Targeting Tregs in Malignant Brain Cancer: Overcoming IDO

Rational Design and Optimization of a Potent IDO1 Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC)

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is an immunosuppressive protein that inhibits antitumor immunity through both tryptophan metabolism and nonenzymatic functions. Drugs targeting IDO1 enzyme activity have failed to improve the overall survival of patients with cancer. Developing new therapeutics that neutralize both enzyme- and nonenzyme-derived immunosuppressive IDO1 effects is therefore of high interest. We previously described a novel proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC), NU223612, that degrades IDO1 in cultured human glioblastoma (GBM) cells, as well as in well-established brain tumors, in vivo. In this study, we rationally optimized the structure of our lead series to create NU227326, which degrades IDO1 with a DC50 of 5 nM in human GBM cells. Mechanistic studies showed that IDO1 degradation occurred through the ubiquitin-proteasome system and was sustained for at least 2 days, supporting NU227326 as a highly potent IDO1 PROTAC suitable for further studies in GBM and other human cancers.

Circadian rhythm related genes signature in glioma for drug resistance prediction: a comprehensive analysis integrating transcriptomics and machine learning

BACKGROUND

Gliomas, 24% of all primary brain tumors, have diverse histology and poor survival rates, with about 70% recurring due to acquired or de novo resistance. Insomnia in patients is correlated strongly with circadian rhythm disruptions. The correlation between circadian rhythm disorders and drug resistance of some tumors has been proved. However, the precise mechanism underlying the relationship between glioma and circadian rhythm disorders has not been elucidated.

METHODS

Circadian rhythm-related genes (CRRGs) were identified using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and stochastic gradient descent (SGD) was performed to form a circadian rhythm-related score (CRRS) model. The studies of immune cell infiltration, genetic variations, differential gene expression pattern, and single cell analysis were performed for exploring the mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance in glioma. The relationship between CRRGs and chemosensitivity was also confirmed by IC 50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) analysis.

RESULT

Signatures of 16 CRRGs were screened out and identified. Based on the CRRS model, an optimal comprehensive nomogram was created, exhibiting a favorable potential for predicting drug resistance in samples. Immune infiltration, cell-cell communication, and single cell analysis all indicated that high CRRS group was closely related to innate immune cells. IC50 analysis showed that CRRG knockdown enhanced the chemosensitivity of glioma.

CONCLUSION

A significant correlation between CRRGs, drug resistance of glioma, and innate immune cells was found, which might hold a significant role in the drug resistance of glioma.

Role of Kynurenine and Its Derivatives in Liver Diseases: Recent Advances and Future Clinical Perspectives

Liver health is integral to overall human well-being and the pathogenesis of various diseases. In recent years, kynurenine and its derivatives have gradually been recognized for their involvement in various pathophysiological processes, especially in the regulation of liver diseases, such as acute liver injury, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Kynurenine and its derivatives are derived from tryptophan, which is broken down by the enzymes indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), converting the essential amino acid tryptophan into kynurenine (KYN) and other downstream metabolites, such as kynurenic acid (KYNA), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), xanthurenic acid (XA), and quinolinic acid (QA). In liver diseases, kynurenine and its derivatives can promote the activity of the transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), suppress T cell activity for immune modulation, inhibit the activation of inflammatory signaling pathways, such as NF-κB for anti-inflammatory effects, and inhibit the activation of hepatic stellate cells to slow down fibrosis progression. Additionally, kynurenine and other downstream metabolites can influence the progression of liver diseases by modulating the gut microbiota. Therefore, in this review, we summarize and explore the mechanisms by which kynurenine and its derivatives regulate liver diseases to help develop new diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers and effective therapies targeting the kynurenine pathway for liver disease treatment.

Rational Design and Optimization of a Potent IDO1 Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC)

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a potently immunosuppressive protein that inhibits antitumor immunity through both tryptophan metabolism and non-enzymatic functions. Pharmacological therapies targeting IDO1 enzyme activity have generally failed to improve the overall survival of patients with cancer. Developing new therapeutic agents that are capable of neutralizing both enzyme-and non-enzyme-derived immunosuppressive IDO1 effects is therefore of high interest. We previously described the development of a novel Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC), NU223612, that degrades IDO1 in cultured human glioblastoma (GBM) cells, as well as in well-established brain tumors, in vivo . In this study, we rationally optimized the composition, rigidity, and linker orientation of the PROTAC structure to create NU227326, which degrades IDO1 with a DC 50 of 5 nM in human GBM cells. Mechanistic studies showed that IDO1 degradation occurred through the ubiquitin-proteasome system and was sustained for at least 2 days, supporting NU227326 as a highly potent IDO1 PROTAC suitable for further studies in GBM and other human cancers.

Insights of immune cell heterogeneity, tumor-initiated subtype transformation, drug resistance, treatment and detecting technologies in glioma microenvironment

BACKGROUND

With the gradual understanding of glioma development and the immune microenvironment, many immune cells have been discovered. Despite the growing comprehension of immune cell functions and the clinical application of immunotherapy, the precise roles and characteristics of immune cell subtypes, how glioma induces subtype transformation of immune cells and its impact on glioma progression have yet to be understood.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

In this review, we comprehensively center on the four major immune cells within the glioma microenvironment, particularly neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and other significant immune cells. We discuss (1) immune cell subtype markers, (2) glioma-induced immune cell subtype transformation, (3) the mechanisms of each subtype influencing chemotherapy resistance, (4) therapies targeting immune cells, and (5) immune cell-associated single-cell sequencing. Eventually, we identified the characteristics of immune cell subtypes in glioma, comprehensively summarized the exact mechanism of glioma-induced immune cell subtype transformation, and concluded the progress of single-cell sequencing in exploring immune cell subtypes in glioma.

KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW

In conclusion, we have analyzed the mechanism of chemotherapy resistance detailly, and have discovered prospective immunotherapy targets, excavating the potential of novel immunotherapies approach that synergistically combines radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery, thereby paving the way for improved immunotherapeutic strategies against glioma and enhanced patient outcomes.

AT-0174, a novel dual IDO1/TDO2 enzyme inhibitor, synergises with temozolomide to improve survival in an orthotopic mouse model of glioblastoma

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer, usually of unknown etiology, and with a very poor prognosis. Survival from diagnosis averages only 3 months if left untreated and this only increases to 12-15 months upon treatment. Treatment options are currently limited and typically comprise radiotherapy plus a course of the DNA-alkylating chemotherapeutic temozolomide. Unfortunately, the disease invariably relapses after several months of treatment with temozolomide, due to the development of resistance to the drug. Increased local tryptophan metabolism is a feature of many solid malignant tumours through increased expression of tryptophan metabolising enzymes. Glioblastomas are notable for featuring increased expression of the tryptophan catabolizing enzymes indole-2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1), and especially tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase-2 (TDO2). Increased IDO1 and TDO2 activity is known to suppress the cytotoxic T cell response to tumour cells, and this has led to the proposal that the IDO1 and TDO2 enzymes represent promising immuno-oncology targets. In addition to immune modulation, however, recent studies have also identified the activity of these enzymes is important in the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents.

METHODS

In the current study, the efficacy of a novel dual inhibitor of IDO1 and TDO2, AT-0174, was assessed in an orthotopic mouse model of glioblastoma. C57BL/6J mice were stereotaxically implanted with GL261(luc2) cells into the striatum and then administered either vehicle control, temozolomide (8 mg/kg IP; five 8-day cycles of treatment every 2 days), AT-0174 (120 mg/kg/day PO) or both temozolomide + AT-0174, all given from day 7 after implantation.

RESULTS

Temozolomide decreased tumour growth and improved median survival but increased the infiltration of CD4+ Tregs. AT-0174 had no significant effect on tumour growth or survival when given alone, but provided clear synergy in combination with temozolomide, further decreasing tumour growth and significantly improving survival, as well as elevating CD8+ T cell expression and decreasing CD4+ Treg infiltration.

CONCLUSION

AT-0174 exhibited an ideal profile for adjunct treatment of glioblastomas with the first-line chemotherapeutic drug temozolomide to prevent development of CD4+ Treg-mediated chemoresistance.

