Ovarian granulosa cell tumor characterization identifies FOXL2 as an immunotherapeutic target

Granulosa Cells-Related MicroRNAs in Ovarian Diseases: Mechanism, Facts and Perspectives

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short single-stranded, noncoding RNAs that affect the translation of mRNAs by imperfectly binding to homologous 3'UTRs. Research on miRNAs in ovarian diseases is constantly expanding because miRNAs are powerful regulators of gene expression and cellular processes and are promising biomarkers. miRNA mimics, miRNA inhibitors and molecules targeting miRNAs (antimiRs) have shown promise as novel therapeutic agents in preclinical development. Granulosa cells (GCs) are supporting cells for developing oocytes in the ovary. GCs regulate female reproductive health by producing sex hormones and LH receptors. Increasing research has reported the relevance of miRNAs in GC pathophysiology. With in-depth studies of disease mechanisms, there are an increasing number of studies on the biomolecular pathways of miRNAs in gynecology and endocrinology. In the present review, we summarize the different functions of GC-related microRNAs in various ovarian disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, premature ovarian insufficiency, premature ovarian failure and ovarian granulosa cell tumors.

Comparative Tumor Microenvironment Analysis of Primary and Recurrent Ovarian Granulosa Cell Tumors

Adult-type granulosa cell tumors (aGCT) are rare ovarian sex cord tumors with few effective treatments for recurrent disease. The objective of this study was to characterize the tumor microenvironment (TME) of primary and recurrent aGCTs and to identify correlates of disease recurrence. Total RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on 24 pathologically confirmed, cryopreserved aGCT samples, including 8 primary and 16 recurrent tumors. After read alignment and quality-control filtering, DESeq2 was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEG) between primary and recurrent tumors. Functional enrichment pathway analysis and gene set enrichment analysis was performed using "clusterProfiler" and "GSVA" R packages. TME composition was investigated through the analysis and integration of multiple published RNA-seq deconvolution algorithms. TME analysis results were externally validated using data from independent previously published RNA-seq datasets. A total of 31 DEGs were identified between primary and recurrent aGCTs. These included genes with known function in hormone signaling such as LHCGR and INSL3 (more abundant in primary tumors) and CYP19A1 (more abundant in recurrent tumors). Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that primarily immune-related and hormone-regulated gene sets expression was increased in recurrent tumors. Integrative TME analysis demonstrated statistically significant depletion of cancer-associated fibroblasts in recurrent tumors. This finding was confirmed in multiple independent datasets.

IMPLICATIONS

Recurrent aGCTs exhibit alterations in hormone pathway gene expression as well as decreased infiltration of cancer-associated fibroblasts, suggesting dual roles for hormonal signaling and TME remodeling underpinning disease relapse.

Clinical characteristics and oncological outcomes of recurrent adult granulosa cell tumor of ovary: A retrospective study of seventy patients

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to describe the clinicopathological characteristics of recurrent adult granulosa cell tumor and identify the risk factors for recurrence.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Seventy recurrent adult granulosa cell tumor patients treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2000 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The primary outcomes were progression-free survival after first recurrence (PFS-R), overall survival after first recurrence (OS-R) and recurrence frequency. The Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, and the Prentice, Williams and Peterson counting process (PWP-CP) model were adopted.

RESULTS

There were 70 patients included in the study, and recurrence occurred twice in more than 71% of patients, and 49.9% of patients relapsed ≥ three times. The recurrence pattern in over half of the patients at first recurrence was multifocal and distant disease, and abdominal or pelvic mass and liver metastasis were the most common. The 5-year PFS-R was 29.3%, and the 10-year PFS-R was 11.3%; the 5-year OS-R was 94.9%, and the 10-year OS-R was 87.9%. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with distant recurrence and PFS1 (PFS when first recurrence occurred) ≤60 months had worse PFS-R (p = 0.017, 0.018), and patients with PFS-R ≤ 34 months had worse OS-R (p = 0.023). It demonstrated that PFS1 ≤ 60 months (hazard ratio, HR 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-3.4, p = 0.028) was an independent risk factor for PFS-R, and local lesion at recurrence (HR 0.488, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9, p = 0.027) was an independent protective factor for PFS-R. In addition, it demonstrated that PFS-R ≤ 33 months (HR 5.5, 95% CI: 1.2-25.3, p = 0.028) was an independent risk factor for OS-R. The PWP-CP analysis showed that laparoscopic operation (at each operation) could significantly increase recurrence times (p = 0.002, HR = 3.4), and no existence of gross residual lesion (R0) at each recurrence operation could significantly decrease recurrence frequency (p < 0.001, HR <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The recurrence pattern in patients with recurrent adult granulosa cell tumor was characterized as late and repeated, multifocal, and distant relapse. It has been demonstrated that PFS1 ≤ 60 months and distant lesion at recurrence are independent risk factors for PFS-R, and PFS-R ≤ 33 months is an independent risk factor for OS-R. The PWP-CP model showed that the transabdominal approach and surgery reaching R0 could significantly decrease the recurrence frequency.

