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Yin N, Li X, Zhang X, Xue S, Cao Y, Niedermann G, Lu Y, Xue J. Development of pharmacological immunoregulatory anti-cancer therapeutics: current mechanistic studies and clinical opportunities. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:126. [PMID: 38773064 PMCID: PMC11109181 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01826-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy represented by anti-PD-(L)1 and anti-CTLA-4 inhibitors has revolutionized cancer treatment, but challenges related to resistance and toxicity still remain. Due to the advancement of immuno-oncology, an increasing number of novel immunoregulatory targets and mechanisms are being revealed, with relevant therapies promising to improve clinical immunotherapy in the foreseeable future. Therefore, comprehending the larger picture is important. In this review, we analyze and summarize the current landscape of preclinical and translational mechanistic research, drug development, and clinical trials that brought about next-generation pharmacological immunoregulatory anti-cancer agents and drug candidates beyond classical immune checkpoint inhibitors. Along with further clarification of cancer immunobiology and advances in antibody engineering, agents targeting additional inhibitory immune checkpoints, including LAG-3, TIM-3, TIGIT, CD47, and B7 family members are becoming an important part of cancer immunotherapy research and discovery, as are structurally and functionally optimized novel anti-PD-(L)1 and anti-CTLA-4 agents and agonists of co-stimulatory molecules of T cells. Exemplified by bispecific T cell engagers, newly emerging bi-specific and multi-specific antibodies targeting immunoregulatory molecules can provide considerable clinical benefits. Next-generation agents also include immune epigenetic drugs and cytokine-based therapeutics. Cell therapies, cancer vaccines, and oncolytic viruses are not covered in this review. This comprehensive review might aid in further development and the fastest possible clinical adoption of effective immuno-oncology modalities for the benefit of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanhao Yin
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center & State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, and The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Xintong Li
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center & State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, and The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Xuanwei Zhang
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center & State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, and The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Shaolong Xue
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 20, Section 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Yu Cao
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Laboratory of Emergency Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, PR China
- Institute of Disaster Medicine & Institute of Emergency Medicine, Sichuan University, No. 17, Gaopeng Avenue, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Gabriele Niedermann
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site DKTK-Freiburg, Robert-Koch-Strasse 3, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - You Lu
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center & State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, and The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, PR China.
- Laboratory of Clinical Cell Therapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 2222, Xinchuan Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, PR China.
| | - Jianxin Xue
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center & State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, and The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, PR China.
- Laboratory of Clinical Cell Therapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 2222, Xinchuan Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, PR China.
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Ryan AT, Kim M, Lim K. Immune Cell Migration to Cancer. Cells 2024; 13:844. [PMID: 38786066 PMCID: PMC11120175 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100844] [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: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune cell migration is required for the development of an effective and robust immune response. This elegant process is regulated by both cellular and environmental factors, with variables such as immune cell state, anatomical location, and disease state that govern differences in migration patterns. In all cases, a major factor is the expression of cell surface receptors and their cognate ligands. Rapid adaptation to environmental conditions partly depends on intrinsic cellular immune factors that affect a cell's ability to adjust to new environment. In this review, we discuss both myeloid and lymphoid cells and outline key determinants that govern immune cell migration, including molecules required for immune cell adhesion, modes of migration, chemotaxis, and specific chemokine signaling. Furthermore, we summarize tumor-specific elements that contribute to immune cell trafficking to cancer, while also exploring microenvironment factors that can alter these cellular dynamics within the tumor in both a pro and antitumor fashion. Specifically, we highlight the importance of the secretome in these later aspects. This review considers a myriad of factors that impact immune cell trajectory in cancer. We aim to highlight the immunotherapeutic targets that can be harnessed to achieve controlled immune trafficking to and within tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison T. Ryan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.T.R.); (M.K.)
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Minsoo Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.T.R.); (M.K.)
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Kihong Lim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.T.R.); (M.K.)
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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3
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Wilson J, Kimmel B, Arora K, Chada N, Bharti V, Kwiatkowski A, Finklestein J, Hanna A, Arner E, Sheehy T, Pastora L, Yang J, Pagendarm H, Stone P, Taylor B, Hubert L, Gibson-Corley K, May J, McLean J, Rathmell J, Richmond A, Rathmell W, Balko J, Fingleton B, Hargrove-Wiley E. Programable Albumin-Hitchhiking Nanobodies Enhance the Delivery of STING Agonists to Potentiate Cancer Immunotherapy. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3243545. [PMID: 38766114 PMCID: PMC11100900 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3243545/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a promising target for potentiating antitumor immunity, but multiple pharmacological barriers limit the clinical utility, efficacy, and/or safety of STING agonists. Here we describe a modular platform for systemic administration of STING agonists based on nanobodies engineered for in situ hitchhiking of agonist cargo on serum albumin. Using site-selective bioconjugation chemistries to produce molecularly defined products, we found that covalent conjugation of a STING agonist to anti-albumin nanobodies improved pharmacokinetics and increased cargo accumulation in tumor tissue, stimulating innate immune programs that increased the infiltration of activated natural killer cells and T cells, which potently inhibited tumor growth in multiple mouse tumor models. We also demonstrated the programmability of the platform through the recombinant integration of a second nanobody domain that targeted programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), which further increased cargo delivery to tumor sites while also blocking immunosuppressive PD-1/PD-L1 interactions. This bivalent nanobody carrier for covalently conjugated STING agonists stimulated robust antigen-specific T cell responses and long-lasting immunological memory, conferred enhanced therapeutic efficacy, and was effective as a neoadjuvant treatment for improving responses to adoptive T cell transfer therapy. Albumin-hitchhiking nanobodies thus offer an enabling, multimodal, and programmable platform for systemic delivery of STING agonists with potential to augment responses to multiple immunotherapeutic modalities.
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Guan M, Liu S, Yang YG, Song Y, Zhang Y, Sun T. Chemokine systems in oncology: From microenvironment modulation to nanocarrier innovations. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 268:131679. [PMID: 38641274 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131679] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Over the past few decades, significant strides have been made in understanding the pivotal roles that chemokine networks play in tumor biology. These networks, comprising chemokines and their receptors, wield substantial influence over cancer immune regulation and therapeutic outcomes. As a result, targeting these chemokine systems has emerged as a promising avenue for cancer immunotherapy. However, therapies targeting chemokines face significant challenges in solid tumor treatment, due to the complex and fragile of the chemokine networks. A nuanced comprehension of the complicacy and functions of chemokine networks, and their impact on the tumor microenvironment, is essential for optimizing their therapeutic utility in oncology. This review elucidates the ways in which chemokine networks interact with cancer immunity and tumorigenesis. We particularly elaborate on recent innovations in manipulating these networks for cancer treatment. The review also highlights future challenges and explores potential biomaterial strategies for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Guan
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Shuhan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Yong-Guang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Yanqiu Song
- Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China.
| | - Yuning Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China.
| | - Tianmeng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China.
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5
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Bullock KK, Shattuck-Brandt R, Scalise C, Luo W, Chen SC, Saleh N, Gonzalez-Ericsson PI, Garcia G, Sanders ME, Ayers GD, Yan C, Richmond A. Endogenous pAKT activity is associated with response to AKT inhibition alone and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibition in murine models of TNBC. Cancer Lett 2024; 586:216681. [PMID: 38311054 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous and challenging-to-treat breast cancer subtype. The clinical introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for TNBC has had mixed results, and very few patients achieved a durable response. The PI3K/AKT pathway is frequently mutated in breast cancer. Given the important roles of the PI3K pathway in immune and tumor cell signaling, there is an interest in using inhibitors of this pathway to increase the response to ICI. This study sought to determine if AKT inhibition could enhance the response to ICI in murine TNBC models. We further sought to understand underlying mechanisms of response or non-response to AKT inhibition in combination with ICI. Using four murine TNBC-like cell lines and corresponding orthotopic mouse tumor models, we found that hyperactivity of the PI3K pathway, as evidenced by levels of phospho-AKT rather than PI3K pathway mutational status, was associated with response to AKT inhibition alone and in combination with ICI. Additional mutations in other growth regulatory pathways could override the response of PI3K pathway mutant tumors to AKT inhibition. Furthermore, we observed that AKT inhibition enhanced the response to ICI in an already sensitive model. However, AKT inhibition failed to convert ICI-resistant tumors, to responsive tumors. These findings suggest that analysis of both the mutational status and phospho-AKT protein levels may be beneficial in predicting which TNBC tumors will respond to AKT inhibition in combination with ICI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennady K Bullock
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rebecca Shattuck-Brandt
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Carly Scalise
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Weifeng Luo
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sheau-Chiann Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nabil Saleh
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Paula I Gonzalez-Ericsson
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Guadalupe Garcia
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Melinda E Sanders
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gregory D Ayers
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Chi Yan
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Ann Richmond
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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6
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Zhou Y, Richmond A, Yan C. Harnessing the potential of CD40 agonism in cancer therapy. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2024; 75:40-56. [PMID: 38102001 PMCID: PMC10922420 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
CD40 is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily of receptors expressed on a variety of cell types. The CD40-CD40L interaction gives rise to many immune events, including the licensing of dendritic cells to activate CD8+ effector T cells, as well as the facilitation of B cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation. In malignant cells, the expression of CD40 varies among cancer types, mediating cellular proliferation, apoptosis, survival and the secretion of cytokines and chemokines. Agonistic human anti-CD40 antibodies are emerging as an option for cancer treatment, and early-phase clinical trials explored its monotherapy or combination with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immune checkpoint blockade, and other immunomodulatory approaches. In this review, we present the current understanding of the mechanism of action for CD40, along with results from the clinical development of agonistic human CD40 antibodies in cancer treatment (selicrelumab, CDX-1140, APX005M, mitazalimab, 2141-V11, SEA-CD40, LVGN7409, and bispecific antibodies). This review also examines the safety profile of CD40 agonists in both preclinical and clinical settings, highlighting optimized dosage levels, potential adverse effects, and strategies to mitigate them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhou
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ann Richmond
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Chi Yan
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Nashville, TN, USA.