Glioma-Immune Cell Crosstalk in Tumor Progression

Glioma progression is a complex process controlled by molecular factors that coordinate the crosstalk between tumor cells and components of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Among these, immune cells play a critical role in cancer survival and progression. The complex interplay between cancer cells and the immune TME influences the outcome of immunotherapy and other anti-cancer therapies. Here, we present an updated view of the pro- and anti-tumor activities of the main myeloid and lymphocyte cell populations in the glioma TME. We review the underlying mechanisms involved in crosstalk between cancer cells and immune cells that enable gliomas to evade the immune system and co-opt these cells for tumor growth. Lastly, we discuss the current and experimental therapeutic options being developed to revert the immunosuppressive activity of the glioma TME. Knowledge of the complex interplay that elapses between tumor and immune cells may help develop new combination treatments able to overcome tumor immune evasion mechanisms and enhance response to immunotherapies.

Interaction, immune infiltration characteristics and prognostic modeling of efferocytosis-related subtypes in glioblastoma

BACKGROUND

Efferocytosis is a biological process in which phagocytes remove apoptotic cells and vesicles from tissues. This process is initiated by the release of inflammatory mediators from apoptotic cells and plays a crucial role in resolving inflammation. The signals associated with efferocytosis have been found to regulate the inflammatory response and the tumor microenvironment (TME), which promotes the immune escape of tumor cells. However, the role of efferocytosis in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is not well understood and requires further investigation.

METHODS

In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of 22 efferocytosis-related genes (ERGs) by searching for studies related to efferocytosis. Using bulk RNA-Seq and single-cell sequencing data, we analyzed the expression and mutational characteristics of these ERGs. By using an unsupervised clustering algorithm, we obtained ERG clusters from 549 GBM patients and evaluated the immune infiltration characteristics of each cluster. We then identified differential genes (DEGs) in the two ERG clusters and classified GBM patients into different gene clusters using univariate cox analysis and unsupervised clustering algorithms. Finally, we utilized the Boruta algorithm to screen for prognostic genes and reduce dimensionality, and the PCA algorithm was applied to create a novel efferocytosis-related scoring system.

RESULTS

Differential expression of ERGs in glioma cell lines and normal cells was analyzed by rt-PCR. Cell function experiments, on the other hand, validated TIMD4 as a tumor risk factor in GBM. We found that different ERG clusters and gene clusters have distinct prognostic and immune infiltration profiles. The ERG signature we developed provides insight into the tumor microenvironment of GBM. Patients with lower ERG scores have a better survival rate and a higher likelihood of benefiting from immunotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our novel efferocytosis-related signature has the potential to be used in clinical practice for risk stratification of GBM patients and for selecting individuals who are likely to respond to immunotherapy. This can help clinicians design appropriate targeted therapies before initiating clinical treatment.

Tumor Vaccines: Unleashing the Power of the Immune System to Fight Cancer

This comprehensive review delves into the rapidly evolving arena of cancer vaccines. Initially, we examine the intricate constitution of the tumor microenvironment (TME), a dynamic factor that significantly influences tumor heterogeneity. Current research trends focusing on harnessing the TME for effective tumor vaccine treatments are also discussed. We then provide a detailed overview of the current state of research concerning tumor immunity and the mechanisms of tumor vaccines, describing the complex immunological processes involved. Furthermore, we conduct an exhaustive analysis of the contemporary research landscape of tumor vaccines, with a particular focus on peptide vaccines, DNA/RNA-based vaccines, viral-vector-based vaccines, dendritic-cell-based vaccines, and whole-cell-based vaccines. We analyze and summarize these categories of tumor vaccines, highlighting their individual advantages, limitations, and the factors influencing their effectiveness. In our survey of each category, we summarize commonly used tumor vaccines, aiming to provide readers with a more comprehensive understanding of the current state of tumor vaccine research. We then delve into an innovative strategy combining cancer vaccines with other therapies. By studying the effects of combining tumor vaccines with immune checkpoint inhibitors, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and oncolytic virotherapy, we establish that this approach can enhance overall treatment efficacy and offset the limitations of single-treatment approaches, offering patients more effective treatment options. Following this, we undertake a meticulous analysis of the entire process of personalized cancer vaccines, elucidating the intricate process from design, through research and production, to clinical application, thus helping readers gain a thorough understanding of its complexities. In conclusion, our exploration of tumor vaccines in this review aims to highlight their promising potential in cancer treatment. As research in this field continues to evolve, it undeniably holds immense promise for improving cancer patient outcomes.

Genetically modified IL2 bone-marrow-derived myeloid cells reprogram the glioma immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment

Gliomas are one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population. Two-thirds of AYA glioma patients are affected by low-grade gliomas (LGGs), but there are no specific treatments. Malignant progression is supported by the immunosuppressive stromal component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) exacerbated by M2 macrophages and a paucity of cytotoxic T cells. A single intravenous dose of engineered bone-marrow-derived myeloid cells that release interleukin-2 (GEMys-IL2) was used to treat mice with LGGs. Our results demonstrate that GEMys-IL2 crossed the blood-brain barrier, infiltrated the TME, and reprogrammed the immune cell composition and transcriptome. Moreover, GEMys-IL2 extended survival in an LGG immunocompetent mouse model. Here, we report the efficacy of an in vivo approach that demonstrates the potential for a cell-mediated innate immunotherapy designed to enhance the recruitment of activated effector T and natural killer cells within the glioma TME.

The immunomodulatory role of IDO1-Kynurenine-NAD+ pathway in switching cold tumor microenvironment in PDAC

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common exocrine tumor of the pancreas characterized by late diagnosis, adverse overall 5-year survival, a higher propensity for metastatic disease, and lack of efficacy of systemic therapy options. These adverse outcomes can be partly attributed to complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Over the past decade, immunotherapy has revolutionized the management of certain cancers; thus far, the immunologically 'non-inflamed' tumor microenvironment in PDACs has proven to be challenging. Indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolic pathway of L-Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, that gives rise to the immunosuppressive metabolite Kynurenine. IDO1, Indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (IDO2), and Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) are the key enzymes in the tryptophan catabolic pathway but we focus on the role of the predominant enzyme form IDO1 in this review. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (iNAMPT) regulates the intracellular concentration of NAD and is upregulated in the tumor. In light of the potential role of IDO1 as a driver of hostile TME in PDAC and NAD⁺ as a key coenzyme in anti-tumor immune response, this review urges focus on extensive research and initiation of clinical trials using IDO1 and NAMPT inhibitors in pancreatic cancer in the future.

TMIGD2 as a potential therapeutic target in glioma patients

Introduction

Among all types of central nervous system cancers, glioma remains the most frequent primary brain tumor in adults. Despite significant advances in immunomodulatory therapies, notably immune checkpoint inhibitors, their effectiveness remains constrained due to glioma resistance. The discovery of TMIGD2 (Transmembrane and Immunoglobulin Domain Containing 2) as an immuno-stimulatory receptor, constitutively expressed on naive T cells and most natural killer (NK) cells, has emerged as an attractive immunotherapy target in a variety of cancers. The expression profile of TMIGD2 and its significance in the overall survival of glioma patients remains unknown.

Methods

In the present study, we first assessed TMIGD2 mRNA expression using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) glioma transcriptome dataset (667 patients), followed by validation with the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) cohort (693 patients). Secondly, we examined TMIGD2 protein staining in a series of 25 paraffin-embedded blocks from Moroccan glioma patients. The statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism 8 software.

Results

TMIGD2 expression was found to be significantly higher in astrocytoma, IDH-1 mutations, low-grade, and young glioma patients. TMIGD2 was expressed on immune cells and, surprisingly, on tumor cells of glioma patients. Interestingly, our study demonstrated that TMIGD2 expression was negatively correlated with angiogenesis, hypoxia, G2/M checkpoint, and epithelial to mesenchymal transition signaling pathways. We also demonstrated that dendritic cells, monocytes, NK cells, gd T cells, and naive CD8 T cell infiltration correlates positively with TMIGD2 expression. On the other hand, Mantel-Cox analysis demonstrated that increased expression of TMIGD2 in human gliomas is associated with good overall survival. Cox multivariable analysis revealed that TMIGD2 is an independent predictor of a good prognosis in glioma patients.