Mechanisms of primordial follicle activation and new pregnancy opportunity for premature ovarian failure patients

Primordial follicles are the starting point of follicular development and the basic functional unit of female reproduction. Primordial follicles are formed around birth, and most of the primordial follicles then enter a dormant state. Since primordial follicles are limited in number and can't be renewed, dormant primordial follicles cannot be reversed once they enter the growing state. Thus, the orderly occurrence of primordial follicles selective activation directly affects the rate of follicle consumption and thus determines the length of female reproductive lifespan. Studies have found that appropriately inhibiting the activation rate of primordial follicles can effectively slow down the rate of follicle consumption, maintain fertility and delay ovarian aging. Based on the known mechanisms of primordial follicle activation, primordial follicle in vitro activation (IVA) technique has been clinically developed. IVA can help patients with premature ovarian failure, middle-aged infertile women, or infertile women due to gynecological surgery treatment to solve infertility problems. The study of the mechanism of selective activation of primordial follicles can contribute to the development of more efficient and safe IVA techniques. In this paper, recent mechanisms of primordial follicle activation and its clinical application are reviewed.

Novel Therapies in Gynecologic Cancer

During the past decade, considerable strides have been made in the understanding and treatment of gynecologic cancers. The advent of PARP inhibitors, antiangiogenic therapies, immunotherapy combinations, and targeted agents have altered the standard of care in ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers. However, continued advancement in the treatment of gynecologic cancers is critical. Fortunately, exciting work defining new therapeutic targets and novel treatment strategies is on the horizon. Here, we discuss emerging treatments for gynecologic cancers, including endometrial, cervical, ovarian, and rare gynecologic cancers. We highlight research that has deepened our understanding of the unique biology and molecular underpinnings of these cancers and is being translated into powerful new treatment approaches. We particularly highlight the advent of immunotherapy in endometrial cancer; radiosensitizers in cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers; targeted therapies in ovarian cancer; and molecularly driven approaches to treat rare gynecologic cancers. Continued basic, translational, and clinical research holds the promise to change the landscape of gynecologic cancer and improve the lives of all women impacted by these diseases.

GBP5 and ACSS3: two potential biomarkers of high-grade ovarian cancer identified through downstream analysis of microarray data

Among all malignancies of the reproductive organs, ovarian cancer is the sixth leading cause of death for women. Several factors contribute to the uncontrolled expression of certain genes in cancer thus making them act as oncogenes or tumour suppressors. In this study, we have examined four microarray datasets of high-grade ovarian cancer cells to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). 362 and 94 common DEGs were identified as up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively from 119 disease and 31 control samples. The DEGs were further analysed for their gene ontologies (GO), pathway, protein-protein interactions and co-expression. Most of the biological processes were associated with cellular processes, biological regulation, metabolic processes, and developmental processes. Further, regulatory networks were constructed by the DEGs which are also co-expressed and the hub genes were identified. The hub genes targeted by a large number of microRNAs (miRNAs) were further analyzed to reveal their role in the overall survival of cancer patients. Finally, GBP5 and ACSS3 were highlighted as potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer research.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Transcriptomic Profiling of Gene Expression Associated with Granulosa Cell Tumor Development in a Mouse Model

Ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCTs) are rare sex cord-stromal tumors, accounting for ~5% ovarian tumors. The etiology of GCTs remains poorly defined. Genetically engineered mouse models are potentially valuable for understanding the pathogenesis of GCTs. Mice harboring constitutively active TGFβ signaling (TGFBR1-CA) develop ovarian GCTs that phenocopy several hormonal and molecular characteristics of human GCTs. To determine molecular alterations in the ovary upon TGFβ signaling activation, we performed transcriptomic profiling of gene expression associated with GCT development using ovaries from 1-month-old TGFBR1-CA mice and age-matched controls. RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analysis coupled with the validation of select target genes revealed dysregulations of multiple cellular events and signaling molecules/pathways. The differentially expressed genes are enriched not only for known GCT-related pathways and tumorigenic events but also for signaling events potentially mediated by neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, relaxin signaling, insulin signaling, and complements in TGFBR1-CA ovaries. Additionally, a comparative analysis of our data in mice with genes dysregulated in human GCTs or granulosa cells overexpressing a mutant FOXL2, the genetic hallmark of adult GCTs, identified some common genes altered in both conditions. In summary, this study has revealed the molecular signature of ovarian GCTs in a mouse model that harbors the constitutive activation of TGFBR1. The findings may be further exploited to understand the pathogenesis of a class of poorly defined ovarian tumors.

