelli F, Ladoire S, Limagne E. Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment modulation by chemotherapies and targeted therapies to enhance immunotherapy effectiveness. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2120676. [PMID: 36117524 PMCID: PMC9481153 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2120676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
With the rapid clinical development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the standard of care in cancer management has evolved rapidly. However, immunotherapy is not currently beneficial for all patients. In addition to intrinsic tumor factors, other etiologies of resistance to ICIs arise from the complex interplay between cancer and its microenvironment. Recognition of the essential role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in cancer progression has led to a shift from a tumor-cell-centered view of cancer development, to the concept of a complex tumor ecosystem that supports tumor growth and metastatic dissemination. The expansion of immunosuppressive cells represents a cardinal strategy deployed by tumor cells to escape detection and elimination by the immune system. Regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and type-2 tumor-associated macrophages (TAM2) are major components of these inhibitory cellular networks, with the ability to suppress innate and adaptive anticancer immunity. They therefore represent major impediments to anticancer therapies, particularly immune-based interventions. Recent work has provided evidence that, beyond their direct cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, several conventional chemotherapeutic (CT) drugs and agents used in targeted therapies (TT) can promote the elimination or inactivation of suppressive immune cells, resulting in enhanced antitumor immunity. In this review, we will analyze findings pertaining to this concept, discuss the possible molecular bases underlying the selective targeting of these immunosuppressive cells by antineoplastic agents (CT and/or TT), and consider current challenges and future prospects related to the integration of these molecules into more efficient anticancer strategies, in the era of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robby Barnestein
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
| | - Loïck Galland
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges François Leclerc Center, Dijon, France
| | - Laura Kalfeist
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
- Centre de Recherche INSERM LNC-UMR1231, Dijon, France
- Genomic and Immunotherapy Medical Institute, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France
| | - François Ghiringhelli
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges François Leclerc Center, Dijon, France
- Centre de Recherche INSERM LNC-UMR1231, Dijon, France
- Genomic and Immunotherapy Medical Institute, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France
| | - Sylvain Ladoire
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges François Leclerc Center, Dijon, France
- Centre de Recherche INSERM LNC-UMR1231, Dijon, France
- Genomic and Immunotherapy Medical Institute, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France
| | - Emeric Limagne
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges François Leclerc Center, Dijon, France
- Centre de Recherche INSERM LNC-UMR1231, Dijon, France
- Genomic and Immunotherapy Medical Institute, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France
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25
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Noori M, Yousefi AM, Zali MR, Bashash D. Predictive value of PD-L1 expression in response to immune checkpoint inhibitors for esophageal cancer treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1021859. [PMID: 36591463 PMCID: PMC9798008 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1021859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Programmed death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) molecule is a well-known predictive biomarker for the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in several cancers. Present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at investigating the role of PD-L1 in predicting the effectiveness of programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 inhibitors in patients suffering from esophageal cancer. Methods We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases as of March 25, 2022, for retrieving the potential relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The pooled hazard ratios (HR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated for the outcomes of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The primary objective was to investigate the association between PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors vs. control agents and treatment efficacy in terms of OS in patients with esophageal tumor expressing different values of PD-L1 based on combined-positive score (CPS) and tumor proportion score (TPS). The secondary outcome was the pooled risk of PFS. Results Eleven studies with a total of 5,418 participants were included. While there was no difference in the OS of CPS<1 patients in the intervention and the control group, patients bearing esophageal tumors with a CPS≥1 (HR 0.65, 0.56-0.74) treated by ICIs showed a significant improvement in OS relative to the control agents. Accordingly, patients with CPS<5 (HR 0.75, 0.58-0.98), CPS≥5 (HR 0.64, 0.53-0.77), CPS<10 (HR 0.86, 0.76-0.98), and CPS≥10 (HR 0.65, 0.56-0.75) had improved OS; however, a significant longer OS was observed in cases who expressed higher values of CPS=10 (p=0.018). In terms of TPS, a significant greater benefit in prolonging the OS came from TPS≥1% PD-L1 expressing tumors in comparison to TPS<1% tumors, suggesting this cut-off as another predictor of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors efficacy. Notably, in the subgroup analysis when the cut-off value of CPS=10 or TPS=1% was selected, Nivolumab was the best ICI that improved the survival of PD-L1 positive patients. In patients with negative PD-L1 expression, Toripalimib is the only ICI which could prolong the OS of patients with the cut-off value of CPS=10. Conclusion Among patients suffering from esophageal cancer, PD-L1 CPS=10 and TPS=1% expression thresholds seem to be predictive of a lower rate of mortality when PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are administrated; however, further large-scale trials are required for confirming the findings of the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Noori
- Research Committee, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir-Mohammad Yousefi
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Bashash
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,*Correspondence: Davood Bashash, ;
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Shen J, Zou Z, Guo J, Cai Y, Xue D, Liang Y, Wang W, Peng H, Fu YX. An engineered concealed IL-15-R elicits tumor-specific CD8+T cell responses through PD-1-cis delivery. J Exp Med 2022; 219:213502. [PMID: 36165896 PMCID: PMC9521244 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20220745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Checkpoint blockade immunotherapy releases the inhibition of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) but weakly induces TIL proliferation. Exogenous IL-15 could further expand TILs and thus synergize with αPD-L1 therapy. However, systemic delivery of IL-15 extensively expands peripheral NK cells, causing severe toxicity. To redirect IL-15 to intratumoral PD-1+CD8+T effector cells instead of NK cells for better tumor control and lower toxicity, we engineered an anti-PD-1 fusion with IL-15-IL-15Rα, whose activity was geographically concealed by immunoglobulin Fc region with an engineered linker (αPD-1-IL-15-R) to bypass systemic NK cells. Systematic administration of αPD-1-IL-15-R elicited extraordinary antitumor efficacy with undetectable toxicity. Mechanistically, cis-delivery of αPD-1-IL-15-R vastly expands tumor-specific CD8+T cells for tumor rejection. Additionally, αPD-1-IL-15-R upregulated PD-1 and IL-15Rβ on T cells to create a feedforward activation loop, thus rejuvenating TILs, not only resulting in tumor control in situ, but also suppressing tumor metastasis. Collectively, renavigating IL-15 to tumor-specific PD-1+CD8+T cells, αPD-1-IL-15-R elicits effective systemic antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Shen
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuangzhi Zou
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingya Guo
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yueqi Cai
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Diyuan Xue
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Liang
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenyan Wang
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Peng
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang-Xin Fu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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27