Discussion

Taken together, our results highlight the tight implication of TMIGD2 in glioma progression and show its promising therapeutic potential as a stimulatory target for immunotherapy.

Protein Kinase Inhibitors as a New Target for Immune System Modulation and Brain Cancer Management

High-grade brain tumors are malignant tumors with poor survival and remain the most difficult tumors to treat. An important contributing factor to the development and progression of brain tumors is their ability to evade the immune system. Several immunotherapeutic strategies including vaccines and checkpoint inhibitors have been studied to improve the effectiveness of the immune system in destroying cancer cells. Recent studies have shown that kinase inhibitors, capable of inhibiting signal transduction cascades that affect cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, have additional immunological effects. In this review, we explain the beneficial therapeutic effects of novel small-molecule kinase inhibitors and explore how, through different mechanisms, they increase the protective antitumor immune response in high-grade brain tumors.

Identification and Characterization of a Novel Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase 1 Protein Degrader for Glioblastoma

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a potent immunosuppressive enzyme that inhibits the antitumor immune response through both tryptophan metabolism and non-enzymatic functions. To date, most IDO1-targeted approaches have focused on inhibiting tryptophan metabolism. However, this class of drugs has failed to improve the overall survival of patients with cancer. Here, we developed and characterized proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) that degrade the IDO1 protein. IDO1-PROTACs were tested for their effects on IDO1 enzyme and non-enzyme activities. After screening a library of IDO1-PROTAC derivatives, a compound was identified that potently degraded the IDO1 protein through cereblon-mediated proteasomal degradation. The IDO1-PROTAC: (i) inhibited IDO1 enzyme activity and IDO1-mediated NF-κB phosphorylation in cultured human glioblastoma (GBM) cells, (ii) degraded the IDO1 protein within intracranial brain tumors in vivo, and (iii) mediated a survival benefit in mice with well-established brain tumors. This study identified and characterized a new IDO1 protein degrader with therapeutic potential for patients with glioblastoma.

Predictive value of PIMREG in the prognosis and response to immune checkpoint blockade of glioma patients

Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor in the human brain. The present study was designed to explore the expression of PIMREG in glioma and its relevance to the clinicopathological features and prognosis of glioma patients. The correlations of PIMREG with the infiltrating levels of immune cells and its relevance to the response to immunotherapy were also investigated. PIMREG expression in glioma was analyzed based on the GEO, TCGA, and HPA databases. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to examine the predictive value of PIMREG for the prognosis of patients with glioma. The correlation between the infiltrating levels of immune cells in glioma and PIMREG was analyzed using the CIBERSORT algorithm and TIMRE database. The correlation between PIMREG and immune checkpoints and its correlation with the patients’ responses to immunotherapy were analyzed using R software and the GEPIA dataset. Cell experiments were conducted to verify the action of PIMREG in glioma cell migration and invasion. We found that PIMREG expression was upregulated in gliomas and positively associated with WHO grade. High PIMREG expression was correlated with poor prognosis of LGG, prognosis of all WHO grade gliomas, and prognosis of recurrent gliomas. PIMREG was related to the infiltration of several immune cell types, such as M1 and M2 macrophages, monocytes and CD8+ T cells. Moreover, PIMREG was correlated with immune checkpoints in glioma and correlated with patients’ responses to immunotherapy. KEGG pathway enrichment and GO functional analysis illustrated that PIMREG was related to multiple tumor- and immune-related pathways. In conclusion, PIMREG overexpression in gliomas is associated with poor prognosis of patients with glioma and is related to immune cell infiltrates and the responses to immunotherapy.

Influence of periodontal inflammation on tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Kynurenine pathway (KP) is the primary way of degrading tryptophan (TRP) and generates several bioactive metabolites (such as kynurenine (KYN), kynurenic acid (KYNA), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3OHKYN)) to regulate biological processes that include host-microbiome signaling and immune cell response. This study is aimed to determine the relationship between periodontal inflammation and tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism and identify their association with periodontal clinical parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Saliva and serum samples were collected from 20 stage III, grade B generalized periodontitis patients, and 20 periodontally healthy control individuals. Samples were analyzed for IL-6, KYN, TRP, KYN/TRP ratio, KYNA, 3OHKYN, picolinic acid (PA), and quinolinic acid (QA) by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Clinical periodontal parameters (plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD), gingival recession (GR), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP)) were recorded.

RESULTS

Clinical parameters were significantly higher in the periodontitis group (p < 0.001). Salivary IL-6, TRP, KYN, KYNA, PA, and QA levels were significantly higher and KYN/TRP ratio was significantly lower in periodontitis group than control group (p < 0.05). Serum KYN, KYN/TRP ratio and PA levels were significantly higher in periodontitis group than control group (p < 0.05). PPD, BOP, PI, and CAL had significantly positive correlations with salivary IL-6, TRP, PA, QA, and serum KYN and significantly negative correlations with salivary KYN/TRP ratio.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that periodontal inflammation plays a role in local and systemic tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Due to their effects on the immune and inflammatory systems, kynurenines may be potential agents for diagnosis and treatment of periodontal diseases.

Glioblastoma microenvironment: The stromal interactions

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most common primary brain tumors with poor prognosis due to their aggressive growth accompanied by invasive behavior and therapy-resistance. These features promote a high rate of recurrence; therefore, they are largely incurable. One major cause of the incurability is brought about by the intimate relationship of GBM cells with the microenvironment, which supports the tumor growth in various ways by providing a permissive neighborhood. In the tumor microenvironment are glioma stem cells (GSC); endothelial cells (EC) and hypoxic regions; immune cells and immune modulatory cues; astrocytes; neural stem/precursor cells (NPC) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Each cell type contributes to GBM pathology in unique ways; therefore, it is necessary to understand such interactions between GBM cells and the stromal cells in order to establish a through understanding of the GBM pathology. By explaining the contribution of each stromal entity to GBM pathology we aim to draw an interaction map for GBMs and promote awareness of the complexity of the GBM microenvironment.

High expression of TXNDC11 indicated unfavorable prognosis of glioma

Background

Thioredoxin domain containing 11 (TXNDC11) has been implicated in numerous cancers. Nevertheless, the function of TXNDC11 in glioma is not well described. This study aimed to assess clinical significance of TXNDC11 in glioma based on bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining.

Methods

GEPIA2, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were employed to detect the levels of TXNDC11 transcript in glioma. Gene expression profiles and data from the methylation chip with clinical details from TCGA and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) of glioma samples were examined. The methylation of TXNDC11 in glioma was evaluated by 450K methylation chip data analysis. The pathways involved in TXNDC11 expression were screened by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The correlation between TXNDC11 and immune cells was analyzed. Protein level of TXNDC11 was detected by IHC staining in glioma specimens.

Results

TXNDC11 was highly expressed in glioma, and high TXNDC11 expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS) and worse clinical prognostic variables. The methylation of cg04399632 was statistically different between glioma samples and normal samples, and was negatively correlated with TXNDC11 expression in glioma patients. Survival analysis demonstrated a poorer prognosis in glioma patients with cg04399632 hypomethylation. TXNDC11-high phenotype was associated with certain immune-related pathways and other signaling pathways in glioma. The expression of TXNDC11 was correlated positively with M2 macrophage infiltration and negatively with M0 and M1 macrophage infiltration. IHC staining confirmed that TXNDC11 expression increased in higher-grade glioma.

Conclusions

High expression of TXNDC11 may predict unfavorable prognosis of glioma patients.

