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Hamid MHBA, Cespedes PF, Jin C, Chen JL, Gileadi U, Antoun E, Liang Z, Gao F, Teague R, Manoharan N, Maldonado-Perez D, Khalid-Alham N, Cerundolo L, Ciaoca R, Hester SS, Pinto-Fernández A, Draganov SD, Vendrell I, Liu G, Yao X, Kvalvaag A, Dominey-Foy DCC, Nanayakkara C, Kanellakis N, Chen YL, Waugh C, Clark SA, Clark K, Sopp P, Rahman NM, Verrill C, Kessler BM, Ogg G, Fernandes RA, Fisher R, Peng Y, Dustin ML, Dong T. Unconventional human CD61 pairing with CD103 promotes TCR signaling and antigen-specific T cell cytotoxicity. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:834-846. [PMID: 38561495 PMCID: PMC11065694 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01802-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, leading to increased interest in utilizing immunotherapy strategies for better cancer treatments. In the past decade, CD103+ T cells have been associated with better clinical prognosis in patients with cancer. However, the specific immune mechanisms contributing toward CD103-mediated protective immunity remain unclear. Here, we show an unexpected and transient CD61 expression, which is paired with CD103 at the synaptic microclusters of T cells. CD61 colocalization with the T cell antigen receptor further modulates downstream T cell antigen receptor signaling, improving antitumor cytotoxicity and promoting physiological control of tumor growth. Clinically, the presence of CD61+ tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes is associated with improved clinical outcomes, mediated through enhanced effector functions and phenotype with limited evidence of cellular exhaustion. In conclusion, this study identified an unconventional and transient CD61 expression and pairing with CD103 on human immune cells, which potentiates a new target for immune-based cellular therapies.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Humans
- Mice
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Antigens, CD/immunology
- Apyrase
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Integrin alpha Chains/metabolism
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/metabolism
- Neoplasms/immunology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Signal Transduction/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Megat H B A Hamid
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pablo F Cespedes
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chen Jin
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ji-Li Chen
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Uzi Gileadi
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elie Antoun
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Zhu Liang
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fei Gao
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Renuka Teague
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nikita Manoharan
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David Maldonado-Perez
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nasullah Khalid-Alham
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Lucia Cerundolo
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Raul Ciaoca
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Svenja S Hester
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adán Pinto-Fernández
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Simeon D Draganov
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Iolanda Vendrell
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Guihai Liu
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Xuan Yao
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Audun Kvalvaag
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Charunya Nanayakkara
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nikolaos Kanellakis
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Laboratory of Pleural and Lung Cancer Translational Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford, UK
| | - Yi-Ling Chen
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Craig Waugh
- Flow Cytometry Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sally-Ann Clark
- Flow Cytometry Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kevin Clark
- Flow Cytometry Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul Sopp
- Flow Cytometry Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Najib M Rahman
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Laboratory of Pleural and Lung Cancer Translational Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford, UK
| | - Clare Verrill
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Benedikt M Kessler
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Graham Ogg
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ricardo A Fernandes
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roman Fisher
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yanchun Peng
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael L Dustin
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tao Dong
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Sauer N, Szlasa W, Szewczyk A, Novickij V, Saczko J, Baczyńska D, Daczewska M, Kulbacka J. Effects of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field on Immune Checkpoint Receptors in Melanoma Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1362. [PMID: 37895833 PMCID: PMC10610193 DOI: 10.3390/ph16101362] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Checkpoint molecules such as PD-1, LAG-3, and TIM-3 are currently under extensive investigation for their roles in the attenuation of the immune response in cancer. Various methods have been applied to overcome the challenges in this field. This study investigated the effects of nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) treatment on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in A375 and C32 melanoma cells. The researchers found that the nsPEF treatment was able to enhance membrane permeabilization and morphological changes in the cell membrane without being cytotoxic. We found that the effects of nsPEFs on melanoma included (1) the transport of vesicles from the inside to the outside of the cells, (2) cell contraction, and (3) the migration of lipids from inside the cells to their peripheries. The treatment increased the expression of PD-1 checkpoint receptors. Furthermore, we also observed potential co-localization or clustering of MHC class II and PD-1 molecules on the cell surface and the secretion of cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6. These findings suggest that nsPEF treatment could be a viable approach to enhance the delivery of therapeutic agents to cancer cells and to modulate the tumor microenvironment to promote an antitumor immune response. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms underlying these effects and their impacts on the antitumor immune response, and to investigate the potential of nsPEF treatment in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors to improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Sauer
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Wojciech Szlasa
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Anna Szewczyk
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-618 Wroclaw, Poland; (A.S.); (D.B.)
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Vitalij Novickij
- Institute of High Magnetic Fields, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 08217 Vilnius, Lithuania;
- Department of Immunology, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Santariškių 5, 08410 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Jolanta Saczko
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-618 Wroclaw, Poland; (A.S.); (D.B.)
| | - Dagmara Baczyńska
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-618 Wroclaw, Poland; (A.S.); (D.B.)
| | - Małgorzata Daczewska
- Department of Animal Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Julita Kulbacka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-618 Wroclaw, Poland; (A.S.); (D.B.)