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7
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Banuelos A, Zhang A, Berouti H, Baez M, Yılmaz L, Georgeos N, Marjon KD, Miyanishi M, Weissman IL. CXCR2 inhibition in G-MDSCs enhances CD47 blockade for melanoma tumor cell clearance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318534121. [PMID: 38261615 PMCID: PMC10835053 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318534121] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitors has been widely explored as a strategy for cancer immunotherapy due to their robust depletion of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). While CSF1R blockade effectively eliminates TAMs from the solid tumor microenvironment, its clinical efficacy is limited. Here, we use an inducible CSF1R knockout model to investigate the persistence of tumor progression in the absence of TAMs. We find increased frequencies of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs) in the bone marrow, throughout circulation, and in the tumor following CSF1R deletion and loss of TAMs. We find that G-MDSCs are capable of suppressing macrophage phagocytosis, and the elimination of G-MDSCs through CXCR2 inhibition increases macrophage capacity for tumor cell clearance. Further, we find that combination therapy of CXCR2 inhibition and CD47 blockade synergize to elicit a significant anti-tumor response. These findings reveal G-MDSCs as key drivers of tumor immunosuppression and demonstrate their inhibition as a potent strategy to increase macrophage phagocytosis and enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of CD47 blockade in B16-F10 melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Banuelos
- Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Allison Zhang
- Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Hala Berouti
- Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Michelle Baez
- Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Leyla Yılmaz
- Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Nardin Georgeos
- Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Kristopher D Marjon
- Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Masanori Miyanishi
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Biology and Medical Innovation (HSCBMI), Department of Pediatrics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Irving L Weissman
- Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
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Lazennec G, Rajarathnam K, Richmond A. CXCR2 chemokine receptor - a master regulator in cancer and physiology. Trends Mol Med 2024; 30:37-55. [PMID: 37872025 PMCID: PMC10841707 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Recent findings have modified our understanding of the roles of chemokine receptor CXCR2 and its ligands in cancer, inflammation, and immunity. Studies in Cxcr2 tissue-specific knockout mice show that this receptor is involved in, among other things, cancer, central nervous system (CNS) function, metabolism, reproduction, COVID-19, and the response to circadian cycles. Moreover, CXCR2 involvement in neutrophil function has been revisited not only in physiology but also for its major contribution to cancers. The recent unfolding of the role of CXCR2 in numerous cancers has led to extensive evaluation of multiple CXCR2 antagonists in preclinical and clinical studies. In this review we discuss the potential of targeting CXCR2 for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwendal Lazennec
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sys2Diag-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, Montpellier, France; CNRS Groupement de Recherche (GDR) 3697 'Microenvironment of Tumor Niches', Micronit, France.
| | - Krishna Rajarathnam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Ann Richmond
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Wang M, Deng C, Yang C, Yan M, Lu H, Zhang Y, Liu H, Tong Z, Ma J, Wang J, Zhang Y, Wang J, Xuan Y, Cheng H, Zhao K, Zhang J, Chai C, Li M, Yu Z. Unraveling temporal and spatial biomarkers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer: insights into the crucial role of immunosuppressive cells. J Transl Med 2023; 21:794. [PMID: 37940972 PMCID: PMC10633927 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04600-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The occurrence and progression of tumors can be established through a complex interplay among tumor cells undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasive factors and immune cells. In this study, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatially resolved transcriptomics (ST) to evaluate the pseudotime trajectory and spatial interactive relationship between EMT-invasive malignant tumors and immune cells in primary colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues at different stages (stage I/II and stage III with tumor deposit). Our research characterized the spatiotemporal relationship among different invasive tumor programs by constructing pseudotime endpoint-EMT-invasion tumor programs (EMTPs) located at the edge of ST, utilizing evolution trajectory analysis integrated with EMT-invasion genes. Strikingly, the invasive and expansive process of tumors undergoes remarkable spatial reprogramming of regulatory and immunosuppressive cells, such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), regulatory T cells (Treg), and exhausted T cells (Tex). These EMTP-adjacent cell are linked to EMT-related invasion genes, especially the C-X-C motif ligand 1 (CXCL1) and CXCL8 genes that are important for CRC prognosis. Interestingly, the EMTPs in stage I mainly produce an inflammatory margin invasive niche, while the EMTPs in stage III tissues likely produce a hypoxic pre-invasive niche. Our data demonstrate the crucial role of regulatory and immunosuppressive cells in tumor formation and progression of CRC. This study provides a framework to delineate the spatiotemporal invasive niche in CRC samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhong Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Chunyu Deng
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Cheng Yang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Mingze Yan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Haibo Lu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Honghao Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Zhekuan Tong
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Jiaao Ma
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Jiaming Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Jiahao Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Yuhong Xuan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Haiyue Cheng
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Kai Zhao
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Cuicui Chai
- Digestive Disease Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Mingzhe Li
- Digestive Disease Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
| | - Zhiwei Yu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150086, China.
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10
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Ozbay Kurt FG, Lasser S, Arkhypov I, Utikal J, Umansky V. Enhancing immunotherapy response in melanoma: myeloid-derived suppressor cells as a therapeutic target. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e170762. [PMID: 37395271 DOI: 10.1172/jci170762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the remarkable success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in melanoma treatment, resistance to them remains a substantial clinical challenge. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) represent a heterogeneous population of myeloid cells that can suppress antitumor immune responses mediated by T and natural killer cells and promote tumor growth. They are major contributors to ICI resistance and play a crucial role in creating an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Therefore, targeting MDSCs is considered a promising strategy to improve the therapeutic efficacy of ICIs. This Review describes the mechanism of MDSC-mediated immune suppression, preclinical and clinical studies on MDSC targeting, and potential strategies for inhibiting MDSC functions to improve melanoma immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feyza Gul Ozbay Kurt
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Samantha Lasser
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ihor Arkhypov
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jochen Utikal
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Viktor Umansky
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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11
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Yang J, Bergdorf K, Yan C, Luo W, Chen SC, Ayers GD, Liu Q, Liu X, Boothby M, Weiss VL, Groves SM, Oleskie AN, Zhang X, Maeda DY, Zebala JA, Quaranta V, Richmond A. CXCR2 expression during melanoma tumorigenesis controls transcriptional programs that facilitate tumor growth. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:92. [PMID: 37270599 PMCID: PMC10239119 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01789-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Though the CXCR2 chemokine receptor is known to play a key role in cancer growth and response to therapy, a direct link between expression of CXCR2 in tumor progenitor cells during induction of tumorigenesis has not been established. METHODS To characterize the role of CXCR2 during melanoma tumorigenesis, we generated tamoxifen-inducible tyrosinase-promoter driven BrafV600E/Pten-/-/Cxcr2-/- and NRasQ61R/INK4a-/-/Cxcr2-/- melanoma models. In addition, the effects of a CXCR1/CXCR2 antagonist, SX-682, on melanoma tumorigenesis were evaluated in BrafV600E/Pten-/- and NRasQ61R/INK4a-/- mice and in melanoma cell lines. Potential mechanisms by which Cxcr2 affects melanoma tumorigenesis in these murine models were explored using RNAseq, mMCP-counter, ChIPseq, and qRT-PCR; flow cytometry, and reverse phosphoprotein analysis (RPPA). RESULTS Genetic loss of Cxcr2 or pharmacological inhibition of CXCR1/CXCR2 during melanoma tumor induction resulted in key changes in gene expression that reduced tumor incidence/growth and increased anti-tumor immunity. Interestingly, after Cxcr2 ablation, Tfcp2l1, a key tumor suppressive transcription factor, was the only gene significantly induced with a log2 fold-change greater than 2 in these three different melanoma models. CONCLUSIONS Here, we provide novel mechanistic insight revealing how loss of Cxcr2 expression/activity in melanoma tumor progenitor cells results in reduced tumor burden and creation of an anti-tumor immune microenvironment. This mechanism entails an increase in expression of the tumor suppressive transcription factor, Tfcp2l1, along with alteration in the expression of genes involved in growth regulation, tumor suppression, stemness, differentiation, and immune modulation. These gene expression changes are coincident with reduction in the activation of key growth regulatory pathways, including AKT and mTOR.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Yang
- TVHS Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - K Bergdorf
- TVHS Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - C Yan
- TVHS Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - W Luo
- TVHS Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - S C Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37203-1742, USA
| | - G D Ayers
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37203-1742, USA
| | - Q Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37203-1742, USA
| | - X Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37203-1742, USA
| | - M Boothby
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - V L Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - S M Groves
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - A N Oleskie
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - X Zhang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - D Y Maeda
- Syntrix Pharmaceuticals, Auburn, WA, 98001, USA
| | - J A Zebala
- Syntrix Pharmaceuticals, Auburn, WA, 98001, USA
| | - V Quaranta
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, TN, 37240, Nashville, USA
| | - A Richmond
- TVHS Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA.
