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Xu Y, Bai Z, Lan T, Fu C, Cheng P. CD44 and its implication in neoplastic diseases. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e554. [PMID: 38783892 PMCID: PMC11112461 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
CD44, a nonkinase single span transmembrane glycoprotein, is a major cell surface receptor for many other extracellular matrix components as well as classic markers of cancer stem cells and immune cells. Through alternative splicing of CD44 gene, CD44 is divided into two isoforms, the standard isoform of CD44 (CD44s) and the variant isoform of CD44 (CD44v). Different isoforms of CD44 participate in regulating various signaling pathways, modulating cancer proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance, with its aberrant expression and dysregulation contributing to tumor initiation and progression. However, CD44s and CD44v play overlapping or contradictory roles in tumor initiation and progression, which is not fully understood. Herein, we discuss the present understanding of the functional and structural roles of CD44 in the pathogenic mechanism of multiple cancers. The regulation functions of CD44 in cancers-associated signaling pathways is summarized. Moreover, we provide an overview of the anticancer therapeutic strategies that targeting CD44 and preclinical and clinical trials evaluating the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and drug-related toxicity about CD44-targeted therapies. This review provides up-to-date information about the roles of CD44 in neoplastic diseases, which may open new perspectives in the field of cancer treatment through targeting CD44.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Xu
- Department of BiotherapyLaboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Ziyi Bai
- Department of BiotherapyLaboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Tianxia Lan
- Department of BiotherapyLaboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Chenying Fu
- Laboratory of Aging and Geriatric Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Ping Cheng
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
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2
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Ziranu P, Pretta A, Aimola V, Cau F, Mariani S, D’Agata AP, Codipietro C, Rizzo D, Dell’Utri V, Sanna G, Moledda G, Cadoni A, Lai E, Puzzoni M, Pusceddu V, Castagnola M, Scartozzi M, Faa G. CD44: A New Prognostic Marker in Colorectal Cancer? Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1569. [PMID: 38672650 PMCID: PMC11048923 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) is a non-kinase cell surface glycoprotein. It is overexpressed in several cell types, including cancer stem cells (CSCs). Cells overexpressing CD44 exhibit several CSC traits, such as self-renewal, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) capability, and resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. The role of CD44 in maintaining stemness and the CSC function in tumor progression is accomplished by binding to its main ligand, hyaluronan (HA). The HA-CD44 complex activates several signaling pathways that lead to cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, and invasion. The CD44 gene regularly undergoes alternative splicing, resulting in the standard (CD44s) and variant (CD44v) isoforms. The different functional roles of CD44s and specific CD44v isoforms still need to be fully understood. The clinicopathological impact of CD44 and its isoforms in promoting tumorigenesis suggests that CD44 could be a molecular target for cancer therapy. Furthermore, the recent association observed between CD44 and KRAS-dependent carcinomas and the potential correlations between CD44 and tumor mutational burden (TMB) and microsatellite instability (MSI) open new research scenarios for developing new strategies in cancer treatment. This review summarises current research regarding the different CD44 isoform structures, their roles, and functions in supporting tumorigenesis and discusses its therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pina Ziranu
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Andrea Pretta
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Valentina Aimola
- Division of Pathology, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, AOU Cagliari, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (V.A.); (F.C.)
| | - Flaviana Cau
- Division of Pathology, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, AOU Cagliari, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (V.A.); (F.C.)
| | - Stefano Mariani
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Alessandra Pia D’Agata
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Claudia Codipietro
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Daiana Rizzo
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Veronica Dell’Utri
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Giorgia Sanna
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Giusy Moledda
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Andrea Cadoni
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Eleonora Lai
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Marco Puzzoni
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Valeria Pusceddu
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Massimo Castagnola
- Proteomics Laboratory, Centro Europeo di Ricerca sul Cervello, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00013 Rome, Italy;
| | - Mario Scartozzi
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, SS 554 km 4500 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy; (A.P.); (S.M.); (A.P.D.); (C.C.); (D.R.); (V.D.); (G.S.); (G.M.); (A.C.); (E.L.); (M.P.); (V.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Gavino Faa
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, AOU Cagliari, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy;
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
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3
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Li G, Wang H, Meftahpour V. Overall review of curative impact and barriers of CAR-T cells in osteosarcoma. EXCLI JOURNAL 2024; 23:364-383. [PMID: 38655095 PMCID: PMC11036068 DOI: 10.17179/excli2023-6760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare form of cancer and primary bone malignancy in children and adolescents. Current therapies include surgery, chemotherapy, and amputation. Therefore, a new therapeutic strategy is needed to dramatically change cancer treatment. Recently, chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) have been of considerable interest as it has provided auspicious results and patients suffering from low side effects after injection that resolve with current therapy. However, there are reports that cytokine release storm (CRS) can be observed in some patients. In addition, as researchers have faced problems that limit and suppress T cells, further studies are required to resolve these problems. In addition, to maximize the therapeutic benefit of CAR-T cell therapy, researchers have suggested that combination therapy could be better used to treat cancer by overcoming any problems and reducing side effects as much as possible. This review summarizes these problems, barriers, and the results of some studies on the evaluation of CAR-T cells in patients with osteosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilin Li
- Xinyang Vocational and Technical College, Xinyang Henan 464000 China
| | - Hong Wang
- Xinyang Vocational and Technical College, Xinyang Henan 464000 China
| | - Vafa Meftahpour
- Medical Immunology, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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4
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Nasiri F, Farrokhi K, Safarzadeh Kozani P, Mahboubi Kancha M, Dashti Shokoohi S, Safarzadeh Kozani P. CAR-T cell immunotherapy for ovarian cancer: hushing the silent killer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1302307. [PMID: 38146364 PMCID: PMC10749368 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1302307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023] Open
Abstract
As the most lethal gynecologic oncological indication, carcinoma of the ovary has been ranked as the 5th cause of cancer-related mortality in women, with a high percentage of the patients being diagnosed at late stages of the disease and a five-year survival of ~ 30%. Ovarian cancer patients conventionally undergo surgery for tumor removal followed by platinum- or taxane-based chemotherapy; however, a high percentage of patients experience tumor relapse. Cancer immunotherapy has been regarded as a silver lining in the treatment of patients with various immunological or oncological indications; however, mirvetuximab soravtansine (a folate receptor α-specific mAb) and bevacizumab (a VEGF-A-specific mAb) are the only immunotherapeutics approved for the treatment of ovarian cancer patients. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has achieved tremendous clinical success in the treatment of patients with certain B-cell lymphomas and leukemias, as well as multiple myeloma. In the context of solid tumors, CAR-T therapies face serious obstacles that limit their therapeutic benefit. Such hindrances include the immunosuppressive nature of solid tumors, impaired tumor infiltration, lack of qualified tumor-associated antigens, and compromised stimulation and persistence of CAR-Ts following administration. Over the past years, researchers have made arduous attempts to apply CAR-T therapy to ovarian cancer. In this review, we outline the principles of CAR-T therapy and then highlight its limitations in the context of solid tumors. Ultimately, we focus on preclinical and clinical findings achieved in CAR-T-mediated targeting of different ovarian cancer-associated target antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Nasiri
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Khadijeh Farrokhi
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran
| | - Pouya Safarzadeh Kozani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maral Mahboubi Kancha
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Setareh Dashti Shokoohi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pooria Safarzadeh Kozani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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5
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Ciulean IS, Fischer J, Quaiser A, Bach C, Abken H, Tretbar US, Fricke S, Koehl U, Schmiedel D, Grunwald T. CD44v6 specific CAR-NK cells for targeted immunotherapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1290488. [PMID: 38022580 PMCID: PMC10667728 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1290488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a major challenge for current therapies. CAR-T cells have shown promising results in blood cancers, however, their effectiveness against solid tumors remains a hurdle. Recently, CD44v6-directed CAR-T cells demonstrated efficacy in controlling tumor growth in multiple myeloma and solid tumors such as HNSCC, lung and ovarian adenocarcinomas. Apart from CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cells offer a safe and allogenic alternative to autologous CAR-T cell therapy. In this paper, we investigated the capacity of CAR-NK cells redirected against CD44v6 to execute cytotoxicity against HNSCC. Anti-CD44v6 CAR-NK cells were generated from healthy donor peripheral blood-derived NK cells using gamma retroviral vectors (gRVs). The NK cell transduction was optimized by exploring virus envelope proteins derived from the baboon endogenous virus envelope (BaEV), feline leukemia virus (FeLV, termed RD114-TR) and gibbon ape leukemia virus (GaLV), respectively. BaEV pseudotyped gRVs induced the highest transduction rate compared to RD114-TR and GaLV envelopes as measured by EGFP and surface CAR expression of transduced NK cells. CAR-NK cells showed a two- to threefold increase in killing efficacy against various HNSCC cell lines compared to unmodified, cytokine-expanded primary NK cells. Anti-CD44v6 CAR-NK cells were effective in eliminating tumor cell lines with high and low CD44v6 expression levels. Overall, the improved cytotoxicity of CAR-NK cells holds promise for a therapeutic option for the treatment of HNSCC. However, further preclinical trials are necessary to test in vivo efficacy and safety, as well to optimize the treatment regimen of anti-CD44v6 CAR-NK cells against solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana Sonya Ciulean