- Department of Immunology, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Santariškių 5, 08410 Vilnius, Lithuania
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Tang L, Sha M, Guo T, Lu H, Qian J, Shao Q, Ye J. Expression and Clinical Significance of TIGIT in Primary Breast Cancer. Int J Gen Med 2023; 16:2405-2417. [PMID: 37333881 PMCID: PMC10275376 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s407725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The roles of T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) in the diagnosis of primary breast cancer (PBC) are still unclear. This study was designed to investigate the expression of TIGIT in PBC patients, with an aim to analyze its diagnostic value in PBC. Patients and Methods We first explore the expression of TIGIT in cancer patients based on TCGA database, and then we analyzed its correlation with clinicopathological features. Afterwards, we compared the protein and mRNA expressions of TIGIT in two BC cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and normal breast epithelial cell line (MCF-10A). Subsequently, 56 PBC female patients admitted to the Taizhou People's Hospital from October 2018 to June 2021 were included in this study. Flow cytometry was used to detect TIGIT level on peripheral blood CD3+ T cells of PBC patients and healthy controls. TIGIT expression in PBC tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence staining. Results TCGA database showed that compared with adjacent tissues, TIGIT was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues. High TIGIT expression was positively correlated with tumor stage and negatively correlated with recurrence free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). TIGIT level in BC cell lines, peripheral blood and tumor tissues of PBC patients was significantly higher than that of control (P < 0.05). TIGIT level was correlated with age (P < 0.05), rather than tumor size, pathological type, lymph node metastasis, ER, PR, HER-2, and P53. ROC curve showed that the optimal critical value of peripheral blood TIGIT for BC screening was 23.38%. Postoperative TIGIT level in peripheral blood was significantly decreased compared to the preoperative TIGIT level (P < 0.05). Conclusion TIGIT was upregulated in PBC and was correlated with age. It may be a potential target for the diagnosis and immunotherapy of PBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Tang
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Min Sha
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ting Guo
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huimin Lu
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingyu Qian
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qixiang Shao
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jun Ye
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
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Chu X, Tian W, Wang Z, Zhang J, Zhou R. Co-inhibition of TIGIT and PD-1/PD-L1 in Cancer Immunotherapy: Mechanisms and Clinical Trials. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:93. [PMID: 37291608 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01800-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as a revolutionary cancer treatment modality, offering long-lasting responses and survival benefits for a substantial number of cancer patients. However, the response rates to ICIs vary significantly among individuals and cancer types, with a notable proportion of patients exhibiting resistance or showing no response. Therefore, dual ICI combination therapy has been proposed as a potential strategy to address these challenges. One of the targets is TIGIT, an inhibitory receptor associated with T-cell exhaustion. TIGIT has diverse immunosuppressive effects on the cancer immunity cycle, including the inhibition of natural killer cell effector function, suppression of dendritic cell maturation, promotion of macrophage polarization to the M2 phenotype, and differentiation of T cells to regulatory T cells. Furthermore, TIGIT is linked with PD-1 expression, and it can synergize with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade to enhance tumor rejection. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the potential benefits of co-inhibition of TIGIT and PD-1/PD-L1 in enhancing anti-tumor immunity and improving treatment outcomes in several cancer types. Several clinical trials are underway to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TIGIT and PD-1/PD-L1 co-inhibition in various cancer types, and the results are awaited. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms of TIGIT and PD-1/PD-L1 co-inhibition in anti-tumor treatment, summarizes the latest clinical trials investigating this combination therapy, and discusses its prospects. Overall, co-inhibition of TIGIT and PD-1/PD-L1 represents a promising therapeutic approach for cancer treatment that has the potential to improve the outcomes of cancer patients treated with ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianjing Chu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Wentao Tian
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Ziqi Wang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Rongrong Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410008, China.
- Xiangya Lung Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
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Habets DHJ, Schlütter A, van Kuijk SMJ, Spaanderman MEA, Al‐Nasiry S, Wieten L. Natural killer cell profiles in recurrent pregnancy loss: Increased expression and positive associations with TACTILE and LILRB1. Am J Reprod Immunol 2022; 88:e13612. [PMID: 36004818 PMCID: PMC9787570 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13612] [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: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM NK cells are important for healthy pregnancy and aberrant phenotypes or effector functions have been associated with RPL. We compared expression of a broad panel of NK cell receptors, including immune checkpoint receptors, and investigated their clinical association with RPL as this might improve patient stratification and prediction of RPL. METHOD OF STUDY Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from 52 women with RPL and from 2 women with an uncomplicated pregnancy for flowcytometric analysis and plasma was used to determine anti-CMV IgG antibodies. RESULTS Between RPL and controls, we observed no difference in frequencies of T-, NKT or NK cells, in CD56dimCD16+ or CD56brightCD16- NK cell subsets or in the expression of KIRs, NKG2A, NKG2C, NKG2D, NKp30, NKp44, NKp46 or DNAM1. NK cells from women with RPL had a higher expression of LILRB1 and TACTILE and this was associated with the number of losses. The immune checkpoint receptors PD1, TIM3 and LAG3 were not expressed on peripheral blood NK cells. In RPL patients, there was a large variation in NKG2C expression and higher levels could be explained by CMV seropositivity. CONCLUSION Our study identified LILRB1 and TACTILE as NK cell receptors associated with RPL. Moreover, we provide first support for the potential role of CMV in RPL via its impact on the NK cell compartment. Thereby our study could guide future studies to confirm the clinical association of LILRB1, TACTILE and NKG2C with RPL in a larger cohort and to explore their functional relevance in reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise H. J. Habets
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyMaastricht University Medical CentreMaastrichtthe Netherlands,Department of Transplantation ImmunologyMaastricht University Medical CentreMaastrichtthe Netherlands,GROW school for Oncology and Developmental BiologyMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Anna Schlütter
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyMaastricht University Medical CentreMaastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Sander M. J. van Kuijk
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology AssessmentMaastricht University Medical CentreMaastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Marc E. A. Spaanderman
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyMaastricht University Medical CentreMaastrichtthe Netherlands,GROW school for Oncology and Developmental BiologyMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands,Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyRadboud University Medical CentreNijmegenthe Netherlands
| | - Salwan Al‐Nasiry
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyMaastricht University Medical CentreMaastrichtthe Netherlands,GROW school for Oncology and Developmental BiologyMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
| | - Lotte Wieten
- Department of Transplantation ImmunologyMaastricht University Medical CentreMaastrichtthe Netherlands,GROW school for Oncology and Developmental BiologyMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtthe Netherlands
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Conner M, Hance KW, Yadavilli S, Smothers J, Waight JD. Emergence of the CD226 Axis in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:914406. [PMID: 35812451 PMCID: PMC9263721 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.914406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a set of immune receptors that interact with members of the nectin/nectin-like (necl) family has garnered significant attention as possible points of manipulation in cancer. Central to this axis, CD226, TIGIT, and CD96 represent ligand (CD155)-competitive co-stimulatory/inhibitory receptors, analogous to the CTLA-4/B7/CD28 tripartite. The identification of PVRIG (CD112R) and CD112 has introduced complexity and enabled additional nodes of therapeutic intervention. By virtue of the clinical progression of TIGIT antagonists and emergence of novel CD96- and PVRIG-based approaches, our overall understanding of the ‘CD226 axis’ in cancer immunotherapy is starting to take shape. However, several questions remain regarding the unique characteristics of, and mechanistic interplay between, each receptor-ligand pair. This review provides an overview of the CD226 axis in the context of cancer, with a focus on the status of immunotherapeutic strategies (TIGIT, CD96, and PVRIG) and their underlying biology (i.e., cis/trans interactions). We also integrate our emerging knowledge of the immune populations involved, key considerations for Fc gamma (γ) receptor biology in therapeutic activity, and a snapshot of the rapidly evolving clinical landscape.
