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Ning RX, Liu CY, Wang SQ, Li WK, Kong X, He ZW. Application status and optimization suggestions of tumor organoids and CAR-T cell co-culture models. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:98. [PMID: 38443969 PMCID: PMC10916304 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03272-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor organoids, especially patient-derived organoids (PDOs) exhibit marked similarities in histopathological morphology, genomic alterations, and specific marker expression profiles to those of primary tumour tissues. They are applied in various fields including drug screening, gene editing, and identification of oncogenes. However, CAR-T therapy in the treatment of solid tumours is still at an exploratory stage. Tumour organoids offer unique advantages over other preclinical models commonly used for CAR-T therapy research, which the preservation of the biological characteristics of primary tumour tissue is critical for the study of early-stage solid tumour CAR-T therapies. Although some investigators have used this co-culture model to validate newly targeted CAR-T cells, optimise existing CAR-T cells and explore combination therapy strategies, there is still untapped potential in the co-culture models used today. This review introduces the current status of the application of tumour organoid and CAR-T cell co-culture models in recent years and commented on the limitations of the current co-cultivation model. Meanwhile, we compared the tumour organoid model with two pre-clinical models commonly used in CAR-T therapy research. Eventually, combined with the new progress of organoid technologies, optimization suggestions were proposed for the co-culture model from five perspectives: preserving or reconstructing the tumor microenvironment, systematization, vascularization, standardized culture procedures, and expanding the tumor organoids resource library, aimed at assisting related researchers to better utilize co-culture models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Xuan Ning
- The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, No. 42 Jiaoping Road, Tangxia Town, Dongguan, 523710, Guangdong Province, China
- China-America Cancer Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Cun-Yu Liu
- China-America Cancer Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shi-Qi Wang
- China-America Cancer Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wen-Kai Li
- China-America Cancer Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xia Kong
- China-America Cancer Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong Province, China.
- School of Basic Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Zhi-Wei He
- The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, No. 42 Jiaoping Road, Tangxia Town, Dongguan, 523710, Guangdong Province, China.
- China-America Cancer Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong Province, China.
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Liang S, Zheng R, Zuo B, Li J, Wang Y, Han Y, Dong H, Zhao X, Zhang Y, Wang P, Meng R, Jia L, Yang A, Yan B. SMAD7 expression in CAR-T cells improves persistence and safety for solid tumors. Cell Mol Immunol 2024; 21:213-226. [PMID: 38177245 PMCID: PMC10901810 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-01120-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the tremendous progress of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy in hematological malignancies, their application in solid tumors has been limited largely due to T-cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and systemic toxicity caused by excessive cytokine release. As a key regulator of the immunosuppressive TME, TGF-β promotes cytokine synthesis via the NF-κB pathway. Here, we coexpressed SMAD7, a suppressor of TGF-β signaling, with a HER2-targeted CAR in engineered T cells. These novel CAR-T cells displayed high cytolytic efficacy and were resistant to TGF-β-triggered exhaustion, which enabled sustained tumoricidal capacity after continuous antigen exposure. Moreover, SMAD7 substantially reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines by antigen-primed CAR-T cells. Mechanistically, SMAD7 downregulated TGF-β receptor I and abrogated the interplay between the TGF-β and NF-κB pathways in CAR-T cells. As a result, these CAR-T cells persistently inhibited tumor growth and promoted the survival of tumor-challenged mice regardless of the hostile tumor microenvironment caused by a high concentration of TGF-β. SMAD7 coexpression also enhanced CAR-T-cell infiltration and persistent activation in patient-derived tumor organoids. Therefore, our study demonstrated the feasibility of SMAD7 coexpression as a novel approach to improve the efficacy and safety of CAR-T-cell therapy for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sixin Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- School of Medicine Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453003, China
| | - Rui Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Baile Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- School of Medicine Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453003, China
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xijing Hospital of Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Yiyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Yujie Han
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- School of Medicine Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453003, China
| | - Hao Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- School of Medicine Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453003, China
| | - Xiaojuan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Yiting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Pengju Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
| | - Ruotong Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China
- College of Life Science, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi, 716000, China
| | - Lintao Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
| | - Angang Yang
- Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
| | - Bo Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
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Wang C, Yuan X, Xue J. Targeted therapy for rare lung cancers: Status, challenges, and prospects. Mol Ther 2023; 31:1960-1978. [PMID: 37179456 PMCID: PMC10362419 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer causes the most cancer-related deaths worldwide. In recent years, molecular and immunohistochemical techniques have rapidly developed, further inaugurating an era of personalized medicine for lung cancer. The rare subset of lung cancers accounts for approximately 10%, each displaying distinct clinical characteristics. Treatments for rare lung cancers are mainly based on evidence from common counterparts, which may lead to unsolid clinical benefits considering intertumoral heterogeneity. The increasing knowledge of molecular profiling of rare lung cancers has made targeting genetic alterations and immune checkpoints a powerful strategy. Additionally, cellular therapy has emerged as a promising way to target tumor cells. In this review, we first discuss the current status of targeted therapy and preclinical models for rare lung cancers, as well as provide mutational profiles by integrating the results of existing cohorts. Finally, we point out the challenges and future directions for developing targeted agents for rare lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunsen Wang
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, the National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiang Yuan
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, the National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jianxin Xue