Pre‐diagnostic levels of sVEGFR2, sTNFR2, sIL‐2Rα and sIL‐6R are associated with glioma risk: A nested case–control study of repeated samples

No strong aetiological factors have been established for glioma aside from genetic mutations and variants, ionising radiation and an inverse relationship with asthmas and allergies. Our aim was to investigate the association between pre‐diagnostic immune protein levels and glioma risk. We conducted a case–control study nested in the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study cohort. We analysed 133 glioma cases and 133 control subjects matched by age, sex and date of blood donation. ELISA or Luminex bead‐based multiplex assays were used to measure plasma levels of 19 proteins. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios and 95% CIs. To further model the protein trajectories over time, the linear mixed‐effects models were conducted. We found that the levels of sVEGFR2, sTNFR2, sIL‐2Rα and sIL‐6R were associated with glioma risk. After adjusting for the time between blood sample collection and glioma diagnosis, the odds ratios were 1.72 (95% CI = 1.01–2.93), 1.48 (95% CI = 1.01–2.16) and 1.90 (95% CI = 1.14–3.17) for sTNFR2, sIL‐2Rα and sIL‐6R, respectively. The trajectory of sVEGFR2 concentrations over time was different between cases and controls (p‐value = 0.031), increasing for cases (0.8% per year) and constant for controls. Our findings suggest these proteins play important roles in gliomagenesis.

Tissue-specific Tregs in cancer metastasis: opportunities for precision immunotherapy

Decades of advancements in immuno-oncology have enabled the development of current immunotherapies, which provide long-term treatment responses in certain metastatic cancer patients. However, cures remain infrequent, and most patients ultimately succumb to treatment-refractory metastatic disease. Recent insights suggest that tumors at certain organ sites exhibit distinctive response patterns to immunotherapy and can even reduce antitumor immunity within anatomically distant tumors, suggesting the activation of tissue-specific immune tolerogenic mechanisms in some cases of therapy resistance. Specialized immune cells known as regulatory T cells (Tregs) are present within all tissues in the body and coordinate the suppression of excessive immune activation to curb autoimmunity and maintain immune homeostasis. Despite the high volume of research on Tregs, the findings have failed to reconcile tissue-specific Treg functions in organs, such as tolerance, tissue repair, and regeneration, with their suppression of local and systemic tumor immunity in the context of immunotherapy resistance. To improve the understanding of how the tissue-specific functions of Tregs impact cancer immunotherapy, we review the specialized role of Tregs in clinically common and challenging organ sites of cancer metastasis, highlight research that describes Treg impacts on tissue-specific and systemic immune regulation in the context of immunotherapy, and summarize ongoing work reporting clinically feasible strategies that combine the specific targeting of Tregs with systemic cancer immunotherapy. Improved knowledge of Tregs in the framework of their tissue-specific biology and clinical sites of organ metastasis will enable more precise targeting of immunotherapy and have profound implications for treating patients with metastatic cancer.

Using chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy to fight glioblastoma multiforme: past, present and future developments

Introduction

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) constitutes one of the deadliest tumors to afflict humans, although it is still considered an orphan disease. Despite testing multiple new and innovative therapies in ongoing clinical trials, the median survival for this type of malignancy is less than two years after initial diagnosis, regardless of therapy. One class of promising new therapies are chimeric antigen receptor T cells or CAR-T which have been shown to be very effective at treating refractory liquid tumors such as B-cell malignancies. However, CAR-T effectivity against solid tumors such as GBM has been limited thus far.

Methods

A Pubmed, Google Scholar, Directory of Open Access Journals, and Web of Science literature search using the terms chimeric antigen receptor or CAR-T, GBM, solid tumor immunotherapy, immunotherapy, and CAR-T combination was performed for publication dates between January 1987 and November 2021.

Results

In the current review, we present a comprehensive list of CAR-T cells developed to treat GBM, we describe new possible T-cell engineering strategies against GBM while presenting a short introductory history to the reader regarding the origin(s) of this cutting-edge therapy. We have also compiled a unique list of anti-GBM CAR-Ts with their specific protein sequences and their functions as well as an inventory of clinical trials involving CAR-T and GBM.

Conclusions

The aim of this review is to introduce the reader to the field of T-cell engineering using CAR-Ts to treat GBM and describe the obstacles that may need to be addressed in order to significantly delay the relentless growth of GBM.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11060-021-03902-8.

Development and Validation of an Immune-Related Gene Pairs Signature in Grade II/III Glioma

BACKGROUND

Gliomas are prevalent primary intracerebral malignant tumors. Increasing evidence indicates an association between the immune signature and Grade II/III glioma prognosis. Thus, we aimed to develop an immune-related gene pair (IRGP) signature that can be used as a prognostic tool in Grade II/III glioma.

METHODS

The gene expression levels and clinical information of Grade II/III glioma patients were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) databases. The TCGA data were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 249) and a validation cohort (n = 162), and a CGGA dataset served as an external validation group (n = 605). IRGPs significantly associated with prognosis were selected by Cox regression. Gene set enrichment analysis and filtration were performed with the IRGPs.

RESULTS

Within a set of 1991 immune genes, 8 IRGPs including 15 unique genes that significantly affect survival constituted a gene signature. In the validation datasets, the IRGP signature significantly stratified patients with Grade II/III glioma into low- and high-risk groups (P < 0.001), and the IRGP index was found to be an independent prognostic factor through univariate and multivariate analyses (P < 0.05). Additionally, 26 functional pathways were identified through the intersection of Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis.

CONCLUSION

The IRGP signature demonstrated good prognostic value for Grade II/III gliomas, which may provide new insights into individual treatment for glioma patients. The IRGPs might function through the identified 26 functional pathways.

Immunosuppression in Glioblastoma: Current Understanding and Therapeutic Implications

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults an carries and carries a terrible prognosis. The current regiment of surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy has remained largely unchanged in recent years as new therapeutic approaches have struggled to demonstrate benefit. One of the most challenging hurdles to overcome in developing novel treatments is the profound immune suppression found in many GBM patients. This limits the utility of all manner of immunotherapeutic agents, which have revolutionized the treatment of a number of cancers in recent years, but have failed to show similar benefit in GBM therapy. Understanding the mechanisms of tumor-mediated immune suppression in GBM is critical to the development of effective novel therapies, and reversal of this effect may prove key to effective immunotherapy for GBM. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of tumor-mediated immune suppression in GBM in both the local tumor microenvironment and systemically. We also discuss the effects of current GBM therapy on the immune system. We specifically explore some of the downstream effectors of tumor-driven immune suppression, particularly myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and other immunosuppressive monocytes, and the manner by which GBM induces their formation, with particular attention to the role of GBM-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). Lastly, we briefly review the current state of immunotherapy for GBM and discuss additional hurdles to overcome identification and implementation of effective therapeutic strategies.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in brain cancer: challenges and therapeutic strategies

The most fatal malignancy of the central nervous system (CNS) is glioblastoma. Brain cancer is a 'cold' tumor because of fewer immunoregulatory cells and more immunosuppressive cells. Due to the cold nature of brain cancers, conventional treatments which are used to manage glioma patients show little effectiveness. Glioma patients even showed resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and no significant efficacy. It has been shown that myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) account for approximately 30-50% of the tumor mass in glioma. This study aimed to review MDSC function in brain cancer, as well as possible treatments and related challenges. In brain cancer and glioma, several differences in the context of MDSCs have been reported, including disagreements about the MDSC subtype that has the most inhibitory function in the brain, or inhibitory function of regulatory B cells (Bregs). There are also serious challenges in treating glioma patients. In addition to the cold nature of glioma, there are reports of an increase in MDSCs following conventional chemotherapy treatments. As a result, targeting MDSCs in combination with other therapies, such as ICB, is essential, and recent studies with the combination therapy approach have shown promising therapeutic effects in brain cancer.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Human Glioma Microenvironment

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors in adults. Despite the fact that they are relatively rare, they cause significant morbidity and mortality. High-grade gliomas or glioblastomas are rapidly progressing tumors with a very poor prognosis. The presence of an intrinsic immune system in the central nervous system is now more accepted. During the last decade, there has been no major progress in glioma therapy. The lack of effective treatment for gliomas can be explained by the strategies that cancer cells use to escape the immune system. This being said, immunotherapy, which involves blockade of immune checkpoint inhibitors, has improved patients' survival in different cancer types. This novel cancer therapy appears to be one of the most promising approaches. In the present study, we will start with a review of the general concept of immune response within the brain and glioma microenvironment. Then, we will try to decipher the role of various immune checkpoint inhibitors within the glioma microenvironment. Finally, we will discuss some promising therapeutic pathways, including immune checkpoint blockade and the body's effective anti-glioma immune response.