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Yuan M, Xu J, Cao S, Sun S. DDX1 is a prognostic biomarker and correlates with immune infiltrations in hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Immunol 2022; 23:59. [PMID: 36451087 PMCID: PMC9710136 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-022-00533-0] [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: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading lethal malignant tumors worldwide. DEAD-box (DDX) family helicases are implicated in numerous human cancers. However, the role of DDX1 in HCC has not yet been fully elucidated. We downloaded gene expression data and clinical information data of HCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database and conducted subsequent analyses using the R package and online portal. The results revealed that HCC tissues had higher DDX1 expression compared with either paired or unpaired normal tissues. The increased DDX1 expression was closely related to the advanced pathological grade and histologic grade of HCC. Further analysis suggested that patients with high DDX1 expression contributed to poor prognosis The Cox regression analysis revealed that the expression level of DDX1 was an independent prognostic factor for HCC. In addition, an ICGC cohort was used for external validation. The cBio-Portal, MethSurv, and UALCAN database were used for evaluating the genomic mechanism. Moreover, the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource dataset and QUANTISEQ algorithm revealed that DDX1 expression positively correlates with immune infiltrating cells. We also identified the DDX1-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and explored their biological functions by GO, KEGG, and GSEA analyses, which indicated that DDX1 may regulate the progression of HCC. In general, increased DDX1 expression predicts a poor prognosis and drives the progression of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengping Yuan
- grid.417384.d0000 0004 1764 2632Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinyong Xu
- Department of Pathology, Shenzhen Hyzen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518038 People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuguang Cao
- grid.417384.d0000 0004 1764 2632Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuangshuang Sun
- grid.417384.d0000 0004 1764 2632Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000 People’s Republic of China
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28
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Harkus U, Wankell M, Palamuthusingam P, McFarlane C, Hebbard L. Immune checkpoint inhibitors in HCC: Cellular, molecular and systemic data. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:799-815. [PMID: 35065242 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths in the world, and for patients with advanced disease there are few therapeutic options available. The complex immunological microenvironment of HCC and the success of immunotherapy in several types of tumours, has raised the prospect of potential benefit for immune based therapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), in HCC. This has led to significant breakthrough research, numerous clinical trials and the rapid approval of multiple systemic drugs for HCC by regulatory bodies worldwide. Although some patients responded well to ICIs, many have failed to achieve significant benefit, while others showed unexpected and paradoxical deterioration. The aim of this review is to discuss the pathophysiology of HCC, the tumour microenvironment, key clinical trials evaluating ICIs in HCC, various resistance mechanisms to ICIs, and possible ways to overcome these impediments to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uasim Harkus
- Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Miriam Wankell
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine and Health, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Pranavan Palamuthusingam
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Mater Hospital, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Craig McFarlane
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine and Health, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Lionel Hebbard
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine and Health, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2145, Australia.
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29
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Li M, Song Q, Bai Y, Hua F, Wu T, Liu J. Comprehensive analysis of cuproptosis in immune response and prognosis of osteosarcoma. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:992431. [PMID: 36263140 PMCID: PMC9573992 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.992431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Copper-induced cell death, a form of apoptosis, has been extensively investigated in human diseases. Recent studies on the mechanisms underlying copper-induced cell death have provided innovative insights into copper-related toxicity in cells, and this form of programmed cell death was termed cuproptosis. Herein, we conducted a comprehensive analysis to determine the specific role of cuproptosis in osteosarcoma. Using consensus clustering analysis, patients with osteosarcoma from the TARGET database were classified into subgroups with distinct cuproptosis-based molecular patterns. Accordingly, these patients displayed diverse clinicopathological features, survival outcomes, tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristics, immune-related scores, and therapeutic responses. Furthermore, we constructed a cuproptosis-based risk signature and nomogram, as well as developed a cuproptosis score for improved patient characterization. The prognostic model and cuproptosis score were well validated and confirmed to efficiently distinguish high- and low-risk patients, thereby affording great predictive value. Finally, we verified the abnormal expression of prognostic CUG in OS patients by immunohistochemistry. In conclusion, we suggest that cuproptosis may play an important role in regulating the tumor microenvironment features, tumor progression and the long-term prognosis of osteosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhe Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiang Song
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunfeng Bai
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Feng Hua
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tao Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Jun Liu,
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30
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Yuan K, Wu J, Zhao Y, Lyu S, Zhou Q, Shi F, Li Y, Song Q. Consistent expression of PD-L1 in tumor microenvironment with peripheral PD-1/PD-L1 in circulating T lymphocytes of operable breast cancer: a diagnostic test. Diagn Pathol 2022; 17:68. [PMID: 36088412 PMCID: PMC9464389 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-022-01249-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The expression of PD-L1 in the immune microenvironment can guide the application of immunosuppressants. In order to monitor the immune status of the body, repeated biopsies have to be taken. Our research aims to find new and convenient means to evaluate this indicator. Methods Eighty-three cases of newly diagnosed operable breast cancer without receiving preoperative treatment, were recruited from Beijing Shijitan Hospital between November 2018 and November 2019. The expression of PD-1/PD-L1 on circulating T lymphocytes was detected by flow cytometry and the expression of PD-L1 on immune cells in tumor microenvironment was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results The median percentage of positive PD-1 and PD-L1 expression on circulating T lymphocytes was 15.2% and 0.7%, respectively. The peripheral PD-1 had no relationship with clinicopathological characteristics, but the peripheral PD-L1 expression had a correlation with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.005) and Her-2 expression (p = 0.034) (p < 0.05). The positive rate of PD-L1 expression was 32.9% in tumor microenvironment. PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment had a significant correlation with PD-1/PD-L1 expression on circulating T lymphocytes, the correlation coefficients being 0.24 (p < 0.05) and 0.26 (p < 0.05), respectively. To predict the PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.65 and 0.66 for peripheral PD-1 and PD-L1, respectively. High level of peripheral PD-1/PD-L1 expression was associated with the odds ratios of 5.42 and 4.76 for positive PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment. Conclusion Peripheral PD-1/PD-L1 expression had a significant consistency with PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment and could act as an alternative choice of tissue detection, for the patients intolerable of biopsy.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Here, we reviewed the recent breakthroughs in the understanding of predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) treatment. RECENT FINDINGS ICI have revolutionized cancer therapy enabling novel therapeutic indications in multiple tumor types and increasing the probability of survival in patients with metastatic disease. However, in every considered tumor types only a minority of patients exhibits clear and lasting benefice from ICI treatment, and due to their unique mechanism of action treatment with ICI is also associated with acute clinical toxicities called immune related adverse events (irAEs) that can be life threatening. The approval of the first ICI drug has prompted many exploratory strategies for a variety of biomarkers and have shown that several factors might affect the response to ICI treatment, including tumors intrinsic factors, tumor microenvironment and tumor extrinsic or systemic factor. Currently, only three biomarkers programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), tumor microenvironment and microsatellite instability had the US Food and Drug Administration-approbation with some limitations. SUMMARY The establishment of valid predictive biomarkers of ICI sensitivity has become a priority to guide patient treatment to maximize the chance of benefit and prevent unnecessary toxicity.