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Joe Fischer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andrea Quaiser
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christoph Bach
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hinrich Abken
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Division of Genetic Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Uta Sandy Tretbar
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stephan Fricke
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrike Koehl
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dominik Schmiedel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Grunwald
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
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Zenere G, Wu C, Midkiff CC, Johnson NM, Grice CP, Wimley WC, Kaur A, Braun SE. Extracellular domain, hinge, and transmembrane determinants affecting surface CD4 expression of a novel anti-HIV chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) construct. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.25.563930. [PMID: 37961145 PMCID: PMC10634810 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.25.563930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have demonstrated clinical potential, but current receptors still need improvements to be successful against chronic HIV infection. In this study, we address some requirements of CAR motifs for strong surface expression of a novel anti-HIV CAR by evaluating important elements in the extracellular, hinge, and transmembrane (TM) domains. When combining a truncated CD4 extracellular domain and CD8α hinge/TM, the novel CAR did not express extracellularly but was detectable intracellularly. By shortening the CD8α hinge, CD4-CAR surface expression was partially recovered and addition of the LYC motif at the end of the CD8α TM fully recovered both intracellular and extracellular CAR expression. Mutation of LYC to TTA or TTC showed severe abrogation of CAR expression by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Additionally, we determined that CD4-CAR surface expression could be maximized by the removal of FQKAS motif at the junction of the extracellular domain and the hinge region. CD4-CAR surface expression also resulted in cytotoxic CAR T cell killing of HIV Env+ target cells. In this study, we identified elements that are crucial for optimal CAR surface expression, highlighting the need for structural analysis studies to establish fundamental guidelines of CAR designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Zenere
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433
- BioMedical Sciences Program, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Chengxiang Wu
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433
| | | | - Nathan M. Johnson
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433
- BioMedical Sciences Program, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Christopher P. Grice
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - William C. Wimley
- Department of BioChemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Amitinder Kaur
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Stephen E. Braun
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112
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Lodewijk I, Dueñas M, Paramio JM, Rubio C. CD44v6, STn & O-GD2: promising tumor associated antigens paving the way for new targeted cancer therapies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1272681. [PMID: 37854601 PMCID: PMC10579806 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1272681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted therapies are the state of the art in oncology today, and every year new Tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are developed for preclinical research and clinical trials, but few of them really change the therapeutic scenario. Difficulties, either to find antigens that are solely expressed in tumors or the generation of good binders to these antigens, represent a major bottleneck. Specialized cellular mechanisms, such as differential splicing and glycosylation processes, are a good source of neo-antigen expression. Changes in these processes generate surface proteins that, instead of showing decreased or increased antigen expression driven by enhanced mRNA processing, are aberrant in nature and therefore more specific targets to elicit a precise anti-tumor therapy. Here, we present promising TAAs demonstrated to be potential targets for cancer monitoring, targeted therapy and the generation of new immunotherapy tools, such as recombinant antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell (CAR-T) or Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Engineered Natural Killer (CAR-NK) for specific tumor killing, in a wide variety of tumor types. Specifically, this review is a detailed update on TAAs CD44v6, STn and O-GD2, describing their origin as well as their current and potential use as disease biomarker and therapeutic target in a diversity of tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Lodewijk
- Biomedical Research Institute I+12, University Hospital “12 de Octubre”, Madrid, Spain
- Molecular Oncology Unit, CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas), Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Oncology-CIBERONC, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Dueñas
- Biomedical Research Institute I+12, University Hospital “12 de Octubre”, Madrid, Spain
- Molecular Oncology Unit, CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas), Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Oncology-CIBERONC, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesus M. Paramio
- Biomedical Research Institute I+12, University Hospital “12 de Octubre”, Madrid, Spain
- Molecular Oncology Unit, CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas), Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Oncology-CIBERONC, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carolina Rubio
- Biomedical Research Institute I+12, University Hospital “12 de Octubre”, Madrid, Spain
- Molecular Oncology Unit, CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas), Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Oncology-CIBERONC, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
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8
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Vanhooren J, Dobbelaere R, Derpoorter C, Deneweth L, Van Camp L, Uyttebroeck A, De Moerloose B, Lammens T. CAR-T in the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Barriers and How to Overcome Them. Hemasphere 2023; 7:e937. [PMID: 37674860 PMCID: PMC10479376 DOI: 10.1097/hs9.0000000000000937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Conventional therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are characterized by high rates of relapse, severe toxicities, and poor overall survival rates. Thus, the development of new therapeutic strategies is crucial for improving the survival and quality of life of AML patients. CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy has been extremely successful in the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoid leukemia and several mature B-cell lymphomas. However, the use of CAR T-cell therapy for AML is currently prevented due to the lack of a myeloid equivalent to CD19, as currently known cell surface targets on leukemic blasts are also expressed on healthy hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells as well as their progeny. In addition, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment has a dampening effect on the antitumor activity of CAR-T cells. Here, we review the therapeutic challenges limiting the use of CAR T-cell therapy for AML and discuss promising novel strategies to overcome them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien Vanhooren
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Belgium
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rani Dobbelaere
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Derpoorter
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Belgium
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Belgium
| | - Larissa Deneweth
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laurens Van Camp
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Belgium
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Belgium
| | - Anne Uyttebroeck
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Barbara De Moerloose
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Belgium
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tim Lammens
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Belgium
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Belgium
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9
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Suzuki H, Goto N, Tanaka T, Ouchida T, Kaneko MK, Kato Y. Development of a Novel Anti-CD44 Variant 8 Monoclonal Antibody C 44Mab-94 against Gastric Carcinomas. Antibodies (Basel) 2023; 12:45. [PMID: 37489367 PMCID: PMC10366929 DOI: 10.3390/antib12030045] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. GC with peritoneal metastasis exhibits a poor prognosis due to the lack of effective therapy. A comprehensive analysis of malignant ascites identified the genomic alterations and significant amplifications of cancer driver genes, including CD44. CD44 and its splicing variants are overexpressed in tumors, and play crucial roles in the acquisition of invasiveness, stemness, and resistance to treatments. Therefore, the development of CD44-targeted monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is important for GC diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we immunized mice with CD44v3-10-overexpressed PANC-1 cells and established several dozens of clones that produce anti-CD44v3-10 mAbs. One of the clones (C44Mab-94; IgG1, kappa) recognized the variant-8-encoded region and peptide, indicating that C44Mab-94 is a specific mAb for CD44v8. Furthermore, C44Mab-94 could recognize CHO/CD44v3-10 cells, oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line (HSC-3), or GC cell lines (MKN45 and NUGC-4) in flow cytometric analyses. C44Mab-94 could detect the exogenous CD44v3-10 and endogenous CD44v8 in western blotting and stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded gastric cancer cells. These results indicate that C44Mab-94 is useful for detecting CD44v8 in a variety of experimental methods and is expected to become usefully applied to GC diagnosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Suzuki
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Nohara Goto
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Tanaka
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Tsunenori Ouchida