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7
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Annese T, Tamma R, Ribatti D. Update in TIGIT Immune-Checkpoint Role in Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:871085. [PMID: 35656508 PMCID: PMC9152184 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.871085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The in-depth characterization of cross-talk between tumor cells and T cells in solid and hematological malignancies will have to be considered to develop new therapeutical strategies concerning the reactivation and maintenance of patient-specific antitumor responses within the patient tumor microenvironment. Activation of immune cells depends on a delicate balance between activating and inhibitory signals mediated by different receptors. T cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) is an inhibitory receptor expressed by regulatory T cells (Tregs), activated T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. TIGIT pathway regulates T cell-mediated tumor recognition in vivo and in vitro and represents an exciting target for checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. TIGIT blockade as monotherapy or in combination with other inhibitor receptors or drugs is emerging in clinical trials in patients with cancer. The purpose of this review is to update the role of TIGIT in cancer progression, looking at TIGIT pathways that are often upregulated in immune cells and at possible therapeutic strategies to avoid tumor aggressiveness, drug resistance, and treatment side effects. However, in the first part, we overviewed the role of immune checkpoints in immunoediting, the TIGIT structure and ligands, and summarized the key immune cells that express TIGIT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Annese
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Libera Università del Mediterraneo (LUM) Giuseppe Degennaro University, Bari, Italy.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
| | - Roberto Tamma
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
| | - Domenico Ribatti
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
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8
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Monk BJ, Enomoto T, Kast WM, McCormack M, Tan DSP, Wu X, González-Martín A. Integration of immunotherapy into treatment of cervical cancer: Recent data and ongoing trials. Cancer Treat Rev 2022; 106:102385. [PMID: 35413489 PMCID: PMC10697630 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2022.102385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Cervical cancer constitutes a significant health burden for women globally. While most patients with early-stage disease can be cured with radical surgery or chemoradiotherapy, patients with high-risk locally advanced disease or with recurrent/metastatic disease have a poor prognosis with standard treatments. Immunotherapies are a rational treatment for this HPV-driven cancer that commonly expresses programmed cell death ligand-1. Before 2021, pembrolizumab was the only United States Food and Drug Administration-approved immunotherapy in cervical cancer, specifically for the second-line recurrent or metastatic (r/m) setting. In late 2021, the antibody-drug conjugate tisotumab vedotin was approved for second-line r/m cervical cancer and pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy ± bevacizumab was approved for first-line r/m disease based on results from KEYNOTE-826. Moreover, with at least 2 dozen additional immunotherapy clinical trials in the second-line and first-line r/m setting, as well as in locally advanced disease, the treatment landscape for cervical cancer may eventually encounter a potential paradigm shift. Pivotal trials of immunotherapies for cervical cancer that were recently approved or with the potential for regulatory consideration through 2024 are reviewed. As immunotherapy has the opportunity to establish new standards of care in the treatment of cervical cancers, new biomarkers to identify the ideal patient populations for these therapies may also become important. However, issues with access, affordability, and compliance in low- and middle-income countries are anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley J Monk
- HonorHealth Research Institute, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Creighton University School, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
| | - Takayuki Enomoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 2-5274 Gakkocho-dori, Niigata 951-8514, Japan.
| | - W Martin Kast
- Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, 1450 Biggy Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Mary McCormack
- Department of Oncology, University College Hospital London, London NW1 2BU, UK.
| | - David S P Tan
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, NUHS Tower Block, Level 7, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228, Singapore; Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, NUHS Tower Block, Level 7, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228, Singapore.
| | - Xiaohua Wu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-an Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Antonio González-Martín
- Medical Oncology Department, University of Navarra Clinic, 28027 Madrid, Spain; Program for Translational Research in Solid Tumors at Center for Applied Medical Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.
