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Chellen T, Bausart M, Maus P, Vanvarenberg K, Limaye N, Préat V, Malfanti A. In situ administration of STING-activating hyaluronic acid conjugate primes anti-glioblastoma immune response. Mater Today Bio 2024; 26:101057. [PMID: 38660475 PMCID: PMC11040137 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.101057] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor, with a highly immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). In this work, we investigated the use of the STimulator of INterferon Genes (STING) pathway as an effective means to remodel the GBM TIME through the recruitment of both innate and adaptive immune cell populations. Using hyaluronic acid (HA), we developed a novel polymer-drug conjugate of a non-nucleotide STING agonist (MSA2), called HA-MSA2 for the in situ treatment of GBM. In JAWSII cells, HA-MSA2 exerted a greater increase of STING signaling and upregulation of STING-related downstream cyto-/chemokines in immune cells than the free drug. HA-MSA2 also elicited cancer cell-intrinsic immunostimulatory gene expression and promoted immunogenic cell death of GBM cells. In the SB28 GBM model, local delivery of HA-MSA2 induced a delay in tumor growth and a significant extension of survival. The analysis of the TIME showed a profound shift in the GBM immune landscape after HA-MSA2 treatment, with higher infiltration by innate and adaptive immune cells including dendritic, natural killer (NK) and CD8 T cell populations. The therapeutic potential of this novel polymer conjugate warrants further investigation, particularly with other chemo-immunotherapeutics or cancer vaccines as a promising combinatorial therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teenesha Chellen
- UCLouvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Avenue Mounier 73 B1.73.12, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathilde Bausart
- UCLouvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Avenue Mounier 73 B1.73.12, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre Maus
- UCLouvain, de Duve Institute, Genetics of Autoimmune Diseases and Cancer, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kevin Vanvarenberg
- UCLouvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Avenue Mounier 73 B1.73.12, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nisha Limaye
- UCLouvain, de Duve Institute, Genetics of Autoimmune Diseases and Cancer, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Véronique Préat
- UCLouvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Avenue Mounier 73 B1.73.12, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alessio Malfanti
- UCLouvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Avenue Mounier 73 B1.73.12, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
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2
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Xie M, Vuko M, Rodriguez-Canales J, Zimmermann J, Schick M, O'Brien C, Paz-Ares L, Goldman JW, Garassino MC, Gay CM, Heymach JV, Jiang H, Barrett JC, Stewart RA, Lai Z, Byers LA, Rudin CM, Shrestha Y. Molecular classification and biomarkers of outcome with immunotherapy in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: analyses of the CASPIAN phase 3 study. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:115. [PMID: 38811992 PMCID: PMC11137956 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02014-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We explored potential predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy response in patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) treated with durvalumab (D) + tremelimumab (T) + etoposide-platinum (EP), D + EP, or EP in the randomized phase 3 CASPIAN trial. METHODS 805 treatment-naïve patients with ES-SCLC were randomized (1:1:1) to receive D + T + EP, D + EP, or EP. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Patients were required to provide an archived tumor tissue block (or ≥ 15 newly cut unstained slides) at screening, if these samples existed. After assessment for programmed cell death ligand-1 expression and tissue tumor mutational burden, residual tissue was used for additional molecular profiling including by RNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS In 182 patients with transcriptional molecular subtyping, OS with D ± T + EP was numerically highest in the SCLC-inflamed subtype (n = 10, median 24.0 months). Patients derived benefit from immunotherapy across subtypes; thus, additional biomarkers were investigated. OS benefit with D ± T + EP versus EP was greater with high versus low CD8A expression/CD8 cell density by immunohistochemistry, but with no additional benefit with D + T + EP versus D + EP. OS benefit with D + T + EP versus D + EP was associated with high expression of CD4 (median 25.9 vs. 11.4 months) and antigen-presenting and processing machinery (25.9 vs. 14.6 months) and MHC I and II (23.6 vs. 17.3 months) gene signatures, and with higher MHC I expression by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate the tumor microenvironment is important in mediating better outcomes with D ± T + EP in ES-SCLC, with canonical immune markers associated with hypothesized immunotherapy mechanisms of action defining patient subsets that respond to D ± T. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03043872.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingchao Xie
- Oncology Data Science, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Miljenka Vuko
- Computational Pathology, AstraZeneca, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Markus Schick
- Computational Pathology, AstraZeneca, Munich, Germany
| | - Cathy O'Brien
- Biostatistics, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Luis Paz-Ares
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marina Chiara Garassino
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
- The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Carl M Gay
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John V Heymach
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Haiyi Jiang
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - J Carl Barrett
- Translational Medicine, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, United States
| | - Ross A Stewart
- Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Zhongwu Lai
- Oncology Data Science, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Lauren A Byers
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Yashaswi Shrestha
- Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
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3
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Tani T, Mathsyaraja H, Campisi M, Li ZH, Haratani K, Fahey CG, Ota K, Mahadevan NR, Shi Y, Saito S, Mizuno K, Thai TC, Sasaki N, Homme M, Yusuf CFB, Kashishian A, Panchal J, Wang M, Wolf BJ, Barbie TU, Paweletz CP, Gokhale PC, Liu D, Uppaluri R, Kitajima S, Cain J, Barbie DA. TREX1 Inactivation Unleashes Cancer Cell STING-Interferon Signaling and Promotes Antitumor Immunity. Cancer Discov 2024; 14:752-765. [PMID: 38227896 PMCID: PMC11062818 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
A substantial fraction of cancers evade immune detection by silencing Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING)-Interferon (IFN) signaling. Therapeutic reactivation of this program via STING agonists, epigenetic, or DNA-damaging therapies can restore antitumor immunity in multiple preclinical models. Here we show that adaptive induction of three prime exonuclease 1 (TREX1) restrains STING-dependent nucleic acid sensing in cancer cells via its catalytic function in degrading cytosolic DNA. Cancer cell TREX1 expression is coordinately induced with STING by autocrine IFN and downstream STAT1, preventing signal amplification. TREX1 inactivation in cancer cells thus unleashes STING-IFN signaling, recruiting T and natural killer (NK) cells, sensitizing to NK cell-derived IFNγ, and cooperating with programmed cell death protein 1 blockade in multiple mouse tumor models to enhance immunogenicity. Targeting TREX1 may represent a complementary strategy to induce cytosolic DNA and amplify cancer cell STING-IFN signaling as a means to sensitize tumors to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and/or cell therapies. SIGNIFICANCE STING-IFN signaling in cancer cells promotes tumor cell immunogenicity. Inactivation of the DNA exonuclease TREX1, which is adaptively upregulated to limit pathway activation in cancer cells, recruits immune effector cells and primes NK cell-mediated killing. Targeting TREX1 has substantial therapeutic potential to amplify cancer cell immunogenicity and overcome ICB resistance. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 695.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Tani
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Contributed equally
| | | | - Marco Campisi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ze-Hua Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Koji Haratani
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caroline G. Fahey
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Keiichi Ota
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Navin R. Mahadevan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yingxiao Shi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shin Saito
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kei Mizuno
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tran C. Thai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nobunari Sasaki
- Department of Cell Biology, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mizuki Homme
- Department of Cell Biology, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Choudhury Fabliha B. Yusuf
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Min Wang
- Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA, USA
| | | | - Thanh U. Barbie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cloud P. Paweletz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Prafulla C Gokhale
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ravindra Uppaluri
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shunsuke Kitajima
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - David A. Barbie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
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Hiatt JB, Doebley AL, Arnold HU, Adil M, Sandborg H, Persse TW, Ko M, Wu F, Quintanal Villalonga A, Santana-Davila R, Eaton K, Dive C, Rudin CM, Thomas A, Houghton AM, Ha G, MacPherson D. Molecular phenotyping of small cell lung cancer using targeted cfDNA profiling of transcriptional regulatory regions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk2082. [PMID: 38598634 PMCID: PMC11006233 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk2082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
We report an approach for cancer phenotyping based on targeted sequencing of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In SCLC, differential activation of transcription factors (TFs), such as ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, and REST defines molecular subtypes. We designed a targeted capture panel that identifies chromatin organization signatures at 1535 TF binding sites and 13,240 gene transcription start sites and detects exonic mutations in 842 genes. Sequencing of cfDNA from SCLC patient-derived xenograft models captured TF activity and gene expression and revealed individual highly informative loci. Prediction models of ASCL1 and NEUROD1 activity using informative loci achieved areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) from 0.84 to 0.88 in patients with SCLC. As non-SCLC (NSCLC) often transforms to SCLC following targeted therapy, we applied our framework to distinguish NSCLC from SCLC and achieved an AUC of 0.99. Our approach shows promising utility for SCLC subtyping and transformation monitoring, with potential applicability to diverse tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph B. Hiatt
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System - Seattle Branch, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anna-Lisa Doebley
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Henry U. Arnold
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mohamed Adil
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Holly Sandborg
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thomas W. Persse
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Minjeong Ko
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Feinan Wu
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alvaro Quintanal Villalonga
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rafael Santana-Davila
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Keith Eaton
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Caroline Dive
- Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Charles M. Rudin
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College; New York, NY, USA
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - A. McGarry Houghton
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gavin Ha
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David MacPherson
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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5
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Taniguchi H, Chavan SS, Chow A, Chan JM, Mukae H, Rudin CM, Sen T. Role of CD38 in anti-tumor immunity of small cell lung cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1348982. [PMID: 38533509 PMCID: PMC10963403 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1348982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) with or without chemotherapy has a very modest benefit in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). SCLC tumors are characterized by high tumor mutation burden (TMB) and low PD-L1 expression. Therefore, TMB and PD-L1 do not serve as biomarkers of ICB response in SCLC. CD38, a transmembrane glycoprotein, mediates immunosuppression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this brief report, we highlight the potential role of CD38 as a probable biomarker of immunotherapy response in SCLC. Methods We evaluated the role of CD38 as a determinant of tumor immune microenvironment in SCLC with bulk and single-cell transcriptomic analyses and protein assessments of clinical samples and preclinical models, including CD38 in vivo blockade. Results In SCLC clinical samples, CD38 levels were significantly correlated with the gene expression of the immunosuppressive markers FOXP3, PD-1 and CTLA-4. CD38 expression was significantly enhanced after chemotherapy and ICB treatment in SCLC preclinical models and clinical samples. A combination of cisplatin/etoposide, ICB, and CD38 blockade delayed tumor growth compared to cisplatin/etoposide. Conclusion Our study provides a preliminary but important direction toward exploring CD38 as a potential biomarker of ICB response and CD38 blockade as a combination strategy for chemo-immunotherapy in SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Taniguchi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Shweta S. Chavan
- Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Andrew Chow
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joseph M. Chan
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hiroshi Mukae
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Charles M. Rudin
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Triparna Sen
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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Venkadakrishnan VB, Presser AG, Singh R, Booker MA, Traphagen NA, Weng K, Voss NC, Mahadevan NR, Mizuno K, Puca L, Idahor O, Ku SY, Bakht MK, Borah AA, Herbert ZT, Tolstorukov MY, Barbie DA, Rickman DS, Brown M, Beltran H. Lineage-specific canonical and non-canonical activity of EZH2 in advanced prostate cancer subtypes. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3935288. [PMID: 38405800 PMCID: PMC10889062 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3935288/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone methyltransferase and emerging therapeutic target that is overexpressed in most castration-resistant prostate cancers and implicated as a driver of disease progression and resistance to hormonal therapies. Here we define the lineage-specific action and differential activity of EZH2 in both prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) and neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) subtypes of advanced prostate cancer to better understand the role of EZH2 in modulating differentiation, lineage plasticity, and to identify mediators of response and resistance to EZH2 inhibitor therapy. Mechanistically, EZH2 modulates bivalent genes that results in upregulation of NEPC-associated transcriptional drivers (e.g., ASCL1) and neuronal gene programs, and leads to forward differentiation after targeting EZH2 in NEPC. Subtype-specific downstream effects of EZH2 inhibition on cell cycle genes support the potential rationale for co-targeting cyclin/CDK to overcome resistance to EZH2 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Loredana Puca
- Division of Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine
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7
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Murayama T, Nakayama J, Jiang X, Miyata K, Morris AD, Cai KQ, Prasad RM, Ma X, Efimov A, Belani N, Gerstein ER, Tan Y, Zhou Y, Kim W, Maruyama R, Campbell KS, Chen L, Yang Y, Balachandran S, Cañadas I. Targeting DHX9 Triggers Tumor-Intrinsic Interferon Response and Replication Stress in Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancer Discov 2024; 14:468-491. [PMID: 38189443 PMCID: PMC10905673 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Activating innate immunity in cancer cells through cytoplasmic nucleic acid sensing pathways, a phenomenon known as "viral mimicry," has emerged as an effective strategy to convert immunologically "cold" tumors into "hot." Through a curated CRISPR-based screen of RNA helicases, we identified DExD/H-box helicase 9 (DHX9) as a potent repressor of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in small cell lung cancers (SCLC). Depletion of DHX9 induced accumulation of cytoplasmic dsRNA and triggered tumor-intrinsic innate immunity. Intriguingly, ablating DHX9 also induced aberrant accumulation of R-loops, which resulted in an increase of DNA damage-derived cytoplasmic DNA and replication stress in SCLCs. In vivo, DHX9 deletion promoted a decrease in tumor growth while inducing a more immunogenic tumor microenvironment, invigorating responsiveness to immune-checkpoint blockade. These findings suggest that DHX9 is a crucial repressor of tumor-intrinsic innate immunity and replication stress, representing a promising target for SCLC and other "cold" tumors in which genomic instability contributes to pathology. SIGNIFICANCE One promising strategy to trigger an immune response within tumors and enhance immunotherapy efficacy is by inducing endogenous "virus-mimetic" nucleic acid accumulation. Here, we identify DHX9 as a viral-mimicry-inducing factor involved in the suppression of double-stranded RNAs and R-loops and propose DHX9 as a novel target to enhance antitumor immunity. See related commentary by Chiappinelli, p. 389. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 384.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiko Murayama
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Immunology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jun Nakayama
- Laboratory of Integrative Oncology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Oncogenesis and Growth Regulation, Research Institute, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan
| | - Xinpei Jiang
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Immunology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Biomedical Science Graduate Program, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kenichi Miyata
- Project for Cancer Epigenomics, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
- Cancer Cell Communication Project, NEXT-Ganken Program, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Alexander D. Morris
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kathy Q. Cai
- Histopathology Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Rahul M. Prasad
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Xueying Ma
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Immunology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Andrey Efimov
- Bio Imaging Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Neel Belani
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Emily R. Gerstein
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Yinfei Tan
- Genomics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Yan Zhou
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - William Kim
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Center for Novel Therapeutics, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Reo Maruyama
- Project for Cancer Epigenomics, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
- Cancer Cell Diversity Project, NEXT-Ganken Program, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kerry S. Campbell
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Immunology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lu Chen
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Yibin Yang
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Immunology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Siddharth Balachandran
- Center for Immunology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Israel Cañadas
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Immunology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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8
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Gomez-Randulfe I, Leporati R, Gupta B, Liu S, Califano R. Recent advances and future strategies in first-line treatment of ES-SCLC. Eur J Cancer 2024; 200:113581. [PMID: 38301317 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2024.113581] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Recent advancements in treating extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) have been significantly marked by incorporating immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) into platinum-based chemotherapy, leading to modest yet notable improvements in patient outcomes, which become more evident with longer follow-up. However, critical challenges persist, such as identifying effective biomarkers for accurate patient selection or finding more effective drugs. This review delves into the current and evolving treatment landscape for ES-SCLC, focusing on the most promising therapeutic strategies under investigation. We discuss the latest developments in the use of newer ICIs, antiangiogenic agents, PARP inhibitors (PARPi), lurbinectedin, and anti-DLL3 agents, offering insights into potential future directions in the management of this aggressive cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Gomez-Randulfe
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Rita Leporati
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via G. Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Brinda Gupta
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Stephen Liu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Raffaele Califano
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Division of Cancer Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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9
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Oser MG, MacPherson D, Oliver TG, Sage J, Park KS. Genetically-engineered mouse models of small cell lung cancer: the next generation. Oncogene 2024; 43:457-469. [PMID: 38191672 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02929-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains the most fatal form of lung cancer, with patients in dire need of new and effective therapeutic approaches. Modeling SCLC in an immunocompetent host is essential for understanding SCLC pathogenesis and ultimately discovering and testing new experimental therapeutic strategies. Human SCLC is characterized by near universal genetic loss of the RB1 and TP53 tumor suppressor genes. Twenty years ago, the first genetically-engineered mouse model (GEMM) of SCLC was generated using conditional deletion of both Rb1 and Trp53 in the lungs of adult mice. Since then, several other GEMMs of SCLC have been developed coupling genomic alterations found in human SCLC with Rb1 and Trp53 deletion. Here we summarize how GEMMs of SCLC have contributed significantly to our understanding of the disease in the past two decades. We also review recent advances in modeling SCLC in mice that allow investigators to bypass limitations of the previous generation of GEMMs while studying new genes of interest in SCLC. In particular, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated somatic gene editing can accelerate how new genes of interest are functionally interrogated in SCLC tumorigenesis. Notably, the development of allograft models and precancerous precursor models from SCLC GEMMs provides complementary approaches to GEMMs to study tumor cell-immune microenvironment interactions and test new therapeutic strategies to enhance response to immunotherapy. Ultimately, the new generation of SCLC models can accelerate research and help develop new therapeutic strategies for SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Oser
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - David MacPherson
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Trudy G Oliver
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Julien Sage
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kwon-Sik Park
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA.
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10
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Pelosi G, Melocchi V, Dama E, Hofman P, De Luca M, Albini A, Gemelli M, Ricotta R, Papotti M, La Rosa S, Uccella S, Harari S, Sonzogni A, Asiedu MK, Wigle DA, Bianchi F. An in-silico analysis reveals further evidence of an aggressive subset of lung carcinoids sharing molecular features of high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms. Exp Mol Pathol 2024; 135:104882. [PMID: 38237798 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2024.104882] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Little is known as to whether there may be any pathogenetic link between pulmonary carcinoids and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). A gene signature we previously found to cluster pulmonary carcinoids, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), and which encompassed MEN1, MYC, MYCL1, RICTOR, RB1, SDHA, SRC and TP53 mutations or copy number variations (CNVs), was used to reclassify an independent cohort of 54 neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) [31 typical carcinoids (TC), 11 atypical carcinoids (AC) and 12 SCLC], by means of transcriptome and mutation data. Unsupervised clustering analysis identified two histology-independent clusters, namely CL1 and CL2, where 17/42 (40.5%) carcinoids and all the SCLC samples fell into the latter. CL2 carcinoids affected survival adversely, were enriched in T to G transversions or T > C/C > T transitions in the context of specific mutational signatures, presented with at least 1.5-fold change (FC) increase of gene mutations including TSC2, SMARCA2, SMARCA4, ERBB4 and PTPRZ1, differed for gene expression and showed epigenetic changes in charge of MYC and MTORC1 pathways, cellular senescence, inflammation, high-plasticity cell state and immune system exhaustion. Similar results were also found in two other independent validation sets comprising 101 lung NENs (24 carcinoids, 21 SCLC and 56 LCNEC) and 30 carcinoids, respectively. We herein confirmed an unexpected sharing of molecular traits along the spectrum of lung NENs, with a subset of genomically distinct aggressive carcinoids sharing molecular features of high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Pelosi
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Inter-Hospital Pathology Division, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) MultiMedica, Milan, Italy.
| | - Valentina Melocchi
- Unit of Cancer Biomarkers, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy
| | - Elisa Dama
- Unit of Cancer Biomarkers, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy
| | - Paul Hofman
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Biobank BB-0033-00025 and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, FHU OncoAge, Université Côte d'Azur, 06100 Nice, France
| | - Marco De Luca
- Inter-Hospital Pathology Division, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Maria Gemelli
- Medical Oncology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Ricotta
- Medical Oncology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
| | - Mauro Papotti
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Stefano La Rosa
- Pathology Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Silvia Uccella
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sergio Harari
- Department of Medical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Division of Pneumology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
| | - Angelica Sonzogni
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Michael K Asiedu
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Dennis A Wigle
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Fabrizio Bianchi
- Unit of Cancer Biomarkers, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy.