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Mika K Kaneko
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yukinari Kato
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
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10
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Zheng Z, Li S, Liu M, Chen C, Zhang L, Zhou D. Fine-Tuning through Generations: Advances in Structure and Production of CAR-T Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3476. [PMID: 37444586 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a promising form of immunotherapy that has seen significant advancements in the past few decades. It involves genetically modifying T cells to target cancer cells expressing specific antigens, providing a novel approach to treating various types of cancer. However, the initial success of first-generation CAR-T cells was limited due to inadequate proliferation and undesirable outcomes. Nonetheless, significant progress has been made in CAR-T cell engineering, leading to the development of the latest fifth-generation CAR-T cells that can target multiple antigens and overcome individual limitations. Despite these advancements, some shortcomings prevent the widespread use of CAR-T therapy, including life-threatening toxicities, T-cell exhaustion, and inadequate infiltration for solid tumors. Researchers have made considerable efforts to address these issues by developing new strategies for improving CAR-T cell function and reducing toxicities. This review provides an overview of the path of CAR-T cell development and highlights some of the prominent advances in its structure and manufacturing process, which include the strategies to improve antigen recognition, enhance T-cell activation and persistence, and overcome immune escape. Finally, the review briefly covers other immune cells for cancer therapy and ends with the discussion on the broad prospects of CAR-T in the treatment of various diseases, not just hematological tumors, and the challenges that need to be addressed for the widespread clinical application of CAR-T cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibo Zheng
- Department of International Medical Services, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Siyuan Li
- Department of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Mohan Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Chuyan Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Daobin Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
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11
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Maher J. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy for Patients with Lung Cancer: Current Perspectives. Onco Targets Ther 2023; 16:515-532. [PMID: 37425981 PMCID: PMC10327905 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s341179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T-cells has achieved unprecedented efficacy in selected hematological cancers. However, solid tumors such as lung cancer impose several additional challenges to the attainment of clinical success using this emerging therapeutic modality. Lung cancer is the biggest cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, accounting for approximately 1.8 million deaths worldwide each year. Obstacles to the development of CAR T-cell immunotherapy for lung cancer include the selection of safe tumor-selective targets, accounting for the large number of candidates that have been evaluated thus far. Tumor heterogeneity is also a key hurdle, meaning that single target-based approaches are susceptible to therapeutic failure through the emergence of antigen null cancers. There is also a need to enable CAR T-cells to traffic efficiently to sites of disease, to infiltrate tumor deposits and to operate within the hostile tumor microenvironment formed by solid tumors, resisting the onset of exhaustion. Multiple immune, metabolic, physical and chemical barriers operate at the core of malignant lesions, with potential for further heterogeneity and evolution in the face of selective therapeutic pressures. Although the extraordinarily adaptable nature of lung cancers has recently been unmasked, immunotherapy using immune checkpoint blockade can achieve long-term disease control in a small number of patients, establishing clinical proof of concept that immunotherapies can control advanced lung carcinomas. This review summarizes pre-clinical CAR T-cell research that is specifically focused on lung cancer in addition to published and ongoing clinical trial activity. A number of advanced engineering strategies are also described which are designed to bridge the gap to the attainment of meaningful efficacy using genetically engineered T-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Maher
- King’s College London, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, CAR Mechanics Lab, Guy’s Cancer Centre, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Leucid Bio Ltd., Guy’s Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Department of Immunology, Eastbourne Hospital, Kings Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2UD, UK
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12
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Raftery MJ, Franzén AS, Radecke C, Boulifa A, Schönrich G, Stintzing S, Blohmer JU, Pecher G. Next Generation CD44v6-Specific CAR-NK Cells Effective against Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109038. [PMID: 37240385 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a medical need to develop new and effective therapies against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) cells are a promising alternative to CAR-T cell therapy for cancer. A search for a suitable target in TNBC identified CD44v6, an adhesion molecule expressed in lymphomas, leukemias and solid tumors that is implicated in tumorigenesis and metastases. We have developed a next-generation CAR targeting CD44v6 that incorporates IL-15 superagonist and checkpoint inhibitor molecules. We could show that CD44v6 CAR-NK cells demonstrated effective cytotoxicity against TNBC in 3D spheroid models. The IL-15 superagonist was specifically released upon recognition of CD44v6 on TNBC and contributed to the cytotoxic attack. PD1 ligands are upregulated in TNBC and contribute to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Competitive inhibition of PD1 neutralized inhibition by PD1 ligands expressed on TNBC. In total, CD44v6 CAR-NK cells are resistant to TME immunosuppression and offer a new therapeutic option for the treatment of BC, including TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Raftery
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Clarissa Radecke
- Onkologie und Tumorimmunologie, CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Medizinische Klinik m. S. Hämatologie, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Abdelhadi Boulifa
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Günther Schönrich
- Institute of Virology, CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Stintzing
- Onkologie und Tumorimmunologie, CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Medizinische Klinik m. S. Hämatologie, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens-Uwe Blohmer
- Department of Gynecology and Breast Cancer Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gabriele Pecher
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Onkologie und Tumorimmunologie, CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Medizinische Klinik m. S. Hämatologie, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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13
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Tawara M, Suzuki H, Goto N, Tanaka T, Kaneko MK, Kato Y. A Novel Anti-CD44 Variant 9 Monoclonal Antibody C 44Mab-1 Was Developed for Immunohistochemical Analyses against Colorectal Cancers. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:3658-3673. [PMID: 37185762 PMCID: PMC10137259 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45040238] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein and has been shown to be a cell surface marker of cancer stem-like cells in various cancers. In particular, the splicing variants of CD44 (CD44v) are overexpressed in cancers and play critical roles in cancer stemness, invasiveness, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, the understanding of the function of each CD44v is indispensable for CD44-targeting therapy. CD44v9 contains the variant 9-encoded region, and its expression predicts poor prognosis in patients with various cancers. CD44v9 plays critical roles in the malignant progression of tumors. Therefore, CD44v9 is a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Here, we developed sensitive and specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD44 by immunizing mice with CD44v3-10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/CD44v3-10) cells. We first determined their critical epitopes using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and characterized their applications as flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. One of the established clones, C44Mab-1 (IgG1, kappa), reacted with a peptide of the variant 9-encoded region, indicating that C44Mab-1 recognizes CD44v9. C44Mab-1 could recognize CHO/CD44v3-10 cells or colorectal cancer cell lines (COLO201 and COLO205) in flow cytometric analysis. The apparent dissociation constant (KD) of C44Mab-1 for CHO/CD44v3-10, COLO201, and COLO205 was 2.5 × 10-8 M, 3.3 × 10-8 M, and 6.5 × 10-8 M, respectively. Furthermore, C44Mab-1 was able to detect the CD44v3-10 in western blotting and the endogenous CD44v9 in immunohistochemistry using colorectal cancer tissues. These results indicated that C44Mab-1 is useful for detecting CD44v9 not only in flow cytometry or western blotting but also in immunohistochemistry against colorectal cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayuki Tawara
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Suzuki
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Nohara Goto
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Tanaka
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Mika K Kaneko
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yukinari Kato
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
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14
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Bosenberg M, Liu ET, Yu CI, Palucka K. Mouse models for immuno-oncology. Trends Cancer 2023:S2405-8033(23)00041-9. [PMID: 37087398 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
Realizing the clinical promise of cancer immunotherapy is hindered by gaps in our knowledge of in vivo mechanisms underlying treatment response as well as treatment limiting toxicity. Preclinical in vivo model systems and technologies are required to address these knowledge gaps and to surmount the challenges faced in the clinical application of immunotherapy. Mice are commonly used for basic and translational research to support development and testing of immune interventions, including for cancer. Here, we discuss the advantages and the limitations of current models as well as future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Bosenberg
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Edison T Liu
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA; The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center, Bar Harbor, ME, USA.
| | - Chun I Yu
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA; The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - Karolina Palucka
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA; The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center, Bar Harbor, ME, USA.
