Targeting the CD27-CD70 Pathway to Improve Outcomes in Both Checkpoint Immunotherapy and Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

CD70 recruitment to the immunological synapse is dependent on CD20 in B cells

CD20 is a four-transmembrane protein expressed at the surface of B cells from late pro-B cells to memory B cells, with the exception of plasma cells. Its expression pattern makes it an attractive therapeutic target for different B cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases. Despite the clinical success of CD20-targeting antibodies, the biology of the CD20 protein is still not well understood. We investigated CD20 binding partners in the membrane of human B cells using immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry analysis. We identified a molecular interaction between CD70 and CD20, and confirmed this using proximity ligation assays. CD20-CD70 spatiotemporal colocalization was validated at the plasma membrane of B cells using high-resolution microscopy. Cell surface expression of CD70 was found to be enhanced upon CD20 overexpression, suggesting a role for CD20 in stabilizing CD70 at the B cell membrane. Moreover, we observed impaired B-T cell synapse formation and defective recruitment of CD70 to the immunological synapse in the absence of CD20. Impaired synapse formation was confirmed by deleting CD20 in primary B cells, and analysis of B cells from a CD20-deficient patient. Finally, CD20-deletion resulted in diminished T cell activation and cytokine secretion. Together, this study demonstrates that CD20 interacts with CD70 at the B cell membrane, and that CD20 is required for immune synapse formation between B and T cells and consequent T cell activation.

Distinctive CD8+ T cell activation by antigen-presenting plasmacytoid dendritic cells compared to conventional dendritic cells

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play a pivotal role in immune responses, particularly against viral infections. pDCs exhibit diverse functions, including interferon production, cytokine secretion, and antigen presentation. Here, we investigate the antigen cross-presentation capacity of pDCs and their role in CD8+ T cell activation. Utilizing a culturing system with CD8+ T cells and autologous pDCs derived from circulating CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, we demonstrate that pDCs efficiently activate CD8+ T cells via cross-presentation, promoting T cell expansion and cytotoxic activity. The antigen presentation capacity of pDCs is comparable to that of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) and myeloid dendritic cells, which are known for their efficient antigen-presentation capacity. Transcriptomic analysis reveals genetic signatures in CD8+ T cells activated by pDCs distinct from moDCs, suggesting different activation mechanisms. These findings underscore the importance of pDCs in antigen presentation and their contribution to CD8+ T cell activation.

A novel ubiquitin-related genes-based signature demonstrated values in prognostic prediction, immune landscape sculpture and therapeutic options in laryngeal cancer

Background

Laryngeal cancer (LC) is characterized by high mortality and remains challenging in prognostic evaluation and treatment benefits. Ubiquitin-related genes (UbRGs) are widely involved in cancer initiation and progression, but their potential value in LC is unknown.

Methods

RNA-seq and clinical data of LC were obtained from TCGA and GEO. UbRGs that independently influenced the overall survival (OS) of LC patients were screened with differential expression, COX and LASSO regression analyses. A prognostic signature was then established and assessed for its predictive value, stability and applicability using Kaplan-Meier analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves. The nomogram was further generated in combination with the signature and clinical characteristics. Characterization of immune properties and prediction of drug sensitivity were investigated on the signature-based subgroups using a panel of in silico platforms. Verification of gene expression was conducted with Western blot, qRT-PCR and ELISA, ultimately.

Results

PPARG, LCK and LHX1 were identified and employed to construct the UbRGs-based prognostic signature, showing a strong ability to discriminate LC patients with distinct OS in TCGA-LC and GSE65858, and excellent applicability in most clinical conditions. The nomogram showed higher predictive value and net clinical benefit than traditional indicators. As evaluated, the low-risk group had a more activated immune function, higher infiltration of anti-cancer immune cells and stronger expression of immune-promoting cytokines than the high-risk group. Immune properties were also correlated with individual signature genes. PPARG and LHX1 were negatively correlated, whereas LCK positively correlated, with the immuno-promoting microenvironment. Additionally, chemotherapy would be more effective in high-risk patients, while immune checkpoint inhibitors would be more effective in low-risk patients. Finally, dysregulation of the signature genes was confirmed in LC cell lines by Western blot, and PPARG knockdown significantly reduced the expression of the immunosuppressive cytokines IL6, TGFB1, TGFB2 and VEGFC by qRT-PCR and ELISA.