- Division of Thoracic Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, the National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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Lim RK, Buschman M, Khasanov A, Ledesma A, Chen J, Nguyen T, Guo J, Li L, Huang J, Niu J, Kerwin L, Wang R, Guo Y, Zhu T, Kaufmann G, Zhang Y, Zhou H, Ji H, Fu Y. Discovery of novel cMET-targeting antibody Fab drug conjugates as potential treatment for solid tumors with highly expressed cMET. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2023; 23:1137-1149. [PMID: 38078403 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2023.2292633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Solid tumors are becoming prevalent affecting both old and young populations. Numerous solid tumors are associated with high cMET expression. The complexity of solid tumors combined with the highly interconnected nature of the cMET/HGF pathway with other cellular pathways make the pursuit of finding an effective treatment extremely challenging. The current standard of care for these malignancies is mostly small molecule-based chemotherapy. Antibody-based therapeutics as well as antibody drug conjugates are promising emerging classes against cMET-overexpressing solid tumors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this study, we described the design, synthesis, in vitro and in vivo characterization of cMET-targeting Fab drug conjugates (FDCs) as an alternative therapeutic strategy. The format is comprised of a Fab conjugated to a potent cytotoxic drug via a cleavable linker employing lysine-based and cysteine-based conjugation chemistries. RESULTS We found that the FDCs have potent anti-tumor efficacies in cancer cells with elevated overexpression of cMET. Moreover, they demonstrated a remarkable anti-tumor effect in a human gastric xenograft mouse model. CONCLUSIONS The FDC format has the potential to overcome some of the challenges presented by the other classes of therapeutics. This study highlights the promise of antibody fragment-based drug conjugate formats for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reyna Kv Lim
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Buschman
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Alisher Khasanov
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Arthur Ledesma
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - John Chen
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Thanhtruc Nguyen
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Joanna Guo
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lingna Li
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Huang
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jin Niu
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Kerwin
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rengang Wang
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yurong Guo
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Tong Zhu
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Gunnar Kaufmann
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yanliang Zhang
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Heyou Zhou
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Henry Ji
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yanwen Fu
- Antibody Discovery & Technology, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
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Modica C, Cortese M, Bersani F, Lombardi AM, Napoli F, Righi L, Taulli R, Basilico C, Vigna E. Genetic Ablation of the MET Oncogene Defines a Crucial Role of the HGF/MET Axis in Cell-Autonomous Functions Driving Tumor Dissemination. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2742. [PMID: 37345079 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15102742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell dissemination is sustained by cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous functions. To disentangle the role of HGF (Hepatocyte Growth Factor) and MET ligand/receptor axis in this complex process, we genetically knocked out the MET gene in cancer cells in which MET is not the oncogenic driver. In this way, we evaluated the contribution of the HGF/MET axis to cancer cell dissemination independently of its direct activities in cells of the tumor microenvironment. The lack of MET expression in MET-/- cells has been proved by molecular characterization. From a functional point of view, HGF stimulation of MET-/- cancer cells was ineffective in eliciting intracellular signaling and in sustaining biological functions predictive of malignancy in vitro (i.e., anchorage-independent growth, invasion, and survival in the absence of matrix adhesion). Cancer cell dissemination was assessed in vivo, evaluating: (i) the ability of MET-/- lung carcinoma cells to colonize the lungs following intravenous injection and (ii) the spontaneous dissemination to distant organs of MET-/- pancreatic carcinoma cells upon orthotopic injection. In both experimental models, MET ablation affects the time of onset, the number, and the size of metastatic lesions. These results define a crucial contribution of the HGF/MET axis to cell-autonomous functions driving the metastatic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Modica
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo, TO, Italy
| | - Marco Cortese
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo, TO, Italy
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, 10043 Orbassano, TO, Italy
| | - Francesca Bersani
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, 10043 Orbassano, TO, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Napoli
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, 10043 Orbassano, TO, Italy
| | - Luisella Righi
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, 10043 Orbassano, TO, Italy
| | - Riccardo Taulli
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, 10043 Orbassano, TO, Italy
| | | | - Elisa Vigna
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo, TO, Italy
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, 10043 Orbassano, TO, Italy
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Yang R, Yu Y. Patient-derived organoids in translational oncology and drug screening. Cancer Lett 2023; 562:216180. [PMID: 37061121 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Patient-derived organoids (PDO) are a new biomedical research model that can reconstruct phenotypic and genetic characteristics of the original tissue and are useful for research on pathogenesis and drug screening. To introduce the progression in this field, we review the key factors of constructing organoids derived from epithelial tissues and cancers, covering culture medium and matrix, morphological characteristics, genetic profiles, high-throughput drug screening, and application potential. We also discuss the co-culture system of cancer organoids with tumor microenvironment (TME) associated cells. The co-culture system is widely used in evaluating crosstalk of cancer cells with TME components, such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells, immune cells, and microorganisms. The article provides a prospective for standardized cultivation mode, automatic morphological evaluation, and drug sensitivity screening using high-throughput methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixin Yang
- Department of General Surgery of Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, and Shanghai Key Laboratory for Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yingyan Yu
- Department of General Surgery of Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, and Shanghai Key Laboratory for Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
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