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15
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Development of a Novel Anti-CD44 Variant 6 Monoclonal Antibody C 44Mab-9 for Multiple Applications against Colorectal Carcinomas. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24044007. [PMID: 36835416 PMCID: PMC9965047 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
CD44 is a cell surface glycoprotein, and its isoforms are produced by the alternative splicing with the standard and variant exons. The CD44 variant exon-containing isoforms (CD44v) are overexpressed in carcinomas. CD44v6 is one of the CD44v, and its overexpression predicts poor prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. CD44v6 plays critical roles in CRC adhesion, proliferation, stemness, invasiveness, and chemoresistance. Therefore, CD44v6 is a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy for CRC. In this study, we established anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by immunizing mice with CD44v3-10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells. We then characterized them using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. One of the established clones (C44Mab-9; IgG1, kappa) reacted with a peptide of the variant 6-encoded region, indicating that C44Mab-9 recognizes CD44v6. Furthermore, C44Mab-9 reacted with CHO/CD44v3-10 cells or CRC cell lines (COLO201 and COLO205) by flow cytometry. The apparent dissociation constant (KD) of C44Mab-9 for CHO/CD44v3-10, COLO201, and COLO205 was 8.1 × 10-9 M, 1.7 × 10-8 M, and 2.3 × 10-8 M, respectively. C44Mab-9 detected the CD44v3-10 in western blotting, and partially stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded CRC tissues in immunohistochemistry. Collectively, C44Mab-9 is useful for detecting CD44v6 in various applications.
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16
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Zhang K, Chen H, Li F, Huang S, Chen F, Li Y. Bright future or blind alley? CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1045024. [PMID: 36761757 PMCID: PMC9902507 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1045024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells therapy has emerged as a significant breakthrough in adoptive immunotherapy for hematological malignancies with FDA approval. However, the application of CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors remains challenging, mostly due to lack of suitable CAR-T target antigens, insufficient trafficking and extravasation to tumor sites, and limited CAR-T survival in the hostile tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, we reviewed the development of CARs and the clinical trials in solid tumors. Meanwhile, a "key-and-lock" relationship was used to describe the recognition of tumor antigen via CAR T cells. Some strategies, including dual-targets and receptor system switches or filter, have been explored to help CAR T cells matching targets specifically and to minimize on-target/off-tumor toxicities in normal tissues. Furthermore, the complex TME restricts CAT T cells activity through dense extracellular matrix, suppressive immune cells and cytokines. Recent innovations in engineered CARs to shield the inhibitory signaling molecules were also discussed, which efficiently promote CAR T functions in terms of expansion and survival to overcome the hurdles in the TME of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhang
- Department of Oncology, 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Kunming, Yunnan, China,Graduate School, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Oncology, 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Fuqiang Li
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Sheng Huang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Breast Cancer Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Fei Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Oncology, 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Kunming, Yunnan, China,Graduate School, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China,*Correspondence: Yi Li,
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17
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Circosta P, Donini C, Gallo S, Giraudo L, Gammaitoni L, Rotolo R, Galvagno F, Capellero S, Basiricò M, Casucci M, Aglietta M, Ferrero I, Fagioli F, Cignetti A, Carnevale-Schianca F, Leuci V, Sangiolo D. Full chimaeric CAR.CIK from patients engrafted after allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplant: Feasibility, anti-leukaemic potential and alloreactivity across major human leukocyte antigen barriers. Br J Haematol 2023; 200:64-69. [PMID: 36155897 PMCID: PMC10087171 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.18469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Cytokine-induced killer lymphocytes (CIK) are a promising alternative to conventional donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI), following allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), due to their intrinsic anti-tumour activity and reduced risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). We explored the feasibility, anti-leukaemic activity and alloreactive risk of CIK generated from full-donor chimaeric (fc) patients and genetically redirected by a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) (fcCAR.CIK) against the leukaemic target CD44v6. fcCAR.CIK were successfully ex-vivo expanded from leukaemic patients in complete remission after HCT confirming their intense preclinical anti-leukaemic activity without enhancing the alloreactivity across human leukocyte antigen (HLA) barriers. Our study provides translational bases to support clinical studies with fcCAR.CIK, a sort of biological bridge between the autologous and allogeneic sources, as alternative DLI following HCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Circosta
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Donini
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Lidia Giraudo
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Ramona Rotolo
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Federica Galvagno
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Sonia Capellero
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Basiricò
- Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Paediatric Onco-Haematology Division, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, City of Health and Science of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Monica Casucci
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit - Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Aglietta
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Ivana Ferrero
- Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Paediatric Onco-Haematology Division, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, City of Health and Science of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Franca Fagioli
- Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Paediatric Onco-Haematology Division, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, City of Health and Science of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Department of Public Health and Paediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cignetti
- Division of Hematology and Cell Therapy, A.O. Ordine Mauriziano, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Valeria Leuci
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Dario Sangiolo
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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18
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Qu C, Zhang H, Cao H, Tang L, Mo H, Liu F, Zhang L, Yi Z, Long L, Yan L, Wang Z, Zhang N, Luo P, Zhang J, Liu Z, Ye W, Liu Z, Cheng Q. Tumor buster - where will the CAR-T cell therapy 'missile' go? Mol Cancer 2022; 21:201. [PMID: 36261831 PMCID: PMC9580202 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01669-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell (CAR-T cell) therapy based on gene editing technology represents a significant breakthrough in personalized immunotherapy for human cancer. This strategy uses genetic modification to enable T cells to target tumor-specific antigens, attack specific cancer cells, and bypass tumor cell apoptosis avoidance mechanisms to some extent. This method has been extensively used to treat hematologic diseases, but the therapeutic effect in solid tumors is not ideal. Tumor antigen escape, treatment-related toxicity, and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) limit their use of it. Target selection is the most critical aspect in determining the prognosis of patients receiving this treatment. This review provides a comprehensive summary of all therapeutic targets used in the clinic or shown promising potential. We summarize CAR-T cell therapies’ clinical trials, applications, research frontiers, and limitations in treating different cancers. We also explore coping strategies when encountering sub-optimal tumor-associated antigens (TAA) or TAA loss. Moreover, the importance of CAR-T cell therapy in cancer immunotherapy is emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunrun Qu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hui Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province, The Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.,The School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lanhua Tang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Haoyang Mo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fangkun Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liyang Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhenjie Yi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lifu Long
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Luzhe Yan
- XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zeyu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,One-third Lab, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zaoqu Liu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Weijie Ye
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhixiong Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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19
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Chen L, Chen F, Niu H, Li J, Pu Y, Yang C, Wang Y, Huang R, Li K, Lei Y, Huang Y. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T Cell Immunotherapy Against Thoracic Malignancies: Challenges and Opportunities. Front Immunol 2022; 13:871661. [PMID: 35911706 PMCID: PMC9334018 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.871661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Different from surgery, chemical therapy, radio-therapy and target therapy, Chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cells, a novel adoptive immunotherapy strategy, have been used successfully against both hematological tumors and solid tumors. Although several problems have reduced engineered CAR-T cell therapeutic outcomes in clinical trials for the treatment of thoracic malignancies, including the lack of specific antigens, an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, a low level of CAR-T cell infiltration into tumor tissues, off-target toxicity, and other safety issues, CAR-T cell treatment is still full of bright future. In this review, we outline the basic structure and characteristics of CAR-T cells among different period, summarize the common tumor-associated antigens in clinical trials of CAR-T cell therapy for thoracic malignancies, and point out the current challenges and new strategies, aiming to provide new ideas and approaches for preclinical experiments and clinical trials of CAR-T cell therapy for thoracic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Chen
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Fukun Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Huatao Niu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Jindan Li
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Yongzhu Pu
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Conghui Yang
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Cancer Biotherapy Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Yunchao Huang, ; Yujie Lei, ; Ke Li,
| | - Yujie Lei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery I, Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Yunchao Huang, ; Yujie Lei, ; Ke Li,
| | - Yunchao Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery I, Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Yunchao Huang, ; Yujie Lei, ; Ke Li,
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20