Conclusion

We have developed a UbRGs-based signature for LC prognostic evaluation that is valuable in clinical application, indicative of the immune microenvironment and beneficial for individualized treatment guidance.

Tumor necrosis factor superfamily signaling: life and death in cancer

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shaped the landscape of cancer treatment. However, many patients either do not respond or suffer from later progression. Numerous proteins can control immune system activity, including multiple tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily (TNFSF) and TNF receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) members; these proteins play a complex role in regulating cell survival and death, cellular differentiation, and immune system activity. Notably, TNFSF/TNFRSF molecules may display either pro-tumoral or anti-tumoral activity, or even both, depending on tumor type. Therefore, TNF is a prototype of an enigmatic two-faced mediator in oncogenesis. To date, multiple anti-TNF agents have been approved and/or included in guidelines for treating autoimmune disorders and immune-related toxicities after immune checkpoint blockade for cancer. A confirmed role for the TNFSF/TNFRSF members in treating cancer has proven more elusive. In this review, we highlight the cancer-relevant TNFSF/TNFRSF family members, focusing on the death domain-containing and co-stimulation members and their signaling pathways, as well as their complicated role in the life and death of cancer cells.

CD27 signaling inhibits tumor growth and metastasis via CD8 + T cell-independent mechanisms in the B16-F10 melanoma model

CD27 belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily and acts as a co-stimulatory molecule, modulating T and B cell responses. CD27 stimulation enhances T cell survival and effector functions, thus providing opportunities to develop therapeutic strategies. The current study aims to investigate the role of endogenous CD27 signaling in tumor growth and metastasis. CD8 + T cell-specific CD27 knockout (CD8Cre-CD27fl) mice were developed, while global CD27 knockout (KO) mice were also used in our studies. Flow cytometry analyses confirmed that CD27 was deleted specifically from CD8 + T cells without affecting CD4 + T cells, B cells, and HSPCs in the CD8Cre-CD27fl mice, while CD27 was deleted from all cell types in global CD27 KO mice. Tumor growth and metastasis studies were performed by injecting B16-F10 melanoma cells subcutaneously (right flank) or intravenously into the mice. We have found that global CD27 KO mice succumbed to significantly accelerated tumor growth compared to WT controls. In addition, global CD27 KO mice showed a significantly higher burden of metastatic tumor nests in the lungs compared to WT controls. However, there was no significant difference in tumor growth curves, survival, metastatic tumor nest counts between the CD8Cre-CD27fl mice and WT controls. These results suggest that endogenous CD27 signaling inhibits tumor growth and metastasis via CD8 + T cell-independent mechanisms in this commonly used melanoma model, presumably through stimulating antitumor activities of other types of immune cells.

Predicting CD27 expression and clinical prognosis in serous ovarian cancer using CT-based radiomics

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to develop and evaluate radiomics models to predict CD27 expression and clinical prognosis before surgery in patients with serous ovarian cancer (SOC).

METHODS

We used transcriptome sequencing data and contrast-enhanced computed tomography images of patients with SOC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (n = 339) and The Cancer Imaging Archive (n = 57) and evaluated the clinical significance and prognostic value of CD27 expression. Radiomics features were selected to create a recursive feature elimination-logistic regression (RFE-LR) model and a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression (LASSO-LR) model for CD27 expression prediction.

RESULTS

CD27 expression was upregulated in tumor samples, and a high expression level was determined to be an independent protective factor for survival. A set of three and six radiomics features were extracted to develop RFE-LR and LASSO-LR radiomics models, respectively. Both models demonstrated good calibration and clinical benefits, as determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis. The LASSO-LR model performed better than the RFE-LR model, owing to the area under the curve (AUC) values of the ROC curves (0.829 vs. 0.736). Furthermore, the AUC value of the radiomics score that predicted the overall survival of patients with SOC diagnosed after 60 months was 0.788 using the LASSO-LR model.