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12
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Yamamoto S, Kato M, Takeyama Y, Azuma Y, Yukimatsu N, Hirayama Y, Otoshi T, Yamasaki T, Fujioka M, Gi M, Wanibuchi H, Uchida J. Irradiation plus myeloid-derived suppressor cell-targeted therapy for overcoming treatment resistance in immunologically cold urothelial carcinoma. Br J Cancer 2023; 128:2197-2205. [PMID: 37069346 PMCID: PMC10241820 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02244-8] [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: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radiotherapy (RT) has recently been highlighted as a partner of immune checkpoint inhibitors. The advantages of RT include activation of lymphocytes while it potentially recruits immunosuppressive cells, such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of overcoming treatment resistance in immunologically cold tumours by combining RT and MDSC-targeted therapy. METHODS The abscopal effects of irradiation were evaluated using MB49 and cisplatin-resistant MB49R mouse bladder cancer cells, with a focus on the frequency of immune cells and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in a xenograft model. RESULTS MB49R was immunologically cold compared to parental MB49 as indicated by the fewer CD8+ T cells and lower PD-L1 expression. Polymorphonuclear MDSCs increased in both MB49 and MB49R abscopal tumours, whereas the infiltration of CD8+ T cells increased only in MB49 but not in MB49R tumours. Interestingly, PD-L1 expression was not elevated in abscopal tumours. Finally, blocking MDSC in combination with RT remarkably reduced the growth of both MB49 and MB49R abscopal tumours regardless of the changes in the frequency of infiltrating CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSIONS The combination of RT and MDSC-targeted therapy could overcome treatment resistance in immunologically cold tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoma Yamamoto
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Minoru Kato
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.
| | - Yuji Takeyama
- Department of Urology, Ishikiri Seiki Hospital, Yayoicho, Higashi Osaka City, Osaka, 579-8026, Japan
| | - Yukari Azuma
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Nao Yukimatsu
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Yukiyoshi Hirayama
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Taiyo Otoshi
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yamasaki
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Masaki Fujioka
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Min Gi
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Hideki Wanibuchi
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Junji Uchida
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
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13
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Zheng Y, Wang N, Wang S, Zhang J, Yang B, Wang Z. Chronic psychological stress promotes breast cancer pre-metastatic niche formation by mobilizing splenic MDSCs via TAM/CXCL1 signaling. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:129. [PMID: 37210553 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02696-z] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging studies have identified chronic psychological stress as an independent risk factor influencing breast cancer growth and metastasis. However, the effects of chronic psychological stress on pre-metastatic niche (PMN) formation and the underlying immunological mechanisms remain largely unknown. METHODS The effects and molecular mechanisms of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) on modulating tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and PMN formation were clarified by multiplex immunofluorescence technique, cytokine array, chromatin immunoprecipitation, the dual-luciferase reporter assay, and breast cancer xenografts. Transwell and CD8+ T cytotoxicity detection were used to analyze the mobilization and function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). mCherry-labeled tracing strategy and bone marrow transplantation were applied to explore the crucial role of splenic CXCR2+/+ MDSCs facilitating PMN formation under CUMS. RESULTS CUMS significantly promoted breast cancer growth and metastasis, accompanied by TAMs accumulation in the microenvironment. CXCL1 was identified as a crucial chemokine in TAMs facilitating PMN formation in a glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-dependent manner. Interestingly, the spleen index was significantly reduced under CUMS, and splenic MDSCs were validated as a key factor mediating CXCL1-induced PMN formation. The molecular mechanism study revealed that TAM-derived CXCL1 enhanced the proliferation, migration, and anti-CD8+ T cell functions of MDSCs via CXCR2. Moreover, CXCR2 knockout and CXCR2-/-MDSCs transplantation significantly impaired CUMS-mediated MDSC elevation, PMN formation, and breast cancer metastasis. CONCLUSION Our findings shed new light on the association between chronic psychological stress and splenic MDSC mobilization, and suggest that stress-related glucocorticoid elevation can enhance TAM/CXCL1 signaling and subsequently recruit splenic MDSCs to promote PMN formation via CXCR2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
- Integrative Research Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Discipline of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
| | - Neng Wang
- Integrative Research Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Discipline of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
- The Research Center for Integrative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
| | - Shengqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
- Integrative Research Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Discipline of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
| | - Juping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
- Integrative Research Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Discipline of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
| | - Bowen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
- Integrative Research Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Discipline of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
| | - Zhiyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
- Integrative Research Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Discipline of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China.
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China.
- The Research Center for Integrative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China.
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14
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Nahar S, Huang Y, Nagy BA, Zebala JA, Maeda DY, Rudloff U, Oppenheim JJ, Yang D. Regression and Eradication of Triple-Negative Breast Carcinoma in 4T1 Mouse Model by Combination Immunotherapies. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15082366. [PMID: 37190294 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082366] [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: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast carcinoma (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive types of solid-organ cancers. While immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has significantly improved outcomes in certain types of solid-organ cancers, patients with immunologically cold TNBC are afforded only a modest gain in survival by the addition of ICB to systemic chemotherapy. Thus, it is urgently needed to develop novel effective therapeutic approaches for TNBC. Utilizing the 4T1 murine model of TNBC, we developed a novel combination immunotherapeutic regimen consisting of intratumoral delivery of high-mobility group nucleosome binding protein 1 (HMGN1), TLR2/6 ligand fibroblast-stimulating lipopeptide (FSL-1), TLR7/8 agonist (R848/resiquimod), and CTLA-4 blockade. We also investigated the effect of adding SX682, a small-molecule inhibitor of CXCR1/2 known to reduce MDSC trafficking to tumor microenvironment, to our therapeutic approach. 4T1-bearing mice responded with significant tumor regression and tumor elimination to our therapeutic combination regimen. Mice with complete tumor regressions did not recur and became long-term survivors. Treatment with HMGN1, FSL-1, R848, and anti-CTLA4 antibody increased the number of infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ effector/memory T cells in both tumors and draining lymph nodes and triggered the generation of 4T1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in the draining lymph nodes. Thus, we developed a potentially curative immunotherapeutic regimen consisting of HMGN1, FSL-1, R848, plus a checkpoint inhibitor for TNBC, which does not rely on the administration of chemotherapy, radiation, or exogenous tumor-associated antigen(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Saifun Nahar
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
- Rare Tumor Initiative, Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yue Huang
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Bethany A Nagy
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | | | | | - Udo Rudloff
- Rare Tumor Initiative, Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Joost J Oppenheim
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - De Yang
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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15
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Barry ST, Gabrilovich DI, Sansom OJ, Campbell AD, Morton JP. Therapeutic targeting of tumour myeloid cells. Nat Rev Cancer 2023; 23:216-237. [PMID: 36747021 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-022-00546-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Myeloid cells are pivotal within the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. The accumulation of tumour-modified myeloid cells derived from monocytes or neutrophils - termed 'myeloid-derived suppressor cells' - and tumour-associated macrophages is associated with poor outcome and resistance to treatments such as chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Unfortunately, there has been little success in large-scale clinical trials of myeloid cell modulators, and only a few distinct strategies have been used to target suppressive myeloid cells clinically so far. Preclinical and translational studies have now elucidated specific functions for different myeloid cell subpopulations within the tumour microenvironment, revealing context-specific roles of different myeloid cell populations in disease progression and influencing response to therapy. To improve the success of myeloid cell-targeted therapies, it will be important to target tumour types and patient subsets in which myeloid cells represent the dominant driver of therapy resistance, as well as to determine the most efficacious treatment regimens and combination partners. This Review discusses what we can learn from work with the first generation of myeloid modulators and highlights recent developments in modelling context-specific roles for different myeloid cell subtypes, which can ultimately inform how to drive more successful clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon T Barry
- Bioscience, Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Owen J Sansom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Jennifer P Morton
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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16
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Dai XJ, Xue LP, Ji SK, Zhou Y, Gao Y, Zheng YC, Liu HM, Liu HM. Triazole-fused pyrimidines in target-based anticancer drug discovery. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 249:115101. [PMID: 36724635 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, the development of targeted drugs has featured prominently in the treatment of cancer, which is among the major causes of mortality globally. Triazole-fused pyrimidines, a widely-used class of heterocycles in medicinal chemistry, have attracted considerable interest as potential anticancer agents that target various cancer-associated targets in recent years, demonstrating them as valuable templates for discovering novel anticancer candidates. The current review concentrates on the latest advancements of triazole-pyrimidines as target-based anticancer agents, including works published between 2007 and the present (2007-2022). The structure-activity relationships (SARs) and multiple pathways are also reviewed to shed light on the development of more effective and biotargeted anticancer candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Jie Dai
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, 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 Province, China
| | - Lei-Peng Xue
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, 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 Province, China
| | - Shi-Kun Ji
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, 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 Province, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, 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 Province, China
| | - Ya Gao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, 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 Province, China
| | - Yi-Chao Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, 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 Province, China
| | - Hui-Min Liu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, 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 Province, China.