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9
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Chiang EY, Mellman I. TIGIT-CD226-PVR axis: advancing immune checkpoint blockade for cancer immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-004711. [PMID: 35379739 PMCID: PMC8981293 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in understanding the roles of immune checkpoints in allowing tumors to circumvent the immune system have led to successful therapeutic strategies that have fundamentally changed oncology practice. Thus far, immunotherapies against only two checkpoint targets have been approved, CTLA-4 and PD-L1/PD-1. Antibody blockade of these targets enhances the function of antitumor T cells at least in part by relieving inhibition of the T cell costimulatory receptor CD28. These successes have stimulated considerable interest in identifying other pathways that may bte targeted alone or together with existing immunotherapies. One such immune checkpoint axis is comprised of members of the PVR/nectin family that includes the inhibitory receptor T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory domains (TIGIT). Interestingly, TIGIT acts to regulate the activity of a second costimulatory receptor CD226 that works in parallel to CD28. There are currently over two dozen TIGIT-directed blocking antibodies in various phases of clinical development, testament to the promise of modulating this pathway to enhance antitumor immune responses. In this review, we discuss the role of TIGIT as a checkpoint inhibitor, its interplay with the activating counter-receptor CD226, and its status as the next advance in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Y Chiang
- Cancer Immunology, Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ira Mellman
- Cancer Immunology, Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
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10
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Weimer P, Wellbrock J, Sturmheit T, Oliveira-Ferrer L, Ding Y, Menzel S, Witt M, Hell L, Schmalfeldt B, Bokemeyer C, Fiedler W, Brauneck F. Tissue-Specific Expression of TIGIT, PD-1, TIM-3, and CD39 by γδ T Cells in Ovarian Cancer. Cells 2022; 11:cells11060964. [PMID: 35326415 PMCID: PMC8946192 DOI: 10.3390/cells11060964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic characterization of γδ T cells in the MALs (malignant ascites lymphocytes), TILs (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes), and PBLs (peripheral blood lymphocytes) of ovarian cancer (OvCA) patients is lacking. Therefore, we quantified γδ T cell prevalence in MAL, TIL, and PBL specimens from n = 18 OvCA patients and PBL from age-matched healthy donors (HD, n = 14). Multicolor flow cytometry was performed to evaluate the expression of inhibitory receptors (TIGIT, PD-1 and TIM-3), stimulatory receptors (Ox40), and purinergic ectoenzymes (CD39 and CD73) on γδ T cell subsets. We identified an abundant infiltration of Vδ1 T cells in the MALs and TILs. These cells varied in their differentiation: The majority of Vδ1 TILs displayed an effector memory (EM) phenotype, whereas Vδ1 MALs had a more mature phenotype of terminally differentiated effector memory cells (TEMRA) with high CD45RA expression. TIGIT and TIM-3 were abundantly expressed in both MALs and PBLs, whereas Vδ1 TILs exhibited the highest levels of PD-1, CD39, and Ox40. We also observed specific clusters on mature differentiation stages for the analyzed molecules. Regarding co-expression, Vδ1 TILs showed the highest levels of cells co-expressing TIGIT with PD-1 or CD39 compared to MALs and PBLs. In conclusion, the Vδ1 T cell population showed a high prevalence in the MALs and primary tumors of OvCA patients. Due to their (co-)expression of targetable immune receptors, in particular TIGIT with PD-1 and CD39 in TILs, Vδ1 T cell-based approaches combined with the inhibition of these targets might represent a promising strategy for OvCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Weimer
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (P.W.); (T.S.); (M.W.); (C.B.); (W.F.)
| | - Jasmin Wellbrock
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (P.W.); (T.S.); (M.W.); (C.B.); (W.F.)
- Correspondence: (J.W.); (F.B.)
| | - Tabea Sturmheit
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (P.W.); (T.S.); (M.W.); (C.B.); (W.F.)
- 2cureX GmbH, 20251 Hamburg, Germany;
| | - Leticia Oliveira-Ferrer
- Department of Gynecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (L.O.-F.); (Y.D.); (B.S.)
| | - Yi Ding
- Department of Gynecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (L.O.-F.); (Y.D.); (B.S.)
| | - Stephan Menzel
- Mildred Scheel Cancer Career Center HaTriCS4, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany;
- Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marius Witt
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (P.W.); (T.S.); (M.W.); (C.B.); (W.F.)
| | | | - Barbara Schmalfeldt
- Department of Gynecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (L.O.-F.); (Y.D.); (B.S.)
| | - Carsten Bokemeyer
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (P.W.); (T.S.); (M.W.); (C.B.); (W.F.)
| | - Walter Fiedler
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (P.W.); (T.S.); (M.W.); (C.B.); (W.F.)
| | - Franziska Brauneck
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (P.W.); (T.S.); (M.W.); (C.B.); (W.F.)
- Mildred Scheel Cancer Career Center HaTriCS4, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany;
- Correspondence: (J.W.); (F.B.)
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11
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Zhang AZ, Yuan X, Liang WH, Zhang HJ, Li Y, Xie YF, Li JF, Jiang CH, Li FP, Shen XH, Pang LJ, Zou H, Zhou WH, Li F, Hu JM. Immune Infiltration in Gastric Cancer Microenvironment and Its Clinical Significance. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:762029. [PMID: 35252217 PMCID: PMC8893596 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.762029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has developed rapidly and has gradually become one of the important methods for treatment of gastric cancer (GC). The research on tumor infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) and immune-related genes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) greatly encourages the development of immunotherapy. The devolution algorithm (CIBERSORT) was applied to infer the proportion of 22 TIICs based on gene expression profiles of GC tissues, which were downloaded from TCGA and GEO. TCGA was utilized to analyze the differential expression of immune-related genes, and explore the potential molecular functions of these genes. We have observed the enrichment of multiple TIICs in microenvironment of GC. Some of these cells were closely related to tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), Fuhrman grade, and TNM staging. Survival analysis showed that the infiltration level of CD8+ T cells, activated CD4+ memory T cells and M2 macrophages were significantly related to the prognosis of GC patients. The functional enrichment analysis of immune-related genes revealed that these genes were mainly associated with cytokine activation and response. Four significant modules were screened by PPI network and 20 key genes were screened from the modules. The expression levels of CALCR and PTH1R are strikingly related to the expression of immune checkpoint and the prognosis of GC patients. The type and number of TIICs in microenvironment of GC, as well as immune-related genes are closely related to tumor progression, and can be used as important indicators for patient prognosis assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Zhi Zhang
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
- Department of Pathology, Jiaxing University Affiliated Women and Children Hospital (Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Xin Yuan
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Wei Hua Liang
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Hai Jun Zhang
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Ya Li
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Yu Fang Xie
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Jiang Fen Li