CONCLUSION

The radiomics models we developed are promising noninvasive tools for predicting CD27 expression status and SOC prognosis. The LASSO-LR model is highly recommended for evaluating the preoperative risk stratification for SOCs in clinical applications.

Extracorporeal photopheresis as a promising strategy for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease after CAR T-cell therapy

ABSTRACT

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurs in about 10% to 33% of patients receiving "allogeneic" or "autologous" chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells after preceding allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) due to the substantial presence of alloreactive T cells. Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) shows promising clinical outcomes in the treatment of GVHD after allo-HSCT without hampering antitumor and antiviral effects. This raises an interesting question: whether ECP might constitute a new way to treat patients with GVHD after CAR T-cell therapy without compromising CAR-T cells significantly. Third-generation CD19-specific CAR-T cells were generated and an in vitro ECP protocol was established. The impact of ECP on CAR-T cells was comprehensively investigated in 2 models: the nondilution model reflects days after CAR T-cell infusion and the dilution model weeks after infusion. The therapeutic effect of ECP on GVHD was examined in an in vitro mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) assay. We found, ECP-treated CAR-T cells demonstrated reduced potency in inducing alloreaction compared with that of the group without ECP treatment in MLR assay. ECP could selectively induce apoptosis, thereby enriching the naive and central memory CAR-T cells with a reduced alloreactivity. The cytokine milieu of CAR-T cells could be switched from immune stimulation to immune tolerance in both models. Moreover, ECP could modulate the proliferative capacity of CAR-T cells without hampering their long-term functionality in the dilution model. In conclusion, ECP constitutes a promising treatment strategy for GVHD after allo-HSCT and CAR T-cell transfusion, as ECP reduces the alloreactivity without hampering CAR T-cell functionality.

State of the Art in CAR-T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors: Is There a Sweeter Future?

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has proven to be a powerful treatment for hematological malignancies. The situation is very different in the case of solid tumors, for which no CAR-T-based therapy has yet been approved. There are many factors contributing to the absence of response in solid tumors to CAR-T cells, such as the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), T cell exhaustion, or the lack of suitable antigen targets, which should have a stable and specific expression on tumor cells. Strategies being developed to improve CAR-T-based therapy for solid tumors include the use of new-generation CARs such as TRUCKs or bi-specific CARs, the combination of CAR therapy with chemo- or radiotherapy, the use of checkpoint inhibitors, and the use of oncolytic viruses. Furthermore, despite the scarcity of targets, a growing number of phase I/II clinical trials are exploring new solid-tumor-associated antigens. Most of these antigens are of a protein nature; however, there is a clear potential in identifying carbohydrate-type antigens associated with tumors, or carbohydrate and proteoglycan antigens that emerge because of aberrant glycosylations occurring in the context of tumor transformation.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Despite advances in cancer treatment, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, remains a major public health problem worldwide. The immune microenvironment plays a critical role in regulating tumor progression and resistance to therapy, and in HCC, the tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by an abundance of immunosuppressive cells and signals that facilitate immune evasion and metastasis. Recently, anti-cancer immunotherapies, therapeutic interventions designed to modulate the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer, have become an important cornerstone of cancer therapy. Immunotherapy has demonstrated the ability to improve survival and provide durable cancer control in certain groups of HCC patients, while reducing adverse side effects. These findings represent a significant step toward improving cancer treatment outcomes. As demonstrated in clinical trials, the administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), particularly in combination with anti-angiogenic agents and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, has prolonged survival in a subset of patients with HCC, providing an alternative for patients who progress on first-line therapy. In this review, we aimed to provide an overview of HCC and the role of the immune system in its development, and to summarize the findings of clinical trials involving ICIs, either as monotherapies or in combination with other agents in the treatment of the disease. Challenges and considerations regarding the administration of ICIs in the treatment of HCC are also outlined.