| | - Hong-Min Liu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, 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 Province, China
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17
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Yang J, Bergdorf K, Yan C, Luo W, Chen SC, Ayers D, Liu Q, Liu X, Boothby M, Groves SM, Oleskie AN, Zhang X, Maeda DY, Zebala JA, Quaranta V, Richmond A. CXCR2 expression during melanoma tumorigenesis controls transcriptional programs that facilitate tumor growth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.22.529548. [PMID: 36865260 PMCID: PMC9980137 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.22.529548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Background Though the CXCR2 chemokine receptor is known to play a key role in cancer growth and response to therapy, a direct link between expression of CXCR2 in tumor progenitor cells during induction of tumorigenesis has not been established. Methods To characterize the role of CXCR2 during melanoma tumorigenesis, we generated tamoxifen-inducible tyrosinase-promoter driven Braf V600E /Pten -/- /Cxcr2 -/- and NRas Q61R /INK4a -/- /Cxcr2 -/- melanoma models. In addition, the effects of a CXCR1/CXCR2 antagonist, SX-682, on melanoma tumorigenesis were evaluated in Braf V600E /Pten -/- and NRas Q61R /INK4a -/- mice and in melanoma cell lines. Potential mechanisms by which Cxcr2 affects melanoma tumorigenesis in these murine models were explored using RNAseq, mMCP-counter, ChIPseq, and qRT-PCR; flow cytometry, and reverse phosphoprotein analysis (RPPA). Results Genetic loss of Cxcr2 or pharmacological inhibition of CXCR1/CXCR2 during melanoma tumor induction resulted in key changes in gene expression that reduced tumor incidence/growth and increased anti-tumor immunity. Interestingly, after Cxcr2 ablation, Tfcp2l1 , a key tumor suppressive transcription factor, was the only gene significantly induced with a log 2 fold-change greater than 2 in these three different melanoma models. Conclusions Here, we provide novel mechanistic insight revealing how loss of Cxcr2 expression/activity in melanoma tumor progenitor cells results in reduced tumor burden and creation of an anti-tumor immune microenvironment. This mechanism entails an increase in expression of the tumor suppressive transcription factor, Tfcp2l1, along with alteration in the expression of genes involved in growth regulation, tumor suppression, stemness, differentiation, and immune modulation. These gene expression changes are coincident with reduction in the activation of key growth regulatory pathways, including AKT and mTOR.
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18
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Liu TW, Gammon ST, Yang P, Ma W, Wang J, Piwnica-Worms D. Inhibition of myeloperoxidase enhances immune checkpoint therapy for melanoma. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-005837. [PMID: 36805920 PMCID: PMC9944647 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The presence of a highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment has limited the success of immune checkpoint therapy (ICT). Immune suppressing myeloid cells with increased production of reactive oxygen species are critical drivers of this immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Strategies to limit these immune suppressing myeloid cells are needed to enhance response to ICT. METHODS To evaluate the contribution of myeloperoxidase (MPO), a myeloid lineage-restricted enzyme and a major source of reactive oxygen species, to mediating ICT response, we compared treatment outcome and immune composition in wild-type, MPO-deficient (MPO -/- ), and MPO inhibitor-treated wild-type mice using established primary melanoma models. RESULTS Tumor growth and survival studies demonstrated that either host deficiency (MPO -/- ) or pharmacological inhibition of MPO enhanced ICT response in two preclinical models of established primary melanoma in aged animals. The tumor microenvironment and systemic immune landscape underwent striking changes in infiltration of myeloid cells, T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells in MPO -/- mice; furthermore, a significant increase in myeloid cells was observed in ICT non-responders. The contribution of CD4+ T cells and NK cells during ICT response also changed in MPO -/- mice. Interestingly, MPO enzymatic activity, but not protein, was increased in CD11b+Ly6G+ myeloid cells isolated from marrow, spleen, and peritoneal cavities of mice bearing untreated melanoma, indicating systemic activation of innate immunity. Notably, repurposing MPO-specific inhibitors (verdiperstat, AZD5904) in combination with ICT pointedly enhanced response rates above ICT alone. Indeed, long-term survival was 100% in the YUMM3.3 melanoma model on treatment with verdiperstat plus ICT. CONCLUSION MPO contributes to ICT resistance in established melanoma. Repurposing MPO-specific inhibitors may provide a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance ICT response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy W Liu
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA,Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Seth T Gammon
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ping Yang
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Wencai Ma
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - David Piwnica-Worms
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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19
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Gao Y, Stein MM, Kase M, Cummings AL, Bharanikumar R, Lau D, Garon EB, Patel SP. Comparison of the tumor immune microenvironment and checkpoint blockade biomarkers between stage III and IV non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:339-350. [PMID: 35881197 PMCID: PMC9870967 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03252-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adjuvant immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) following chemoradiotherapy and adding ICB to chemotherapy have been key advances for stages III-IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. However, known biomarkers like PD-L1 are not consistently indicative of ICB response. Other markers within the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) may better reflect ICB response and/or resistance mechanisms, but an understanding of how TIMEs differ between stage III and IV NSCLC has not been explored. METHODS Real-world data from unresectable, stage III-IV, non-squamous, pretreatment NSCLCs (stage III n = 106, stage IV n = 285) were retrospectively analyzed. PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) was compared to CD274 gene expression. Then, differential gene expression levels, pathway enrichment, and immune infiltrate between stages were calculated from whole-transcriptome RNA-seq. Analyses were stratified by EGFR status. RESULTS PD-L1 IHC and CD274 expression in tumor cells were highly correlated (n = 295, P < 2.2e-16, ⍴ = 0.74). CTLA4 expression was significantly increased in stage III tumors (P = 1.32e-04), while no differences were observed for other ICB-related genes. Metabolic pathway activity was significantly enriched in stage IV tumors (P = 0.004), whereas several immune-related KEGG pathways were enriched in stage III. Stage IV tumors had significantly increased macrophage infiltration (P = 0.0214), and stage III tumors had a significantly higher proportion of CD4 + T cells (P = 0.017). CD4 + T cells were also relatively more abundant in EGFR-mutant tumors vs. wild-type (P = 0.0081). CONCLUSION Directly comparing the TIMEs of stage III and IV NSCLC, these results carry implications for further studies of ICB response in non-resectable stage III NSCLC and guide further research of prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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20
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Jeong JH, Zhong S, Li F, Huang C, Chen X, Liu Q, Peng S, Park H, Lee YM, Dhillon J, Luo JL. Tumor-derived OBP2A promotes prostate cancer castration resistance. J Exp Med 2022; 220:213776. [PMID: 36547668 PMCID: PMC9789742 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20211546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a systemic therapy for advanced prostate cancer (PCa); although most patients initially respond to ADT, almost all cancers eventually develop castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). Currently, most research focuses on castration-resistant tumors, and the role of tumors in remission is almost completely ignored. Here, we report that odorant-binding protein (OBP2A) released from tumors in remission during ADT catches survival factors, such as CXCL15/IL8, to promote PCa cell androgen-independent growth and enhance the infiltration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) into tumor microenvironment, leading to the emergence of castration resistance. OBP2A knockdown significantly inhibits CRPC and metastatic CRPC development and improves therapeutic efficacy of CTLA-4/PD-1 antibodies. Treatment with OBP2A-binding ligand α-pinene interrupts the function of OBP2A and suppresses CRPC development. Furthermore, α-pinene-conjugated doxorubicin/docetaxel can be specifically delivered to tumors, resulting in improved anticancer efficacy. Thus, our studies establish a novel concept for the emergence of PCa castration resistance and provide new therapeutic strategies for advanced PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Hak Jeong
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA,Vessel-Organ Interaction Research Center (VOICE, MRC), College of Pharmacy, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Shangwei Zhong
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA,The Cancer Research Institute, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Fuzhuo Li
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Changhao Huang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Xueyan Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Qingqing Liu
- The Cancer Research Institute, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Shoujiao Peng
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - HaJeung Park
- X-ray Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - You Mie Lee
- Vessel-Organ Interaction Research Center (VOICE, MRC), College of Pharmacy, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | | | - Jun-Li Luo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA,The Cancer Research Institute, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China,Correspondence to Jun-Li Luo:
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21
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Sounbuli K, Mironova N, Alekseeva L. Diverse Neutrophil Functions in Cancer and Promising Neutrophil-Based Cancer Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415827. [PMID: 36555469 PMCID: PMC9779721 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils represent the most abundant cell type of leukocytes in the human blood and have been considered a vital player in the innate immune system and the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Recently, several studies showed that neutrophils play an active role in the immune response during cancer development. They exhibited both pro-oncogenic and anti-tumor activities under the influence of various mediators in the tumor microenvironment. Neutrophils can be divided into several subpopulations, thus contradicting the traditional concept of neutrophils as a homogeneous population with a specific function in the innate immunity and opening new horizons for cancer therapy. Despite the promising achievements in this field, a full understanding of tumor-neutrophil interplay is currently lacking. In this review, we try to summarize the current view on neutrophil heterogeneity in cancer, discuss the different communication pathways between tumors and neutrophils, and focus on the implementation of these new findings to develop promising neutrophil-based cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khetam Sounbuli
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Lavrentiev Ave., 8, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Nadezhda Mironova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Lavrentiev Ave., 8, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-383-363-51-61
| | - Ludmila Alekseeva
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Lavrentiev Ave., 8, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
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22