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11
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Lorenzi M, Resi MV, Bonanno L, Frega S, Dal Maso A, Ferro A, Guarneri V, Pasello G. Tissue and circulating biomarkers of benefit to immunotherapy in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer patients. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1308109. [PMID: 38348046 PMCID: PMC10859471 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1308109] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Extensive stage-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (ES-SCLC) is an aggressive cancer with dismal prognosis. The addition of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to platinum-based chemotherapy have been consistently demonstrated to improve outcomes and survival, becoming the new standard in first - line treatment of ES-SCLC patients. However, despite positive results reported in the pivotal trials, longer benefit appears evident only for a selected group of patients. Several predictive biomarkers have been studied so far but the prospective identification of patients more likely to experience better outcome seems to be challenging in SCLC. Indeed, classical immune predictive biomarkers as PD-L1 and tumor mutational burden (TMB) seem not to correlate with outcomes. Recently, a new molecular classification of SCLC based on differential expression of genes associated with specific clinical behaviors and therapeutic vulnerability have been presented suggesting a new field to be investigated. Despite the achievements, these studies focused mainly on inter-tumoral heterogeneity, limiting the exploration of intra-tumoral heterogeneity and cell to cell interactions. New analysis methods are ongoing in order to explore subtypes plasticity. Analysis on single biopsies cannot catch the whole genomic profile and dynamic change of disease over time and during treatment. Moreover, the availability of tissue for translational research is limited due to the low proportion of patients undergoing surgery. In this context, liquid biopsy is a promising tool to detect reliable predictive biomarkers. Here, we reviewed the current available data on predictive role of tissue and liquid biomarkers in ES-SCLC patients receiving ICIs. We assessed latest results in terms of predictive and prognostic value of gene expression profiling in SCLC. Finally, we explored the role of liquid biopsy as a tool to monitor SCLC patients over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Lorenzi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Trento, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Resi
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Bonanno
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Frega
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Dal Maso
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandra Ferro
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Guarneri
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulia Pasello
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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12
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Shen L, Wang B, Wang SP, Ji SK, Fu MJ, Wang SW, Hou WQ, Dai XJ, Liu HM. Combination Therapy and Dual-Target Inhibitors Based on LSD1: New Emerging Tools in Cancer Therapy. J Med Chem 2024; 67:922-951. [PMID: 38214982 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02133] [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: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), a transcriptional modulator that represses or activates target gene expression, is overexpressed in many cancer and causes imbalance in the expression of normal gene networks. Over two decades, numerous LSD1 inhibitors have been reported, especially some of which have entered clinical trials, including eight irreversible inhibitors (TCP, ORY-1001, GSK-2879552, INCB059872, IMG-7289, ORY-2001, TAK-418, and LH-1802) and two reversible inhibitors (CC-90011 and SP-2577). Most clinical LSD1 inhibitors demonstrated enhanced efficacy in combination with other agents. LSD1 multitarget inhibitors have also been reported, exampled by clinical dual LSD1/histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitors 4SC-202 and JBI-802. Herein, we present a comprehensive overview of the combination of LSD1 inhibitors with various antitumor agents, as well as LSD1 multitarget inhibitors. Additionally, the challenges and future research directionsare also discussed, and we hope this review will provide new insight into the development of LSD1-targeted anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Shen
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation; Institute of Drug Discovery and Development; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation; Institute of Drug Discovery and Development; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Shao-Peng Wang
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation; Institute of Drug Discovery and Development; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Shi-Kun Ji
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation; Institute of Drug Discovery and Development; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Meng-Jie Fu
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation; Institute of Drug Discovery and Development; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Shu-Wu Wang
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation; Institute of Drug Discovery and Development; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Wen-Qing Hou
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation; Institute of Drug Discovery and Development; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Xing-Jie Dai
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation; Institute of Drug Discovery and Development; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Hong-Min Liu
- Key Lab of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation; Institute of Drug Discovery and Development; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
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13
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Duplaquet L, So K, Ying AW, Li X, Li Y, Qiu X, Li R, Singh S, Wu XS, Liu Q, Qi J, Somerville TDD, Heiling H, Mazzola E, Lee Y, Zoller T, Vakoc CR, Doench JG, Forrester WC, Abrams T, Long HW, Niederst MJ, Kadoch C, Oser MG. Mammalian SWI/SNF complex activity regulates POU2F3 and constitutes a targetable dependency in small cell lung cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.21.576304. [PMID: 38328215 PMCID: PMC10849479 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.21.576304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancers (SCLC) are comprised of heterogeneous subtypes marked by lineage-specific transcription factors, including ASCL1, NEUROD1, and POU2F3. POU2F3-positive SCLC, ∼12% of all cases, are uniquely dependent on POU2F3 itself; as such, approaches to attenuate POU2F3 expression may represent new therapeutic opportunities. Here using genome-scale screens for regulators of POU2F3 expression and SCLC proliferation, we define mSWI/SNF complexes, including non-canonical BAF (ncBAF) complexes, as top dependencies specific to POU2F3-positive SCLC. Notably, clinical-grade pharmacologic mSWI/SNF inhibition attenuates proliferation of all POU2F3-positive SCLCs, while disruption of ncBAF via BRD9 degradation is uniquely effective in pure non-neuroendocrine POU2F3-SCLCs. mSWI/SNF maintains accessibility over gene loci central to POU2F3-mediated gene regulatory networks. Finally, chemical targeting of SMARCA4/2 mSWI/SNF ATPases and BRD9 decrease POU2F3-SCLC tumor growth and increase survival in vivo . Taken together, these results characterize mSWI/SNF-mediated global governance of the POU2F3 oncogenic program and suggest mSWI/SNF inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for SCLC.
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14
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Eglenen-Polat B, Kowash RR, Huang HC, Siteni S, Zhu M, Chen K, Bender ME, Mender I, Stastny V, Drapkin BJ, Raj P, Minna JD, Xu L, Shay JW, Akbay EA. A telomere-targeting drug depletes cancer initiating cells and promotes anti-tumor immunity in small cell lung cancer. Nat Commun 2024; 15:672. [PMID: 38253555 PMCID: PMC10803750 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44861-8] [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: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
There are few effective treatments for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) underscoring the need for innovative therapeutic approaches. This study focuses on exploiting telomerase, a critical SCLC dependency as a therapeutic target. A prominent characteristic of SCLC is their reliance on telomerase activity, a key enzyme essential for their continuous proliferation. Here we utilize a nucleoside analog, 6-Thio-2'-deoxyguanosine (6TdG) currently in phase II clinical trials, that is preferentially incorporated by telomerase into telomeres leading to telomere dysfunction. Using preclinical mouse and human derived models we find low intermittent doses of 6TdG inhibit tumor growth and reduce metastatic burden. Anti-tumor efficacy correlates with a reduction in a subpopulation of cancer initiating like cells (CICs) identified by their expression of L1CAM/CD133 and highest telomerase activity. 6TdG treatment also leads to activation of innate and adaptive anti-tumor responses. Mechanistically, 6TdG depletes CICs and induces type-I interferon signaling leading to tumor immune visibility by activating tumor cell STING signaling. We also observe increased sensitivity to irradiation after 6TdG treatment in both syngeneic and humanized SCLC xenograft models both of which are dependent on the presence of host immune cells. This study underscores the immune-enhancing and metastasis-reducing effects of 6TdG, employing a range of complementary in vitro and in vivo SCLC preclinical models providing a potential therapeutic approach to SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buse Eglenen-Polat
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ryan R Kowash
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Hai-Cheng Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Silvia Siteni
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Mingrui Zhu
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Kenian Chen
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Department of Population & Data Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Matthew E Bender
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ilgen Mender
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Victor Stastny
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Benjamin J Drapkin
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Prithvi Raj
- Department of Immunology and Microbiome Research Laboratory University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - John D Minna
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX, Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lin Xu
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jerry W Shay
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Esra A Akbay
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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15
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Zhu L, Qin J. Predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy response in extensive-stage SCLC. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:22. [PMID: 38245636 PMCID: PMC10799815 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05544-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for about 13-15% of all lung cancers, and about 70% of SCLC patients have developed extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) at the time of diagnosis because of its highgrade malignancy, easy invasion, and metastasis. In recent years, immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy has become the standard first-line treatment for ES-SCLC. However, SCLC is a relatively immune-cold lung cancer subtype with a limited number of beneficiaries and a short benefit period. Therefore, the use of biomarkers to identify populations with significant benefits from immunotherapy will help improve the efficacy and survival benefits of immunotherapy. However, predictive biomarkers suitable for clinical practice have not been established in the field of SCLC. PURPOSE In order to find the predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy for ES-SCLC, we summarized the research progress of traditional biomarkers, such as programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and tumor mutation burden (TMB), and summarizes the research of potential biomarkers associated with prognosis, such as molecular subtypes, special gene expression, expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I and II classes, tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) .We aim to provide new insights on biomarkers. CONCLUSION The exploration of biomarkers for immunotherapy of SCLC is still very difficult, and it is clear that conventional predictive biomarkers are not suitable for SCLC. At present, the molecular subtypes defined from transcription factors may have some guiding significance, which still needs to be confirmed by prospective clinical studies. In addition, the ctDNA positivity rate of SCLC is higher than that of other tumor types, which can also solve the dilemma of the difficulty of obtaining specimens of SCLC tissues. And the dynamic change of ctDNA also has great potential to predict the curative effect of SCLC, which is worth further clinical exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhu
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jing Qin
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China.
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology on Thoracic Oncology (Lung and Esophagus), Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310022, People's Republic of China.
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16
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Low JT, Brown MC, Reitman ZJ, Bernstock JD, Markert JM, Friedman GK, Waitkus MS, Bowie ML, Ashley DM. Understanding and therapeutically exploiting cGAS/STING signaling in glioblastoma. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e163452. [PMID: 38226619 PMCID: PMC10786687 DOI: 10.1172/jci163452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery that cGAS/STING recognizes endogenous DNA released from dying cancer cells and induces type I interferon and antitumor T cell responses, efforts to understand and therapeutically target the STING pathway in cancer have ensued. Relative to other cancer types, the glioma immune microenvironment harbors few infiltrating T cells, but abundant tumor-associated myeloid cells, possibly explaining disappointing responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapies in cohorts of patients with glioblastoma. Notably, unlike most extracranial tumors, STING expression is absent in the malignant compartment of gliomas, likely due to methylation of the STING promoter. Nonetheless, several preclinical studies suggest that inducing cGAS/STING signaling in the glioma immune microenvironment could be therapeutically beneficial, and cGAS/STING signaling has been shown to mediate inflammatory and antitumor effects of other modalities either in use or being developed for glioblastoma therapy, including radiation, tumor-treating fields, and oncolytic virotherapy. In this Review, we discuss cGAS/STING signaling in gliomas, its implications for glioma immunobiology, compartment-specific roles for STING signaling in influencing immune surveillance, and efforts to target STING signaling - either directly or indirectly - for antiglioma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zachary J. Reitman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joshua D. Bernstock
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James M. Markert
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Gregory K. Friedman
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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17
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Mehta A, Stanger BZ. Lineage Plasticity: The New Cancer Hallmark on the Block. Cancer Res 2024; 84:184-191. [PMID: 37963209 PMCID: PMC10841583 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-1067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity refers to the ability of cells to adopt a spectrum of states or phenotypes. In cancer, it is a critical contributor to tumor initiation, progression, invasiveness, and therapy resistance, and it has recently been recognized as an emerging cancer hallmark. Plasticity can occur as a result of cell-intrinsic factors (e.g., genetic, transcriptional, or epigenetic fluctuations), or through cell-extrinsic cues (e.g., signaling from components of the tumor microenvironment or selective pressure from therapy). Over the past decade, technological advances, analysis of patient samples, and studies in mouse model systems have led to a deeper understanding of how such plastic states come about. In this review, we discuss: (i) the definition of plasticity; (ii) methods to measure and quantify plasticity; (iii) the clinical relevance of plasticity; and (iv) therapeutic hypotheses to modulate plasticity in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnav Mehta
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Ben Z. Stanger
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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18
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Lv H, Zong Q, Chen C, Lv G, Xiang W, Xing F, Jiang G, Yan B, Sun X, Ma Y, Wang L, Wu Z, Cui X, Wang H, Yang W. TET2-mediated tumor cGAS triggers endothelial STING activation to regulate vasculature remodeling and anti-tumor immunity in liver cancer. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6. [PMID: 38177099 PMCID: PMC10766952 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43743-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Induction of tumor vascular normalization is a crucial measure to enhance immunotherapy efficacy. cGAS-STING pathway is vital for anti-tumor immunity, but its role in tumor vasculature is unclear. Herein, using preclinical liver cancer models in Cgas/Sting-deficient male mice, we report that the interdependence between tumor cGAS and host STING mediates vascular normalization and anti-tumor immune response. Mechanistically, TET2 mediated IL-2/STAT5A signaling epigenetically upregulates tumor cGAS expression and produces cGAMP. Subsequently, cGAMP is transported via LRRC8C channels to activate STING in endothelial cells, enhancing recruitment and transendothelial migration of lymphocytes. In vivo studies in male mice also reveal that administration of vitamin C, a promising anti-cancer agent, stimulates TET2 activity, induces tumor vascular normalization and enhances the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 therapy alone or in combination with IL-2. Our findings elucidate a crosstalk between tumor and vascular endothelial cells in the tumor immune microenvironment, providing strategies to enhance the efficacy of combinational immunotherapy for liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Lv
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
| | - Qianni Zong
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Cian Chen
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Guishuai Lv
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Wei Xiang
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
| | - Fuxue Xing
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
| | - Guoqing Jiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225000, China
| | - Bing Yan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225000, China
| | - Xiaoyan Sun
- Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China
| | - Yue Ma
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
| | - Liang Wang
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Zixin Wu
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
| | - Xiuliang Cui
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Hongyang Wang
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China.
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China.
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepato-biliary Tumor Biology, Shanghai, 200438, China.
- Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Wen Yang
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China.
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China.
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepato-biliary Tumor Biology, Shanghai, 200438, China.
- Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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19
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Sands J, Subramanian J. Treating patients with platinum-sensitive extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer in a real-world setting. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1161931. [PMID: 38221913 PMCID: PMC10786446 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1161931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) is an aggressive disease with poor 5-year survival. The first-line standard-of-care for ES-SCLC is platinum plus etoposide, along with 1 of the immune checkpoint inhibitors atezolizumab or durvalumab. Although SCLC first-line therapy often leads to rapid responses, treatment becomes more challenging at progression, particularly for those with a chemotherapy-free interval (CTFI) of ≤6 months. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for SCLC no longer specify treatment recommendations in this setting, but options approved by the US Food and Drug Administration include topotecan and lurbinectedin. Participation in a clinical trial is recommended as an option regardless of CTFI. Other NCCN-recommended regimens are paclitaxel, irinotecan, temozolomide, and cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine, among others. Nivolumab and pembrolizumab are options in those not previously treated with a checkpoint inhibitor. For patients with platinum-sensitive SCLC (CTFI >6 months), preferred treatment per the NCCN Guidelines® for SCLC is retreatment with platinum and etoposide, although the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors is discouraged if there is progression on a drug in this class. Further research on immunotherapies and combination regimens is ongoing, and continuing work on the subcharacterization of SCLC may lead to better precision of therapies that promote more durable responses in individual patients with ES-SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Sands
- Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Janakiraman Subramanian
- Division of Oncology, Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute, Kansas City, MO, United States
- Center for Precision Oncology, Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute, Kansas City, MO, United States
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20
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Zullo L, Dall’Olio FG, Rossi G, Dellepiane C, Barletta G, Bennicelli E, Ingaliso M, Tagliamento M, Genova C. Molecular and Genetic Advances in Small Cell Lung Cancer Landscape: From Homogeneity to Diversity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:224. [PMID: 38203395 PMCID: PMC10779291 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010224] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has been historically considered a homogeneous disease and thus approached as a single entity when it comes to clinical studies design and new treatments developments. However, increasing knowledge in the genetic and molecular landscape of this disease challenges this concept, opening the possibility that different subtypes might show differential vulnerability to treatments. In this narrative review, we gather the most relevant advances in genetic and molecular characterization of SCLC, focusing on how these discoveries may be used to design the path for a personalized treatment approach. Indeed, we discuss the new classification based on differential protein expression, the prevalence and significance of oncogenic drivers (e.g., EGFR mutations and ALK rearrangements) in SCLC, the genetic characteristics of SCLC in patients with no smoking history, and the existing evidence supporting the use of liquid biopsy for capturing the heterogeneity of the disease. We use the keywords "small cell lung cancer", "SCLC", "EGFR", "ALK", "histological transformation", and "transcriptional factors" to identify original research manuscripts, clinical trials, case reports, and case series from PubMed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lodovica Zullo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale (DIMES), Università Degli Studi di Genova, Via Leon Battista Alberti 2, 16132 Genova, Italy;
- Departement de Medicine Oncologique, Institut Gustave Roussy, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 94800 Villejuif, France;
| | - Filippo Gustavo Dall’Olio
- Departement de Medicine Oncologique, Institut Gustave Roussy, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 94800 Villejuif, France;
| | - Giovanni Rossi
- Oncologia Medica 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy; (G.R.); (C.D.); (G.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Chiara Dellepiane
- Oncologia Medica 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy; (G.R.); (C.D.); (G.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Giulia Barletta
- Oncologia Medica 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy; (G.R.); (C.D.); (G.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Elisa Bennicelli
- Oncologia Medica 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy; (G.R.); (C.D.); (G.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Marta Ingaliso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Diagnostiche Integrate (DISC), Divisione di Anatomia Patologica, Università degli Studi di Genova, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy;
| | - Marco Tagliamento
- Clinica di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Università Degli Studi di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Carlo Genova
- Clinica di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Università Degli Studi di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genova, Italy
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21
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Shirasawa M, Yoshida T, Shiraishi K, Goto N, Yagishita S, Imabayashi T, Matsumoto Y, Masuda K, Shinno Y, Okuma Y, Goto Y, Horinouchi H, Yotsukura M, Yoshida Y, Nakagawa K, Naoki K, Tsuchida T, Hamamoto R, Yamamoto N, Motoi N, Kohno T, Watanabe SI, Ohe Y. Tumor microenvironment-mediated immune profiles and efficacy of anti-PD-L1 antibody plus chemotherapy stratified by DLL3 expression in small-cell lung cancer. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:2003-2013. [PMID: 37731022 PMCID: PMC10703835 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02427-3] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) is a therapeutic target in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, how DLL3 expression status affects the tumor microenvironment (TME) and clinical outcomes in SCLC remains unclear. METHODS This retrospective study included patients with postoperative limited-stage (LS)-SCLC and extensive-stage (ES)-SCLC treated with platinum and etoposide (PE) plus anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody. We investigated the relationship of DLL3 expression with TME, mutation status, tumor neoantigens, and immunochemotherapy. RESULTS In the LS-SCLC cohort (n = 59), whole-exome sequencing revealed that DLL3High cases had significantly more neoantigens (P = 0.004) and a significantly higher rate of the signature SBS4 associated with smoking (P = 0.02) than DLL3Low cases. Transcriptome analysis in the LS-SCLC cohort revealed that DLL3High cases had significantly suppressed immune-related pathways and dendritic cell (DC) function. SCLC with DLL3High had significantly lower proportions of T cells, macrophages, and DCs than those with DLL3Low. In the ES-SCLC cohort (n = 30), the progression-free survival associated with PE plus anti-PD-L1 antibody was significantly worse in DLL3High cases than in DLL3Low cases (4.7 vs. 7.4 months, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Although SCLC with DLL3High had a higher neoantigen load, these tumors were resistant to immunochemotherapy due to suppressed tumor immunity by inhibiting antigen-presenting functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Shirasawa
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
- Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1, Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara city, Kanagawa, 252-0375, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Yoshida
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan.
- Division of Molecular Pharmacology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan.
| | - Kouya Shiraishi
- Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Naoko Goto
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Shigehiro Yagishita
- Division of Molecular Pharmacology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Imabayashi
- Department of Endoscopy, Respiratory Endoscopy Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yuji Matsumoto
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
- Department of Endoscopy, Respiratory Endoscopy Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Ken Masuda
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yuki Shinno
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yusuke Okuma
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yasushi Goto
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Hidehito Horinouchi
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Masaya Yotsukura
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Yoshida
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Kazuo Nakagawa
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Naoki
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1, Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara city, Kanagawa, 252-0375, Japan
| | - Takaaki Tsuchida
- Department of Endoscopy, Respiratory Endoscopy Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Ryuji Hamamoto
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Noboru Yamamoto
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
- Division of Molecular Pharmacology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Noriko Motoi
- Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
- Department of Pathology, Saitama Cancer Center, Saitama, 362-0806, Japan
| | - Takashi Kohno
- Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichi Watanabe
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Ohe
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
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22
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Li Y, Mahadevan NR, Duplaquet L, Hong D, Durmaz YT, Jones KL, Cho H, Morrow M, Protti A, Poitras MJ, Springer BF, Bronson RT, Gong X, Hui YH, Du J, Southard J, Thai T, Li S, Lizotte PH, Gokhale PC, Nguyen QD, Oser MG. Aurora A kinase inhibition induces accumulation of SCLC tumor cells in mitosis with restored interferon signaling to increase response to PD-L1. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101282. [PMID: 37992688 PMCID: PMC10694667 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite small cell lung cancers (SCLCs) having a high mutational burden, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunotherapy only modestly increases survival. A subset of SCLCs that lose their ASCL1 neuroendocrine phenotype and restore innate immune signaling (termed the "inflammatory" subtype) have durable responses to PD-L1. Some SCLCs are highly sensitive to Aurora kinase inhibitors, but early-phase trials show short-lived responses, suggesting effective therapeutic combinations are needed to increase their durability. Using immunocompetent SCLC genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) and syngeneic xenografts, we show durable efficacy with the combination of a highly specific Aurora A kinase inhibitor (LSN3321213) and PD-L1. LSN3321213 causes accumulation of tumor cells in mitosis with lower ASCL1 expression and higher expression of interferon target genes and antigen-presentation genes mimicking the inflammatory subtype in a cell-cycle-dependent manner. These data demonstrate that inflammatory gene expression is restored in mitosis in SCLC, which can be exploited by Aurora A kinase inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixiang Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Navin R Mahadevan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Leslie Duplaquet
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Deli Hong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Yavuz T Durmaz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kristen L Jones
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Lurie Family Imaging Center, Center for Biomedical Imaging in Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Hyeonseo Cho
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Murry Morrow
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Lurie Family Imaging Center, Center for Biomedical Imaging in Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Andrea Protti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Lurie Family Imaging Center, Center for Biomedical Imaging in Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Michael J Poitras
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Experimental Therapeutics Core, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Benjamin F Springer
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Experimental Therapeutics Core, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Roderick T Bronson
- Division of Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | | | - Jian Du
- Loxo@Lilly, Indianapolis, IN 46225, USA
| | - Jackson Southard
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Translational Immunogenomics Lab, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tran Thai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Shuqiang Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Translational Immunogenomics Lab, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patrick H Lizotte
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Prafulla C Gokhale
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Experimental Therapeutics Core, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Quang-De Nguyen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Lurie Family Imaging Center, Center for Biomedical Imaging in Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Matthew G Oser
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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23
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Chen Y, Li H, Fan Y. Shaping the tumor immune microenvironment of SCLC: Mechanisms, and opportunities for immunotherapy. Cancer Treat Rev 2023; 120:102606. [PMID: 37579532 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2023.102606] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a very aggressive neuroendocrine tumor with a poor prognosis. Whereas immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach for treating SCLC, its unique tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) might limit patient responses. To fully characterize the TIME and understand the mechanism of its formation with respect to SCLC is crucial. The recent rapid development of multi-omics technologies has rapidly advanced knowledge of TIME features and the regulatory mechanisms associated with SCLC. This review summarizes the TIME features of SCLC as well as shaping the TIME according to the genomics, epigenomics, and metabolomics of tumors. Future opportunities and challenges for immunotherapy are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfei Chen
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China; Postgraduate Training base Alliance of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China; Postgraduate Training base Alliance of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.
| | - Yun Fan
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China; Postgraduate Training base Alliance of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.