Highly efficient PD-1-targeted CRISPR-Cas9 for tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte-based adoptive T cell therapy

Adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) with expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) can induce durable responses in cancer patients from multiple histologies, with response rates of up to 50%. Antibodies blocking the engagement of the inhibitory receptor programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) have been successful across a variety of cancer diagnoses. We hypothesized that these approaches could be combined by using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to knock out PD-1 in TILs from metastatic melanoma and head-and-neck, thyroid, and colorectal cancer. Non-viral, non-plasmid-based PD-1 knockout was carried out immediately prior to the traditional 14-day TIL-based ACT rapid-expansion protocol. A median 87.53% reduction in cell surface PD-1 expression was observed post-expansion and confirmed at the genomic level. No off-target editing was detected, and PD-1 knockout had no effect on final fold expansion. Edited cells exhibited few phenotypic differences and matched control functionality. Pre-clinical-scale results were confirmed at a clinical scale by generating a PD-1-deficient TIL product using the good manufacturing practice facilities, equipment, procedures, and starting material used for standard patient treatment. Our results demonstrate that simple, non-viral, non-plasmid-based CRISPR-Cas9 methods can be feasibly adopted into a TIL-based ACT protocol to produce treatment products deficient in molecules such as PD-1, without any evident negative effects.

On Deep Landscape Exploration of COVID-19 Patients Cells and Severity Markers

COVID-19 is a disease with a spectrum of clinical responses ranging from moderate to critical. To study and control its effects, a large number of researchers are focused on two substantial aims. On the one hand, the discovery of diverse biomarkers to classify and potentially anticipate the disease severity of patients. These biomarkers could serve as a medical criterion to prioritize attention to those patients with higher prone to severe responses. On the other hand, understanding how the immune system orchestrates its responses in this spectrum of disease severities is a fundamental issue required to design new and optimized therapeutic strategies. In this work, using single-cell RNAseq of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of nine patients with COVID-19 and three healthy controls, we contribute to both aspects. First, we presented computational supervised machine-learning models with high accuracy in classifying the disease severity (moderate and severe) in patients with COVID-19 starting from single-cell data from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Second, we identified regulatory mechanisms from the heterogeneous cell populations in the lungs microenvironment that correlated with different clinical responses. Given the results, patients with moderate COVID-19 symptoms showed an activation/inactivation profile for their analyzed cells leading to a sequential and innocuous immune response. In comparison, severe patients might be promoting cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory responses in a systemic fashion involving epithelial and immune cells without the possibility to develop viral clearance and immune memory. Consequently, we present an in-depth landscape analysis of how transcriptional factors and pathways from these heterogeneous populations can regulate their expression to promote or restrain an effective immune response directly linked to the patients prognosis.

Immunotherapy in rare ovarian cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a heterogeneous disease and a mounting body of evidence shows that a 'one-size-fits-all' approach is obsolete. Differences in epidemiology, tumor biology, genetic profiles and treatment responses of these different types necessitate a tumor and patient-specific approach. Ninety percentage consists of epithelial OC with 70% being high-grade serous OC. The other rarer subtypes are low-grade serous (5%), clear cell (12%), endometrioid (11%) and mucinous carcinoma (3%). The remaining 10% are nonepithelial rare OCs: germ cell (3%) and sex-cord stromal tumors (7%).

RECENT FINDINGS

Over the past few decades, the 5-year survival rates have only improved modestly, therefore novel therapies are urgently needed. Recently, immunotherapy has been introduced into clinical practice in a number of solid tumors. Although preclinical data confirm the presence of an immunogenic microenvironment in a number of ovarian tumor types, no single-agent immune checkpoint inhibitor has been approved hitherto. Identifying suitable treatment combinations, adequate patient selection and thus correct implementation of immunotherapy remain major challenges.

SUMMARY

In this review, we focus on the rationale of incorporating immune therapy in rare OC, we summarize the recent developments with preclinical data and results of clinical trials, with particular focus on rare ovarian histological subtypes.