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Chen Hao Jiang
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Fan Ping Li
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Xi Hua Shen
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Li Juan Pang
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Hong Zou
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Wen Hu Zhou
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Ming Hu
- Department of Pathology/NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
- *Correspondence: Jian Ming Hu,
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12
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Simon S, Bugos G, Salter AI, Riddell SR. Synthetic receptors for logic gated T cell recognition and function. Curr Opin Immunol 2022; 74:9-17. [PMID: 34571290 PMCID: PMC8901444 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2021.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy with T cells engineered with customized receptors that redirect antigen specificity to cancer cells has emerged as an effective therapeutic approach for many malignancies. Toxicity due to on target or off target effects, antigen heterogeneity on cancer cells, and acquired T cell dysfunction have been identified as barriers that can hinder successful therapy. This review will discuss recent advances in T cell engineering that have enabled the application of logic gates in T cells that can mimic the integration of natural signaling pathways and act in a cell intrinsic or extrinsic fashion to precisely target tumor cells and regulate effector functions, potentially overcoming these barriers to effective therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Simon
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington
| | - Grace Bugos
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington,Department of Immunology, University of Washington
| | - Alex I. Salter
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA
| | - Stanley R. Riddell
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington,Department of Immunology, University of Washington,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA
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13
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Ren H, Li W, Liu X, Li S, Guo H, Wang W, Zhao N. Identification and Validation of an 6-Metabolism-Related Gene Signature and Its Correlation With Immune Checkpoint in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:783934. [PMID: 34869039 PMCID: PMC8634254 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.783934] [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: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with relatively high malignancy and rapid disease progression. Metabolism-related genes (MRGs) are involved in the pathogenesis of HCC. This study explored potential key MRGs and their effect on T-cell immune function in the tumor immune microenvironment to provide new insight for the treatment of HCC. Of 456 differentially expressed MRGs identified from TCGA database, 21 were screened by MCODE and cytoHubba algorithms. From the key module, GAD1, SPP1, WFS1, GOT2, EHHADH, and APOA1 were selected for validation. The six MRGs were closely correlated with survival outcomes and clinicopathological characteristics in HCC. Receiver operating characteristics analysis and Kaplan-Meier plots showed that these genes had good prognostic value for HCC. Gene set enrichment analysis of the six MRGs indicated that they were associated with HCC development. TIMER and GEPIA databases revealed that WFS1 was significantly positively correlated and EHHADH was negatively correlated with tumor immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression. Finally, quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) confirmed the expression of WFS1 and EHHADH mRNA in our own patients’ cohort samples and four HCC cell lines. Collectively, the present study identified six potential MRG biomarkers associated with the prognosis and tumor immune infiltration of HCC, thus providing new insight into the pathogenesis and treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Ren
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wanjing Li
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuliang Li
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Liaocheng, Linqing, China.,Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Hospital of Liaocheng Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Linqing, China
| | - Hao Guo
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Na Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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14
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Radwan SM, Elleboudy NS, Nabih NA, El-kholy A, Kamal AM. The prospective prognostic value of the immune checkpoint BTLA expression in adult acute myeloid leukemia patients. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMAN GENETICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1186/s43042-021-00198-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
One of the crucial functions of the immune system is to prevent tumorigenesis, yet cancer occurs when malignant cells manage to evade immune surveillance via multiple strategies. Accordingly, this study aimed at assessing the potential significance of the novel immune checkpoint B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) as a prognostic marker in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in addition to how it relates to response to treatment and patients’ survival. Thus, mRNA expression of BTLA was investigated on peripheral blood in 60 AML patients and 15 healthy controls.
Results
BTLA expression was found to be significantly elevated (p = 0.024) in the tested AML cases in comparison with healthy controls. Moreover, BTLA was over-expressed in the CD13, CD33, and HLA-DR positive cases as compared to their negative counterparts (p = 0.003; p < 0.001, and p = 0.001, respectively), and cases showing BTLA over-expression had significantly poorer overall survival times (p = 0.001) as confirmed by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis.
Conclusion
These observations suggest that BTLA over-expression may be associated with reduced immunity against tumors and could be recommended as a promising biomarker for unfavorable prognosis in AML.
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15
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Development of a novel humanized mouse model for improved evaluation of in vivo anti-cancer effects of anti-PD-1 antibody. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21087. [PMID: 34702924 PMCID: PMC8548333 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00641-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of cancer in the clinic. Further discovery of novel drugs or therapeutic protocols that enhance efficacy requires reliable animal models that recapitulate human immune responses to ICI treatment in vivo. In this study, we utilized an immunodeficient NOG mouse substrain deficient for mouse FcγR genes, NOG-FcγR−/− mice, to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of nivolumab, an anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) antibody. After reconstitution of human immune systems by human hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (huNOG-FcγR−/− mice), four different programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive human cancer cell lines were tested. Among them, the growth of three cell lines was strongly suppressed by nivolumab in huNOG-FcγR−/− mice, but not in conventional huNOG mice. Accordingly, immunohistochemistry demonstrated the enhanced infiltration of human T cells into tumor parenchyma in only nivolumab-treated huNOG-FcγR−/− mice. Consistently, the number of human T cells was increased in the spleen in huNOG-FcγR−/− mice by nivolumab but not in huNOG mice. Furthermore, human PD-L1 expression was strongly induced in the spleen of huNOG-FcγR−/− mice. Collectively, our results suggest that the anti-cancer effects of anti-PD-1 antibodies can be detected more clearly in NOG-FcγR−/− mice than in NOG mice.