Antitumor immunity as the basis for durable disease-free treatment-free survival in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy has been associated with durable disease control in a small subset of patients with metastatic urothelial cancer. However, the mechanistic basis for this phenomenon has remained elusive. Antitumor immunity may underlie these exceptional responders. In a phase II trial evaluating a phased schedule of gemcitabine and cisplatin followed by gemcitabine and cisplatin with ipilimumab for metastatic urothelial cancer, 4 of 36 patients achieved durable disease-free treatment-free survival (DDFTFS) and remain in remission over 5 years after enrolment on the study. We sought to identify the genomic and immunological mechanisms associated with functional cures of such patients. Whole exome sequencing was performed on pretreatment archival tumor tissue. Neoantigen prediction and ranking were performed using a novel pipeline. For a subset of patients with available biospecimens, selected peptides were tested for neoantigen-specific T cell reactivity in peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cells cultured with autologous antigen-presenting cells at baseline, postchemotherapy, and postchemotherapy and ipilimumab timepoints. Multiplex assays of serum protein analytes were also assessed at each time point. Serum proteomic analysis revealed that pretreatment, patients achieving DDFTFS demonstrated an immune activated phenotype with elevations in TH1 adaptive immunity, costimulatory molecules, and immune checkpoint markers. After combination cisplatin-based chemotherapy and ipilimumab treatment, DDFTFS patients again displayed enrichment for markers of adaptive immunity, as well as T cell cytotoxicity. CD27 was uniquely enriched in DDFTFS patients at all timepoints. Neoantigen reactivity was not detected in any patient at baseline or post two cycles of chemotherapy. Both CD4+ and CD8+ neoantigen-specific T cell reactivity was detected in two of two DDFTFS patients in comparison to zero of five non-DDFTFS patients after combination cisplatin-based chemotherapy and ipilimumab treatment. Antitumor immunity may underlie functional cures achieved in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade. Probing the mechanistic basis for DDFTFS may facilitate the identification of biomarkers, therapeutic components, and optimal treatment sequences necessary to extend this ultimate goal to a larger subset of patients.

Comprehensive analysis of prognosis and immune function of CD70-CD27 signaling axis in pan-cancer

The immune checkpoint molecule CD70 and its receptor CD27 constitute the signal transduction axis, which is abnormally expressed in many solid tumors and is crucial for T cell co-stimulation and immune escape. Tumor cells regulate CD27 expression in the tumor microenvironment by expressing CD70, which promotes immune escape. Although current research evidence suggests a link between CD70 and tumors, no pan-cancer analysis is available. Using the Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, and online databases, we first explored the potential carcinogenic role of the CD70-CD27 signaling axis in human malignancies. Furthermore, qRT-PCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and a T cell-mediated tumor cell killing assay were used to assess the biological function of the CD70-CD27 signaling axis. CD70 expression is upregulated in most cancers and has an obvious correlation with the prognosis of tumor patients. The expression of CD70 and CD27 is associated with the level of regulatory T cell (Treg) infiltration. In addition, T cell receptor signaling pathways, PI3K-AKT, NF-κB, and TNF signaling pathways are also involved in CD70-mediated immune escape. CD70 mainly regulates tumor immune escape by regulating T cell-mediated tumor killing, with Tregs possibly being its primary T cell subset. Our first pan-cancer study provides a relatively comprehensive understanding of the carcinogenic role of the CD70-CD27 signaling axis in different tumors.

Beyond Adaptive Alloreactivity: Contribution of Innate B Cells to Allograft Inflammation and Rejection

Innate B cells are a heterogeneous group of cells that function in maintaining homeostatic levels of circulating natural antibodies and being the first line of defense against infections. Innate B-1 cells and marginal zone B cells may relocate to lymphoid follicles and differentiate into cytokine and antibody-secreting cells in T-independent and T-dependent manners. Although marginal zone B cells are widely described in humans, the presence of B-1 cells is more controversial. Here, we review the basic features of the innate B-cell subsets identified in mice and their equivalent in humans, as well as their potential roles in transplantation. We summarize the findings of Cascalho and colleagues on the unexpected protective role of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 13B in regulating circulating levels of protective natural immunoglobulin M, and the studies by Zorn and colleagues on the potential pathogenic role for polyreactive innate B cells infiltrating allograft explants. Finally, we discuss our studies that took a transcriptomic approach to identify innate B cells infiltrating kidney allografts with antibody-mediated rejection and to demonstrate that local antigens within the allograft together with inflammation may induce a loss of B-cell tolerance.