Targeting Immunometabolism in Glioblastoma

We have only recently begun to understand how cancer metabolism affects antitumor responses and immunotherapy outcomes. Certain immunometabolic targets have been actively pursued in other tumor types, however, glioblastoma research has been slow to exploit the therapeutic vulnerabilities of immunometabolism. In this review, we highlight the pathways that are most relevant to glioblastoma and focus on how these immunometabolic pathways influence tumor growth and immune suppression. We discuss hypoxia, glycolysis, tryptophan metabolism, arginine metabolism, 2-Hydroxyglutarate (2HG) metabolism, adenosine metabolism, and altered phospholipid metabolism, in order to provide an analysis and overview of the field of glioblastoma immunometabolism.

New Insights into the Multifaceted Role of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs) in High-Grade Gliomas: From Metabolic Reprograming, Immunosuppression, and Therapeutic Resistance to Current Strategies for Targeting MDSCs

Cancer cells “hijack” host immune cells to promote growth, survival, and metastasis. The immune microenvironment of high-grade gliomas (HGG) is a complex and heterogeneous system, consisting of diverse cell types such as microglia, bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), dendritic cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and T-cells. Of these, MDSCs are one of the major tumor-infiltrating immune cells and are correlated not only with overall worse prognosis but also poor clinical outcomes. Upon entry from the bone marrow into the peripheral blood, spleen, as well as in tumor microenvironment (TME) in HGG patients, MDSCs deploy an array of mechanisms to perform their immune and non-immune suppressive functions. Here, we highlight the origin, function, and characterization of MDSCs and how they are recruited and metabolically reprogrammed in HGG. Furthermore, we discuss the mechanisms by which MDSCs contribute to immunosuppression and resistance to current therapies. Finally, we conclude by summarizing the emerging approaches for targeting MDSCs alone as a monotherapy or in combination with other standard-of-care therapies to improve the current treatment of high-grade glioma patients.

A New Epigenetic Model to Stratify Glioma Patients According to Their Immunosuppressive State

Gliomas are the most common primary neoplasm of the central nervous system. A promising frontier in the definition of glioma prognosis and treatment is represented by epigenetics. Furthermore, in this study, we developed a machine learning classification model based on epigenetic data (CpG probes) to separate patients according to their state of immunosuppression. We considered 573 cases of low-grade glioma (LGG) and glioblastoma (GBM) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). First, from gene expression data, we derived a novel binary indicator to flag patients with a favorable immune state. Then, based on previous studies, we selected the genes related to the immune state of tumor microenvironment. After, we improved the selection with a data-driven procedure, based on Boruta. Finally, we tuned, trained, and evaluated both random forest and neural network classifiers on the resulting dataset. We found that a multi-layer perceptron network fed by the 338 probes selected by applying both expert choice and Boruta results in the best performance, achieving an out-of-sample accuracy of 82.8%, a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.657, and an area under the ROC curve of 0.9. Based on the proposed model, we provided a method to stratify glioma patients according to their epigenomic state.

Pathogenetic Features and Current Management of Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common form of primary malignant brain tumor with a devastatingly poor prognosis. The disease does not discriminate, affecting adults and children of both sexes, and has an average overall survival of 12-15 months, despite advances in diagnosis and rigorous treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical resection. In addition, most survivors will eventually experience tumor recurrence that only imparts survival of a few months. GBM is highly heterogenous, invasive, vascularized, and almost always inaccessible for treatment. Based on all these outstanding obstacles, there have been tremendous efforts to develop alternative treatment options that allow for more efficient targeting of the tumor including small molecule drugs and immunotherapies. A number of other strategies in development include therapies based on nanoparticles, light, extracellular vesicles, and micro-RNA, and vessel co-option. Advances in these potential approaches shed a promising outlook on the future of GBM treatment. In this review, we briefly discuss the current understanding of adult GBM's pathogenetic features that promote treatment resistance. We also outline novel and promising targeted agents currently under development for GBM patients during the last few years with their current clinical status.

Immunosuppression in Gliomas via PD-1/PD-L1 Axis and Adenosine Pathway

Glioblastoma is the most malignant and lethal subtype of glioma. Despite progress in therapeutic approaches, issues with the tumor immune landscape persist. Multiple immunosuppression pathways coexist in the tumor microenvironment, which can determine tumor progression and therapy outcomes. Research in immune checkpoints, such as the PD-1/PD-L1 axis, has renewed the interest in immune-based cancer therapies due to their ability to prevent immunosuppression against tumors. However, PD-1/PD-L1 blockage is not completely effective, as some patients remain unresponsive to such treatment. The production of adenosine is a major obstacle for the efficacy of immune therapies and is a key source of innate or adaptive resistance. In general, adenosine promotes the pro-tumor immune response, dictates the profile of suppressive immune cells, modulates the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines, and induces the expression of alternative immune checkpoint molecules, such as PD-1, thus maintaining a loop of immunosuppression. In this context, this review aims to depict the complexity of the immunosuppression in glioma microenvironment. We primarily consider the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and adenosine pathway, which may be critical points of resistance and potential targets for tumor treatment strategies.

CyTOF Analysis Reveals a Distinct Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in IDH Mutant Anaplastic Gliomas

The immune microenvironment is important for the development, progression, and prognosis of anaplastic glioma (AG). This complex milieu has not been fully elucidated, and a high-dimensional analysis is urgently required. Utilizing mass cytometry (CyTOF), we performed an analysis of immune cells from 5 patients with anaplastic astrocytoma, IDH-mutant (AAmut) and 10 patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant and 1p/19q codeletion (AOD) and their paired peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Based on a panel of 33 biomarkers, we demonstrated the tumor-driven immune changes in the AG immune microenvironment. Our study confirmed that mononuclear phagocytes and T cells are the most abundant immunocytes in the AG immune microenvironment. Glioma-associated microglia/macrophages in both AAmut and AOD samples showed highly immunosuppressive characteristics. Compared to those in the PBMCs, the ratios of immune checkpoint-positive exhausted CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were higher at the AG tumor sites. The AAmut immune milieu exhibits more immunosuppressive characteristics than that in AOD.

Programmed Cell Death Ligand Expression Drives Immune Tolerogenesis across the Diverse Subtypes of Neuroendocrine Tumours

INTRODUCTION

A comprehensive characterization of the tumour microenvironment is lacking in neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), where programmed cell death-1 receptor-ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors are undergoing efficacy testing.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated drivers of cancer-related immunosuppression across NETs of various sites and grades using multi-parameter immunohistochemistry and targeted transcriptomic profiling.

METHODS

Tissue microarrays (n = 102) were stained for PD-L1 and 2 and indoleamine deoxygenase-1 (IDO-1) and evaluated in relationship to functional characteristics of tumour-infiltrating T-lymphocytes (TILs) and biomarkers of hypoxia/angiogenesis. PD-L1 expression was tested in circulating tumour cells (CTCs, n = 12) to evaluate its relationship with metastatic dissemination.

RESULTS

PD-L1 expression was highest in lung NETs (n = 30, p = 0.007), whereas PD-L2 was highest in pancreatic NETs (n = 53, p < 0.001) with no correlation with grade or hypoxia/angiogenesis. PD-L1+ NETs (n = 26, 25%) had greater CD4+/FOXP3+ and CD8+/PD1+ TILs (p < 0.001) and necrosis (p = 0.02). CD4+/FOXP3+ infiltrate had the highest PD-L1/IDO-1 co-expressing tumours (p = 0.006). Grade 3 well-differentiated NETs had lower CD4+/FOXP3+ and CD8+/PD1+ TIL density (p < 0.001), and NanoString immune profiling revealed enrichment of macrophage-related transcripts in cases with poorer prognosis. We identified PD-L1(+) CTC subpopulations in 75% of evaluated patients (n = 12).

CONCLUSIONS

PD-L1 expression correlates with T-cell exhaustion independent of tumour hypoxia and is enhanced in a subpopulation of CTCs, suggesting its relevance to the progression of NETs. These findings support a potential therapeutic role for PD-L1 inhibitors in a subset of NETs.