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24
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Sasaki N, Homme M, Kitajima S. Targeting the loss of cGAS/STING signaling in cancer. Cancer Sci 2023; 114:3806-3815. [PMID: 37475576 PMCID: PMC10551601 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The cGAS/STING pathway provides a key host defense mechanism by detecting the accumulation of cytoplasmic double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and mediating innate and adaptive immune signaling. In addition to detecting pathogen-derived dsDNA, cGAS senses intrinsic dsDNA, such as those associated with defective cell cycle progression and mitophagy that has leaked from the nucleus or mitochondria, and subsequently evokes host immunity to eliminate pathogenic cells. In cancer cells, dysregulation of DNA repair and cell cycle caused at the DNA replication checkpoint and spindle assembly checkpoint results in aberrant cytoplasmic dsDNA accumulation, stimulating anti-tumor immunity. Therefore, the suppression of cGAS/STING signaling is beneficial for survival and frequently observed in cancer cells as a way to evade detection by the immune system, and is likely to be related to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) resistance. Indeed, the mechanisms of ICB resistance overlap with those acquired in cancers during immunoediting to evade immune surveillance. This review highlights the current understanding of cGAS/STING suppression in cancer cells and discusses how to establish effective strategies to regenerate effective anti-tumor immunity through reactivation of the cGAS/STING pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobunari Sasaki
- Department of Cell BiologyCancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer ResearchTokyoJapan
| | - Mizuki Homme
- Department of Cell BiologyCancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer ResearchTokyoJapan
| | - Shunsuke Kitajima
- Department of Cell BiologyCancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer ResearchTokyoJapan
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25
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Duplaquet L, Li Y, Booker MA, Xie Y, Olsen SN, Patel RA, Hong D, Hatton C, Denize T, Walton E, Laimon YN, Li R, Jiang Y, Bronson RT, Southard J, Li S, Signoretti S, Qiu X, Cejas P, Armstrong SA, Long HW, Tolstorukov MY, Haffner MC, Oser MG. KDM6A epigenetically regulates subtype plasticity in small cell lung cancer. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:1346-1358. [PMID: 37591951 PMCID: PMC10546329 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01210-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) exists broadly in four molecular subtypes: ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3 and Inflammatory. Initially, SCLC subtypes were thought to be mutually exclusive, but recent evidence shows intra-tumoural subtype heterogeneity and plasticity between subtypes. Here, using a CRISPR-based autochthonous SCLC genetically engineered mouse model to study the consequences of KDM6A/UTX inactivation, we show that KDM6A inactivation induced plasticity from ASCL1 to NEUROD1 resulting in SCLC tumours that express both ASCL1 and NEUROD1. Mechanistically, KDM6A normally maintains an active chromatin state that favours the ASCL1 subtype with its loss decreasing H3K4me1 and increasing H3K27me3 at enhancers of neuroendocrine genes leading to a cell state that is primed for ASCL1-to-NEUROD1 subtype switching. This work identifies KDM6A as an epigenetic regulator that controls ASCL1 to NEUROD1 subtype plasticity and provides an autochthonous SCLC genetically engineered mouse model to model ASCL1 and NEUROD1 subtype heterogeneity and plasticity, which is found in 35-40% of human SCLCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie Duplaquet
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yixiang Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew A Booker
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yingtian Xie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Naomi Olsen
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Radhika A Patel
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Deli Hong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charlie Hatton
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Denize
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily Walton
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yasmin N Laimon
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yijia Jiang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roderick T Bronson
- Division of Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jackson Southard
- Translational Immunogenomics Lab, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shuqiang Li
- Translational Immunogenomics Lab, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sabina Signoretti
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xintao Qiu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paloma Cejas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Scott A Armstrong
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Henry W Long
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Y Tolstorukov
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael C Haffner
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matthew G Oser
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA, USA.
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Rudin CM, Balli D, Lai WV, Richards AL, Nguyen E, Egger JV, Choudhury NJ, Sen T, Chow A, Poirier JT, Geese WJ, Hellmann MD, Forslund A. Clinical Benefit From Immunotherapy in Patients With SCLC Is Associated With Tumor Capacity for Antigen Presentation. J Thorac Oncol 2023; 18:1222-1232. [PMID: 37210008 PMCID: PMC10524620 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A small percentage of patients with SCLC experience durable responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Defining determinants of immune response may nominate strategies to broaden the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with SCLC. Prior studies have been limited by small numbers or concomitant chemotherapy administration. METHODS CheckMate 032, a multicenter, open-label, phase 1/2 trial evaluating nivolumab alone or with ipilimumab was the largest study of ICB alone in patients with SCLC. We performed comprehensive RNA sequencing of 286 pretreatment SCLC tumor samples, assessing outcome on the basis of defined SCLC subtypes (SCLC-A, -N, -P, and -Y), and expression signatures associated with durable benefit, defined as progression-free survival more than or equal to 6 months. Potential biomarkers were further explored by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS None of the subtypes were associated with survival. Antigen presentation machinery signature (p = 0.000032) and presence of more than or equal to 1% infiltrating CD8+ T cells by immunohistochemistry (hazard ratio = 0.51, 95% confidence interval: 0.27-0.95) both correlated with survival in patients treated with nivolumab. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed the association between durable benefit from immunotherapy and antigen processing and presentation. Analysis of epigenetic determinants of antigen presentation identified LSD1 gene expression as a correlate of worse survival outcomes for patients treated with either nivolumab or the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab. CONCLUSIONS Tumor antigen processing and presentation is a key correlate of ICB efficacy in patients with SCLC. As antigen presentation machinery is frequently epigenetically suppressed in SCLC, this study defines a targetable mechanism by which we might improve clinical benefit of ICB for patients with SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles M Rudin
- Thoracic Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York; Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
| | | | - W Victoria Lai
- Thoracic Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Allison L Richards
- Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Evelyn Nguyen
- Cancer Biology Program, Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Jacklynn V Egger
- Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Noura J Choudhury
- Thoracic Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Triparna Sen
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Andrew Chow
- Thoracic Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - John T Poirier
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York
| | | | - Matthew D Hellmann
- Thoracic Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
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Schroeder BA, Thomas A. SCLC Subtypes and Biomarkers of the Transformative Immunotherapy Responses. J Thorac Oncol 2023; 18:1114-1117. [PMID: 37599042 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Brett A Schroeder
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Biswas S, Kang K, Ng KP, Radivoyevitch T, Schalper K, Zhang H, Lindner DJ, Thomas A, MacPherson D, Gastman B, Schrump DS, Wong KK, Velcheti V, Saunthararajah Y. Neuroendocrine lineage commitment of small cell lung cancers can be leveraged into p53-independent non-cytotoxic therapy. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113016. [PMID: 37597186 PMCID: PMC10528072 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancers (SCLCs) rapidly resist cytotoxic chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatments. New, non-cross-resistant therapies are thus needed. SCLC cells are committed into neuroendocrine lineage then maturation arrested. Implicating DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in the maturation arrests, we find (1) the repression mark methylated CpG, written by DNMT1, is retained at suppressed neuroendocrine-lineage genes, even as other repression marks are erased; (2) DNMT1 is recurrently amplified, whereas Ten-Eleven-Translocation 2 (TET2), which functionally opposes DNMT1, is deleted; (3) DNMT1 is recruited into neuroendocrine-lineage master transcription factor (ASCL1, NEUROD1) hubs in SCLC cells; and (4) DNMT1 knockdown activated ASCL1-target genes and released SCLC cell-cycling exits by terminal lineage maturation, which are cycling exits that do not require the p53/apoptosis pathway used by cytotoxic chemotherapy. Inhibiting DNMT1/corepressors with clinical compounds accordingly extended survival of mice with chemorefractory and ICI-refractory, p53-null, disseminated SCLC. Lineage commitment of SCLC cells can hence be leveraged into non-cytotoxic therapy able to treat chemo/ICI-refractory SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudipta Biswas
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Kai Kang
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Kwok Peng Ng
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Tomas Radivoyevitch
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Kurt Schalper
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Hua Zhang
- Thoracic Oncology Program, Langone-Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Daniel J Lindner
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Anish Thomas
- Experimental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Brian Gastman
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - David S Schrump
- Thoracic Epigenetics Section, Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Thoracic Oncology Program, Langone-Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Vamsidhar Velcheti
- Thoracic Oncology Program, Langone-Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Yogen Saunthararajah
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
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Davies A, Zoubeidi A, Beltran H, Selth LA. The Transcriptional and Epigenetic Landscape of Cancer Cell Lineage Plasticity. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:1771-1788. [PMID: 37470668 PMCID: PMC10527883 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Lineage plasticity, a process whereby cells change their phenotype to take on a different molecular and/or histologic identity, is a key driver of cancer progression and therapy resistance. Although underlying genetic changes within the tumor can enhance lineage plasticity, it is predominantly a dynamic process controlled by transcriptional and epigenetic dysregulation. This review explores the transcriptional and epigenetic regulators of lineage plasticity and their interplay with other features of malignancy, such as dysregulated metabolism, the tumor microenvironment, and immune evasion. We also discuss strategies for the detection and treatment of highly plastic tumors. SIGNIFICANCE Lineage plasticity is a hallmark of cancer and a critical facilitator of other oncogenic features such as metastasis, therapy resistance, dysregulated metabolism, and immune evasion. It is essential that the molecular mechanisms of lineage plasticity are elucidated to enable the development of strategies to effectively target this phenomenon. In this review, we describe key transcriptional and epigenetic regulators of cancer cell plasticity, in the process highlighting therapeutic approaches that may be harnessed for patient benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair Davies
- Oncology Research Discovery, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Amina Zoubeidi
- Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Himisha Beltran
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Luke A. Selth
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute and Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042 Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005 Australia
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A vaccine to treat ALK + lung cancer and prevent metastatic disease. NATURE CANCER 2023:10.1038/s43018-023-00592-1. [PMID: 37430061 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00592-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
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Mota I, Patrucco E, Mastini C, Mahadevan NR, Thai TC, Bergaggio E, Cheong TC, Leonardi G, Karaca-Atabay E, Campisi M, Poggio T, Menotti M, Ambrogio C, Longo DL, Klaeger S, Keshishian H, Sztupinszki ZM, Szallasi Z, Keskin DB, Duke-Cohan JS, Reinhold B, Carr SA, Wu CJ, Moynihan KD, Irvine DJ, Barbie DA, Reinherz EL, Voena C, Awad MM, Blasco RB, Chiarle R. ALK peptide vaccination restores the immunogenicity of ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:1016-1035. [PMID: 37430060 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00591-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is treated with ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), but the lack of activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is poorly understood. Here, we identified immunogenic ALK peptides to show that ICIs induced rejection of ALK+ tumors in the flank but not in the lung. A single-peptide vaccination restored priming of ALK-specific CD8+ T cells, eradicated lung tumors in combination with ALK TKIs and prevented metastatic dissemination of tumors to the brain. The poor response of ALK+ NSCLC to ICIs was due to ineffective CD8+ T cell priming against ALK antigens and is circumvented through specific vaccination. Finally, we identified human ALK peptides displayed by HLA-A*02:01 and HLA-B*07:02 molecules. These peptides were immunogenic in HLA-transgenic mice and were recognized by CD8+ T cells from individuals with NSCLC, paving the way for the development of a clinical vaccine to treat ALK+ NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Mota
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Enrico Patrucco
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Cristina Mastini
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Navin R Mahadevan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tran C Thai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elisa Bergaggio
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Taek-Chin Cheong
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giulia Leonardi
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Marco Campisi
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Teresa Poggio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Matteo Menotti
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Chiara Ambrogio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Dario L Longo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
- Molecular Imaging Center, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Torino, Italy
| | - Susan Klaeger
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Zsófia M Sztupinszki
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zoltan Szallasi
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Derin B Keskin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Translational Immunogenomics Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Metropolitan College, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Section for Bioinformatics, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jonathan S Duke-Cohan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bruce Reinhold
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven A Carr
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Catherine J Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kelly D Moynihan
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Darrell J Irvine
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - David A Barbie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ellis L Reinherz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claudia Voena
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Mark M Awad
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rafael B Blasco
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Roberto Chiarle
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
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Otegui N, Houry M, Arozarena I, Serrano D, Redin E, Exposito F, Leon S, Valencia K, Montuenga L, Calvo A. Cancer Cell-Intrinsic Alterations Associated with an Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment and Resistance to Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3076. [PMID: 37370686 PMCID: PMC10295869 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123076] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the great clinical success of immunotherapy in lung cancer patients, only a small percentage of them (<40%) will benefit from this therapy alone or combined with other strategies. Cancer cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic mechanisms have been associated with a lack of response to immunotherapy. The present study is focused on cancer cell-intrinsic genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic and metabolic alterations that reshape the tumor microenvironment (TME) and determine response or refractoriness to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Mutations in KRAS, SKT11(LKB1), KEAP1 and TP53 and co-mutations of these genes are the main determinants of ICI response in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Recent insights into metabolic changes in cancer cells that impose restrictions on cytotoxic T cells and the efficacy of ICIs indicate that targeting such metabolic restrictions may favor therapeutic responses. Other emerging pathways for therapeutic interventions include epigenetic modulators and DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways, especially in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Therefore, the many potential pathways for enhancing the effect of ICIs suggest that, in a few years, we will have much more personalized medicine for lung cancer patients treated with immunotherapy. Such strategies could include vaccines and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Otegui
- CCUN Cancer Center and Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (N.O.); (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.L.); (K.V.); (L.M.)