Progress in the management of ovarian granulosa cell tumor: A review

Ovarian granulosa cell tumor (GCT) is a rare, low-grade malignant tumor that accounts for 70% of the sex cord-stromal tumors. It has two histopathologic types with different clinical and biologic features: adult GCT and juvenile GCT. Most women diagnosed with the adult GCT have a favorable prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of 97%-98%, but adult GCT has a feature of late relapse; the recurrence time could be more than 20 years after diagnosis. Juvenile GCT has a survival rate of 97% in stage I and a 5-year survival rate of 0%-22% in advanced stage with earlier recurrence than adult GCT. Consequently, the scenario emphasizes the need for early diagnosis, standardized treatment protocols, and long-term follow up. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding accurate diagnosis of GCT and adjuvant treatment. Furthermore, GCT tends to occur in young women, which emphasizes the viability of fertility-sparing surgery. The current review performed a systematic literature review of 60 articles to summarize the latest advances in GCT, with an emphasis on the molecular pathogenesis and survival after fertility-sparing surgery. We found that young women with fertility-sparing surgery had a desirable reproductive and survival outcome compared with those undergoing radical surgery.

A new isolation and culture method for granulosa cells

Granulosa cells are the cell population who have an increasing importance in the female genital system and reproduction. Thus, nowadays in vitro studies to address these cells are also gaining importance and attracts researcher's attention. The aim of our study is to develop a more feasible, low-cost granulosa cell isolation and culture method compared to methods defined so far. Granulosa cells were isolated from follicular fluids obtained from both healthy women donors (n = 19) and polycystic ovary syndrome (n = 15) applied to in vitro fertilization treatment process. Granulosa cells were isolated by using Lymphosep® separation fluid that was not used for this purpose before. The isolated cells were cultured in suitable culture dishes with a mixture of BIO-AMFTM-1 and DMEM/F12 in the first seeding and only complete DMEM/F12 in the following feeds. Complete medium contains only 5% fetal calf serum, 4% L-glutamine and 1% penicillin-streptomycin-amphotericin. The new methods we have developed in granulosa cell isolation and in vitro culture have been successful. Reduction in supplement types and amount; improved the proliferation rate of the granulosa cells in culture. Our new methods of isolation and cell culture for granulosa cells from healthy women, have been also successful in samples of polycystic ovarian patients. With these developed methods, granulosa cells, which belong to humans and have an important role in the ovary, could be isolated and subsequently be maintained to reproduce (proliferate) more easily and cheaper.

Combination of vasculature targeting, hypofractionated radiotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitor elicits potent antitumor immune response and blocks tumor progression

Background

Tumor endothelial marker 1 (TEM1) is a protein expressed in the tumor-associated endothelium and/or stroma of various types of cancer. We previously demonstrated that immunization with a plasmid-DNA vaccine targeting TEM1 reduced tumor progression in three murine cancer models. Radiation therapy (RT) is an established cancer modality used in more than 50% of patients with solid tumors. RT can induce tumor-associated vasculature injury, triggering immunogenic cell death and inhibition of the irradiated tumor and distant non-irradiated tumor growth (abscopal effect). Combination treatment of RT with TEM1 immunotherapy may complement and augment established immune checkpoint blockade.

Methods

Mice bearing bilateral subcutaneous CT26 colorectal or TC1 lung tumors were treated with a novel heterologous TEM1-based vaccine, in combination with RT, and anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody or combinations of these therapies, tumor growth of irradiated and abscopal tumors was subsequently assessed. Analysis of tumor blood perfusion was evaluated by CD31 staining and Doppler ultrasound imaging. Immunophenotyping of peripheral and tumor-infiltrating immune cells as well as functional analysis was analyzed by flow cytometry, ELISpot assay and adoptive cell transfer (ACT) experiments.

Results

We demonstrate that addition of RT to heterologous TEM1 vaccination reduces progression of CT26 and TC1 irradiated and abscopal distant tumors as compared with either single treatment. Mechanistically, RT increased major histocompatibility complex class I molecule (MHCI) expression on endothelial cells and improved immune recognition of the endothelium by anti-TEM1 T cells with subsequent severe vascular damage as measured by reduced microvascular density and tumor blood perfusion. Heterologous TEM1 vaccine and RT combination therapy boosted tumor-associated antigen (TAA) cross-priming (ie, anti-gp70) and augmented programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 signaling within CT26 tumor. Blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 axis in combination with dual therapy further increased the antitumor effect and gp70-specific immune responses. ACT experiments show that anti-gp70 T cells are required for the antitumor effects of the combination therapy.

Conclusion

Our findings describe novel cooperative mechanisms between heterologous TEM1 vaccination and RT, highlighting the pivotal role that TAA cross-priming plays for an effective antitumor strategy. Furthermore, we provide rationale for using heterologous TEM1 vaccination and RT as an add-on to immune checkpoint blockade as triple combination therapy into early-phase clinical trials.