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16
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Walsh RJ, Tan DSP. The Role of Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Advanced Cervical Cancer: Current Status and Future Perspectives. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10194523. [PMID: 34640541 PMCID: PMC8509251 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10194523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer remains one of the most common cancers in women around the world however therapeutic options in the advanced and recurrent setting are limited. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been considered an attractive option given the viral etiology of cervical cancer although the majority of patients do not benefit from their use. This review summarises current knowledge and use of immune checkpoint blockade in cervical cancer as well as discussing the challenges faced in their clinical application, namely, the role of biomarker-driven ICI use, potential mechanisms of resistance, strategies to overcome such resistance and additional immunotherapy options beyond ICI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Walsh
- National University Cancer Institute, Singapore 119074, Singapore;
| | - David S. P. Tan
- National University Cancer Institute, Singapore 119074, Singapore;
- Cancer Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Correspondence:
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17
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Tang Y, Zhang AXJ, Chen G, Wu Y, Gu W. Prognostic and therapeutic TILs of cervical cancer-Current advances and future perspectives. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2021; 22:410-430. [PMID: 34553029 PMCID: PMC8430272 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cervical cancer is a top lethal cancer for women worldwide. Although screening and vaccination programs are available in many countries, resulting in the decline of new cases, this is not true for developing countries where there are many new cases and related deaths. Cancer immunotherapy through adaptive cell therapy (ACT) has been applied in clinics, but now much attention is focused on autogenic tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL)-based therapy, which has shown more specificity and better ability to inhibit tumor growth. Data from melanoma and cervical cancers confirm that tumor-specific T cells in TILs can be expanded for more specific and effective ACT. Moreover, TILs are derived from individual patients and are ready to home back to kill tumor cells after patient infusion, aligning well with personalized and precision medicine. In addition to therapy, TIL cell types and numbers are good indicators of host immune response to the tumor, and thus they have significant values in prognosis. Because of the special relationship with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, cervical cancer has some specialties in TIL-based prognosis and therapy. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the prognostic significance of TILs and TIL-based therapy for cervical cancer and discuss related perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Tang
- Institute of Tumor, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Gillion ITM Research Institute, Guangzhou Hongkeyuan, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anne X J Zhang
- Gillion ITM Research Institute, Guangzhou Hongkeyuan, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guangyu Chen
- Gillion ITM Research Institute, Guangzhou Hongkeyuan, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanheng Wu
- Gillion ITM Research Institute, Guangzhou Hongkeyuan, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenyi Gu
- Gillion ITM Research Institute, Guangzhou Hongkeyuan, Guangzhou, China.,Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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18
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Association between circulating CD39+CD8+ T cells pre-chemoradiotherapy and prognosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Chin Med J (Engl) 2021; 134:2066-2072. [PMID: 34435978 PMCID: PMC8439997 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000001745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The mortality rate among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has improved significantly with the advent of chemoradiotherapy strategies. However, distant metastasis remains problematic. Tumor-specific reactivity in cancer patients has been detected exclusively in CD39+ T cells, particularly in CD39+CD103+ T cells. Circulating cancer-specific T cells are important for protecting against metastasis. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of circulating CD39+CD8+ T cells for metastasis in patients with NPC. Methods We performed a cross-sectional, longitudinal study of 55 patients with newly diagnosed NPC of stage III–IVa. All patients were initially treated with standard combined chemoradiotherapy. Blood samples were obtained from 24 patients before and at 1 month and 6 months after treatment. T cell expression of CD39 and CD103, together with the markers of T cell exhaustion programmed death-1 (PD-1)/T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (Tim-3) and markers of cell differentiation CD27/CC-chemokine receptor 7/CD45RA, was examined by flow cytometry. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test analysis was used to analyze the differences between two groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for analysis of progression-free survival (PFS). Results The expression of circulating CD39+CD8+ and CD39+CD103+ CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in patients without distant metastasis (CD39+CD8+: 6.52% [1.24%, 12.58%] vs. 2.41% [0.58%, 5.31%], Z=−2.073, P=0.038 and CD39+CD103+CD8+: 0.72% [0.26%, 2.05%] vs. 0.26% [0.12%, 0.64%], Z=−2.313, P = 0.021). Most CD39+ T cells did not express PD-1 or Tim-3. Patients with high expression of CD39+CD103+CD8+ T cells had better PFS than patients with low expression (log rank value = 4.854, P = 0.028). CD39+CD8+ T cells were significantly elevated at 1-month post-treatment (10.02% [0.98%, 17.42%] vs. 5.91% [0.61%, 10.23%], Z = −2.943, P = 0.003). The percentage of advanced differentiated CD8+ T cells also increased at 1-month post-treatment compared with pre-treatment (33.10% [21.60%, 43.05%] vs. 21.00% [11.65%, 43.00%], Z = −2.155, P = 0.031). There was a significant correlation between elevated CD39+CD8+ T cells and increased effector memory T cells (intermediate stage: r = 0.469, P = 0.031; advanced stage: r = 0.508, P = 0.019). Conclusions CD39+CD8+ circulating T cells have preserved effector function, contributing to an improved prognosis and a reduced risk of metastasis among NPC patients. These cells may thus be a useful predictive marker for a better prognosis in patients with NPC.