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Kandra P, Nandigama R, Eul B, Huber M, Kobold S, Seeger W, Grimminger F, Savai R. Utility and Drawbacks of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR-T) Therapy in Lung Cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:903562. [PMID: 35720364 PMCID: PMC9201083 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.903562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The present treatments for lung cancer include surgical resection, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Despite advances in therapies, the prognosis of lung cancer has not been substantially improved in recent years. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell immunotherapy has attracted growing interest in the treatment of various malignancies. Despite CAR-T cell therapy emerging as a novel potential therapeutic option with promising results in refractory and relapsed leukemia, many challenges limit its therapeutic efficacy in solid tumors including lung cancer. In this landscape, studies have identified several obstacles to the effective use of CAR-T cell therapy including antigen heterogeneity, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and tumor penetration by CAR-T cells. Here, we review CAR-T cell design; present the results of CAR-T cell therapies in preclinical and clinical studies in lung cancer; describe existing challenges and toxicities; and discuss strategies to improve therapeutic efficacy of CAR-T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prameela Kandra
- Department of Biotechnology, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) Institute of Technology, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) Deemed to be University, Visakhapatnam, India
| | - Rajender Nandigama
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Member of the German Center for Lung Research Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL), Member of the Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Bastian Eul
- Department of Internal Medicine, Member of the Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL), Member of Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Magdalena Huber
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kobold
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, Member of the Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL), University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium Deutsches Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung (DKTK), Partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Werner Seeger
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Member of the German Center for Lung Research Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL), Member of the Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Bad Nauheim, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine, Member of the Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL), Member of Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.,Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Friedrich Grimminger
- Department of Internal Medicine, Member of the Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL), Member of Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.,Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Rajkumar Savai
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Member of the German Center for Lung Research Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL), Member of the Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Bad Nauheim, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine, Member of the Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL), Member of Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.,Institute for Lung Health (ILH), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
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21
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High Dual Expression of the Biomarkers CD44v6/α2β1 and CD44v6/PD-L1 Indicate Early Recurrence after Colorectal Hepatic Metastasectomy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14081939. [PMID: 35454846 PMCID: PMC9027562 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering the biology of CRC, distant metastases might support the identification of high-risk patients for early recurrence and targeted therapy. Expression of a panel of druggable, metastasis-related biomarkers was immunohistochemically analyzed in 53 liver (LM) and 15 lung metastases (LuM) and correlated with survival. Differential expression between LM and LuM was observed for the growth factor receptors IGF1R (LuM 92.3% vs. LM 75.8%, p = 0.013), EGFR (LuM 68% vs. LM 41.5%, p = 0.004), the cell adhesion molecules CD44v6 (LuM 55.7% vs. LM 34.9%, p = 0.019) and α2β1 (LuM 88.3% vs. LM 58.5%, p = 0.001) and the check point molecule PD-L1 (LuM 6.1% vs. LM 3.3%, p = 0.005). Contrary, expression of HGFR, Hsp90, Muc1, Her2/neu, ERα and PR was comparable in LuM and LM. In the LM cohort (n = 52), a high CD44v6 expression was identified as an independent factor of poor prognosis (PFS: HR 2.37, 95% CI 1.18-4.78, p = 0.016). High co-expression of CD44v6/α2β1 (HR 4.14, 95% CI 1.65-10.38, p = 0.002) and CD44v6/PD-L1 (HR 2.88, 95% CI 1.21-6.85, p = 0.017) indicated early recurrence after hepatectomy, in a substantial number of patients (CD44v6/α2β1: 11 (21.15%) patients; CD44v6/PD-L1: 12 (23.1%) patients). Dual expression of druggable protein biomarkers may refine prognostic prediction and stratify high-risk patients for new therapeutic concepts, depending on the metastatic location.
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22
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Corti C, Venetis K, Sajjadi E, Zattoni L, Curigliano G, Fusco N. CAR-T cell therapy for triple-negative breast cancer and other solid tumors: preclinical and clinical progress. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2022; 31:593-605. [PMID: 35311430 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2022.2054326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Most breast cancer-related deaths arise from triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Molecular heterogeneity, aggressiveness and the lack of effective therapies are major hurdles to therapeutic progress. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have emerged as a promising immunotherapeutic strategy in TNBC. This approach combines the antigen specificity of an antibody with the effector function of T cells. AREAS COVERED This review examines the opportunities provided by CAR-T cell therapies in solid tumors. Emerging targets, ongoing clinical trials, and prospective clinical implications in TNBC are considered later. An emphasis is placed on the key challenges and possible solutions for this therapeutic approach. EXPERT OPINION A challenge for CAR-T cell therapy is the selection of the optimal targets to minimize on-target/off-tumor toxicity. Tumor escape via antigen loss and intrinsic heterogeneity is a further hurdle. TROP2, GD2, ROR1, MUC1 and EpCAM are promising targets. Persistence and trafficking to tumor cells may be enhanced by the implementation of CARs with a chemokine receptor and/or constitutively activated interleukin receptors. Fourth-generation CARs (TRUCKs) may redirect T-cells for universal cytokine-mediated killing. Combinatorial approaches and the application of CARs to other immune cells could revert the suppressive immune environment that characterizes solid neoplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Corti
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Elham Sajjadi
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Zattoni
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Fusco
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Division of Pathology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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23
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Chen L, Chen F, Li J, Pu Y, Yang C, Wang Y, Lei Y, Huang Y. CAR-T cell therapy for lung cancer: Potential and perspective. Thorac Cancer 2022; 13:889-899. [PMID: 35289077 PMCID: PMC8977151 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.14375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the highest incidence and mortality of all cancers around the world. In the present immunotherapy era, an increasing number of immunotherapeutic agents including monoclonal antibody‐targeted drugs have been used in the clinical treatment of malignancy, but it still has many limitations. Chimeric antigen receptor‐modified T (CAR‐T) cells, a novel adoptive immunotherapy strategy, have not only been used successfully against hematological tumors, but have also opened up new avenues for immunotherapy of solid tumors, including lung cancer. However, targeting lung cancer‐specific antigens using engineered CAR‐T cells is complicated by the lack of proper tumor‐specific antigens, an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, a low level of CAR‐T cell infiltration into tumor tissues, along with off‐target effect, etc. Simultaneously, the clinical application of CAR‐T cells remains limited because of many challenges such as tumor lysis syndrome, neurotoxicity syndrome, and cytokine release syndrome. In this review, we outline the basic structure and generation characteristic of CAR‐T cells and summarize the common tumor‐associated antigens in clinical trials of CAR‐T cell therapy for lung cancer, and point out the current challenges and new strategies, aiming to provide new ideas and approaches for the pre‐clinical experiments and clinical trials of CAR‐T cell therapy in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Chen
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Fukun Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Jindan Li
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Yongzhu Pu
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Conghui Yang
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Yujie Lei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery I, Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Yunchao Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery I, Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
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24
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Xu C, Ju D, Zhang X. Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy: challenges and opportunities in lung cancer. Antib Ther 2022; 5:73-83. [PMID: 35372786 PMCID: PMC8972219 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbac006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized the paradigm in hematological malignancies treatment, driving an ever-expanding number of basic research and clinical trials of genetically engineering T cells to treat solid tumors. CAR T-cell therapies based on the antibodies targeting Mesothelin, CEA, EGFR, EGFR, MUC1, DLL3, and emerging novel targets provide promising efficacy for lung cancer patients. However, clinical application of CAR T-cell therapy against lung cancer remains limited on account of physical and immune barriers, antigen escape and heterogeneity, on-target off-tumor toxicity, and many other reasons. Understanding the evolution of CAR structure and the generalizable requirements for manufacturing CAR T cells as well as the interplay between lung tumor immunology and CAR T cells will improve clinical translation of this therapeutic modality in lung cancer. In this review, we systematically summarize the latest advances in CAR T-cell therapy in lung cancer, focusing on the CAR structure, target antigens, challenges, and corresponding new strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caili Xu
- Department of Biological Medicines & Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Dianwen Ju
- Department of Biological Medicines & Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xuyao Zhang
- Department of Biological Medicines & Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
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25
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Greco B, Malacarne V, De Girardi F, Scotti GM, Manfredi F, Angelino E, Sirini C, Camisa B, Falcone L, Moresco MA, Paolella K, Di Bono M, Norata R, Sanvito F, Arcangeli S, Doglioni C, Ciceri F, Bonini C, Graziani A, Bondanza A, Casucci M. Disrupting N-glycan expression on tumor cells boosts chimeric antigen receptor T cell efficacy against solid malignancies. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabg3072. [PMID: 35044789 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg3072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells showed exceptional successes in patients with refractory B cell malignancies. However, first-in-human studies in solid tumors revealed unique hurdles contributing to poor demonstration of efficacy. Understanding the determinants of tumor recognition by CAR T cells should translate into the design of strategies that can overcome resistance. Here, we show that multiple carcinomas express extracellular N-glycans, whose abundance negatively correlates with CAR T cell killing. By knocking out mannoside acetyl-glucosaminyltransferase 5 (MGAT5) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC), we showed that N-glycans protect tumors from CAR T cell killing by interfering with proper immunological synapse formation and reducing transcriptional activation, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity. To overcome this barrier, we exploited the high metabolic demand of tumors to safely inhibit N-glycans synthesis with the glucose/mannose analog 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2DG). Treatment with 2DG disrupts the N-glycan cover on tumor cells and results in enhanced CAR T cell activity in different xenograft mouse models of PAC. Moreover, 2DG treatment interferes with the PD-1-PD-L1 axis and results in a reduced exhaustion profile of tumor-infiltrating CAR T cells in vivo. The combined 2DG and CAR T cell therapy was successful against multiple carcinomas besides PAC, including those arising from the lung, ovary, and bladder, and with different clinically relevant CAR specificities, such as CD44v6 and CEA. Overall, our results indicate that tumor N-glycosylation regulates the quality and magnitude of CAR T cell responses, paving the way for the rational design of improved therapies against solid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Greco