Immune Checkpoint Targeted Therapy in Glioma: Status and Hopes

Glioma is the most malignant primary tumor of the central nervous system and is characterized by an extremely low overall survival. Recent breakthroughs in cancer therapy using immune checkpoint blockade have attracted significant attention. However, despite representing the most promising (immunotherapy) treatment for cancer, the clinical application of immune checkpoint blockade in glioma patients remains challenging due to the "cold phenotype" of glioma and multiple factors inducing resistance, both intrinsic and acquired. Therefore, comprehensive understanding of the tumor microenvironment and the unique immunological status of the brain will be critical for the application of glioma immunotherapy. More sensitive biomarkers to monitor the immune response, as well as combining multiple immunotherapy strategies, may accelerate clinical progress and enable development of effective and safe treatments for glioma patients.

Heterogeneity Matters: Different Regions of Glioblastoma Are Characterized by Distinctive Tumor-Supporting Pathways

Simple Summary

5-ALA Fluorescence Guided Surgery aims at extending the boundaries of glioblastoma (GBM) resection. It is based on the use of a fluorescent dye, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). Depending on the fluorescence levels, it is possible to distinguish the core of the tumor, the infiltrating borders and the healthy tissue. Since GBM progression is supported by tumor cells and their interaction with the surrounding microenvironment, we hypothesized that 5-ALA intensity could identify microenvironments with different tumor supporting properties. Taking advantage of glioma-associated stem cells; a human in vitro model of the glioma microenvironment, we demonstrate that all regions of the tumor support the tumor growth, but through different pathways. This study highlights the importance of understanding the TME to obtain key information on GBM biology and develop new therapeutic approaches.

Abstract

The glioblastoma microenvironment plays a substantial role in glioma biology. However, few studies have investigated its spatial heterogeneity. Exploiting 5-ALA Fluorescence Guided Surgery (FGS), we were able to distinguish between the tumor core (ALA+), infiltrating area (ALA-PALE) and healthy tissue (ALA−) of the glioblastoma, based on the level of accumulated fluorescence. The aim of this study was to investigate the properties of the microenvironments associated with these regions. For this purpose, we isolated glioma-associated stem cells (GASC), resident in the glioma microenvironment, from ALA+, ALA-PALE and ALA− samples and compared them in terms of growth kinetic, phenotype and for the expression of 84 genes associated with cancer inflammation and immunity. Differentially expressed genes were correlated with transcriptomic datasets from TCGA/GTEX. Our results show that GASC derived from the three distinct regions, despite a similar phenotype, were characterized by different transcriptomic profiles. Moreover, we identified a GASC-based genetic signature predictive of overall survival and disease-free survival. This signature, highly expressed in ALA+ GASC, was also well represented in ALA PALE GASC. 5-ALA FGS allowed to underline the heterogeneity of the glioma microenvironments. Deepening knowledge of these differences can contribute to develop new adjuvant therapies targeting the crosstalk between tumor and its supporting microenvironment.

Sphingolipid Metabolism in Glioblastoma and Metastatic Brain Tumors: A Review of Sphingomyelinases and Sphingosine-1-Phosphate

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a primary malignant brain tumor with a dismal prognosis, partially due to our inability to completely remove and kill all GBM cells. Rapid tumor recurrence contributes to a median survival of only 15 months with the current standard of care which includes maximal surgical resection, radiation, and temozolomide (TMZ), a blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrant chemotherapy. Radiation and TMZ cause sphingomyelinases (SMase) to hydrolyze sphingomyelins to generate ceramides, which induce apoptosis. However, cells can evade apoptosis by converting ceramides to sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). S1P has been implicated in a wide range of cancers including GBM. Upregulation of S1P has been linked to the proliferation and invasion of GBM and other cancers that display a propensity for brain metastasis. To mediate their biological effects, SMases and S1P modulate signaling via phospholipase C (PLC) and phospholipase D (PLD). In addition, both SMase and S1P may alter the integrity of the BBB leading to infiltration of tumor-promoting immune populations. SMase activity has been associated with tumor evasion of the immune system, while S1P creates a gradient for trafficking of innate and adaptive immune cells. This review will explore the role of sphingolipid metabolism and pharmacological interventions in GBM and metastatic brain tumors with a focus on SMase and S1P.

Epithelial Ovarian Cancer and the Immune System: Biology, Interactions, Challenges and Potential Advances for Immunotherapy

Recent advances in the understanding of immune function and the interactions with tumour cells have led to the development of various cancer immunotherapies and strategies for specific cancer types. However, despite some stunning successes with some malignancies such as melanomas and lung cancer, most patients receive little or no benefit from immunotherapy, which has been attributed to the tumour microenvironment and immune evasion. Although the US Food and Drug Administration have approved immunotherapies for some cancers, to date, only the anti-angiogenic antibody bevacizumab is approved for the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer. Immunotherapeutic strategies for ovarian cancer are still under development and being tested in numerous clinical trials. A detailed understanding of the interactions between cancer and the immune system is vital for optimisation of immunotherapies either alone or when combined with chemotherapy and other therapies. This article, in two main parts, provides an overview of: (1) components of the normal immune system and current knowledge regarding tumour immunology, biology and their interactions; (2) strategies, and targets, together with challenges and potential innovative approaches for cancer immunotherapy, with attention given to epithelial ovarian cancer.

IDH-mutant gliomas harbor fewer regulatory T cells in humans and mice

The metabolic gene isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) is commonly mutated in lower grade glioma (LGG) and secondary glioblastoma (GBM). Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a significant role in the suppression of antitumor immunity in human glioma. Given the importance of Tregs in the overall framework of designing immune-based therapies, a better understanding on their association with IDH mutational status remains of critical clinical importance. Using multispectral imaging analysis, we compared the incidence of Tregs in IDH-mutant and IDH wild-type glioma from patient tumor samples of LGG. An orthotopic IDH-mutant murine model was generated to evaluate the role of mutant IDH on Treg infiltration by immunohistochemistry. When compared to IDH wild-type controls, Tregs are disproportionally underrepresented in mutant disease, even when taken as a proportion of all infiltrating T cells. Our findings suggest that therapeutic agents targeting Tregs may be more appropriate in modulating the immune response to wild-type disease.

Expression of FOXP3 in Canine Gliomas: Immunohistochemical Study of Tumor-Infiltrating Regulatory Lymphocytes

Dogs develop gliomas with similar histopathological features to human gliomas and share with them the limited success of current therapeutic regimens such as surgery and radiation. The tumor microenvironment in gliomas is influenced by immune cell infiltrates. The present study aims to immunohistochemically characterize the tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) population of naturally occurring canine gliomas, focusing on the expression of Forkhead box P3-positive (FOXP3+) regulatory T-cells (Tregs). Forty-three canine gliomas were evaluated immunohistochemically for the presence of CD3+, FOXP3+, and CD20+ TILs. In low-grade gliomas, CD3+ TILs were found exclusively within the tumor tissue. In high-grade gliomas, they were present in significantly higher numbers throughout the tumor and in the brain-tumor junction. CD20+ TILs were rarely found in comparison to CD3+ TILs. FOXP3+ TILs shared a similar distribution with CD3+ TILs. The accumulation of FOXP3+ Tregs within the tumor was more pronounced in astrocytic gliomas than in tumors of oligodendroglial lineage and the difference in expression was significant when comparing low-grade oligodendrogliomas and high-grade astrocytomas. Only high-grade astrocytomas presented FOXP3+ cells with tumoral morphology. In spontaneous canine gliomas, TILs display similar characteristics (density and distribution) as described for human gliomas, supporting the use of the dog as an animal model for translational immunotherapeutic studies.