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32
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Medrano RFV, Salles TA, Dariolli R, Antunes F, Feitosa VA, Hunger A, Catani JPP, Mendonça SA, Tamura RE, Lana MG, Rodrigues EG, Strauss BE. Potentiation of combined p19Arf and interferon-beta cancer gene therapy through its association with doxorubicin chemotherapy. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13636. [PMID: 35948616 PMCID: PMC9365852 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17775-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Balancing safety and efficacy is a major consideration for cancer treatments, especially when combining cancer immunotherapy with other treatment modalities such as chemotherapy. Approaches that induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) are expected to eliminate cancer cells by direct cell killing as well as activation of an antitumor immune response. We have developed a gene therapy approach based on p19Arf and interferon-β gene transfer that, similar to conventional inducers of ICD, results in the release of DAMPS and immune activation. Here, aiming to potentiate this response, we explore whether association between our approach and treatment with doxorubicin (Dox), a known inducer of ICD, could further potentiate treatment efficacy without inducing cardiotoxicity, a critical side effect of Dox. Using central composite rotational design analysis, we show that cooperation between gene transfer and chemotherapy killed MCA205 and B16F10 cells and permitted the application of reduced viral and drug doses. The treatments also cooperated to induce elevated levels of ICD markers in MCA205, which correlated with improved efficacy of immunotherapy in vivo. Treatment of subcutaneous MCA205 tumors associating gene transfer and low dose (10 mg/kg) chemotherapy resulted in inhibition of tumor progression. Moreover, the reduced dose did not cause cardiotoxicity as compared to the therapeutic dose of Dox (20 mg/kg). The association of p19Arf/interferon-β gene transfer and Dox chemotherapy potentiated antitumor response and minimized cardiotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruan F V Medrano
- Laboratório de Vetores Virais, Centro de Investigação Translacional Em Oncologia/LIM 24, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FM-USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 251, 8° Andar, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 01246-000, Brazil.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Thiago A Salles
- Laboratório de Genética e Cardiologia Molecular/LIM 13, Instituto do Coração, FM-USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael Dariolli
- Laboratório de Genética e Cardiologia Molecular/LIM 13, Instituto do Coração, FM-USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Fernanda Antunes
- Laboratório de Vetores Virais, Centro de Investigação Translacional Em Oncologia/LIM 24, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FM-USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 251, 8° Andar, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 01246-000, Brazil
| | - Valker A Feitosa
- Núcleo de Bionanomanufatura, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas (Bionano-IPT), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Faculdade de Ciências Farmaceuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Aline Hunger
- Laboratório de Vetores Virais, Centro de Investigação Translacional Em Oncologia/LIM 24, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FM-USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 251, 8° Andar, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 01246-000, Brazil.,Cristalia, Biotecnologia Unidade 1, Rodoviária SP 147, Itapira, SP, Brazil
| | - João P P Catani
- Laboratório de Vetores Virais, Centro de Investigação Translacional Em Oncologia/LIM 24, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FM-USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 251, 8° Andar, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 01246-000, Brazil.,Vlaams Instituut Voor Biotenchnologie-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Gent, Belgium
| | - Samir A Mendonça
- Laboratório de Vetores Virais, Centro de Investigação Translacional Em Oncologia/LIM 24, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FM-USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 251, 8° Andar, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 01246-000, Brazil.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rodrigo E Tamura
- Laboratório de Vetores Virais, Centro de Investigação Translacional Em Oncologia/LIM 24, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FM-USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 251, 8° Andar, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 01246-000, Brazil.,Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | - Marlous G Lana
- Laboratório de Vetores Virais, Centro de Investigação Translacional Em Oncologia/LIM 24, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FM-USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 251, 8° Andar, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 01246-000, Brazil
| | - Elaine G Rodrigues
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bryan E Strauss
- Laboratório de Vetores Virais, Centro de Investigação Translacional Em Oncologia/LIM 24, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FM-USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 251, 8° Andar, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 01246-000, Brazil.
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Kuczkiewicz-Siemion O, Sokół K, Puton B, Borkowska A, Szumera-Ciećkiewicz A. The Role of Pathology-Based Methods in Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153833. [PMID: 35954496 PMCID: PMC9367614 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153833] [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: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immunotherapy has become the filar of modern oncological treatment, and programmed death-ligand 1 expression is one of the primary immune markers assessed by pathologists. However, there are still some issues concerning the evaluation of the marker and limited information about the interaction between the tumour and associated immune cells. Recent studies have focused on cancer immunology to try to understand the complex tumour microenvironment, and multiplex imaging methods are more widely used for this purpose. The presented article aims to provide an overall review of a different multiplex in situ method using spectral imaging, supported by automated image-acquisition and software-assisted marker visualisation and interpretation. Multiplex imaging methods could improve the current understanding of complex tumour-microenvironment immunology and could probably help to better match patients to appropriate treatment regimens. Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including those concerning programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1), have revolutionised the cancer therapy approach in the past decade. However, not all patients benefit from immunotherapy equally. The prediction of patient response to this type of therapy is mainly based on conventional immunohistochemistry, which is limited by intraobserver variability, semiquantitative assessment, or single-marker-per-slide evaluation. Multiplex imaging techniques and digital image analysis are powerful tools that could overcome some issues concerning tumour-microenvironment studies. This novel approach to biomarker assessment offers a better understanding of the complicated interactions between tumour cells and their environment. Multiplex labelling enables the detection of multiple markers simultaneously and the exploration of their spatial organisation. Evaluating a variety of immune cell phenotypes and differentiating their subpopulations is possible while preserving tissue histology in most cases. Multiplexing supported by digital pathology could allow pathologists to visualise and understand every cell in a single tissue slide and provide meaning in a complex tumour-microenvironment contexture. This review aims to provide an overview of the different multiplex imaging methods and their application in PD-L1 biomarker assessment. Moreover, we discuss digital imaging techniques, with a focus on slide scanners and software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Kuczkiewicz-Siemion
- Department of Pathology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, 02-781 Warsaw, Poland
- Diagnostic Hematology Department, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (O.K.-S.); (A.S.-C.)
| | - Kamil Sokół
- Diagnostic Hematology Department, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Puton
- Department of Pathology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, 02-781 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aneta Borkowska
- Department of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, 02-781 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Szumera-Ciećkiewicz
- Department of Pathology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, 02-781 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (O.K.-S.); (A.S.-C.)