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Malacarne
- Lipid Signaling in Cancer and Metabolism Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy
| | - Federica De Girardi
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Maria Scotti
- Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Manfredi
- Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Elia Angelino
- Lipid Signaling in Cancer and Metabolism Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy
| | - Camilla Sirini
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Camisa
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Falcone
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Angiola Moresco
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Katia Paolella
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Mattia Di Bono
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Rossana Norata
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Sanvito
- Pathology Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Arcangeli
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Doglioni
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Pathology Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Ciceri
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Bonini
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Graziani
- Lipid Signaling in Cancer and Metabolism Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy
| | - Attilio Bondanza
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Casucci
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
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26
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Naz F, Shi M, Sajid S, Yang Z, Yu C. Cancer stem cells: a major culprit of intra-tumor heterogeneity. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:5782-5811. [PMID: 35018226 PMCID: PMC8727794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is recognized as a preeminent factor of the world's mortality. Although various modalities have been designed to cure this life-threatening ailment, a significant impediment in the effective output of cancer treatment is heterogeneity. Cancer is characterized as a heterogeneous health disorder that comprises a distinct group of transformed cells to assist anomalous proliferation of affected cells. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a leading cause of cancer heterogeneity that is continually transformed by cellular extrinsic and intrinsic factors. They intensify neoplastic cells aggressiveness by strengthening their dissemination, relapse and therapy resistance. Considering this viewpoint, in this review article we have discussed some intrinsic (transcription factors, cell signaling pathways, genetic alterations, epigenetic modifications, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and epitranscriptomics) and extrinsic factors (tumor microenvironment (TME)) that contribute to CSC heterogeneity and plasticity, which may help scientists to meddle these processes and eventually improve cancer research and management. Besides, the potential role of CSCs heterogeneity in establishing metastasis and therapy resistance has been articulated which signifies the importance of developing novel anticancer therapies to target CSCs along with targeting bulk tumor mass to achieve an effective output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiza Naz
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijing 100029, China
| | - Mengran Shi
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijing 100029, China
| | - Salvia Sajid
- Department of Biotechnology, Jinnah University for WomenKarachi 74600, Pakistan
| | - Zhao Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijing 100029, China
- College of Life Science, Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resources in Tarim Basin of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Tarim UniversityAlar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Changyuan Yu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijing 100029, China
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27
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Hassn Mesrati M, Syafruddin SE, Mohtar MA, Syahir A. CD44: A Multifunctional Mediator of Cancer Progression. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1850. [PMID: 34944493 PMCID: PMC8699317 DOI: 10.3390/biom11121850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
CD44, a non-kinase cell surface transmembrane glycoprotein, has been widely implicated as a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker in several cancers. Cells overexpressing CD44 possess several CSC traits, such as self-renewal and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) capability, as well as a resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. The CD44 gene regularly undergoes alternative splicing, resulting in the standard (CD44s) and variant (CD44v) isoforms. The interaction of such isoforms with ligands, particularly hyaluronic acid (HA), osteopontin (OPN) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), drive numerous cancer-associated signalling. However, there are contradictory results regarding whether high or low CD44 expression is associated with worsening clinicopathological features, such as a higher tumour histological grade, advanced tumour stage and poorer survival rates. Nonetheless, high CD44 expression significantly contributes to enhanced tumourigenic mechanisms, such as cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, migration and stemness; hence, CD44 is an important clinical target. This review summarises current research regarding the different CD44 isoform structures and their roles and functions in supporting tumourigenesis and discusses CD44 expression regulation, CD44-signalling pathways and interactions involved in cancer development. The clinical significance and prognostic value of CD44 and the potential of CD44 as a therapeutic target in cancer are also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malak Hassn Mesrati
- Nanobiotechnology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia;
| | - Saiful Effendi Syafruddin
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.E.S.); (M.A.M.)
| | - M. Aiman Mohtar
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.E.S.); (M.A.M.)
| | - Amir Syahir
- Nanobiotechnology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia;
- UPM-MAKNA Cancer Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia
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Zhu YG, Xiao BF, Zhang JT, Cui XR, Lu ZM, Wu N. Genetically Modified T Cells for Esophageal Cancer Therapy: A Promising Clinical Application. Front Oncol 2021; 11:763806. [PMID: 34858843 PMCID: PMC8630679 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.763806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer is an exceedingly aggressive and malignant cancer that imposes a substantial burden on patients and their families. It is usually treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and molecular-targeted therapy. Immunotherapy is a novel treatment modality for esophageal cancer wherein genetically engineered adoptive cell therapy is utilized, which modifies immune cells to attack cancer cells. Using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or T cell receptor (TCR) modified T cells yielded demonstrably encouraging efficacy in patients. CAR-T cell therapy has shown robust clinical results for malignant hematological diseases, particularly in B cell-derived malignancies. Natural killer (NK) cells could serve as another reliable and safe CAR engineering platform, and CAR-NK cell therapy could be a more generalized approach for cancer immunotherapy because NK cells are histocompatibility-independent. TCR-T cells can detect a broad range of targeted antigens within subcellular compartments and hold great potential for use in cancer therapy. Numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of CAR and TCR based adoptive cell therapies (ACT). A comprehensive understanding of genetically-modified T cell technologies can facilitate the clinical translation of these adoptive cell-based immunotherapies. Here, we systematically review the state-of-the-art knowledge on genetically-modified T-cell therapy and provide a summary of preclinical and clinical trials of CAR and TCR-transgenic ACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ge Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Bu-Fan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Tao Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xin-Run Cui
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe-Ming Lu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
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Xiao BF, Zhang JT, Zhu YG, Cui XR, Lu ZM, Yu BT, Wu N. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy in Lung Cancer: Potential and Challenges. Front Immunol 2021; 12:782775. [PMID: 34790207 PMCID: PMC8591168 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.782775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has exhibited a substantial clinical response in hematological malignancies, including B-cell leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Therefore, the feasibility of using CAR-T cells to treat solid tumors is actively evaluated. Currently, multiple basic research projects and clinical trials are being conducted to treat lung cancer with CAR-T cell therapy. Although numerous advances in CAR-T cell therapy have been made in hematological tumors, the technology still entails considerable challenges in treating lung cancer, such as on−target, of−tumor toxicity, paucity of tumor-specific antigen targets, T cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment, and low infiltration level of immune cells into solid tumor niches, which are even more complicated than their application in hematological tumors. Thus, progress in the scientific understanding of tumor immunology and improvements in the manufacture of cell products are advancing the clinical translation of these important cellular immunotherapies. This review focused on the latest research progress of CAR-T cell therapy in lung cancer treatment and for the first time, demonstrated the underlying challenges and future engineering strategies for the clinical application of CAR-T cell therapy against lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bu-Fan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Tao Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yu-Ge Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Run Cui
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe-Ming Lu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Ben-Tong Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Nan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
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Cancer bio-immunotherapy XVII annual NIBIT (Italian Network for Tumor Biotherapy) meeting, October 11-13 2019, Verona, Italy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 71:1777-1786. [PMID: 34755203 PMCID: PMC8577637 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-03104-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Kharfan-Dabaja MA, Yassine F, Gadd ME, Qin H. Driving Out Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia With CAR T Cells. Transplant Cell Ther 2021; 28:5-17. [PMID: 34656807 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtct.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most prevalent leukemia in the Western hemisphere. The recent availability of novel targeted therapies, namely Bruton's tyrosine kinase, phosphoinositide-3 kinase, and BCL-2 inhibitors, have revolutionized the treatment algorithm for CLL but have not yet resulted in cure. Advances in the field of immuno-oncology and T cell engineering brought chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy from the laboratory to the clinic for treatment of B cell lymphoid malignancies and has improved the disease response and survival outcomes of various types of relapsed and/or refractory B cell lymphomas. While acknowledging that there are no approved CAR T cell therapies for CLL at this time, in this comprehensive review we explore novel targets for CAR T cell therapy in CLL and highlight the promising results of CAR T cell trials reported to date. Furthermore, we shed light on future areas of development, including multitarget CAR T cell products for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Kharfan-Dabaja
- Division of Hematology-Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.