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maeva Houry
- CCUN Cancer Center and Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (N.O.); (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.L.); (K.V.); (L.M.)
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Imanol Arozarena
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain;
- Cancer Signaling Unit, Navarrabiomed, University Hospital of Navarra (HUN), Public University of Navarra (UPNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Diego Serrano
- CCUN Cancer Center and Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (N.O.); (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.L.); (K.V.); (L.M.)
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Esther Redin
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Francisco Exposito
- Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT 06519, USA;
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sergio Leon
- CCUN Cancer Center and Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (N.O.); (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.L.); (K.V.); (L.M.)
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Karmele Valencia
- CCUN Cancer Center and Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (N.O.); (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.L.); (K.V.); (L.M.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), ISCIII, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Montuenga
- CCUN Cancer Center and Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (N.O.); (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.L.); (K.V.); (L.M.)
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), ISCIII, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Calvo
- CCUN Cancer Center and Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (N.O.); (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.L.); (K.V.); (L.M.)
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), ISCIII, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Venkadakrishnan VB, Yamada Y, Weng K, Idahor O, Beltran H. Significance of RB Loss in Unlocking Phenotypic Plasticity in Advanced Cancers. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:497-510. [PMID: 37052520 PMCID: PMC10239360 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-23-0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells can undergo plasticity in response to environmental stimuli or under selective therapeutic pressures that result in changes in phenotype. This complex phenomenon of phenotypic plasticity is now recognized as a hallmark of cancer. Lineage plasticity is often associated with loss of dependence on the original oncogenic driver and is facilitated, in part, by underlying genomic and epigenetic alterations. Understanding the molecular drivers of cancer plasticity is critical for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. The retinoblastoma gene RB1 (encoding RB) is the first tumor suppressor gene to be discovered and has a well-described role in cell-cycle regulation. RB is also involved in diverse cellular functions beyond cell cycle including differentiation. Here, we describe the emerging role of RB loss in unlocking cancer phenotypic plasticity and driving therapy resistance across cancer types. We highlight parallels in cancer with the noncanonical role of RB that is critical for normal development and lineage specification, and the downstream consequences of RB loss including epigenetic reprogramming and chromatin reorganization that can lead to changes in lineage program. Finally, we discuss potential therapeutic approaches geared toward RB loss cancers undergoing lineage reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasutaka Yamada
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kenny Weng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Osasenaga Idahor
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Himisha Beltran
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Tendler S, Rudin CM. Tarlatamab: New Star on the Horizon for Small-Cell Lung Cancer? J Clin Oncol 2023; 41:2877-2880. [PMID: 37098228 PMCID: PMC10414700 DOI: 10.1200/jco.23.00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Salomon Tendler
- Thoracic Oncology Service and the Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Charles M. Rudin
- Thoracic Oncology Service and the Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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Kang K, Wu Y, Yao Z, Lu Y. Tackling the current dilemma of immunotherapy in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: A promising strategy of combining with radiotherapy. Cancer Lett 2023; 565:216239. [PMID: 37211066 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Progress in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has been modest over the past decades until the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which have redefined the standard first-line treatment for extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC). However, despite the positive results of several clinical trials, the limited survival benefit achieved suggests that the priming and sustaining of immunotherapeutic efficacy are poor and further investigation is urgently needed. In this review, we aim to summarize the potential mechanisms underlying the limited efficacy of immunotherapy and intrinsic resistance in ES-SCLC, including impaired antigen presentation and limited T cell infiltration. Moreover, to tackle the current dilemma, given the synergistic effects of radiotherapy on immunotherapy, especially the unique advantages of low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT), such as less immunosuppression and lower radiation toxicity, we propose radiotherapy as a booster to enhance the immunotherapeutic efficacy by overcoming the poor priming effect. Recent clinical trials, including ours, have also focused on adding radiotherapy, including LDRT, to first-line treatment of ES-SCLC. Additionally, we also suggest combination strategies to sustain the immunostimulatory effect of radiotherapy, as well as the cancer-immunity cycle, and further improve survival outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Kang
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yijun Wu
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhuoran Yao
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - You Lu
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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36
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Jaspers JE, Khan JF, Godfrey WD, Lopez AV, Ciampricotti M, Rudin CM, Brentjens RJ. IL-18-secreting CAR T cells targeting DLL3 are highly effective in small cell lung cancer models. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e166028. [PMID: 36951942 PMCID: PMC10145930 DOI: 10.1172/jci166028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) generally have a poor prognosis and a median overall survival of only about 13 months, indicating the urgent need for novel therapies. Delta-like protein 3 (DLL3) has been identified as a tumor-specific cell surface marker on neuroendocrine cancers, including SCLC. In this study, we developed a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) against DLL3 that displays antitumor efficacy in xenograft and murine SCLC models. CAR T cell expression of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-18 greatly enhanced the potency of DLL3-targeting CAR T cell therapy. In a murine metastatic SCLC model, IL-18 production increased the activation of both CAR T cells and endogenous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. We also observed an increased infiltration, repolarization, and activation of antigen-presenting cells. Additionally, human IL-18-secreting anti-DLL3 CAR T cells showed an increased memory phenotype, less exhaustion, and induced durable responses in multiple SCLC models, an effect that could be further enhanced with anti-PD-1 blockade. All together, these results define DLL3-targeting CAR T cells that produce IL-18 as a potentially promising novel strategy against DLL3-expressing solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janneke E. Jaspers
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - William D. Godfrey
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrea V. Lopez
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Metamia Ciampricotti
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Charles M. Rudin
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Thoracic Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Renier J. Brentjens
- Weill Cornell School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
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37
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Hwang S, Hong TH, Kim HK, Choi YS, Zo JI, Shim YM, Han J, Ahn YC, Pyo H, Noh JM, Lee HY, Kim HJ, Park S, Ahn MJ, Park K, Lee SH, Choi YL, Kim J. Whole-Section Landscape Analysis of Molecular Subtypes in Curatively Resected Small Cell Lung Cancer: Clinicopathologic Features and Prognostic Significance. Mod Pathol 2023; 36:100184. [PMID: 37054974 DOI: 10.1016/j.modpat.2023.100184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite the recognition of various molecular subtypes in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), most information has been derived from tissue microarrays or biopsy samples. Using whole-sections of curatively resected SCLCs, we aimed to elucidate the clinicopathologic relevance and prognostic significance of the molecular subtypes. Whole-section immunohistochemistry was conducted for 73 resected SCLC samples using antibodies representative of molecular subtypes: ASCL1 (SCLC-A), NEUROD1 (SCLC-N), POU2F3 (SCLC-P), and YAP1. Further, multiplexed immunofluorescence was performed to evaluate the spatial relationship of YAP1 expression with other markers. The molecular subtype was correlated with clinical and histomorphologic features, and its prognostic role was explored in this cohort and validated in a previously published surgical cohort. Overall, the molecular subtypes were SCLC-A (54.8%), SCLC-N (31.5%), SCLC-P (6.8%), and SCLC-TN (triple-negative, 6.8%). We found significant enrichment of SCLC-N (48.0%, p = 0.004) among combined SCLCs. Although a distinct subtype with high YAP1 expression was not found, YAP1 expression was reciprocal with ASCL1/NEUROD1 at the cellular level within tumors and was increased in areas with non-small cell-like morphology. Furthermore, the YAP1-positive SCLCs showed significantly increased recurrence at mediastinal lymph nodes (p = 0.047) and are an independent poor prognostic factor after surgery (adjusted hazard ratio 2.87; 95% confidence interval 1.20-6.86; p = 0.017). The poor prognostic impact of YAP1 was also validated in the external surgical cohort. Our whole-section analysis in resected SCLCs reveals the highly heterogeneous nature of the molecular subtype and its clinicopathologic relevance. Although YAP1 is not a subtype delineator, YAP1 relates to the phenotypic plasticity of SCLC and may serve as a poor prognostic factor in resected SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soohyun Hwang
- Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Tae Hee Hong
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea; Department of Digital Health, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hong Kwan Kim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yong Soo Choi
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae Ill Zo
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Mog Shim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joungho Han
- Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yong Chan Ahn
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hongryull Pyo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae Myoung Noh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ho Yun Lee
- Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ho Joong Kim
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sehhoon Park
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Myung-Ju Ahn
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Keunchil Park
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Se-Hoon Lee
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Yoon-La Choi
- Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Jhingook Kim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
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Alburquerque-Bejar JJ, Navajas-Chocarro P, Saigi M, Ferrero-Andres A, Morillas JM, Vilarrubi A, Gomez A, Mate JL, Munoz-Marmol AM, Romero OA, Blecua P, Davalos V, Esteller M, Pros E, Llabata P, Torres-Diz M, Esteve-Codina A, Sanchez-Cespedes M. MYC activation impairs cell-intrinsic IFNγ signaling and confers resistance to anti-PD1/PD-L1 therapy in lung cancer. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101006. [PMID: 37044092 PMCID: PMC10140599 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101006] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating the adaptive mechanisms that prevent host immune response in cancer will help predict efficacy of anti-programmed death-1 (PD1)/L1 therapies. Here, we study the cell-intrinsic response of lung cancer (LC) to interferon-γ (IFNγ), a cytokine that promotes immunoresponse and modulates programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) levels. We report complete refractoriness to IFNγ in a subset of LCs as a result of JAK2 or IFNGR1 inactivation. A submaximal response affects another subset that shows constitutive low levels of IFNγ-stimulated genes (IγSGs) coupled with decreased H3K27ac (histone 3 acetylation at lysine 27) deposition and promoter hypermethylation and reduced IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) recruitment to the DNA on IFNγ stimulation. Most of these are neuroendocrine small cell LCs (SCLCs) with oncogenic MYC/MYCL1/MYCN. The oncogenic activation of MYC in SCLC cells downregulates JAK2 and impairs IγSGs stimulation by IFNγ. MYC amplification tends to associate with a worse response to anti-PD1/L1 therapies. Hence alterations affecting the JAK/STAT pathway and MYC activation prevent stimulation by IFNγ and may predict anti-PD1/L1 efficacy in LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Alburquerque-Bejar
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Navajas-Chocarro
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Saigi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Carretera de Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Ferrero-Andres
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan M Morillas
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Vilarrubi
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Gomez
- Biosciences Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Carrer de la Sagrada Familia, 7, 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José L Mate
- Pathology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana M Munoz-Marmol
- Pathology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Octavio A Romero
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Blecua
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Cami de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Veronica Davalos
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Cami de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manel Esteller
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Cami de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), Calle Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Pabellon 11, Planta baja, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluis Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain; Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Feixa Llarga, s/n, 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Eva Pros
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Llabata
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Torres-Diz
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Esteve-Codina
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) and University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Parc Cientific de Barcelona, Torre I Baldiri Reixac, 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montse Sanchez-Cespedes
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Falahat R, Berglund A, Perez-Villarroel P, Putney RM, Hamaidi I, Kim S, Pilon-Thomas S, Barber GN, Mulé JJ. Epigenetic state determines the in vivo efficacy of STING agonist therapy. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1573. [PMID: 36949064 PMCID: PMC10033671 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37217-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