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van de Donk PP, Oosting SF, Knapen DG, van der Wekken AJ, Brouwers AH, Lub-de Hooge MN, de Groot DJA, de Vries EG. Molecular imaging to support cancer immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-004949. [PMID: 35922089 PMCID: PMC9352987 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors has reinvigorated the field of immuno-oncology. These monoclonal antibody-based therapies allow the immune system to recognize and eliminate malignant cells. This has resulted in improved survival of patients across several tumor types. However, not all patients respond to immunotherapy therefore predictive biomarkers are important. There are only a few Food and Drug Administration-approved biomarkers to select patients for immunotherapy. These biomarkers do not consider the heterogeneity of tumor characteristics across lesions within a patient. New molecular imaging tracers allow for whole-body visualization with positron emission tomography (PET) of tumor and immune cell characteristics, and drug distribution, which might guide treatment decision making. Here, we summarize recent developments in molecular imaging of immune checkpoint molecules, such as PD-L1, PD-1, CTLA-4, and LAG-3. We discuss several molecular imaging approaches of immune cell subsets and briefly summarize the role of FDG-PET for evaluating cancer immunotherapy. The main focus is on developments in clinical molecular imaging studies, next to preclinical studies of interest given their potential translation to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pim P van de Donk
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoukje F Oosting
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Daan G Knapen
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anthonie J van der Wekken
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Adrienne H Brouwers
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolijn N Lub-de Hooge
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Derk-Jan A de Groot
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth Ge de Vries
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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35
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Vermare A, Guérin MV, Peranzoni E, Bercovici N. Dynamic CD8+ T Cell Cooperation with Macrophages and Monocytes for Successful Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14143546. [PMID: 35884605 PMCID: PMC9318008 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Innate and adaptive immunity mutually regulate one another in a dynamic fashion during immune responses. In infectious contexts, positive interactions between macrophages, monocytes and T cells are well recognized, but this is not the case in the field of cancer, where the growth of tumors disturbs the immune response. However, recent advances revealed that successful immunotherapy profoundly remodels the tumor microenvironment, promoting the activation of both T cells and myeloid cells. This review highlights the studies that hint at positive CD8+ T cell cooperation with monocytes and macrophages in this context, and discusses the potential mechanisms behind this. Abstract The essential roles endorsed by macrophages and monocytes are well established in response to infections, where they contribute to launching the differentiation of specific T-lymphocytes for long-term protection. This knowledge is the result of dynamic studies that can inspire the cancer field, particularly now that cancer immunotherapies elicit some tumor regression. Indeed, immune responses to cancer have mainly been studied after tumors have escaped immune attacks. In particular, the suppressive functions of macrophages were revealed in this context, introducing an obvious bias across the literature. In this review, we will focus on the ways inwhich monocytes and macrophages cooperate with T-lymphocytes, leading to successful immune responses. We will bring together the preclinical studies that have revealed the existence of such positive cooperation in the cancer field, and we will place particular emphasis on proposing the underlying mechanisms. Finally, we will give some perspectives to decipher the functional roles of such T-cell and myeloid cell interactions in the frame of human cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Vermare
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 Paris, France;
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, 75013 Paris, France
| | | | | | - Nadège Bercovici
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 Paris, France;
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, 75013 Paris, France
- Correspondence:
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36
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Liu WL, Zhang YQ, Li LT, Zhu YY, Ming ZH, Chen WL, Yang RQ, Li RH, Chen M, Zhang GJ. Application of molecular imaging in immune checkpoints therapy: From response assessment to prognosis prediction. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2022; 176:103746. [PMID: 35752425 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2022.103746] [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: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) represented by programmed cell death1 (PD-1) and its major ligands, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), has achieved significant success. Detection of PD-L1 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a classic method to guide the treatment of ICT patients. However, PD-L1 expression in the tumor microenvironment is highly complex. Thus, PD-L1 IHC is inadequate to fully understand the relevance of PD-L1 levels in the whole body and their dynamics to improve therapeutic outcomes. Intriguingly, numerous studies have revealed that molecular imaging technologies could potentially meet this need. Therefore, the purpose of this narrative review is to summarize the preclinical and clinical application of ICT guided by molecular imaging technology, and to explore the future opportunities and practical difficulties of these innovations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Ling Liu
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer (Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University), 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Key Laboratory for Endocrine Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China
| | - Yong-Qu Zhang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer (Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University), 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Key Laboratory for Endocrine Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China
| | - Liang-Tao Li
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer (Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University), 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Key Laboratory for Endocrine Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Zhu
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer (Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University), 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Key Laboratory for Endocrine Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China
| | - Zi-He Ming
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer (Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University), 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Key Laboratory for Endocrine Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China
| | - Wei-Ling Chen
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer (Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University), 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Key Laboratory for Endocrine Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China
| | - Rui-Qin Yang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer (Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University), 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Key Laboratory for Endocrine Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China
| | - Rong-Hui Li
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer (Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University), 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Department of Medical Oncology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China
| | - Min Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer (Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University), 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Key Laboratory for Endocrine Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China.
| | - Guo-Jun Zhang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment in Breast Cancer (Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University), 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Key Laboratory for Endocrine Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast & Thyroid Cancers, 2000 East Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China; Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 4221 South Xiang'an Road, Xiamen, China.
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Wang T, Denman D, Bacot SM, Feldman GM. Challenges and the Evolving Landscape of Assessing Blood-Based PD-L1 Expression as a Biomarker for Anti-PD-(L)1 Immunotherapy. Biomedicines 2022; 10:1181. [PMID: 35625917 PMCID: PMC9138337 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10051181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
While promising, PD-L1 expression on tumor tissues as assessed by immunohistochemistry has been shown to be an imperfect biomarker that only applies to a limited number of cancers, whereas many patients with PD-L1-negative tumors still respond to anti-PD-(L)1 immunotherapy. Recent studies using patient blood samples to assess immunotherapeutic responsiveness suggests a promising approach to the identification of novel and/or improved biomarkers for anti-PD-(L)1 immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss the advances in our evolving understanding of the regulation and function of PD-L1 expression, which is the foundation for developing blood-based PD-L1 as a biomarker for anti-PD-(L)1 immunotherapy. We further discuss current knowledge and clinical study results for biomarker identification using PD-L1 expression on tumor and immune cells, exosomes, and soluble forms of PD-L1 in the peripheral blood. Finally, we discuss key challenges for the successful development of the potential use of blood-based PD-L1 as a biomarker for anti-PD-(L)1 immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA; (D.D.); (S.M.B.); (G.M.F.)
