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Natoli M, Herzig P, Pishali Bejestani E, Buchi M, Ritschard R, Lloyd GK, Mohanlal R, Tonra JR, Huang L, Heinzelmann V, Trüb M, Zippelius A, Kashyap AS. Plinabulin, a Distinct Microtubule-Targeting Chemotherapy, Promotes M1-Like Macrophage Polarization and Anti-tumor Immunity. Front Oncol 2021; 11:644608. [PMID: 33747968 PMCID: PMC7966525 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.644608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Reprogramming tumor infiltrating myeloid cells to elicit pro-inflammatory responses is an exciting therapeutic maneouver to improve anti-tumor responses. We recently demonstrated that a distinct microtubule-targeting drug, plinabulin—a clinical-stage novel agent—modulates dendritic cell maturation and enhances anti-tumor immunity. Here, we investigated the effects of plinabulin on macrophage polarization in vitro and in vivo. Plinabulin monotherapy induced significant tumor growth inhibition in mice bearing subcutaneous MC38 colon cancer. Importantly, the regressing tumors were characterized by an increase in M1-like/M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) ratio. The efficacy of plinabulin remained unaltered in T cell-deficient Rag2−/− mice, suggesting an important role of macrophages in driving the drug's anti-tumor effect. Exposure of murine and healthy human macrophages to plinabulin induced polarization toward the M1 phenotype, including increased expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD80, CD86 and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-12. M2-associated immunosuppressive cytokines IL-10 and IL-4 were reduced. This pro-inflammatory M1-like skewing of TAMs in response to plinabulin was dependent on the JNK pathway. Functionally, plinabulin-polarized human M1 macrophages directly killed HuT 78 tumor cells in vitro. Importantly, plinabulin induced a functional M1-like polarization of tumor infiltrating macrophages in murine tumors as well as in tumor samples from ovarian cancer patients, by preferentially triggering M1 proliferation. Our study uncovers a novel immunomodulatory effect of plinabulin in directly triggering M1 polarization and proliferation as well as promoting TAM anti-tumoral effector functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Natoli
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Petra Herzig
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Elham Pishali Bejestani
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Buchi
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Reto Ritschard
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Ramon Mohanlal
- BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, New York, NY, United States
| | - James R Tonra
- BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lan Huang
- BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, New York, NY, United States
| | - Viola Heinzelmann
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marta Trüb
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alfred Zippelius
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Abhishek S Kashyap
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Pereira RB, Evdokimov NM, Lefranc F, Valentão P, Kornienko A, Pereira DM, Andrade PB, Gomes NGM. Marine-Derived Anticancer Agents: Clinical Benefits, Innovative Mechanisms, and New Targets. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:E329. [PMID: 31159480 PMCID: PMC6627313 DOI: 10.3390/md17060329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of the marine environment in the development of anticancer drugs has been widely reviewed, particularly in recent years. However, the innovation in terms of clinical benefits has not been duly emphasized, although there are important breakthroughs associated with the use of marine-derived anticancer agents that have altered the current paradigm in chemotherapy. In addition, the discovery and development of marine drugs has been extremely rewarding with significant scientific gains, such as the discovery of new anticancer mechanisms of action as well as novel molecular targets. Approximately 50 years since the approval of cytarabine, the marine-derived anticancer pharmaceutical pipeline includes four approved drugs and eighteen agents in clinical trials, six of which are in late development. Thus, the dynamic pharmaceutical pipeline consisting of approved and developmental marine-derived anticancer agents offers new hopes and new tools in the treatment of patients afflicted with previously intractable types of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato B Pereira
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Nikolai M Evdokimov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Florence Lefranc
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Patrícia Valentão
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Alexander Kornienko
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
| | - David M Pereira
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Paula B Andrade
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Nelson G M Gomes
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
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