| | - Farah Yassine
- Division of Hematology-Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
| | - Martha E Gadd
- Division of Hematology-Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
| | - Hong Qin
- Division of Hematology-Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
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Watanabe K, Nishikawa H. Engineering strategies for broad application of TCR-T and CAR-T cell therapies. Int Immunol 2021; 33:551-562. [PMID: 34374779 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy, including the transfer of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes after in vitro expansion or T cells redirected to tumor antigens using antigen-specific transgenic T cell receptor T cells (TCR-T cells) or chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells), has shown a significant clinical impact. Particularly, several types of CAR-T cell therapies have been approved for the treatment of hematological malignancies. The striking success of CAR-T cell therapies in hematological malignancies motivates their further expansion to a wide range of solid tumors, yet multiple obstacles, including the lack of proper target antigens exhibiting a tumor-specific expression pattern and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) impairing the effector functions of adoptively transferred T cells, have prevented clinical application. Gene engineering technologies such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system have enabled flexible reprograming of TCR/CAR-T cell signaling or loading genes that are targets of the tumor immunosuppression as a payload to overcome the difficulties. Here, we discuss recent advances in TCR/CAR-T cell engineering: various promising approaches to enhance the antitumor activity of adoptively transferred T cells in the TME for maximizing the efficacy and the safety of adoptive cell therapy are now being tested in the clinic, especially targeting solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Watanabe
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.,Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
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Xia M, Duan LJ, Lu BN, Pang YZ, Pang ZR. LncRNA AFAP1-AS1/miR-27b-3p/VEGF-C axis modulates stemness characteristics in cervical cancer cells. Chin Med J (Engl) 2021; 134:2091-2101. [PMID: 34334630 PMCID: PMC8440026 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000001665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) actin filament-associated protein 1 antisense RNA 1 (AFAP1-AS1) functions as a competing endogenous RNA to regulate target genes expression by sponging microRNAs (miRs) to play cancer-promoting roles in cancer stem cells. However, the regulatory mechanism of AFAP1-AS1 in cervical cancer (CC) stem cells is unknown. The present study aimed to provide a new therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of CC. Methods: Hyaluronic acid receptor cluster of differentiation 44 variant exon 6 (CD44v6)(+) CC cells were isolated by flow cytometry (FCM). Small interfering RNAs of AFAP1-AS1 (siAFAP1-AS1) were transfected into the (CD44v6)(+) cells. The levels of AFAP1-AS1 were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Sphere formation assay, cell cycle analysis, and Western blotting were used to detect the effect of siAFAP1-AS1. RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter assay were used to verify the relationship between miR-27b-3p and AFAP1-AS1 or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C. Results: CD44v6(+) CC cells had remarkable stemness and a high level of AFAP1-AS1. However, AFAP1-AS1 knockdown with siAFAP1-AS1 suppressed the cell cycle transition of G(1)/S phase and inhibited self-renewal of CD44v6(+) CC cells, the levels of the stemness markers octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4), osteopontin (OPN), and cluster of differentiation 133 (CD133), and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins Twist1, matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-9, and VEGF-C. In the mechanism study, miR-27b-3p/VEGF-C signaling was demonstrated to be a key downstream of AFAP1-AS1 in the CD44v6(+) CC cells. Conclusions: LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 knockdown inhibits the CC cell stemness by upregulating miR-27b-3p to suppress VEGF-C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Xia
- School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China Department of Orthopedics, Bayannaoer City Hospital, Bayannaoer, Inner Mongolia 015000, China Guangxi Zhuang Yao Medicine Center of Engineering and Technology, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi 530200, China Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
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Martens MC, Emmert S, Boeckmann L. Xeroderma Pigmentosum: Gene Variants and Splice Variants. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1173. [PMID: 34440347 PMCID: PMC8391564 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleotide excision repair (NER) is essential for the repair of ultraviolet (UV)-induced DNA damage, such as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and 6,4-pyrimidine-pyrimidone dimers (6,4-PPs). Alterations in genes of the NER can lead to DNA damage repair disorders such as Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). XP is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder associated with UV-sensitivity and early onset of skin cancer. Recently, extensive research has been conducted on the functional relevance of splice variants and their relation to cancer. Here, we focus on the functional relevance of alternative splice variants of XP genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lars Boeckmann
- Clinic and Policlinic for Dermatology and Venerology, University Medical Center Rostock, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (M.C.M.); (S.E.)
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Stornaiuolo A, Valentinis B, Sirini C, Scavullo C, Asperti C, Zhou D, Martinez De La Torre Y, Corna S, Casucci M, Porcellini S, Traversari C. Characterization and Functional Analysis of CD44v6.CAR T Cells Endowed with a New Low-Affinity Nerve Growth Factor Receptor-Based Spacer. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 32:744-760. [PMID: 33554732 PMCID: PMC8312023 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2020.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Effectiveness of adoptively transferred chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells strongly depends on the quality of CAR-mediated interaction of the effector cells with the target antigen on tumor cells. A major role in this interaction is played by the affinity of the single-chain variable fragment (scFv) for the antigen, and by the CAR design. In particular, the spacer domain may impact on the CAR T cell function by affecting the length and flexibility of the resulting CAR. This study addresses the need to improve the manufacturing process and the antitumor activity of CD44v6-specific CAR T cells by defining the optimal structure of a spacer region derived from the extracellular domain of the human low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (LNGFR). We tailored the LNGFR spacer to modulate CAR length to efficiently recognize distal or proximal epitopes and to allow selection of transduced CAR T cells by the use of clinical-grade validated manufacturing systems. The different LNGFR spacers investigated in this study are responsible for the generation of CAR T cells with a different memory phenotype, which is mainly related to the level of CAR expression and the extent of the associated tonic signaling. In particular, the CD44v6-NWN2.CAR T cells are enriched in central memory cells and show improved in vitro functions in terms of killing capability, and in vivo antitumor activity against hematological and solid tumors. Clinical Trial Registration numbers: clinicaltrial.gov NCT04097301; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00423124.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Stornaiuolo
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Valentinis
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Camilla Sirini
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy.,Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCSS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; and.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Cinzia Scavullo
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Asperti
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Dan Zhou
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Corna
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Casucci
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCSS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; and
| | - Simona Porcellini
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Catia Traversari
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
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Lee JB, Vasic D, Kang H, Fang KKL, Zhang L. State-of-Art of Cellular Therapy for Acute Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094590. [PMID: 33925571 PMCID: PMC8123829 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With recent clinical breakthroughs, immunotherapy has become the fourth pillar of cancer treatment. Particularly, immune cell-based therapies have been envisioned as a promising treatment option with curative potential for leukemia patients. Hence, an increasing number of preclinical and clinical studies focus on various approaches of immune cell-based therapy for treatment of acute leukemia (AL). However, the use of different immune cell lineages and subsets against different types of leukemia and patient disease statuses challenge the interpretation of the clinical applicability and outcome of immune cell-based therapies. This review aims to provide an overview on recent approaches using various immune cell-based therapies against acute B-, T-, and myeloid leukemias. Further, the apparent limitations observed and potential approaches to overcome these limitations are discussed.