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Ladányi A, Hegyi B, Balatoni T, Liszkay G, Rohregger R, Waldnig C, Dudás J, Ferrone S. HLA Class I Downregulation in Progressing Metastases of Melanoma Patients Treated With Ipilimumab. Pathol Oncol Res 2022; 28:1610297. [PMID: 35531074 PMCID: PMC9073691 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2022.1610297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying antitumor immune responses and immune escape mechanisms has resulted in the development of more effective immunotherapeutic strategies, including immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. ICIs can induce durable responses in patients with advanced cancer in a wide range of cancer types, however, the majority of the patients fail to respond to this therapy or develop resistance in the course of the treatment. Information about the molecular mechanisms underlying primary and acquired resistance is limited. Although HLA class I molecules are crucial in the recognition of tumor antigens by cytotoxic T lymphocytes, only a few studies have investigated the role of their expression level on malignant cells in ICI resistance. To address this topic, utilizing immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) we analyzed HLA class I expression level in pre-treatment and post-treatment tumor samples from melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab. Twenty-nine metastases removed from six patients were available for the study, including 18 pre-treatment and 11 post-treatment lesions. Compared to metastases excised before ipilimumab therapy, post-treatment lesions displayed a significantly lower HLA class I expression level on melanoma cells; HLA class I downregulation was most marked in progressing metastases from nonresponding patients. We also evaluated the level of infiltration by CD8+ T cells and NK cells but did not find consistent changes between pre- and post-treatment samples. Our results indicate the potential role of HLA class I downregulation as a mechanism of ICI resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ladányi
- Department of Surgical and Molecular Pathology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Barbara Hegyi
- Department of Thoracic and Abdominal Tumors and Clinical Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Pathological Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tímea Balatoni
- Department of Oncodermatology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Liszkay
- Department of Oncodermatology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Raphael Rohregger
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christoph Waldnig
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - József Dudás
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Frohwitter G, Kerta M, Vogl C, Geppert CI, Werry JE, Ries J, Kesting M, Weber M. Macrophage and T-Cell Infiltration and Topographic Immune Cell Distribution in Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer of the Head and Neck. Front Oncol 2022; 12:809687. [PMID: 35463364 PMCID: PMC9022069 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.809687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is a heterogeneous tumor entity that is vastly determined by age and UV-light exposure leading to a great mutational burden in cancer cells. However, the success of immune checkpoint blockade in advanced NMSC and the incidence and disease control rates of NMSC in organ transplant recipients compared to immunologically uncompromised patients point toward the emerging importance of the immunologic activity of NMSC. To gain first insight into the role of T-cell and macrophage infiltration in NMSC of the head and neck and capture their different immunogenic profiles, which appear to be highly relevant for the response to immunotherapy, we conducted a whole slide analysis of 107 basal cell carcinoma (BCC) samples and 117 cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) samples. The CD8+ and CD68+ immune cell expression in both cancer types was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and a topographic distribution profile, and the proportion of both cell populations within the two tumor entities was assessed. The results show highly significant differences in terms of CD8+ T-cell and CD68+ macrophage infiltration in BCC and cSCC and indicate cSCC as a highly immunogenic tumor. Yet, BCC presents less immune cell infiltration; the relation between the immune cells compared to cSCC does not show any significant difference. These findings help explain disparities in local aggressiveness, distant metastasis, and eligibility for immune checkpoint blockade in both tumor entities and encourage further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesche Frohwitter
- Department for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Marie Kerta
- Department for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Christoph Vogl
- Department for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Carol Immanuel Geppert
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Jan-Erik Werry
- Department for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Jutta Ries
- Department for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Marco Kesting
- Department for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Manuel Weber
- Department for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany
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Asano Y, Yamamoto N, Demura S, Hayashi K, Takeuchi A, Kato S, Miwa S, Igarashi K, Higuchi T, Yonezawa H, Araki Y, Morinaga S, Saito S, Sone T, Kasahara K, Tsuchiya H. The Therapeutic Effect and Clinical Outcome of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors on Bone Metastasis in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:871675. [PMID: 35433422 PMCID: PMC9010859 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.871675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction In advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been reported a better treatment outcome on primary lesions, however, the therapeutic effect on bone metastases has not been clarified. This study investigates the therapeutic effect of ICIs on bone metastases in advanced NSCLC. Methods The data of patients with advanced NSCLC, treated with ICIs from 2016 to 2019 at our hospital, were analyzed. The therapeutic effects of ICIs on primary lung and metastatic bone lesions, concomitant use of bone modifying agents (BMA), treatment outcomes, and frequency of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and skeletal-related events (SREs) were investigated. Results A total of 29 patients were included (19 men and 10 women; mean age, 64.2 years). Among the ICIs, pembrolizumab was the most used (55.2%), and concomitant use of BMA was prevalent in 21 patients (zoledronic acid=1, denosumab=20). The therapeutic effect was partial response (PR) in 10.3% (n=3) on primary lung lesions by RECIST 1.1, complete response (CR) in 6.9% (n=2) and PR in 17.2% (n=5) on bone metastatic lesions by MDA criteria. ICIs suppressed the progression of bone metastasis in 21 cases (72.4%). All patients in CR and PR were treated with pembrolizumab and denosumab. SREs and irAEs were developed in 3.4% (n=1) and 20.7% (n=6), respectively. The median survival time after treatment with ICIs was 11.0 months. Concomitant therapy with ICIs and denosumab significantly prolonged the overall survival compared to ICI-only therapy (16.0 months vs. 2.5 months, p<0.01). Conclusions This study showed that treatment with ICIs may successfully suppress the progression of bone metastasis in advanced NSCLC. Pembrolizumab with denosumab had the highest therapeutic effect on both primary lung lesions and bone metastases. Systemic treatment with this combination and conservative treatment of bone metastasis could be one of the options in the treatment of advanced NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Asano
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Norio Yamamoto
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Satoru Demura
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Katsuhiro Hayashi
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Akihiko Takeuchi
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
- *Correspondence: Akihiko Takeuchi,
| | - Satoshi Kato
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Shinji Miwa
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Kentaro Igarashi
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Takashi Higuchi
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Yonezawa
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Araki
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Sei Morinaga
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Shiro Saito
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Takashi Sone
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Kazuo Kasahara
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Tsuchiya
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