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19
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Li H, Li Y, Zhang Y, Tan B, Huang T, Xiong J, Tan X, Ermolaeva MA, Fu L. MAPK10 Expression as a Prognostic Marker of the Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:687371. [PMID: 34408980 PMCID: PMC8366563 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.687371] [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: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a devastating malignancy worldwide due to lack of effective therapy. The immune-rich contexture of HCC tumor microenvironment (TME) makes this tumor an appealing target for immune-based therapies; however, the immunosuppressive TME is still a major challenge for more efficient immunotherapy in HCC. Using bioinformatics analysis based on the TCGA database, here we found that MAPK10 is frequently down-regulated in HCC tumors and significantly correlates with poor survival of HCC patients. HCC patients with low MAPK10 expression have lower expression scores of tumor infiltration lymphocytes (TILs) and stromal cells in the TME and increased scores of tumor cells than those with high MAPK10 expression. Further transcriptomic analyses revealed that the immune activity in the TME of HCC was markedly reduced in the low-MAPK10 group of HCC patients compared to the high-MAPK10 group. Additionally, we identified 495 differentially expressed immune-associated genes (DIGs), with 482 genes down-regulated and 13 genes up-regulated in parallel with the decrease of MAPK10 expression. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses indicated that the biological functions of these DIGs included cell chemotaxis, leukocyte migration and positive regulation of the response to cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, T cell receptor activation and MAPK signaling pathway. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) analyses of the 495 DIGs revealed five potential downstream hub genes of MAPK10, including SYK, CBL, VAV1, LCK, and CD3G. Several hub genes such as SYK, LCK, and VAV1 could respond to the immunological costimulatory signaling mediated by the transmembrane protein ICAM1, which was identified as a down-regulated DIG associated with low-MAPK10 expression. Moreover, ectopic overexpression or knock-down of MAPK10 could up-regulate or down-regulate ICAM1 expression via phosphorylation of c-jun at Ser63 in HCC cell lines, respectively. Collectively, our results demonstrated that MAPK10 down-regulation likely contributes to the immunosuppressive TME of HCC, and this gene might serve as a potential immunotherapeutic target and a prognostic factor for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huahui Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.,Group of Homeostasis and Stress Tolerance, Leibniz Institute on Aging-Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany.,Shenzhen University-Friedrich Schiller Universitat Jena Joint PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuting Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.,Group of Homeostasis and Stress Tolerance, Leibniz Institute on Aging-Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany.,Shenzhen University-Friedrich Schiller Universitat Jena Joint PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Binbin Tan
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tuxiong Huang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jixian Xiong
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiangyu Tan
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Maria A Ermolaeva
- Group of Homeostasis and Stress Tolerance, Leibniz Institute on Aging-Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Li Fu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
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20
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Fan P, Li X, Feng Y, Cai H, Dong D, Peng Y, Yao X, Guo Y, Ma M, Dong T, Wang R. PD-1 Expression Status on CD8+ Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocytes Associates With Survival in Cervical Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:678758. [PMID: 34150643 PMCID: PMC8212040 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.678758] [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: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the expansion of PD-1 checkpoint blockade to multiple types of cancer, whether the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) expression status on CD8+ tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) could be a prognostic factor in cervical cancer is still unclear. In this study, we performed ex vivo phenotypic analysis of PD-1 expression on CD8+ TILs by flow cytometry from 47 treatment-naïve cervical cancer patients. With a median follow-up of 26.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 24-28.2 months), we then linked the quantitative cellular expression results to progression-free survival and overall survival. Based on the intensity of PD-1 expression, we further categorised the cervical cancer patients into PD-1high expressers (29.8%, 14/47) and PD-1low expressers (70.2%, 33/47). Multivariate analysis revealed that PD-1high expressers are correlated with early recurrence (HR, 5.91; 95% CI, 1.03-33.82; P= 0.046). Univariate analysis also demonstrated that PD-1high expressers are associated with poor overall survival in cervical cancer (HR, 5.365; 95% CI, 1.55-18.6; P=0.008). Moreover, our study also demonstrated that CD8+/CD4+ TIL ratio and HPV infection status are risk factors for early relapse and mortality in cervical cancer patients. In conclusion, this study confirms that PD-1 expression status is an independent prognostic factor for progression free survival in cervical cancer. These findings could be important in predicting the relapse of cervical cancer as a cellular diagnosis method and could be important knowledge for the selection of prospective PD-1 blockade candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiwen Fan
- The Third Affiliated Teaching Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Urumuqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Urumuqi, China
| | - Xi Li
- CAMS Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,MRC Human Immunology Unit (HIU), MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Yaning Feng
- Key Laboratory of Oncology of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumuqi, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Urumuqi, China
| | - Hongchao Cai
- The Third Affiliated Teaching Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Urumuqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Urumuqi, China
| | - Danning Dong
- The Third Affiliated Teaching Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Urumuqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Urumuqi, China
| | - Yanchun Peng
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Urumuqi, China.,CAMS Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,MRC Human Immunology Unit (HIU), MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Xuan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Urumuqi, China.,CAMS Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,MRC Human Immunology Unit (HIU), MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Yuping Guo
- The Third Affiliated Teaching Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Urumuqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumuqi, China
| | - Miaomiao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Oncology of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumuqi, China
| | - Tao Dong
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Urumuqi, China.,CAMS Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,MRC Human Immunology Unit (HIU), MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ruozheng Wang
- The Third Affiliated Teaching Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Urumuqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Urumuqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumuqi, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Urumuqi, China
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21
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Gorgulho J, Roderburg C, Heymann F, Schulze-Hagen M, Beier F, Vucur M, Kather JN, Laleh NG, Tacke F, Brümmendorf TH, Luedde T, Loosen SH. Serum levels of soluble B and T lymphocyte attenuator predict overall survival in patients undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for solid malignancies. Int J Cancer 2021; 149:1189-1198. [PMID: 33890289 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can lead to durable tumor control in patients with various advanced stage malignancies. However, this is not the case for all patients, leading to an ongoing search for biomarkers predicting response and outcome to ICI. The B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is an immune checkpoint expressed on immune cells that was shown to modulate therapeutic responses. Here, we evaluate circulating levels of its soluble form, soluble B and T lymphocyte attenuator (sBTLA), as a biomarker for the prediction of treatment response and outcome to ICI therapy. Serum levels of sBTLA were analyzed by multiplex immunoassay in n = 84 patients receiving ICI therapy for solid malignancies and 32 healthy controls. BTLA expression was evaluated on peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a subset of patients (n = 6) using multicolor flow cytometry. Baseline sBTLA serum levels were significantly higher in cancer patients compared to healthy controls. Importantly, circulating sBTLA levels were an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS). As such, patients with initial sBTLA levels above the calculated prognostic cutoff value (311.64 pg/mL) had a median OS of only 138 days compared to 526 for patients with sBTLA levels below this value (P = .001). Uni- and multivariate Cox regression analyses confirmed the prognostic role of sBTLA in the context of ICI therapy. Finally, we observed a significant correlation between sBTLA levels and the frequency of CD3 + CD8 + BTLA+ T cells in peripheral blood. Thus, our data suggest that circulating sBTLA could represent a noninvasive biomarker to predict outcome to ICI therapy, helping to select eligible therapy candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joao Gorgulho