While STING-activating agents have shown limited efficacy in early-phase clinical trials, multiple lines of evidence suggest the importance of tumor cell-intrinsic STING function in mediating antitumor immune responses. Although STING signaling is impaired in human melanoma, its restoration through epigenetic reprogramming can augment its antigenicity and T cell recognition. In this study, we show that reversal of methylation silencing of STING in murine melanoma cell lines using a clinically available DNA methylation inhibitor can improve agonist-induced STING activation and type-I IFN induction, which, in tumor-bearing mice, can induce tumor regression through a CD8+ T cell-dependent immune response. These findings not only provide mechanistic insight into how STING signaling dysfunction in tumor cells can contribute to impaired responses to STING agonist therapy, but also suggest that pharmacological restoration of STING signaling through epigenetic reprogramming might improve the therapeutic efficacy of STING agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Falahat
- Department of Immunology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Anders Berglund
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | | | - Ryan M Putney
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Imene Hamaidi
- Department of Immunology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Sungjune Kim
- Department of Immunology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
- Radiation Oncology Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Shari Pilon-Thomas
- Department of Immunology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
- Cutaneous Oncology Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Glen N Barber
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - James J Mulé
- Department of Immunology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
- Radiation Oncology Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
- Cutaneous Oncology Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
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40
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Shi ZD, Pang K, Wu ZX, Dong Y, Hao L, Qin JX, Wang W, Chen ZS, Han CH. Tumor cell plasticity in targeted therapy-induced resistance: mechanisms and new strategies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:113. [PMID: 36906600 PMCID: PMC10008648 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01383-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the success of targeted therapies in cancer treatment, therapy-induced resistance remains a major obstacle to a complete cure. Tumor cells evade treatments and relapse via phenotypic switching driven by intrinsic or induced cell plasticity. Several reversible mechanisms have been proposed to circumvent tumor cell plasticity, including epigenetic modifications, regulation of transcription factors, activation or suppression of key signaling pathways, as well as modification of the tumor environment. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, tumor cell and cancer stem cell formation also serve as roads towards tumor cell plasticity. Corresponding treatment strategies have recently been developed that either target plasticity-related mechanisms or employ combination treatments. In this review, we delineate the formation of tumor cell plasticity and its manipulation of tumor evasion from targeted therapy. We discuss the non-genetic mechanisms of targeted drug-induced tumor cell plasticity in various types of tumors and provide insights into the contribution of tumor cell plasticity to acquired drug resistance. New therapeutic strategies such as inhibition or reversal of tumor cell plasticity are also presented. We also discuss the multitude of clinical trials that are ongoing worldwide with the intention of improving clinical outcomes. These advances provide a direction for developing novel therapeutic strategies and combination therapy regimens that target tumor cell plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Duo Shi
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.,School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Kun Pang
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhuo-Xun Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, 11439, USA
| | - Yang Dong
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lin Hao
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jia-Xin Qin
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, 11439, USA.
| | - Cong-Hui Han
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China. .,Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China. .,School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Jiangsu, China. .,Department of Urology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Heilongjiang, China.
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41
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Phenotypic plasticity promotes lymph nodes metastasis and drug resistance in lung squamous cell carcinomas. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14614. [PMID: 37025908 PMCID: PMC10070384 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Phenotypic plasticity (PP) is a major promoter of tumor metastasis and drug resistance. Nevertheless, the molecular features and clinical significance of phenotypic plasticity in lung squamous cell carcinomas (LSCC) remained largely unexplored. Methods Phenotypic plasticity-related genes (PPRG) and clinical information of LSCC were downloaded from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). The expression profiles of PPRG were compared between patients with and without lymph node metastasis. The prognostic signature was constructed, and survival analysis was performed based on phenotypic plasticity. Immunotherapy responses, chemotherapeutic drugs and targeted drug responses were investigated. In addition, the results were verified in an external cohort. Results Patients with and without lymph node metastasis exhibited significantly different genomic characteristics of phenotypic plasticity. Enrichment analysis showed that PP was strongly associated with cell responses and cell contraction. Survival analysis demonstrated that PPRG could serve as independent prognostic factor for overall survival. The phenotypic plasticity-related signature successfully divided patients into high- and low-PP score groups. Patients with low-PP scores were more sensitive to PD-L1, Cisplatin, Gefitinib, Obatoclax. Mesylate, Paclitaxel, Sorafenib and Vinorelbine (all p < 0.05). While, patients with low-PP scores were more sensitive to Axitinib and Camptothecin (all p < 0.05). Consistent with the results from TCGA, the external cohort validated the above findings. Conclusions Our study revealed that phenotypic plasticity may be involved in the lymph node metastasis in LSCC through regulating cell responses and cell contraction. Evaluation of phenotypic plasticity will assist clinicians in making treatment strategies.
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Dora D, Rivard C, Yu H, Pickard SL, Laszlo V, Harko T, Megyesfalvi Z, Gerdan C, Dinya E, Hoetzenecker K, Hirsch FR, Lohinai Z, Dome B. Protein Expression of immune checkpoints STING and MHCII in small cell lung cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:561-578. [PMID: 35978199 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03270-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND SCLC is an aggressive malignancy where immunotherapies show limited efficacy. We aimed to characterize the SCLC microenvironment according to the expression patterns of SCLC subtype markers and novel immune checkpoints to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities. METHODS We included SCLC tissue samples from 219 surgically resected, limited-stage patients in this cross-sectional study. We performed immunohistochemistry for STING and MHCII, as well as for the novel subtype markers (ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, YAP1). Moreover, we assessed CD45 + , CD8 + and CD68 + immune cell infiltration. RESULTS 36% of SCLC tumors showed significant stromal or intraepithelial CD45 + immune cell infiltration. These patients exhibited significantly increased overall survival (OS) (vs. patients with immune-deserted tumors). High CD8 expression was associated with increased median OS. We found STING expression on cancer-associated fibroblasts in the stroma and on T-cells and macrophages in both tumorous and stromal compartments. STING expression positively correlated with immune cell infiltration. Increased STING-positivity in tumor nests was an independent favorable prognosticator for OS. ASCL1 was the most frequently expressed subtype-specific protein. Concomitant expression of three or four subtype-defining markers was seen in 13.8% of the included samples, whereas 24.1% of the cases were classified as quadruple negative tumors. YAP1 expression was associated with increased immune infiltrates. Tumor cell MHCII expression positively correlated with immune cell infiltration and with STING- and YAP1 expressions. CONCLUSIONS STING and MHCII are expressed in SCLC. The majority of immune-infiltrated SCLCs exhibit increased STING expression. Immune infiltration and STING expression are prognostic in limited-stage SCLC, making STING a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dora
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Christopher Rivard
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Hui Yu
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Shivaun Lueke Pickard
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Viktoria Laszlo
- Department of Tumor Biology, National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, 1121, Piheno ut 1., Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tunde Harko
- Department of Tumor Biology, National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, 1121, Piheno ut 1., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Megyesfalvi
- Department of Tumor Biology, National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, 1121, Piheno ut 1., Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csongor Gerdan
- Department of Tumor Biology, National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, 1121, Piheno ut 1., Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Elek Dinya
- Institute of Digital Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Services, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Konrad Hoetzenecker
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fred R Hirsch
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Center for Thoracic Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zoltan Lohinai
- Department of Tumor Biology, National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, 1121, Piheno ut 1., Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Balazs Dome
- Department of Tumor Biology, National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, 1121, Piheno ut 1., Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
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Kato S, Maeda Y, Sugiyama D, Watanabe K, Nishikawa H, Hinohara K. The cancer epigenome: Non-cell autonomous player in tumor immunity. Cancer Sci 2023; 114:730-740. [PMID: 36468774 PMCID: PMC9986067 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of the tumor-intrinsic epigenetic circuit is a key driver event for the development of cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that epigenetic and/or genetic drivers stimulate intrinsic oncogenic pathways as well as extrinsic factors that modulate the immune system. These modulations indeed shape the tumor microenvironment (TME), allowing pro-oncogenic factors to become oncogenic, thereby contributing to cancer development and progression. Here we review the epigenetic dysregulation arising in cancer cells that disseminates throughout the TME and beyond. Recent CRISPR screening has elucidated key epigenetic drivers that play important roles in the proliferation of cancer cells (intrinsic) and inhibition of antitumor immunity (extrinsic), which lead to the development and progression of cancer. These epigenetic players can serve as promising targets for cancer therapy as a dual (two-in-one)-targeted approach. Considering the interplay between cancer and the immune system as a key determinant of immunotherapy, we discuss a novel lineage-tracing technology that enables longitudinal monitoring of cancer and immune phenotypic heterogeneity and fate paths during cancer development, progression, and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichiro Kato
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for 5D Cell Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuka Maeda
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sugiyama
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Keisuke Watanabe
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for 5D Cell Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute for Advanced Study, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Hinohara
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for 5D Cell Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Institute for Advanced Study, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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Fousek K, Horn LA, Qin H, Dahut M, Iida M, Yacubovich D, Hamilton DH, Thomas A, Schlom J, Palena C. An Interleukin-15 Superagonist Enables Antitumor Efficacy of Natural Killer Cells Against All Molecular Variants of SCLC. J Thorac Oncol 2023; 18:350-368. [PMID: 36410696 PMCID: PMC9974560 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION SCLC is a highly aggressive tumor with a 5-year survival rate of less than 6%. A heterogeneous disease, SCLC is classified into four subtypes that include tumors with neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine features. Immune checkpoint blockade has been recently added for the frontline treatment of SCLC; however, this therapy has only led to modest clinical improvements. The lack of clinical benefit in a cancer type known to have a high tumor mutational burden has been attributed to poor T-cell infiltration and low expression of MHC-class I in most SCLC tumors. In an attempt to devise a more effective immunotherapeutic regimen, this study investigated an alternate approach on the basis of the use of the clinical-stage interleukin-15 superagonist, N-803. METHODS Preclinical models of SCLC spanning all molecular subtypes were used to evaluate the susceptibility of SCLC to natural killer (NK)-mediated lysis in vitro, including NK cells activated by N-803. Antitumor activity of N-803 was evaluated in vivo with a xenograft model of SCLC. RESULTS In vitro and in vivo data revealed differences in susceptibility of SCLC subtypes to lysis by NK cells and that NK cells activated by N-803 effectively lyse SCLC tumor cells across all variant subtypes, regardless of their expression of MHC-class I. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the potential of a novel immune-based intervention using a cytokine-based therapeutic option for the treatment of SCLC. We hypothesize that N-803 may provide benefit to most patients with SCLC, including those with immunologically cold tumors lacking MHC expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Fousek
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lucas A. Horn
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Haiyan Qin
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Madeline Dahut
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Masafumi Iida
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Dan Yacubovich
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Duane H. Hamilton
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jeffrey Schlom
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Claudia Palena