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Dong S, Nessler I, Kopp A, Rubahamya B, Thurber GM. Predictive Simulations in Preclinical Oncology to Guide the Translation of Biologics. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:836925. [PMID: 35308243 PMCID: PMC8927291 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.836925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Preclinical in vivo studies form the cornerstone of drug development and translation, bridging in vitro experiments with first-in-human trials. However, despite the utility of animal models, translation from the bench to bedside remains difficult, particularly for biologics and agents with unique mechanisms of action. The limitations of these animal models may advance agents that are ineffective in the clinic, or worse, screen out compounds that would be successful drugs. One reason for such failure is that animal models often allow clinically intolerable doses, which can undermine translation from otherwise promising efficacy studies. Other times, tolerability makes it challenging to identify the necessary dose range for clinical testing. With the ability to predict pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic responses, mechanistic simulations can help advance candidates from in vitro to in vivo and clinical studies. Here, we use basic insights into drug disposition to analyze the dosing of antibody drug conjugates (ADC) and checkpoint inhibitor dosing (PD-1 and PD-L1) in the clinic. The results demonstrate how simulations can identify the most promising clinical compounds rather than the most effective in vitro and preclinical in vivo agents. Likewise, the importance of quantifying absolute target expression and antibody internalization is critical to accurately scale dosing. These predictive models are capable of simulating clinical scenarios and providing results that can be validated and updated along the entire development pipeline starting in drug discovery. Combined with experimental approaches, simulations can guide the selection of compounds at early stages that are predicted to have the highest efficacy in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujun Dong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Ian Nessler
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Anna Kopp
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Baron Rubahamya
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Greg M. Thurber
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: Greg M. Thurber,
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Muhammed A, D'Alessio A, Enica A, Talbot T, Fulgenzi CAM, Nteliopoulos G, Goldin RD, Cortellini A, Pinato DJ. Predictive biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2022; 22:253-264. [PMID: 35236211 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2022.2049244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and fourth leading cause of cancer death. While drug discovery to improve disease survival was historically poor, there is now evidence of significant potential for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) in treatment of the disease, and indeed such drug approvals are beginning to emerge. AREAS COVERED HCC typically arises in the context of cirrhosis and chronic liver disease (CLD), and HCC exhibits significant biological heterogeneity, in part reflecting the broad range of aetiologies of CLD. Different classes and combinations of ICPI-based therapy exist, but not all patients will respond and predictive biomarkers are not yet available to guide clinician decision making, unlike some other cancer types. In this review, we discuss the emerging biomarkers for ICPI sensitivity in HCC, including tumour genomic features, perturbation of the gut microbiome and systemic inflammatory markers. EXPERT OPINION Additional profiling studies are required to appreciate existing trends with clinical outcome and to further drive clinical studies in disease stratification by response. This will only be possible within collaborative and international efforts, especially regarding biopsy collection. A close collaboration between basic scientists and clinicians will be the key to shape the next future of HCC biomarker research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio D'Alessio
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, UK.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Italy
| | - Andrei Enica
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Thomas Talbot
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Claudia Angela Maria Fulgenzi
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, UK.,Division of Medical Oncology, Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - David J Pinato
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, UK.,Division of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
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Pennington TE, Zhao CY, Colebatch AJ, Fernandez-Peñas P, Guitera P, Burke H, Scolyer RA, Menzies AM, Carlino MS, Lo S, Long GV, Saw RP. Clinicopathological characteristics of new primary melanomas in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for metastatic melanoma. Australas J Dermatol 2022; 63:e133-e137. [PMID: 35188271 PMCID: PMC9303670 DOI: 10.1111/ajd.13807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved survival in advanced stage melanoma patients. Rates of new primary melanomas (NPM) in patients with prior melanoma have been reported to be as high as 12%. Little is currently known regarding the frequency or characteristics of NPMs occurring in melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. AIM To determine the frequency and describe clinicopathologic characteristics of NPMs diagnosed in patients during or after treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors for metastatic melanoma. METHODS A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the Melanoma Institute Australia and Westmead Hospital Dermatology databases. Clinicopathological data for the initial primary melanoma (IPM) and NPM were compared. RESULTS Between 2013-2017, 14 NPMs in 13 patients (out of a total of 1047) treated with checkpoint inhibitors were identified. NPMs were significantly thinner than the IPM (median Breslow thickness 0.35 mm vs 2.0 mm, P = 0.0003), less likely to be ulcerated (0/14 vs 6/13, P = 0.004) and less likely to have nodal metastases (0/14 vs 6/13, P = 0.004). NPMs were significantly more likely to be detected in the in-situ stage (6/14 vs 0/13, P = 0.0016). CONCLUSION NPMs are infrequent in patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors. When they occur, they are usually detected at an early stage and have features associated with a favourable prognosis, most likely reflecting close surveillance. Further study is required to determine long-term risk in patients achieving a durable response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, and to determine whether the immunotherapy itself influences both their development and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Pennington
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Andrew J Colebatch
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.,Department of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Pablo Fernandez-Peñas
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Pascale Guitera
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Hazel Burke
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard A Scolyer
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Department of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alexander M Menzies
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matteo S Carlino
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Serigne Lo
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Georgina V Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Robyn Pm Saw
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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Ren Z, Zhang A, Sun Z, Liang Y, Ye J, Qiao J, Li B, Fu YX. Selective delivery of low-affinity IL-2 to PD-1+ T cells rejuvenates antitumor immunity with reduced toxicity. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:153604. [PMID: 35104810 PMCID: PMC8803347 DOI: 10.1172/jci153604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
PD-1 signaling on T cells is the major pathway that limits T cell immunity, but the efficacy of anti–PD-1 therapy has been limited to a small proportion of patients with advanced cancers. We fortuitously observed that anti–PD-1 therapy depends on IL-2 signaling, which raises the possibility that a lack of IL-2 limits anti–PD-1–induced effector T cell expansion. To selectively deliver IL-2 to PD-1+CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we engineered a low-affinity IL-2 paired with anti–PD-1 (PD-1–laIL-2), which reduced affinity to peripheral Treg cells but enhanced avidity to PD-1+CD8+ TILs. PD-1–laIL-2 exerted better tumor control and lower toxicity than single or mixed treatments. Mechanistically, PD-1–laIL-2 could effectively expand dysfunctional and tumor-specific CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, we discovered that presumably dysfunctional PD-1+TIM3+ TILs are the dominant tumor-specific T cells responding to PD-1–laIL-2. Collectively, these results highlight that PD-1–laIL-2 can target and reactivate tumor-specific TILs for tumor regression as a unique strategy with stronger efficacy and lower toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhichen Sun
- Department of Pathology.,Department of Pharmacology, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
| | | | - Jianfeng Ye
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Bo Li
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Yang-Xin Fu