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Delobel P, Ginter B, Rubio E, Balabanian K, Lazennec G. CXCR2 intrinsically drives the maturation and function of neutrophils in mice. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1005551. [PMID: 36311783 PMCID: PMC9606682 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1005551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils play a major role in the protection from infections but also in inflammation related to tumor microenvironment. However, cell-extrinsic and -intrinsic cues driving their function at steady state is still fragmentary. Using Cxcr2 knock-out mice, we have evaluated the function of the chemokine receptor Cxcr2 in neutrophil physiology. We show here that Cxcr2 deficiency decreases the percentage of mature neutrophils in the spleen, but not in the bone marrow (BM). There is also an increase of aged CD62Llo CXCR4hi neutrophils in the spleen of KO animals. Spleen Cxcr2-/- neutrophils display a reduced phagocytic ability, whereas BM neutrophils show an enhanced phagocytic ability compared to WT neutrophils. Spleen Cxcr2-/- neutrophils show reduced reactive oxygen species production, F-actin and α-tubulin levels. Moreover, spleen Cxcr2-/- neutrophils display an altered signaling with reduced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK, impaired PI3K-AKT, NF-κB, TGFβ and IFNγ pathways. Altogether, these results suggest that Cxcr2 is essential for neutrophil physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Delobel
- CNRS, UMR9005, Sys2Diag-ALCEN, Cap delta, Montpellier, France
| | - Benjamin Ginter
- CNRS, UMR9005, Sys2Diag-ALCEN, Cap delta, Montpellier, France
| | - Eliane Rubio
- CNRS, UMR9005, Sys2Diag-ALCEN, Cap delta, Montpellier, France
| | - Karl Balabanian
- CNRS, GDR 3697 “Microenvironment of tumor niches”, Micronit, France
- Université Paris-Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, INSERM U1160, Paris, France
| | - Gwendal Lazennec
- CNRS, UMR9005, Sys2Diag-ALCEN, Cap delta, Montpellier, France
- CNRS, GDR 3697 “Microenvironment of tumor niches”, Micronit, France
- *Correspondence: Gwendal Lazennec,
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23
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Zahid KR, Raza U, Tumbath S, Jiang L, Xu W, Huang X. Neutrophils: Musketeers against immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2022; 12:975981. [PMID: 36091114 PMCID: PMC9453237 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.975981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils, the most copious leukocytes in human blood, play a critical role in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and immune suppression. Recently, neutrophils have attracted the attention of researchers, immunologists, and oncologists because of their potential role in orchestrating immune evasion in human diseases including cancer, which has led to a hot debate redefining the contribution of neutrophils in tumor progression and immunity. To make this debate fruitful, this review seeks to provide a recent update about the contribution of neutrophils in immune suppression and tumor progression. Here, we first described the molecular pathways through which neutrophils aid in cancer progression and orchestrate immune suppression/evasion. Later, we summarized the underlying molecular mechanisms of neutrophil-mediated therapy resistance and highlighted various approaches through which neutrophil antagonism may heighten the efficacy of the immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Finally, we have highlighted several unsolved questions and hope that answering these questions will provide a new avenue toward immunotherapy revolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kashif Rafiq Zahid
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Umar Raza
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Soumya Tumbath
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Lingxiang Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Wenjuan Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Xiumei Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Xiumei Huang,
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24
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Yan M, Zheng M, Niu R, Yang X, Tian S, Fan L, Li Y, Zhang S. Roles of tumor-associated neutrophils in tumor metastasis and its clinical applications. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:938289. [PMID: 36060811 PMCID: PMC9428510 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.938289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis, a primary cause of death in patients with malignancies, is promoted by intrinsic changes in both tumor and non-malignant cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). As major components of the TME, tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) promote tumor progression and metastasis through communication with multiple growth factors, chemokines, inflammatory factors, and other immune cells, which together establish an immunosuppressive TME. In this review, we describe the potential mechanisms by which TANs participate in tumor metastasis based on recent experimental evidence. We have focused on drugs in chemotherapeutic regimens that target TANs, thereby providing a promising future for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Yan
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Minying Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Rui Niu
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaohui Yang
- Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shifeng Tian
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Linlin Fan
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuwei Li
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiwu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Shiwu Zhang,
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25
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Guo J, Zhao J, Sun L, Yang C. Role of ubiquitin specific proteases in the immune microenvironment of prostate cancer: A new direction. Front Oncol 2022; 12:955718. [PMID: 35924159 PMCID: PMC9339679 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.955718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of ubiquitination is associated with multiple processes of tumorigenesis and development, including regulation of the tumor immune microenvironment. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) can remove ubiquitin chains from substrates, thereby stabilizing target proteins and altering and remodeling biological processes. During tumorigenesis, deubiquitination-altered biological processes are closely related to tumor metabolism, stemness, and the immune microenvironment. Recently, tumor microenvironment (TME) modulation strategies have attracted considerable attention in cancer immunotherapy. Targeting immunosuppressive mechanisms in the TME has revolutionized cancer therapy. Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common cancers and the second most common cause of cancer-related death in men worldwide. While immune checkpoint inhibition has produced meaningful therapeutic effects in many cancer types, clinical trials of anti-CTLA4 or anti-PD1 have not shown a clear advantage in PC patients. TME affects PC progression and also enables tumor cell immune evasion by activating the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. Over the past few decades, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that deubiquitination in PC immune microenvironment may modulate the host immune system’s response to the tumor. As the largest and most diverse group of DUBs, ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs) play an important role in regulating T cell development and function. According to current studies, USPs exhibit a high expression signature in PC and may promote tumorigenesis. Elevated expression of USPs often indicates poor tumor prognosis, suggesting that USPs are expected to develop as the markers of tumor prognosis and even potential drug targets for anti-tumor therapy. Herein, we first summarized recent advances of USPs in PC and focused on the relationship between USPs and immunity. Additionally, we clarified the resistance mechanisms of USPs to targeted drugs in PC. Finally, we reviewed the major achievement of targeting USPs in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhui Guo
- Cancer Center, Institute of clinical medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Litao Sun
- Cancer Center, Department of Ultrasound, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Litao Sun, ; Chen Yang,
| | - Chen Yang
- Cancer Center, Department of Ultrasound, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Litao Sun, ; Chen Yang,
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26
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Borgovan T, Yanamandra N, Schmidt H. INNATE IMMUNITY AS A TARGET FOR NOVEL THERAPEUTICS IN TRIPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2022; 31:781-794. [DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2022.2096005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Theo Borgovan
- Oncology Research and DevelopmentGlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S. Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426,
| | - Niranjan Yanamandra
- Immuno-Oncology & Combinations Research Unit.GlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S. Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426,
| | - Hank Schmidt
- Oncology Research and DevelopmentGlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S. Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426,
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27
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Zhang Z, Richmond A, Yan C. Immunomodulatory Properties of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK/MEK/ERK Inhibition Augment Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Melanoma and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137353. [PMID: 35806358 PMCID: PMC9266842 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperactivation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK/MEK/ERK signaling pathways is commonly observed in many cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and melanoma. Moreover, the compensatory upregulation of the MAPK/MEK/ERK pathway has been associated with therapeutic resistance to targeted inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and vice versa. The immune-modulatory effects of both PI3K and MAPK inhibition suggest that inhibition of these pathways might enhance response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). ICIs have become the standard-of-care for metastatic melanoma and are recently an option for TNBC when combined with chemotherapy, but alternative options are needed when resistance develops. In this review, we present the current mechanistic understandings, along with preclinical and clinical evidence, that outline the efficacy and safety profile of combinatorial or sequential treatments with PI3K inhibitors, MAPK inhibitors, and ICIs for treatment of malignant melanoma and metastatic TNBC. This approach may present a potential strategy to overcome resistance in patients who are a candidate for ICI therapy with tumors harboring either or both of these pathway-associated mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhizhu Zhang
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (Z.Z.); (A.R.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Ann Richmond
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (Z.Z.); (A.R.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Chi Yan
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (Z.Z.); (A.R.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
- Correspondence:
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28
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Lu X, Lu X. Enhancing immune checkpoint blockade therapy of genitourinary malignancies by co-targeting PMN-MDSCs. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188702. [PMID: 35227829 PMCID: PMC9177662 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) as a powerful immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment. The application of ICB to genitourinary malignancies has generated substantial clinical benefits for patients with advanced kidney cancer or bladder cancer, yet very limited response to ICB therapy was observed from metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The efficacy of ICB in rare genitourinary tumors (e.g. penile cancer) awaits results from ongoing clinical trials. A potential barrier for ICB is tumor-infiltrating polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) with their functions and mechanisms recently revealed. Preclinical studies suggest that successful therapeutic inhibition of PMN-MDSCs synergizes effectively with ICB to eradicate ICB-refractory genitourinary malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemin Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA; Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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29