Molecular classification and immunologic characteristics of immunoreactive high‐grade serous ovarian cancer

High‐grade serous ovarian cancer (HGS‐OvCa) is one of the most lethal gynaecological malignancies. Molecular classification identified an immunoreactive subtype of HGS‐OvCa; however, the immunologic characteristics of immunoreactive HGS‐OvcA remain unclear. In this study, 121 immunoreactive HGS‐OvCa samples were identified from a meta‐analysis of 5 large transcriptome profiling data sets using a cross‐platform immunoreactive HGS‐OvCa subgroup‐specific classifier. By comparing the gene expression profiles of immunoreactive HGS‐OvCa samples and normal tissues, 653 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the leukocyte transendothelial migration pathways were significantly enriched in the immunoreactive HGS‐OvCa. Protein‐protein interaction analysis identified a module that showed strong involvement of the immune‐related chemokine signalling pathway. Moreover, the GSEA enrichment analysis showed a T‐cell subgroup and M1 macrophages were significantly enriched in immunoreactive OvCa compared with normal samples. Macrophage infiltration levels were significantly elevated in immunoreactive HGS‐OvCa compared with other OvCa subtypes. In addition, expression of immune checkpoint molecules VTCN1 and IDO1 was significantly increased in immunoreactive HGS‐OvCa. In summary, our results suggest that the immunoreactive HGS‐OvCa has unique molecular characteristics and a tumour‐associated immune microenvironment featured by increased infiltration of macrophages, rather than lymphocytes. VTCN1 could be potential targets for the treatment of immunoreactive HGS‐OvCa.

The Emerging Role of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in the Glioma Immune Suppressive Microenvironment

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous group of myeloid progenitor and precursor cells at different stages of differentiation, which play an important role in tumor immunosuppression. Glioma is the most common and deadliest primary malignant tumor of the brain, and ample evidence supports key contributions of MDSCs to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which is a key factor stimulating glioma progression. In this review, we summarize the source and characterization of MDSCs, discuss their immunosuppressive functions, and current approaches that target MDSCs for tumor control. Overall, the review provides insights into the roles of MDSC immunosuppression in the glioma microenvironment and suggests that MDSC control is a powerful cellular therapeutic target for currently incurable glioma tumors.

Kynurenine produced by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 exacerbates acute liver injury by carbon tetrachloride in mice

Kynurenine (Kyn) plays an important role as an immune check-point molecule and regulates various immune responses through its aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr). Kyn is synthesized by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (Ido) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (Tdo). Ido contributes approximately 90% of tryptophan catabolism. Although Kyn is increased in various liver disorders, the roles of Kyn in liver injury are complicated because Ido1, Ido2, and Tdo are activated in different cell types. In this study, the roles of Ido2 in carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄; 1 ml/kg, i.p.)-induced acute liver injury were examined using Ido2 knockout mice and Ido2 inhibitor. After CCl₄ treatment, the ratio of Kyn to tryptophan and levels of Kyn in the liver were increased, accompanied by activation of Ahr-mediated signaling, as revealed by increased nuclear Ahr and Cyp1a1 mRNA. Knockout of Ido2 (Ido2^-/-) and treatment with Ido2 inhibitor 1-methyl-D-tryptophan (D-1MT; 100 mg/kg, i.p.) attenuated CCl₄-induced liver injury, with decreased induction of Ahr-mediated signaling. Administration of D-Kyn (100 mg/kg, i.p.) to Ido2^-/- mice canceled the effect of Ido2 deficiency and exacerbated acute liver damage by CCl₄ treatment. In addition, liver fibrosis induced by repeated CCl₄ administration was suppressed in Ido2^-/- mice. In conclusion, the action of Ido2 and Kyn in the liver may prevent severe hepatocellular damage and liver fibrosis.

Double-faced implication of CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells expanded by acute dengue infection via TLR2/MyD88 pathway

Dengue infection causes dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS). CD4⁺ Foxp3⁺ Tregs are expanded in patients during dengue infection, and appear to be associated with clinical severity. However, molecular pathways involved in Treg proliferation and the reason for their insufficient control of severe diseases are poorly understood. Here, dengue infection induced the proliferation of functional CD4⁺ Foxp3⁺ Tregs via TLR2/MyD88 pathway. Surface TLR2 on Tregs was responsible for their proliferation, and dengue-expanded Tregs subverted in vivo differentiation of effector CD8⁺ T cells. An additional interesting finding was that dengue-infected hosts displayed changed levels of susceptibility to other diseases in TLR2-dependent manner. This change included enhanced susceptibility to tumors and bacterial infection, but highly enhanced resistance to viral infection. Further, the transfer of dengue-proliferated Tregs protected the recipients from dengue-induced DHF/DSS and LPS-induced sepsis. In contrast, dengue-infected hosts were more susceptible to sepsis, an effect attributable to early TLR2-dependent production of proinflammatory cytokines. These facts may explain the reason why in some patients, dengue-proliferated Tregs is insufficient to control DF and DHF/DSS. Also, our observations lead to new insights into Treg responses activated by dengue infection in a TLR2-dependent manner, which could differentially act on subsequent exposure to other disease-producing situations.

Beneficial and Detrimental Effects of Regulatory T Cells in Neurotropic Virus Infections

Neurotropic viruses infect the central nervous system (CNS) and cause acute or chronic neurologic disabilities. Regulatory T cells (Treg) play a critical role for immune homeostasis, but may inhibit pathogen-specific immunity in infectious disorders. The present review summarizes the current knowledge about Treg in human CNS infections and their animal models. Besides dampening pathogen-induced immunopathology, Treg have the ability to facilitate protective responses by supporting effector T cell trafficking to the infection site and the development of resident memory T cells. Moreover, Treg can reduce virus replication by inducing apoptosis of infected macrophages and attenuate neurotoxic astrogliosis and pro-inflammatory microglial responses. By contrast, detrimental effects of Treg are caused by suppression of antiviral immunity, allowing for virus persistence and latency. Opposing disease outcomes following Treg manipulation in different models might be attributed to differences in technique and timing of intervention, infection route, genetic background, and the host’s age. In addition, mouse models of virus-induced demyelination revealed that Treg are able to reduce autoimmunity and immune-mediated CNS damage in a disease phase-dependent manner. Understanding the unique properties of Treg and their complex interplay with effector cells represents a prerequisite for the development of new therapeutic approaches in neurotropic virus infections.

High Dimensional Mass Cytometry Analysis Reveals Characteristics of the Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in Diffuse Astrocytomas

The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) plays a pivotal role in tumor development, progression, and prognosis. However, the characteristics of the TIME in diffuse astrocytoma (DA) are still unclear. Leveraging mass cytometry with a panel of 33 markers, we analyzed the infiltrating immune cells from 10 DA and 4 oligodendroglioma (OG) tissues and provided a single cell-resolution landscape of the intricate immune microenvironment. Our study profiled the composition of the TIME in DA and confirmed the presence of immune cells, such as glioma-associated microglia/macrophages (GAMs), CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and natural killer cells. Increased percentages of PD-1+ CD8+ T cells, TIM-3+ CD4+ T cell subpopulations, Tregs and pro-tumor phenotype GAMs substantially contribute to the local immunosuppressive microenvironment in DA. DAs and OGs share similar compositions in terms of immune cells, while GAMs in DA exhibit more inhibitory characteristics than those in OG.

Medium dose intermittent cyclophosphamide induces immunogenic cell death and cancer cell autonomous type I interferon production in glioma models

Cyclophosphamide treatment on a medium-dose, intermittent chemotherapy (MEDIC) schedule activates both innate and adaptive immunity leading to major regression of implanted gliomas. Here, we show that this MEDIC treatment regimen induces tumor cell autonomous type-I interferon signaling, followed by release of soluble factors that activate interferon-stimulated genes in both tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells. In cultured GL261 and CT-2A glioma cells, activated cyclophosphamide stimulated production and release of type-I interferons, leading to robust activation of downstream gene targets. Antibody against the type-I interferon receptor IFNAR1 blocked the cyclophosphamide-stimulated induction of these genes in both cultured glioma cells and implanted gliomas. Furthermore, IFNAR1 antibody strongly inhibited the MEDIC cyclophosphamide-stimulated increases in tumor cell infiltration of macrophages, dendritic cells, B-cells, as well as natural killer cells and cytotoxic T-cells and their cytotoxic effectors. Finally, cyclophosphamide-treated dying glioma cells producing type-I interferons were an effective vaccine against drug-naïve glioma cells implanted in vivo. Thus, cyclophosphamide induces local, tumor cell-centric increases in type-I interferon signaling, which activates immunogenic cell death and is essential for the striking antitumor immune responses that MEDIC cyclophosphamide treatment elicits in these glioma models.