- Department of Pathology.,Department of Basic Medical Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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Prognostic Value of Programmed Death Ligand-1 Expression in Solid Tumors Irrespective of Immunotherapy Exposure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Mol Diagn Ther 2022; 26:153-168. [PMID: 35106739 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-022-00576-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The programmed cell death-1/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway, which plays a crucial role in cancer immune surveillance, is the target of several approved immunotherapeutic agents and is used as a predictive biomarker in some solid tumors. However, its use as a prognostic marker (i.e., regardless of therapy used) is not established clearly with available data demonstrating inconsistent prognostic impact of PD-L1 expression in solid tumors. METHODS We conducted a systematic literature search of electronic databases and identified publications exploring the effect of PD-L1 expression on overall survival and/or disease-free survival. Hazard ratios were pooled in a meta-analysis using generic inverse-variance and random-effects modeling. We used the Deeks method to explore subgroup differences based on disease site, stage of disease, and method of PD-L1 quantification. RESULTS One hundred and eighty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Programmed cell death ligand-1 expression was associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval 1.26-1.39; p < 0.001). There was significant heterogeneity between disease sites (subgroup p = 0.002) with pancreatic, hepatocellular, and genitourinary cancers associated with the highest magnitude of adverse outcomes. Programmed cell death ligand-1 was also associated with worse overall disease-free survival (hazard ratio 1.19, 95% confidence interval 1.09-1.30; p < 0.001). Stage of disease did not significantly affect the results (subgroup p = 0.52), nor did the method of quantification via immunohistochemistry or messenger RNA (subgroup p = 0.70). CONCLUSIONS High expression of PD-L1 is associated with worse survival in solid tumors albeit with significant heterogeneity among tumor types. The effect is consistent in early-stage and metastatic disease and is not sensitive to method of PD-L1 quantification. These data can provide additional information for the counseling of patients with cancer about prognosis.
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Liu W, Stachura P, Xu HC, Váraljai R, Shinde P, Ganesh NU, Mack M, Van Lierop A, Huang A, Sundaram B, Lang KS, Picard D, Fischer U, Remke M, Homey B, Roesch A, Häussinger D, Lang PA, Borkhardt A, Pandyra AA. BAFF Attenuates Immunosuppressive Monocytes in the Melanoma Tumor Microenvironment. Cancer Res 2022; 82:264-277. [PMID: 34810198 PMCID: PMC9397630 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-1171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates B-cell activating factor (BAFF, Tnfsf13b) to be an important cytokine for antitumor immunity. In this study, we generated a BAFF-overexpressing B16.F10 melanoma cell model and found that BAFF-expressing tumors grow more slowly in vivo than control tumors. The tumor microenvironment (TME) of BAFF-overexpressing tumors had decreased myeloid infiltrates with lower PD-L1 expression. Monocyte depletion and anti-PD-L1 antibody treatment confirmed the functional importance of monocytes for the phenotype of BAFF-mediated tumor growth delay. RNA sequencing analysis confirmed that monocytes isolated from BAFF-overexpressing tumors were characterized by a less exhaustive phenotype and were enriched for in genes involved in activating adaptive immune responses and NF-κB signaling. Evaluation of patients with late-stage metastatic melanoma treated with inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis demonstrated a stratification of patients with high and low BAFF plasma levels. Patients with high BAFF levels experienced lower responses to anti-PD-1 immunotherapies. In summary, these results show that BAFF, through its effect on tumor-infiltrating monocytes, not only impacts primary tumor growth but can serve as a biomarker to predict response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in advanced disease. SIGNIFICANCE: The BAFF cytokine regulates monocytes in the melanoma microenvironment to suppress tumor growth, highlighting the importance of BAFF in antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Paweł Stachura
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Haifeng C. Xu
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Renáta Váraljai
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, University of Duisburg-Essen and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen, Germany
| | - Prashant Shinde
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nikkitha Umesh Ganesh
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Matthias Mack
- Department of Nephrology, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anke Van Lierop
- Department of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anfei Huang
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Balamurugan Sundaram
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karl S. Lang
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Daniel Picard
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Center of Child and Adolescent Health, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Division of Pediatric Neuro-Oncogenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ute Fischer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Center of Child and Adolescent Health, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marc Remke
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Center of Child and Adolescent Health, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Division of Pediatric Neuro-Oncogenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bernhard Homey
- Department of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alexander Roesch
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, University of Duisburg-Essen and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen, Germany
| | - Dieter Häussinger
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Arndt Borkhardt
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Center of Child and Adolescent Health, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Aleksandra A. Pandyra
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Center of Child and Adolescent Health, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Corresponding Author: Aleksandra A. Pandyra, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Center of Child and Adolescent Health, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätsstraβe 1, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany. E-mail:
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Newell F, Pires da Silva I, Johansson PA, Menzies AM, Wilmott JS, Addala V, Carlino MS, Rizos H, Nones K, Edwards JJ, Lakis V, Kazakoff SH, Mukhopadhyay P, Ferguson PM, Leonard C, Koufariotis LT, Wood S, Blank CU, Thompson JF, Spillane AJ, Saw RPM, Shannon KF, Pearson JV, Mann GJ, Hayward NK, Scolyer RA, Waddell N, Long GV. Multiomic profiling of checkpoint inhibitor-treated melanoma: Identifying predictors of response and resistance, and markers of biological discordance. Cancer Cell 2022; 40:88-102.e7. [PMID: 34951955 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
We concurrently examine the whole genome, transcriptome, methylome, and immune cell infiltrates in baseline tumors from 77 patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma treated with anti-PD-1 with or without anti-CTLA-4. We show that high tumor mutation burden (TMB), neoantigen load, expression of IFNγ-related genes, programmed death ligand expression, low PSMB8 methylation (therefore high expression), and T cells in the tumor microenvironment are associated with response to immunotherapy. No specific mutation correlates with therapy response. A multivariable model combining the TMB and IFNγ-related gene expression robustly predicts response (89% sensitivity, 53% specificity, area under the curve [AUC], 0.84); tumors with high TMB and a high IFNγ signature show the best response to immunotherapy. This model validates in an independent cohort (80% sensitivity, 59% specificity, AUC, 0.79). Except for a JAK3 loss-of-function mutation, for patients who did not respond as predicted there is no obvious biological mechanism that clearly explained their outlier status, consistent with intratumor and intertumor heterogeneity in response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicity Newell
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Ines Pires da Silva
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Cancer Centre, Blacktown Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2148, Australia
| | - Peter A Johansson
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Alexander M Menzies
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia
| | - James S Wilmott
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Venkateswar Addala
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Matteo S Carlino
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Centre for Cancer Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Helen Rizos
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Katia Nones
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Jarem J Edwards
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Vanessa Lakis
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Stephen H Kazakoff
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | | | - Peter M Ferguson
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and NSW Health Pathology, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Conrad Leonard
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | | | - Scott Wood
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Christian U Blank
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - John F Thompson
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia; Department of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Andrew J Spillane
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia
| | - Robyn P M Saw
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia; Department of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Kerwin F Shannon
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia; Department of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - John V Pearson
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Graham J Mann
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Centre for Cancer Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Nicholas K Hayward
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Richard A Scolyer
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and NSW Health Pathology, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Nicola Waddell
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Georgina V Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia; Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia.