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Xia J, Chen S, Li Y, Li H, Gan M, Wu J, Prohaska CC, Bai Y, Gao L, Gu L, Zhang D. Immune Response Is Key to Genetic Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 Infection With Psychiatric Disorders Based on Differential Gene Expression Pattern Analysis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:798538. [PMID: 35185890 PMCID: PMC8854505 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.798538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Existing evidence demonstrates that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) leads to psychiatric illness, despite its main clinical manifestations affecting the respiratory system. People with mental disorders are more susceptible to COVID-19 than individuals without coexisting mental health disorders, with significantly higher rates of severe illness and mortality in this population. The incidence of new psychiatric diagnoses after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is also remarkably high. SARS-CoV-2 has been reported to use angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) as a receptor for infecting susceptible cells and is expressed in various tissues, including brain tissue. Thus, there is an urgent need to investigate the mechanism linking psychiatric disorders to COVID-19. Using a data set of peripheral blood cells from patients with COVID-19, we compared this to data sets of whole blood collected from patients with psychiatric disorders and used bioinformatics and systems biology approaches to identify genetic links. We found a large number of overlapping immune-related genes between patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and differentially expressed genes of bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SZ), and late-onset major depressive disorder (LOD). Many pathways closely related to inflammatory responses, such as MAPK, PPAR, and TGF-β signaling pathways, were observed by enrichment analysis of common differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We also performed a comprehensive analysis of protein-protein interaction network and gene regulation networks. Chemical-protein interaction networks and drug prediction were used to screen potential pharmacologic therapies. We hope that by elucidating the relationship between the pathogenetic processes and genetic mechanisms of infection with SARS-CoV-2 with psychiatric disorders, it will lead to innovative strategies for future research and treatment of psychiatric disorders linked to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xia
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Shuhan Chen
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yaping Li
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Hua Li
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Minghong Gan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jiashuo Wu
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Clare Colette Prohaska
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Yang Bai
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Lu Gao
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Li Gu
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Dongfang Zhang
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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30
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Tang L, He S, Yin Y, Li J, Xiao Q, Wang R, Gao L, Wang W. Combining nanotechnology with the multifunctional roles of neutrophils against cancer and inflammatory disease. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:1621-1645. [PMID: 35079756 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr07725b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Neutrophils, the most abundant leukocytes in humans, play a crucial role in acute inflammation during infection and tumorigenesis. Neutrophils are the major types of cells recruited to the inflammation sites induced by pathogens, exhibiting great homing ability towards inflammatory disorders and tumor sites. Therefore, a neutrophil-based drug delivery system (NDDS) has become a promising platform for anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory treatment. Recent decades have witnessed the huge progress of applying nanomaterials in drug delivery. Nanomaterials are regarded as innovative components to enrich the field of neutrophil-based therapies due to their unique physiochemical characteristics. In this review, the latest advancement of combining diverse nanomaterials with an NDDS for cancer and inflammatory disease treatment will be summarized. It is discussed how nanomaterials empower the therapeutic area of an NDDS and how an NDDS circumvents the limitations of nanomaterials. Moreover, based on the finding that neutrophils are closely involved in the progression of cancer and inflammatory diseases, emerging therapeutic strategies that target neutrophils will be outlined. Finally, as neutrophils were demonstrated to play a central role in the immunopathology of COVID-19, which causes necroinflammation that is responsible for the cytokine storm and sepsis during coronavirus infections, novel therapeutic approaches that anchor neutrophils against the pathological consequences related to COVID-19 will be highlighted as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparations and Excipients, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
| | - Shun He
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparations and Excipients, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
| | - Yue Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparations and Excipients, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparations and Excipients, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
| | - Qiaqia Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparations and Excipients, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
| | - Ruotong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparations and Excipients, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
| | - Lijun Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparations and Excipients, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparations and Excipients, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
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Han ZJ, Li YB, Yang LX, Cheng HJ, Liu X, Chen H. Roles of the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 Axis in the Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 27:molecules27010137. [PMID: 35011369 PMCID: PMC8746913 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27010137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In humans, Interleukin-8 (IL-8 or CXCL8) is a granulocytic chemokine with multiple roles within the tumor microenvironment (TME), such as recruiting immunosuppressive cells to the tumor, increasing tumor angiogenesis, and promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). All of these effects of CXCL8 on individual cell types can result in cascading alterations to the TME. The changes in the TME components such as the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the immune cells, the extracellular matrix, the blood vessels, or the lymphatic vessels further influence tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. Emerging roles of the microbiome in tumorigenesis or tumor progression revealed the intricate interactions between inflammatory response, dysbiosis, metabolites, CXCL8, immune cells, and the TME. Studies have shown that CXCL8 directly contributes to TME remodeling, cancer plasticity, and the development of resistance to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Further, clinical data demonstrate that CXCL8 could be an easily measurable prognostic biomarker in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors. The blockade of the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis alone or in combination with other immunotherapy will be a promising strategy to improve antitumor efficacy. Herein, we review recent advances focusing on identifying the mechanisms between TME components and the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis for novel immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Jian Han
- The Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Tumor Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.-B.L.); (L.-X.Y.); (H.-J.C.)
- Correspondence: (Z.-J.H.); (H.C.); Tel.: +86-186-9310-9388 (Z.-J.H.); +86-150-0946-7790 (H.C.)
| | - Yang-Bing Li
- The Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Tumor Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.-B.L.); (L.-X.Y.); (H.-J.C.)
| | - Lu-Xi Yang
- The Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Tumor Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.-B.L.); (L.-X.Y.); (H.-J.C.)
| | - Hui-Juan Cheng
- The Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Tumor Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.-B.L.); (L.-X.Y.); (H.-J.C.)
| | - Xin Liu
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;
| | - Hao Chen
- The Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Tumor Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.-B.L.); (L.-X.Y.); (H.-J.C.)
- Correspondence: (Z.-J.H.); (H.C.); Tel.: +86-186-9310-9388 (Z.-J.H.); +86-150-0946-7790 (H.C.)
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Suppressing MDSC Recruitment to the Tumor Microenvironment by Antagonizing CXCR2 to Enhance the Efficacy of Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13246293. [PMID: 34944914 PMCID: PMC8699249 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary While the development of immunotherapy has greatly advanced cancer treatment, many patients do not benefit from immunotherapy. Numerous strategies have been developed to improve response to immunotherapy across cancer types, including blocking the activity of immunosuppressive immune cells, cytokines, and signaling pathways that are linked to poor responses. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are associated with poor responses to immunotherapy, and the chemokine receptor, CXCR2, is involved in recruiting MDSCs to the tumor. In this review, we present studies that explore the potential of inhibiting MDSCs through blocking CXCR2 as a strategy to enhance response to existing and novel immunotherapies. Abstract Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogenous population of cells derived from immature myeloid cells. These cells are often associated with poor responses to cancer therapy, including immunotherapy, in a variety of tumor types. The C-X-C chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) signaling axis plays a key role in the migration of immunosuppressive MDSCs into the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the pre-metastatic niche. MDSCs impede the efficacy of immunotherapy through a variety of mechanisms. Efforts to target MDSCs by blocking CXCR2 is an active area of research as a method for improving existing and novel immunotherapy strategies. As immunotherapies gain approval for a wider array of clinical indications, it will become even more important to understand the efficacy of CXCR2 inhibition in combating immunotherapy resistance at different stages of tumor progression.
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Prognostic and Immunological Significance of CXCR2 in Ovarian Cancer: A Promising Target for Survival Outcome and Immunotherapeutic Response Assessment. DISEASE MARKERS 2021; 2021:5350232. [PMID: 34840630 PMCID: PMC8626184 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5350232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Objective Uncovering genetic and immunologic tumor features is critical to gain insights into the mechanisms of immunotherapeutic response. Herein, this study observed the functions of CXCR2 in prognosis and immunology of ovarian cancer. Methods Expression, prognostic significance, and genetic mutations of CXCR2 were analyzed in diverse cancer types based on TCGA and GTEx datasets. Associations of CXCR2 expression with immune checkpoints, neoantigens, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) were evaluated across pancancer. CXCR2-relevant genes were identified, and their biological functions were investigated in ovarian cancer. Through three algorithms (TIMER, quanTIseq, and xCell), we assessed the relationships of CXCR2 with immune cell infiltration in ovarian cancer. GSEA was adopted for inferring KEGG and hallmark pathways involved in CXCR2. Results CXCR2 presented abnormal expression in tumors than paired normal tissues across pancancer. Higher expression of CXCR2 was found in ovarian cancer. Moreover, its expression was in relation to overall survival and progression including ovarian cancer. Prominent associations of CXCR2 with immune checkpoints, neoantigens, TMB, and MSI were observed in human cancers. Somatic mutations of CXCR2 frequently occurred across pancancer. Amplification was the main mutational type of CXCR2 in ovarian cancer. CXCR2-relevant genes were markedly enriched in immunity activation and carcinogenic pathways in ovarian cancer. Moreover, it participated in modulating immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer such as macrophage and immune response was prominently modulated by CXCR2. Conclusion Collectively, CXCR2 acts as a promising prognostic and immunological biomarker as well as a novel immunotherapeutic target of ovarian cancer.