Phenotypic characterization of spatial immune infiltration niches in non-small cell lung cancer

The immune microenvironment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is heterogeneous, which impedes the prediction of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. We have mapped the expression of 49 proteins to spatial immune niches in 33 NSCLC tumors and report key differences in phenotype and function associated with the spatial context of immune infiltration. Tumor-infiltrating leukocytes (TIL), identified in 42% of tumors, had a similar proportion of lymphocyte antigens compared to stromal leukocytes (SL) but displayed significantly higher levels of functional, mainly immune suppressive, markers including PD-L1, PD-L2, CTLA-4, B7-H3, OX40L, and IDO1. In contrast, SL expressed higher levels of the targetable T-cell activation marker CD27, which increased with a longer distance to the tumor. Correlation analysis confirmed that metabolic-driven immune regulatory mechanisms, including ARG1 and IDO1, are present in the TIL. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) were identified in 30% of patients. They displayed less variation in the expression profile and with significantly higher levels of pan lymphocyte and activation markers, dendritic cells, and antigen presentation compared to other immune niches. TLS also had higher CTLA-4 expression than non-structured SL, which may indicate immune dysfunction. Neither the presence of TIL nor TLS was associated with improved clinical outcomes. The apparent discrimination in functional profiles of distinct immune niches, independent of the overall level of leukocytes, illustrates the importance of spatial profiling to deconvolute how the immune microenvironment can dictate a therapeutic response and to identify biomarkers in the context of immunomodulatory treatment.

Hub Genes in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Regulatory Networks

There are currently no accurate biomarkers for optimal treatment selection in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Novel therapeutic targets are needed to improve NSCLC survival outcomes. This study systematically evaluated the association between genome-scale regulatory network centralities and NSCLC tumorigenesis, proliferation, and survival in early-stage NSCLC patients. Boolean implication networks were used to construct multimodal networks using patient DNA copy number variation, mRNA, and protein expression profiles. T statistics of differential gene/protein expression in tumors versus non-cancerous adjacent tissues, dependency scores in in vitro CRISPR-Cas9/RNA interference (RNAi) screening of human NSCLC cell lines, and hazard ratios in univariate Cox modeling of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) NSCLC patients were correlated with graph theory centrality metrics. Hub genes in multi-omics networks involving gene/protein expression were associated with oncogenic, proliferative potentials and poor patient survival outcomes (p < 0.05, Pearson's correlation). Immunotherapy targets PD1, PDL1, CTLA4, and CD27 were ranked as top hub genes within the 10th percentile in most constructed multi-omics networks. BUB3, DNM1L, EIF2S1, KPNB1, NMT1, PGAM1, and STRAP were discovered as important hub genes in NSCLC proliferation with oncogenic potential. These results support the importance of hub genes in NSCLC tumorigenesis, proliferation, and prognosis, with implications in prioritizing therapeutic targets to improve patient survival outcomes.

Constrast-enhanced computed tomography radiomics predicts CD27 expression and clinical prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to construct a radiomics model that predicts the expression level of CD27 in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Genomic data and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) images of patients with HNSCC were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Cancer Imaging Archive for prognosis analysis, image feature extraction, and model construction. We explored the potential molecular mechanisms underlying CD27 expression and its relationship with the immune microenvironment and predicted CD27 mRNA expression in HNSCC tissues. Using non-invasive, CT-based radiomics technology, we generated a radiomics model and evaluated its correlation with the related genes and HNSCC prognosis.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The expression level of CD27 in HNSCC may significantly influence the prognosis of patients with HNSCC. Radiomics based on contrast-enhanced CT is potentially effective in predicting the expression level of CD27.