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Li X, Li Y, Zhao Z, Miao N, Liu G, Deng L, Wei S, Hou J. Immunogenicity of small-cell lung cancer associates with STING pathway activation and is enhanced by ATR and TOP1 inhibition. Cancer Med 2023; 12:4864-4881. [PMID: 35957613 PMCID: PMC9972012 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The activation of STING (stimulator of interferon genes) pathway enhances antitumor immunity in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), while the DNA damage induced by non-cGAMP-based agonists is a potent inducer of STING activity. Here, we investigate the intrinsic expression of STING in cancer cells and evaluate the value of the combination of ATR and TOP1 inhibitors in enhancing antitumor immunity. METHODS STING expression was assessed at mRNA and protein levels in SCLC and normal lung tissues. Transcriptomic subsets of SCLC were identified based on STING-related genes. Distinct mutation and immunogenomic profiles of these subsets were determined. The direct antitumor efficacy and the potential of enhancing antitumor immunity of the strategy using the ATR-TOP1-inhibitor combination were tested in SCLC cell lines. RESULTS The intrinsic expression of STING was significantly reduced in SCLC compared to normal lung tissues (p < 0.0001). Three STING-related SCLC subtypes were identified in which the STING-high subtype was associated with (1) high immune infiltration, (2) high expression of genes related to MHC and immune checkpoints, and (3) high EMT and ferroptosis score. On the contrary, the STING-low subtype was enriched with pathways related to DNA damage response (DDR) and cell cycle progression. The association between the DDR pathway activity and the STING-IFN innate immune response was verified by in vitro experiments in which the inhibition of ATR and TOP1 triggered the expression of genes encoding type I IFN signaling and pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in a STING-low SCLC cell line. CONCLUSION Our study verifies that activation of the STING-IFN response by ATR and TOP1 inhibitors might be a therapeutic strategy to improve the response to immune checkpoint therapy in STING-low SCLC. Furthermore, the combinations of ATR and TOP1 inhibitors can augment tumor inflammation in STING-low SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuetao Li
- The Laboratory of Computational Medicine and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yujun Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ziwen Zhao
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Nabo Miao
- Department of Pathology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guorong Liu
- Department of Pathology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Liaoyuan Deng
- The Laboratory of Computational Medicine and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuquan Wei
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jun Hou
- The Laboratory of Computational Medicine and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Lee MC, Cai H, Murray CW, Li C, Shue YT, Andrejka L, He AL, Holzem AME, Drainas AP, Ko JH, Coles GL, Kong C, Zhu S, Zhu C, Wang J, van de Rijn M, Petrov DA, Winslow MM, Sage J. A multiplexed in vivo approach to identify driver genes in small cell lung cancer. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111990. [PMID: 36640300 PMCID: PMC9972901 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.111990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a lethal form of lung cancer. Here, we develop a quantitative multiplexed approach on the basis of lentiviral barcoding with somatic CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing to functionally investigate candidate regulators of tumor initiation and growth in genetically engineered mouse models of SCLC. We found that naphthalene pre-treatment enhances lentiviral vector-mediated SCLC initiation, enabling high multiplicity of tumor clones for analysis through high-throughput sequencing methods. Candidate drivers of SCLC identified from a meta-analysis across multiple human SCLC genomic datasets were tested using this approach, which defines both positive and detrimental impacts of inactivating 40 genes across candidate pathways on SCLC development. This analysis and subsequent validation in human SCLC cells establish TSC1 in the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway as a robust tumor suppressor in SCLC. This approach should illuminate drivers of SCLC, facilitate the development of precision therapies for defined SCLC genotypes, and identify therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myung Chang Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, SIM1 G2078, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Hongchen Cai
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Chuan Li
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yan Ting Shue
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, SIM1 G2078, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Laura Andrejka
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Andy L He
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, SIM1 G2078, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alessandra M E Holzem
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, SIM1 G2078, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alexandros P Drainas
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, SIM1 G2078, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Julie H Ko
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, SIM1 G2078, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Garry L Coles
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, SIM1 G2078, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Christina Kong
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Shirley Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - ChunFang Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jason Wang
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Matt van de Rijn
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Dmitri A Petrov
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Monte M Winslow
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Julien Sage
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, SIM1 G2078, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Khan P, Siddiqui JA, Kshirsagar PG, Venkata RC, Maurya SK, Mirzapoiazova T, Perumal N, Chaudhary S, Kanchan RK, Fatima M, Khan MA, Rehman AU, Lakshmanan I, Mahapatra S, Talmon GA, Kulkarni P, Ganti AK, Jain M, Salgia R, Batra SK, Nasser MW. MicroRNA-1 attenuates the growth and metastasis of small cell lung cancer through CXCR4/FOXM1/RRM2 axis. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:1. [PMID: 36597126 PMCID: PMC9811802 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01695-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive lung cancer subtype that is associated with high recurrence and poor prognosis. Due to lack of potential drug targets, SCLC patients have few therapeutic options. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) provide an interesting repertoire of therapeutic molecules; however, the identification of miRNAs regulating SCLC growth and metastasis and their precise regulatory mechanisms are not well understood. METHODS To identify novel miRNAs regulating SCLC, we performed miRNA-sequencing from donor/patient serum samples and analyzed the bulk RNA-sequencing data from the tumors of SCLC patients. Further, we developed a nanotechnology-based, highly sensitive method to detect microRNA-1 (miR-1, identified miRNA) in patient serum samples and SCLC cell lines. To assess the therapeutic potential of miR-1, we developed various in vitro models, including miR-1 sponge (miR-1Zip) and DOX-On-miR-1 (Tet-ON) inducible stable overexpression systems. Mouse models derived from intracardiac injection of SCLC cells (miR-1Zip and DOX-On-miR-1) were established to delineate the role of miR-1 in SCLC metastasis. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the expression of miR-1 and target proteins (mouse and human tumor specimens), respectively. Dual-luciferase assay was used to validate the target of miR-1, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was used to investigate the protein-gene interactions. RESULTS A consistent downregulation of miR-1 was observed in tumor tissues and serum samples of SCLC patients compared to their matched normal controls, and these results were recapitulated in SCLC cell lines. Gain of function studies of miR-1 in SCLC cell lines showed decreased cell growth and oncogenic signaling, whereas loss of function studies of miR-1 rescued this effect. Intracardiac injection of gain of function of miR-1 SCLC cell lines in the mouse models showed a decrease in distant organ metastasis, whereas loss of function of miR-1 potentiated growth and metastasis. Mechanistic studies revealed that CXCR4 is a direct target of miR-1 in SCLC. Using unbiased transcriptomic analysis, we identified CXCR4/FOXM1/RRM2 as a unique axis that regulates SCLC growth and metastasis. Our results further showed that FOXM1 directly binds to the RRM2 promoter and regulates its activity in SCLC. CONCLUSIONS Our findings revealed that miR-1 is a critical regulator for decreasing SCLC growth and metastasis. It targets the CXCR4/FOXM1/RRM2 axis and has a high potential for the development of novel SCLC therapies. MicroRNA-1 (miR-1) downregulation in the tumor tissues and serum samples of SCLC patients is an important hallmark of tumor growth and metastasis. The introduction of miR-1 in SCLC cell lines decreases cell growth and metastasis. Mechanistically, miR-1 directly targets CXCR4, which further prevents FOXM1 binding to the RRM2 promoter and decreases SCLC growth and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parvez Khan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Jawed Akhtar Siddiqui
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Prakash G Kshirsagar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | | | - Shailendra Kumar Maurya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Tamara Mirzapoiazova
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Naveenkumar Perumal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Sanjib Chaudhary
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Ranjana Kumari Kanchan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Mahek Fatima
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Md Arafat Khan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Asad Ur Rehman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Imayavaramban Lakshmanan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Sidharth Mahapatra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
- Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Geoffrey A Talmon
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Apar K Ganti
- Division of Oncology-Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, VA-Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Maneesh Jain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
- Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Surinder Kumar Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
- Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Mohd Wasim Nasser
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA.
- Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA.
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Challenges in the treatment of small cell lung cancer in the era of immunotherapy and molecular classification. Lung Cancer 2023; 175:88-100. [PMID: 36493578 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2022.11.014] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
For many years the standard of care for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has remained unchanged. Despite decades of active research, current treatment options are limited and the prognosis of patients with extended disease (ED) SCLC remains poor. The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represents an exception and the only recent approval for ED-SCLC. However, the magnitude of benefit obtained with immunotherapy in SCLC is much more modest than that observed in other malignancies. Different pro-immunogenic or immunosuppressive features within the tumor microenvironment of SCLC may either modulate the sensitivity to immunotherapy or conversely dampen the efficacy of ICIs. Beside immunotherapy, a deeper understanding of the molecular biology of SCLC has led to the identification of new therapeutic targets for this lethal malignancy. Recent epigenetic and gene expression studies have resulted into a new molecular classification of four distinct subtypes of SCLC, defined by the relative expression of key transcription regulators and each characterized by specific therapeutic vulnerabilities. This review discusses the rationale for immunotherapy in SCLC and summarizes the main ICIs-trials in this tumor. We provide also an overview of new potential therapeutic opportunities and their integration with the new molecular classification of SCLC.
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Zhang S, Cheng Y. Immunotherapy for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: current landscape and future perspectives. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1142081. [PMID: 37188176 PMCID: PMC10175664 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1142081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a fatal subtype of lung cancer characterized by high aggressiveness, poor prognosis, and limited treatment options. For the first time in more than three decades, it has been demonstrated that the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy improved the survival of patients with extensive-stage SCLC, thereby immunotherapy plus chemotherapy established a new standard of first-line treatment. However, it is important to improve the curative effect of immunotherapy on SCLC and identify the patients who could benefit from such treatment. In this article, we review the current status of the first-line immunotherapy, the strategies to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy and the discovery of potential predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy for SCLC.
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50
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Kirk NA, Kim KB, Park KS. Effect of chromatin modifiers on the plasticity and immunogenicity of small-cell lung cancer. Exp Mol Med 2022; 54:2118-2127. [PMID: 36509828 PMCID: PMC9794818 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00905-x] [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: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are often involved in maintaining homeostasis. Loss of tumor suppressor functions causes cellular plasticity that drives numerous types of cancer, including small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), an aggressive type of lung cancer. SCLC is largely driven by numerous loss-of-function mutations in TSGs, often in those encoding chromatin modifiers. These mutations present a therapeutic challenge because they are not directly actionable. Alternatively, understanding the resulting molecular changes may provide insight into tumor intervention strategies. We hypothesize that despite the heterogeneous genomic landscape in SCLC, the impacts of mutations in patient tumors are related to a few important pathways causing malignancy. Specifically, alterations in chromatin modifiers result in transcriptional dysregulation, driving mutant cells toward a highly plastic state that renders them immune evasive and highly metastatic. This review will highlight studies in which imbalance of chromatin modifiers with opposing functions led to loss of immune recognition markers, effectively masking tumor cells from the immune system. This review also discusses the role of chromatin modifiers in maintaining neuroendocrine characteristics and the role of aberrant transcriptional control in promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition during tumor development and progression. While these pathways are thought to be disparate, we highlight that the pathways often share molecular drivers and mediators. Understanding the relationships among frequently altered chromatin modifiers will provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of SCLC development and progression and therefore may reveal preventive and therapeutic vulnerabilities of SCLC and other cancers with similar mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A. Kirk
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
| | - Kee-Beom Kim
- grid.258803.40000 0001 0661 1556BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, School of Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566 Republic of Korea
| | - Kwon-Sik Park
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
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