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Dong Y, Fu R, Chen J, Zhang K, Ji M, Wang M, Jiang H, Ye W, Hu J, Li Y, Jin J, Chen X, Xu H. Discovery of Benzocyclic Sulfone Derivatives as Potent CXCR2 Antagonists for Cancer Immunotherapy. J Med Chem 2021; 64:16626-16640. [PMID: 34676759 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence shows that the CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) signaling pathway is essentially implicated in the recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) to the tumor microenvironment and leads to MDSC-mediated immune suppression. Therefore, CXCR2 has recently emerged as a promising drug target for cancer immunotherapy. In this paper, benzocyclic sulfone derivatives were designed as potent CXCR2 antagonists. Structure-activity relationship studies resulted in two lead compounds 9b and 11h, which demonstrated double-digit nanomolar potencies against CXCR2 and significantly inhibited neutrophil infiltration into the air pouch in an in vivo setting. More importantly, 9b and 11h dose-dependently inhibited the tumor growth through oral administration in the Pan02 mouse model. Further cytometry and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that 9b and 11h could reduce the infiltration of neutrophils and MDSCs and enhance the infiltration of CD3+ T lymphocytes into the Pan02 tumor tissues, shedding light on their mechanisms of action in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Rong Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jiajing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Kehui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ming Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Mingjin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Huimin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Wei Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jinping Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Non-clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yan Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Non-clinical Drug Metabolism and PK/PD Study, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jing Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xiaoguang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Heng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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Shi H, Li K, Ni Y, Liang X, Zhao X. Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells: Implications in the Resistance of Malignant Tumors to T Cell-Based Immunotherapy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:707198. [PMID: 34336860 PMCID: PMC8317971 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.707198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
T lymphocytes function as major players in antigen-mediated cytotoxicity and have become powerful tools for exploiting the immune system in tumor elimination. Several types of T cell-based immunotherapies have been prescribed to cancer patients with durable immunological response. Such strategies include immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive T cell therapy, cancer vaccines, oncolytic virus, and modulatory cytokines. However, the majority of cancer patients still failed to take the advantage of these kinds of treatments. Currently, extensive attempts are being made to uncover the potential mechanism of immunotherapy resistance, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have been identified as one of vital interpretable factors. Here, we discuss the immunosuppressive mechanism of MDSCs and their contributions to failures of T cell-based immunotherapy. Additionally, we summarize combination therapies to ameliorate the efficacy of T cell-based immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houhui Shi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Kai Li
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanghong Ni
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao Liang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xia Zhao
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Gorchs L, Kaipe H. Interactions between Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and T Cells in the Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment and the Role of Chemokines. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2995. [PMID: 34203869 PMCID: PMC8232575 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13122995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Less than 10% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) survive 5 years or more, making it one of the most fatal cancers. Accumulation of T cells in pancreatic tumors is associated with better prognosis, but immunotherapies to enhance the anti-tumor activity of infiltrating T cells are failing in this devastating disease. Pancreatic tumors are characterized by a desmoplastic stroma, which mainly consists of activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Pancreatic CAFs have emerged as important regulators of the tumor microenvironment by contributing to immune evasion through the release of chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors, which alters T-cell migration, differentiation and cytotoxic activity. However, recent discoveries have also revealed that subsets of CAFs with diverse functions can either restrain or promote tumor progression. Here, we discuss our current knowledge about the interactions between CAFs and T cells in PDAC and summarize different therapy strategies targeting the CAF-T cell axis with focus on CAF-derived soluble immunosuppressive factors and chemokines. Identifying the functions of different CAF subsets and understanding their roles in T-cell trafficking within the tumor may be fundamental for the development of an effective combinational treatment for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Gorchs
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helen Kaipe
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
- Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
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Yan C, Saleh N, Yang J, Nebhan CA, Vilgelm AE, Reddy EP, Roland JT, Johnson DB, Chen SC, Shattuck-Brandt RL, Ayers GD, Richmond A. Novel induction of CD40 expression by tumor cells with RAS/RAF/PI3K pathway inhibition augments response to checkpoint blockade. Mol Cancer 2021; 20:85. [PMID: 34092233 PMCID: PMC8182921 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-021-01366-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is the current first-line treatment for metastatic melanoma, it is effective for ~ 52% of patients and has dangerous side effects. The objective here was to identify the feasibility and mechanism of RAS/RAF/PI3K pathway inhibition in melanoma to sensitize tumors to ICB therapy. METHODS Rigosertib (RGS) is a non-ATP-competitive small molecule RAS mimetic. RGS monotherapy or in combination therapy with ICB were investigated using immunocompetent mouse models of BRAFwt and BRAFmut melanoma and analyzed in reference to patient data. RESULTS RGS treatment (300 mg/kg) was well tolerated in mice and resulted in ~ 50% inhibition of tumor growth as monotherapy and ~ 70% inhibition in combination with αPD1 + αCTLA4. RGS-induced tumor growth inhibition depends on CD40 upregulation in melanoma cells followed by immunogenic cell death, leading to enriched dendritic cells and activated T cells in the tumor microenvironment. The RGS-initiated tumor suppression was partially reversed by either knockdown of CD40 expression in melanoma cells or depletion of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. Treatment with either dabrafenib and trametinib or with RGS, increased CD40+SOX10+ melanoma cells in the tumors of melanoma patients and patient-derived xenografts. High CD40 expression level correlates with beneficial T-cell responses and better survival in a TCGA dataset from melanoma patients. Expression of CD40 by melanoma cells is associated with therapeutic response to RAF/MEK inhibition and ICB. CONCLUSIONS Our data support the therapeutic use of RGS + αPD1 + αCTLA4 in RAS/RAF/PI3K pathway-activated melanomas and point to the need for clinical trials of RGS + ICB for melanoma patients who do not respond to ICB alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT01205815 (Sept 17, 2010).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Yan
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, 432 PRB, 2220 Pierce Ave, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nabil Saleh
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, 432 PRB, 2220 Pierce Ave, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jinming Yang
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, 432 PRB, 2220 Pierce Ave, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Caroline A Nebhan
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, 432 PRB, 2220 Pierce Ave, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Anna E Vilgelm
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - E Premkumar Reddy
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph T Roland
- Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics and the Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Douglas B Johnson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sheau-Chiann Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rebecca L Shattuck-Brandt
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, 432 PRB, 2220 Pierce Ave, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gregory D Ayers
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ann Richmond
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, 432 PRB, 2220 Pierce Ave, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Timaxian C, Vogel CFA, Orcel C, Vetter D, Durochat C, Chinal C, NGuyen P, Aknin ML, Mercier-Nomé F, Davy M, Raymond-Letron I, Van TNN, Diermeier SD, Godefroy A, Gary-Bobo M, Molina F, Balabanian K, Lazennec G. Pivotal Role for Cxcr2 in Regulating Tumor-Associated Neutrophil in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13112584. [PMID: 34070438 PMCID: PMC8197482 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemokines present in the tumor microenvironment are essential for the control of tumor progression. We show here that several ligands of the chemokine receptor Cxcr2 were up-regulated in the PyMT (polyoma middle T oncogene) model of breast cancer. Interestingly, the knock-down of Cxcr2 in PyMT animals led to an increased growth of the primary tumor and lung metastasis. The analysis of tumor content of PyMT-Cxcr2-/- animals highlighted an increased infiltration of tumor associated neutrophils (TANs), mirrored by a decreased recruitment of tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) compared to PyMT animals. Analysis of PyMT-Cxcr2-/- TANs revealed that they lost their killing ability compared to PyMT-Cxcr2+/+ TANs. The transcriptomic analysis of PyMT-Cxcr2-/- TANs showed that they had a more pronounced pro-tumor TAN2 profile compared to PyMT TANs. In particular, PyMT-Cxcr2-/- TANs displayed an up-regulation of the pathways involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and angiogenesis and factors favoring metastasis, but reduced apoptosis. In summary, our data reveal that a lack of Cxcr2 provides TANs with pro-tumor effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Timaxian
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France; (C.T.); (C.O.); (D.V.); (C.D.); (C.C.); (P.N.); (M.D.); (T.-N.-N.V.); (F.M.)
- CNRS, GDR 3697 Microenvironment of Tumor Niches, Micronit, France;
| | - Christoph F. A. Vogel
- Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
| | - Charlotte Orcel
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France; (C.T.); (C.O.); (D.V.); (C.D.); (C.C.); (P.N.); (M.D.); (T.-N.-N.V.); (F.M.)
| | - Diana Vetter
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France; (C.T.); (C.O.); (D.V.); (C.D.); (C.C.); (P.N.); (M.D.); (T.-N.-N.V.); (F.M.)
| | - Camille Durochat
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France; (C.T.); (C.O.); (D.V.); (C.D.); (C.C.); (P.N.); (M.D.); (T.-N.-N.V.); (F.M.)
| | - Clarisse Chinal
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France; (C.T.); (C.O.); (D.V.); (C.D.); (C.C.); (P.N.); (M.D.); (T.-N.-N.V.); (F.M.)
| | - Phuong NGuyen
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France; (C.T.); (C.O.); (D.V.); (C.D.); (C.C.); (P.N.); (M.D.); (T.-N.-N.V.); (F.M.)
| | - Marie-Laure Aknin
- CNRS, Institut Paris Saclay d’Innovation Thérapeutique, Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France; (M.-L.A.); (F.M.-N.)
| | - Françoise Mercier-Nomé
- CNRS, Institut Paris Saclay d’Innovation Thérapeutique, Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France; (M.-L.A.); (F.M.-N.)
| | - Martin Davy
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France; (C.T.); (C.O.); (D.V.); (C.D.); (C.C.); (P.N.); (M.D.); (T.-N.-N.V.); (F.M.)
| | - Isabelle Raymond-Letron
- Department of Histopathology, National Veterinary School of Toulouse, 31076 Toulouse, France;
- Platform of Experimental and Compared Histopathology, STROMALab, UMR UPS/CNRS 5223, EFS, Inserm U1031, 31076 Toulouse, France
| | - Thi-Nhu-Ngoc Van
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France; (C.T.); (C.O.); (D.V.); (C.D.); (C.C.); (P.N.); (M.D.); (T.-N.-N.V.); (F.M.)
| | - Sarah D. Diermeier
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand;
| | - Anastasia Godefroy
- IBMM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34093 Montpellier, France; (A.G.); (M.G.-B.)
| | - Magali Gary-Bobo
- IBMM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34093 Montpellier, France; (A.G.); (M.G.-B.)
| | - Franck Molina
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France; (C.T.); (C.O.); (D.V.); (C.D.); (C.C.); (P.N.); (M.D.); (T.-N.-N.V.); (F.M.)
| | - Karl Balabanian
- CNRS, GDR 3697 Microenvironment of Tumor Niches, Micronit, France;
- Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, Université de Paris, EMiLy, Inserm U1160, 75010 Paris, France
| | - Gwendal Lazennec
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG-ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France; (C.T.); (C.O.); (D.V.); (C.D.); (C.C.); (P.N.); (M.D.); (T.-N.-N.V.); (F.M.)