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MESH Headings
- Acute Disease
- Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy
- Humans
- Immunotherapy
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/trends
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy
- Leukemia, T-Cell/metabolism
- Leukemia, T-Cell/therapy
- Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/metabolism
- Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/therapy
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Bok Lee
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; (J.-B.L.); (D.V.); (H.K.); (K.K.-L.F.)
| | - Daniel Vasic
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; (J.-B.L.); (D.V.); (H.K.); (K.K.-L.F.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Hyeonjeong Kang
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; (J.-B.L.); (D.V.); (H.K.); (K.K.-L.F.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Karen Kai-Lin Fang
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; (J.-B.L.); (D.V.); (H.K.); (K.K.-L.F.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Li Zhang
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; (J.-B.L.); (D.V.); (H.K.); (K.K.-L.F.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Fan C, Qu H, Wang X, Sobhani N, Wang L, Liu S, Xiong W, Zeng Z, Li Y. Cancer/testis antigens: from serology to mRNA cancer vaccine. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 76:218-231. [PMID: 33910064 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are a group of tumor antigens expressed in numerous cancer tissues, as well as in the testis and placental tissues. There are over 200 CTAs supported by serology and expression data. The expression patterns of CTAs reflect the similarities between the processes of gametogenesis and tumorigenesis. It is notable that CTAs are highly expressed in three types of cancers (lung cancer, bladder cancer, and skin cancer), all of which have a metal etiology. Here, we review the expression, regulation, and function of CTAs and their translational prospects as cancer biomarkers and treatment targets. Many CTAs are highly immunogenic, tissue-specific, and frequently expressed in cancer tissues but not under physiological conditions, rendering them promising candidates for cancer detection. Some CTAs are associated with clinical outcomes, so they may serve as prognostic biomarkers. A small number of CTAs are membrane-bound, making them ideal targets for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Mounting evidence suggests that CTAs induce humoral or cellular immune responses, providing cancer immunotherapeutic opportunities for T-cell receptors (TCRs), CAR T cell, antibody-based therapy and peptide- or mRNA-based vaccines. Indeed, CTAs are the dominating non-mutated targets in mRNA cancer vaccine development. Clinical trials on CTA TCR and vaccines have shown effectiveness, safety, and tolerance, but these successes are limited to a small number of patients. In-depth studies on CTA expression and function are needed to improve CTA-based immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Fan
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Section of Epidemiology and Population Science, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Hongke Qu
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Section of Epidemiology and Population Science, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Navid Sobhani
- Section of Epidemiology and Population Science, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Leiming Wang
- Section of Epidemiology and Population Science, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Shuanglin Liu
- Section of Epidemiology and Population Science, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Wei Xiong
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Yong Li
- Section of Epidemiology and Population Science, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, United States.
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CD44v6-targeted CAR T-cells specifically eliminate CD44 isoform 6 expressing head/neck squamous cell carcinoma cells. Oral Oncol 2021; 116:105259. [PMID: 33895463 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2021.105259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade can cause regression of recurrent and/or refractory head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). As a second type of immunotherapy, adoptive cellular therapy with genetically modified patient's T-cells redirected against the autologous malignant cells by expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) recognizing tumor-associated antigens has been established as highly efficient personalized treatment for hematological malignancies. In solid cancers however, the application of these genetically modified immune effector cells still lacks equal response rates. CD44v6 is an isoform of the hyaluronic receptor CD44 that is almost exclusively expressed at high levels on solid cancers and has been associated with tumorigenesis, tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Here, we established a highly specific CAR against CD44v6 on HNSCC cells that can be expressed on normal T-cells with lentiviral vectors. Using primary human HNSCC cells in combination with CRISPR/Cas9 and overexpression approaches allowed us to confirm the high specificity of our CAR construct for the tumor-associated CD44v6 as target antigen and to demonstrate a direct correlation between CD44v6 expression levels and cytotoxicity of the CAR T-cells. Importantly, the design of our clinically applicable lentiviral vector facilitates to co-express a second transgene for in vivo control of CAR T-cells, if undesired side-effects or toxicities occur.
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Grover NS, Tschernia N, Dotti G, Savoldo B. Extending the Promise of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy Beyond Targeting CD19 + Tumors. J Clin Oncol 2021; 39:499-513. [PMID: 33434072 DOI: 10.1200/jco.20.01738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie S Grover
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.,Department of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Nicholas Tschernia
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.,Department of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Gianpietro Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.,Departments of Immunology and Microbiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Barbara Savoldo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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Gene Augmentation and Editing to Improve TCR Engineered T Cell Therapy against Solid Tumors. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8040733. [PMID: 33287413 PMCID: PMC7761868 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in gene engineering technologies have drastically improved the therapeutic treatment options for cancer patients. The use of effective chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells and recombinant T cell receptor engineered T (rTCR-T) cells has entered the clinic for treatment of hematological malignancies with promising results. However, further fine-tuning, to improve functionality and safety, is necessary to apply these strategies for the treatment of solid tumors. The immunosuppressive microenvironment, the surrounding stroma, and the tumor heterogeneity often results in poor T cell reactivity, functionality, and a diminished infiltration rates, hampering the efficacy of the treatment. The focus of this review is on recent advances in rTCR-T cell therapy, to improve both functionality and safety, for potential treatment of solid tumors and provides an overview of ongoing clinical trials. Besides selection of the appropriate tumor associated antigen, efficient delivery of an optimized recombinant TCR transgene into the T cells, in combination with gene editing techniques eliminating the endogenous TCR expression and disrupting specific inhibitory pathways could improve adoptively transferred T cells. Armoring the rTCR-T cells with specific cytokines and/or chemokines and their receptors, or targeting the tumor stroma, can increase the infiltration rate of the immune cells within the solid tumors. On the other hand, clinical “off-tumor/on-target” toxicities are still a major potential risk and can lead to severe adverse events. Incorporation of safety switches in rTCR-T cells can guarantee additional safety. Recent clinical trials provide encouraging data and emphasize the relevance of gene therapy and gene editing tools for potential treatment of solid tumors.
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Ponterio E, De Maria R, Haas TL. Identification of Targets to Redirect CAR T Cells in Glioblastoma and Colorectal Cancer: An Arduous Venture. Front Immunol 2020; 11:565631. [PMID: 33101285 PMCID: PMC7555836 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.565631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is an artificial molecule engineered to induce cytolytic T cell reactions in tumors. Generally, this molecule combines an extracellular single-chain variable fragment (scFv) able to recognize tumor-associated epitopes together with the intracellular signaling domains that are required for T cell activation. When expressed by T cells, the CAR enables the recognition and subsequent destruction of cancer cells expressing the complementary antigen on their surface. Although the clinical application for CAR T cells is currently limited to some hematological malignancies, researchers are trying to develop CAR T cell-based therapies for the treatment of solid tumors. However, while in the case of CD19, or other targets restricted to the hematopoietic compartment, the toxicity is limited and manageable, the scarcity of specific antigens expressed by solid tumors and not by healthy cells from vital organs makes the clinical development of CAR T cells in this context particularly challenging. Here we summarize relevant research and clinical trials conducted to redirect CAR T cells to surface antigens in solid tumors and cancer stem cells with a focus on colorectal cancer and glioblastoma. Finally, we will discuss current knowledge of altered glycosylation of CSCs and cancer cells and how these novel epitopes may help to target CAR T cell-based immunotherapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Ponterio
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" -Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy.,Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ruggero De Maria
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" -Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy.,Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Tobias Longin Haas
- Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Rome, Rome, Italy.,IIGM-Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy.,Candiolo Cancer Institute, Fondazione del Piemonte per l'Oncologia-Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Candiolo, Italy
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