The cell-based approach in neurosurgery: ongoing trends and future perspectives

OBJECTIVE

Examination of the current trends and future perspectives of the cell-based therapies in neurosurgery.

METHODS

A PubMed/MEDLINE-based systematic review has been performed combining the main Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) regarding the cell- and tissue-based therapies with the "Brain", "Spinal Cord", "Spine" and "Skull" MeSH terms. Only articles in English published in the last 10 years and pertinent to neurosurgery have been selected.

RESULTS

A total of 1,173 relevant articles have been chosen. Somatic cells and gene-modification technologies have undergone the greatest development. Immunotherapies and gene therapies have been tested for the cure of glioblastoma, stem cells mainly for brain and spinal cord traumatic injuries. Stem cells have also found a rationale in the treatment of the cranial and spinal bony defects, and of the intervertebral disc degeneration, as well.Most of the completed or ongoing trials concerning the cell-based therapies in neurosurgery are on phase 2. Future perspectives involve the need to overcome issues related to immunogenicity, oncogenicity and routes for administration. Refinement and improvement of vector design and delivery are required within the gene therapies.

CONCLUSION

The last decade has been characterised by a progressive evolution of neurosurgery from a purely mechanical phase to a new biological one. This trend has followed the rapid and parallel development of translational medicine and nanotechnologies.The introduction of new technologies, the optimisation of the already existing ones, and the reduction of costs are among the main challenges of the foreseeable future.

MicroRNA‑30a controls the instability of inducible CD4+ Tregs through SOCS1

Inducible regulatory T cells (iTregs) are an important subset of Tregs and play a role in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance, and the occurrence of a number of diseases, including tumors and autoimmune diseases. However, the instability of iTregs is a major obstacle for their potential application in clinical trials. The underlying mechanism of iTreg instability remains largely unknown. In the present study, the expression level of microRNA (miRNA/miR)‑30a in murine iTregs was evaluated using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR. miR‑30a mimics and a miR‑negative control (NC) were transiently transfected into iTregs using Nucleofector technology. The effects of miR‑30a on the suppressive function of murine iTregs in vitro and in vivo were investigated using MTT, adoptive cell transfer (ACT) and flow cytometry assays, as well as a murine model of lung cancer. In the present study, it was identified that the expression level of miR‑30a was lower in murine iTregs in vitro compared with natural (n)Tregs. Furthermore, compared with miR‑NC, miR‑30a mimics impaired the suppressive function of murine iTregs on murine CD4+ T cell proliferation in vitro, which was accompanied by the altered expression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte‑associated antigen 4 and glucocorticoid induced tumor necrosis factor receptor, as well as transforming growth factor‑β and interleukin‑10. It was also observed that, compared with miR‑NC, miR‑30a mimics abrogated the suppressive effects of murine iTregs on murine CD8+ T cell function in vivo, producing an effective antitumor effect in mice bearing 3LL lung cancer cells in the ACT assay. From a mechanistic point, the expression level of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1, a putative target of miR‑30a, was elevated, altering the activation of the Akt and STAT1 pathway in the miR‑30a mimic transfected group compared with the miR‑NC group, reducing the suppressive function of murine iTregs. The present study identified a role for miR‑30a in the instability of iTregs and provided a novel insight into the development of therapeutic strategies for promoting T‑cell immunity via the regulation of iTreg instability by targeting specific miRNAs.

Exhaustion of CD4+ T-cells mediated by the Kynurenine Pathway in Melanoma

Kynurenine pathway (KP) activation by the enzymatic activity of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1) and kynurenine (KYN) production represents an attractive target for reducing tumour progression and improving anti-tumour immunity in multiple cancers. However, immunomodulatory properties of other KP metabolites such as 3-hydroxy kynurenine (3-HK) and kynurenic acid (KYNA) are poorly understood. The association of the kynurenine metabolic pathway with T-cell status in the tumour microenvironment were characterized, using gene expression data of 368 cutaneous skin melanoma (SKCM) patients from the TCGA cohort. Based on the identified correlations, we characterized the production of KYN, 3-HK, and KYNA in vitro using melanoma-derived cell lines and primary CD4+ CD25- T-cells. Activation of the CD4+ T-cells produced IFNγ, which yielded increased levels of KYN and KYNA. Concurrently, kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) expression and proliferation of CD4+ T-cells were reduced, whereas exhaustion markers such as PD-L1, AHR, FOXP3, and CTLA4 were increased. Additionally, an analysis of the correlation network reconstructed using TCGA-SKCM emphasized KMO and KYNU with high variability among BRAF wild-type compared with V600E, which underscored their role in distinct CD4+ T-cell behavior in tumour immunity. Our results suggest that, in addition to IDO1, there is an alternative immune regulatory mechanism associated with the lower KMO expression and the higher KYNA production, which contributes to dysfunctional effector CD4+ T-cell response.

MIC-1/GDF15 Overexpression Is Associated with Increased Functional Recovery in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has devastating consequences, with limited therapeutic options; therefore, improving its functional outcome is a major goal. The outcome of SCI is contributed to by neuroinflammation, which may be a target for improved recovery and quality of life after injury. Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1/growth differentiation factor 15 (MIC-1/GDF15) has been identified as a potential novel therapy for central nervous system (CNS) injury because it is an immune regulatory cytokine with neurotrophic properties. Here we used MIC-1/GDF15 knockout (KO) and overexpressing/transgenic (Tg) and wild type (WT) animals to explore its putative therapeutic benefits in a mouse model of contusive SCI. MIC-1/GDF15 Tg mice had superior locomotor recovery and reduced secondary tissue loss at 28 days compared with their KO and WT counterparts. Overexpression of MIC-1/GDF15 coincided with increased expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)/C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 2 (CCL2) at the lesion site (28 days post-SCI) and enhanced recruitment of inflammatory cells to the injured spinal cord. This inflammatory cellular infiltrate included an increased frequency of macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) that mostly preceded recruitment of cluster of differentiation (CD)4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. Collectively, our findings suggest hat MIC-1/GDF15 is associated with beneficial changes in the clinical course of SCI that are characterized by altered post-injury inflammation and improved functional outcome. Further investigation of MIC-1/GDF15 as a novel therapeutic target for traumatic SCI appears warranted.

Inhibition of the BET family reduces its new target gene IDO1 expression and the production of L-kynurenine

The bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) family members, including BRD2, BRD3, and BRD4, act as epigenetic readers to regulate gene expression. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is an enzyme that participates in tumor immune escape primarily by catalyzing tryptophan to L-kynurenine. Here, we report that IDO1 is a new target gene of the BET family. RNA profiling showed that compound 9, a new BET inhibitor, reduced IDO1 mRNA up to seven times in Ty-82 cells. IDO1 differentially expressed in tumor cells and its expression could be induced with interferon gamma (IFN-γ). BET inhibitors (ABBV-075, JQ1, and OTX015) inhibited both constitutive and IFN-γ-inducible expression of IDO1. Similarly, reduction of BRD2, BRD3, or BRD4 decreased IDO1 expression. All these BET family members bound to the IDO1 promoter via the acetylated histone H3. JQ1 led to their release and reduced enrichment of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) on the promoter. IFN-γ increased the binding of BRD2, BRD3, BRD4, and Pol II on the IDO1 promoter by increasing the acetylation of histone H3, which could be prevented by JQ1 partially or even completely. Furthermore, both JQ1 and OTX015 decreased the production of L-kynurenine. The combination of BET inhibitors with the IDO1 inhibitor further reduced L-kynurenine, though only marginally. Importantly, the BET inhibitor ABBV-075 significantly inhibited the growth of human Ty-82 xenografts in nude mice and reduced both protein and mRNA levels of IDO1 in the xenografts. This finding lays a basis for the potential combination of BET inhibitors and IDO1 inhibitors for the treatment of IDO1-expressing cancers.