- CNRS, GDR 3697 Microenvironment of Tumor Niches, Micronit, France;
- Correspondence:
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Yan C, Yang J, Saleh N, Chen SC, Ayers GD, Abramson VG, Mayer IA, Richmond A. Inhibition of the PI3K/mTOR Pathway in Breast Cancer to Enhance Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5207. [PMID: 34069042 PMCID: PMC8156389 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Inhibition of the PI3K/mTOR pathway suppresses breast cancer (BC) growth, enhances anti-tumor immune responses, and works synergistically with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). The objective here was to identify a subclass of PI3K inhibitors that, when combined with paclitaxel, is effective in enhancing response to ICI. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were orthotopically implanted with syngeneic luminal/triple-negative-like PyMT cells exhibiting high endogenous PI3K activity. Tumor growth in response to treatment with anti-PD-1 + anti-CTLA-4 (ICI), paclitaxel (PTX), and either the PI3Kα-specific inhibitor alpelisib, the pan-PI3K inhibitor copanlisib, or the broad spectrum PI3K/mTOR inhibitor gedatolisib was evaluated in reference to monotherapy or combinations of these therapies. Effects of these therapeutics on intratumoral immune populations were determined by multicolor FACS. RESULTS Treatment with alpelisib + PTX inhibited PyMT tumor growth and increased tumor-infiltrating granulocytes but did not significantly affect the number of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells and did not synergize with ICI. Copanlisib + PTX + ICI significantly inhibited PyMT growth and increased activation of intratumoral CD8+ T cells as compared to ICI alone, yet did not inhibit tumor growth more than ICI alone. In contrast, gedatolisib + ICI resulted in significantly greater inhibition of tumor growth compared to ICI alone and induced durable dendritic-cell, CD8+ T-cell, and NK-cell responses. Adding PTX to this regimen yielded complete regression in 60% of tumors. CONCLUSION PI3K/mTOR inhibition plus PTX heightens response to ICI and may provide a viable therapeutic approach for treatment of metastatic BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Yan
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (C.Y.); (J.Y.); (N.S.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Jinming Yang
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (C.Y.); (J.Y.); (N.S.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Nabil Saleh
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (C.Y.); (J.Y.); (N.S.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Sheau-Chiann Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.-C.C.); (G.D.A.)
| | - Gregory D. Ayers
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.-C.C.); (G.D.A.)
| | - Vandana G. Abramson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (V.G.A.); (I.A.M.)
| | - Ingrid A. Mayer
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (V.G.A.); (I.A.M.)
| | - Ann Richmond
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (C.Y.); (J.Y.); (N.S.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
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Boissière-Michot F, Jacot W, Massol O, Mollevi C, Lazennec G. CXCR2 Levels Correlate with Immune Infiltration and a Better Prognosis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13102328. [PMID: 34066060 PMCID: PMC8151934 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13102328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tumor microenvironment is critical for cancer progression. The role of the chemokine receptors in breast cancers is still under investigation. The aim of this study was to focus on a retrospective cohort of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) and analyze the involvement of CXCR2 and its link with immune infiltration and immune checkpoint markers. High densities of CXCR2-positive cells were associated with high-grade tumors. Higher quantities of CXCR2-positive cells were correlated with elevated density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes, expression of PD-L1 by tumor and stromal cells and of PD-1 by stromal cells. In univariate analysis, low levels of CXCR2 were correlated with poor OS and RFS. In multivariate analysis, low levels of CXCR2 were associated with poor OS. Overall, our data highlight the potential beneficial association of high levels of CXCR2 with a subgroup of TNBC patients characterized by a better prognosis. Abstract Chemokines and their receptors are key players in breast cancer progression and outcome. Previous studies have shown that the chemokine receptor CXCR2 was expressed at higher levels by cells of the tumor microenvironment in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs). The aim of this study was to focus our attention on a retrospective cohort of 290 TNBC cases and analyze the involvement of CXCR2, CD11b (a marker of granulocytes) and CD66b (a marker of neutrophils) and their link with immune infiltration and immune checkpoint markers. We report that high densities of CXCR2-, CD11b- and CD66b-positive cells were associated with high-grade tumors. Moreover, molecular apocrine TNBCs, defined here as tumors that express both AR and FOXA1 biomarkers, exhibited low levels of CXCR2 and CD11b. High CXCR2 and CD11b levels were correlated with elevated density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes, expression of PD-L1 by tumor and stromal cells and of PD-1 by stromal cells. On the other hand, CD66b levels were associated only with CD8+, stromal PD-L1 and PD-1 expression. In univariate analysis, low levels of CXCR2 were correlated with poor OS and RFS. In multivariate analysis, low levels of CXCR2 were associated with poor OS. Finally, in TNBC treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, CXCR2 density was associated with longer RFS. Overall, our data highlight the potential beneficial association of high levels of CXCR2 with a subgroup of TNBC patients characterized by a better prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Boissière-Michot
- Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), Val d’Aurelle, 34298 Montpellier, France; (F.B.-M.); (W.J.); (O.M.); (C.M.)
| | - William Jacot
- Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), Val d’Aurelle, 34298 Montpellier, France; (F.B.-M.); (W.J.); (O.M.); (C.M.)
- Montpellier University, 34090 Montpellier, France
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), Inserm U1194, 34298 Montpellier, France
| | - Océane Massol
- Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), Val d’Aurelle, 34298 Montpellier, France; (F.B.-M.); (W.J.); (O.M.); (C.M.)
| | - Caroline Mollevi
- Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), Val d’Aurelle, 34298 Montpellier, France; (F.B.-M.); (W.J.); (O.M.); (C.M.)
- Institut Desbrest d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, UMR Inserm—Université de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Gwendal Lazennec
- CNRS, SYS2DIAG, ALCEDIAG, Cap Delta, 1682 Rue de la Valsière, 34184 Montpellier, France
- CNRS, GDR 3697 “Microenvironment of Tumor Niches”, Micronit, France
- Correspondence:
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Carnevalli LS, Ghadially H, Barry ST. Therapeutic Approaches Targeting the Natural Killer-Myeloid Cell Axis in the Tumor Microenvironment. Front Immunol 2021; 12:633685. [PMID: 33953710 PMCID: PMC8092119 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.633685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment by promoting durable clinical responses in a proportion of patients; however, treatment still fails in many patients. Innate immune cells play a key role in the response to immunotherapy. Crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune systems drives T-cell activation but also limits immunotherapy response, as myeloid cells are commonly associated with resistance. Hence, innate cells have both negative and positive effects within the tumor microenvironment (TME), and despite investment in early clinical trials targeting innate cells, they have seen limited success. Suppressive myeloid cells facilitate metastasis and immunotherapy resistance through TME remodeling and inhibition of adaptive immune cells. Natural killer (NK) cells, in contrast, secrete inflammatory cytokines and directly kill transformed cells, playing a key immunosurveillance role in early tumor development. Myeloid and NK cells show reciprocal crosstalk, influencing myeloid cell functional status or antigen presentation and NK effector function, respectively. Crosstalk between myeloid cells and the NK immune network in the TME is especially important in the context of therapeutic intervention. Here we discuss how myeloid and NK cell interactions shape anti-tumor responses by influencing an immunosuppressive TME and how this may influence outcomes of treatment strategies involving drugs that target myeloid and NK cells.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/adverse effects
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/therapeutic use
- Cell Communication/drug effects
- Humans
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/adverse effects
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Immunity, Cellular/drug effects
- Immunity, Humoral/drug effects
- Immunotherapy
- Killer Cells, Natural/drug effects
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/drug effects
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/metabolism
- Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells/drug effects
- Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells/immunology
- Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells/metabolism
- Neoplasms/immunology
- Neoplasms/metabolism
- Neoplasms/pathology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- Tumor Escape/drug effects
- Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Simon T. Barry
- Early Oncology, Research and Development, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Badia-Ramentol J, Linares J, Gómez-Llonin A, Calon A. Minimal Residual Disease, Metastasis and Immunity. Biomolecules 2021; 11:130. [PMID: 33498251 PMCID: PMC7909268 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Progression from localized to metastatic disease requires cancer cells spreading to distant organs through the bloodstream. Only a small proportion of these circulating tumor cells (CTCs) survives dissemination due to anoikis, shear forces and elimination by the immune system. However, all metastases originate from CTCs capable of surviving and extravasating into distant tissue to re-initiate a tumor. Metastasis initiation is not always immediate as disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) may enter a non-dividing state of cell dormancy. Cancer dormancy is a reversible condition that can be maintained for many years without being clinically detectable. Subsequently, late disease relapses are thought to be due to cancer cells ultimately escaping from dormant state. Cancer dormancy is usually associated with minimal residual disease (MRD), where DTCs persist after intended curative therapy. Thus, MRD is commonly regarded as an indicator of poor prognosis in all cancers. In this review, we examine the current understanding of MRD and immunity during cancer progression to metastasis and discuss clinical perspectives for oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alexandre Calon
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (J.B.-R.); (J.L.); (A.G.-L.)
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