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Chui NN, Cheu JW, Yuen VW, Chiu DK, Goh C, Lee D, Zhang MS, Ng IO, Wong CC. Inhibition of CMTM4 Sensitizes Cholangiocarcinoma and Hepatocellular Carcinoma to T Cell-Mediated Antitumor Immunity Through PD-L1. Hepatol Commun 2022; 6:178-193. [PMID: 34558800 PMCID: PMC8710793 DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancers consist primarily of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as promising therapeutic agents against liver cancers. Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) is an immunoinhibitory receptor present on T cells that interacts with its ligand programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) found on cancer cells. Blocking PD-1/PD-L1 binding improves T-cell survival, proliferation and cytotoxicity, which enhances their antitumor activity. Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing PD-1/PD-L1 response is essential to the development of predictive markers and therapeutic combinations that could improve the efficiency of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment. Chemokine-like factor (CKLF)-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing 6 (CMTM6) has been recently identified as a major regulator of PD-L1. Another member in the CMTM family, CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing 4 (CMTM4), has been shown to compensate for the effects of CMTM6 when CMTM6 is lost. Interestingly, we found that CMTM4 is the major regulator of PD-L1 in the context of liver cancer. Up-regulated CMTM4 in patients with HCC and ICC is associated with poor patient survival, potentially due to its function in stabilizing PD-L1 expression, hence facilitating escape from T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. We confirmed the role of CMTM4 as a positive regulator of PD-L1 in multiple HCC and ICC cell lines and demonstrated that CMTM4 stabilizes PD-L1 through posttranslational mechanisms. In vivo, suppression of Cmtm4 inhibited HCC growth and increased CD8+ T-cell infiltration in immunocompetent mice. Furthermore, we found that depletion of CMTM4 sensitized HCC tumor to anti-PD-L1 treatment compared with control. This suggests that CMTM4 expression level could be a predictive marker for patient response to anti-PD-L1 treatment, and CMTM4 depletion can potentially be used to enhance the clinical benefits of anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy in patients with liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Chi‐Ching Goh
- Department of PathologyThe University of Hong KongHong Kong
| | - Derek Lee
- Department of PathologyThe University of Hong KongHong Kong
| | - Misty Shuo Zhang
- Department of PathologyThe University of Hong KongHong Kong
- ShenZhen HospitalThe University of Hong KongShenzhenChina
| | - Irene Oi‐Lin Ng
- Department of PathologyThe University of Hong KongHong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Liver ResearchThe University of Hong KongHong Kong
| | - Carmen Chak‐Lui Wong
- Department of PathologyThe University of Hong KongHong Kong
- ShenZhen HospitalThe University of Hong KongShenzhenChina
- State Key Laboratory of Liver ResearchThe University of Hong KongHong Kong
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Yang F, Wang JF, Wang Y, Liu B, Molina JR. Comparative Analysis of Predictive Biomarkers for PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Cancers: Developments and Challenges. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:cancers14010109. [PMID: 35008273 PMCID: PMC8750062 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has greatly changed the treatment landscape of multiple malignancies. However, the wide administration of ICIs is mainly obstructed by the low response rate and several life-threatening adverse events. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify sets of biomarkers to predict which patients will respond to ICIs. In this review, we discuss the recently investigated molecular and clinical determinants of ICI response, from the aspects of tumor features, clinical features, as well as tumor microenvironment. Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) have dramatically changed the landscape of cancer therapy. Both remarkable and durable responses have been observed in patients with melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and other malignancies. However, the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade has demonstrated meaningful clinical responses and benefits in only a subset of patients. In addition, several severe and life-threatening adverse events were observed in these patients. Therefore, the identification of predictive biomarkers is urgently needed to select patients who are more likely to benefit from ICI therapy. PD-L1 expression level is the most commonly used biomarker in clinical practice for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. However, negative PD-L1 expression cannot reliably exclude a response to a PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Other factors, such as tumor microenvironment and other tumor genomic signatures, appear to impact the response to ICIs. In this review, we examine emerging data for novel biomarkers that may have a predictive value for optimizing the benefit from anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yang
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School and Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China;
| | | | - Yucai Wang
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
| | - Baorui Liu
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School and Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China;
- Correspondence: (B.L.); (J.R.M.)
| | - Julian R. Molina
- Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Correspondence: (B.L.); (J.R.M.)
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miRNA as a Modulator of Immunotherapy and Immune Response in Melanoma. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11111648. [PMID: 34827646 PMCID: PMC8615556 DOI: 10.3390/biom11111648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a promising therapy for the treatment of cancers, including melanoma, that improved benefit clinical outcomes. However, a subset of melanoma patients do not respond or acquire resistance to immunotherapy, which limits their clinical applicability. Recent studies have explored the reasons related to the resistance of melanoma to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Of note, miRNAs are the regulators of not only cancer progression but also of the response between cancer cells and immune cells. Investigation of miRNA functions within the tumor microenvironment have suggested that miRNAs could be considered as key partners in immunotherapy. Here, we reviewed the known mechanism by which melanoma induces resistance to immunotherapy and the role of miRNAs in immune responses and the microenvironment.
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