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Hepatobiliary Oncology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.,Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section of Pneumology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Roderburg
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Felix Heymann
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maximilian Schulze-Hagen
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Fabian Beier
- Department of Medicine IV, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mihael Vucur
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jakob N Kather
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim H Brümmendorf
- Department of Medicine IV, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Tom Luedde
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sven H Loosen
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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22
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Tantalo DG, Oliver AJ, von Scheidt B, Harrison AJ, Mueller SN, Kershaw MH, Slaney CY. Understanding T cell phenotype for the design of effective chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2021-002555. [PMID: 34035114 PMCID: PMC8154965 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid advances in immunotherapy have identified adoptive cell transfer as one of the most promising approaches for the treatment of cancers. Large numbers of cancer reactive T lymphocytes can be generated ex vivo from patient blood by genetic modification to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) specific for tumor-associated antigens. CAR T cells can respond strongly against cancer cells, and adoptive transferred CAR T cells can induce dramatic responses against certain types of cancers. The ability of T cells to respond against disease depends on their ability to localize to sites, persist and exert functions, often in an immunosuppressive microenvironment, and these abilities are reflected in their phenotypes. There is currently intense interest in generating CAR T cells possessing the ideal phenotypes to confer optimal antitumor activity. In this article, we review T cell phenotypes for trafficking, persistence and function, and discuss how culture conditions and genetic makeups can be manipulated to achieve the ideal phenotypes for antitumor activities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda J Oliver
- Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Aaron J Harrison
- Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Scott N Mueller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael H Kershaw
- Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia .,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Clare Y Slaney
- Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia .,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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23
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Phillips D, Schürch CM, Khodadoust MS, Kim YH, Nolan GP, Jiang S. Highly Multiplexed Phenotyping of Immunoregulatory Proteins in the Tumor Microenvironment by CODEX Tissue Imaging. Front Immunol 2021; 12:687673. [PMID: 34093591 PMCID: PMC8170307 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.687673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies are revolutionizing cancer treatment by boosting the natural ability of the immune system. In addition to antibodies against traditional checkpoint molecules or their ligands (i.e., CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1), therapies targeting molecules such as ICOS, IDO-1, LAG-3, OX40, TIM-3, and VISTA are currently in clinical trials. To better inform clinical care and the design of therapeutic combination strategies, the co-expression of immunoregulatory proteins on individual immune cells within the tumor microenvironment must be robustly characterized. Highly multiplexed tissue imaging platforms, such as CO-Detection by indEXing (CODEX), are primed to meet this need by enabling >50 markers to be simultaneously analyzed in single-cells on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections. Assembly and validation of antibody panels is particularly challenging, with respect to the specificity of antigen detection and robustness of signal over background. Herein, we report the design, development, optimization, and application of a 56-marker CODEX antibody panel to eight cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) patient samples. This panel is comprised of structural, tumor, and immune cell markers, including eight immunoregulatory proteins that are approved or currently undergoing clinical trials as immunotherapy targets. Here we provide a resource to enable extensive high-dimensional, spatially resolved characterization of the tissue microenvironment across tumor types and imaging modalities. This framework provides researchers with a readily applicable blueprint to study tumor immunology, tissue architecture, and enable mechanistic insights into immunotherapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darci Phillips
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Christian M. Schürch
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Pathology and Neuropathology, University Hospital and Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael S. Khodadoust
- Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Youn H. Kim
- Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Garry P. Nolan
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Sizun Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
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24
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Munari E, Mariotti FR, Quatrini L, Bertoglio P, Tumino N, Vacca P, Eccher A, Ciompi F, Brunelli M, Martignoni G, Bogina G, Moretta L. PD-1/PD-L1 in Cancer: Pathophysiological, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Aspects. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5123. [PMID: 34066087 PMCID: PMC8151504 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune evasion is a key strategy adopted by tumor cells to escape the immune system while promoting their survival and metastatic spreading. Indeed, several mechanisms have been developed by tumors to inhibit immune responses. PD-1 is a cell surface inhibitory receptor, which plays a major physiological role in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance. In pathological conditions, activation of the PD-1/PD-Ls signaling pathway may block immune cell activation, a mechanism exploited by tumor cells to evade the antitumor immune control. Targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis has represented a major breakthrough in cancer treatment. Indeed, the success of PD-1 blockade immunotherapies represents an unprecedented success in the treatment of different cancer types. To improve the therapeutic efficacy, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms regulating PD-1 expression and signaling in the tumor context is required. We provide an overview of the current knowledge of PD-1 expression on both tumor-infiltrating T and NK cells, summarizing the recent evidence on the stimuli regulating its expression. We also highlight perspectives and limitations of the role of PD-L1 expression as a predictive marker, discuss well-established and novel potential approaches to improve patient selection and clinical outcome and summarize current indications for anti-PD1/PD-L1 immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Munari
- Pathology Unit, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25100 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Francesca R. Mariotti
- Immunology Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (F.R.M.); (L.Q.); (N.T.); (P.V.)
| | - Linda Quatrini
- Immunology Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (F.R.M.); (L.Q.); (N.T.); (P.V.)
| | - Pietro Bertoglio
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Maggiore Teaching Hospital and Sant’Orsola University Hospital, 40133 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Nicola Tumino
- Immunology Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (F.R.M.); (L.Q.); (N.T.); (P.V.)
| | - Paola Vacca
- Immunology Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (F.R.M.); (L.Q.); (N.T.); (P.V.)
| | - Albino Eccher
- Pathology Unit, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy;
| | - Francesco Ciompi
- Computational Pathology Group, Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6543 SH Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Matteo Brunelli
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (M.B.); (G.M.)
| | - Guido Martignoni
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (M.B.); (G.M.)
- Pathology Unit, Pederzoli Hospital, 37019 Peschiera del Garda, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Bogina
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, Italy;
| | - Lorenzo Moretta
- Immunology Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (F.R.M.); (L.Q.); (N.T.); (P.V.)
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25
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De Wispelaere W, Annibali D, Tuyaerts S, Lambrechts D, Amant F. Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: What Can We Learn from Other Cancer Types? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13092040. [PMID: 33922556 PMCID: PMC8122870 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The onset of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy over the last decade has transformed the therapeutic landscape in oncology. ICB has shown unprecedented clinical activity and durable responses in a variety of difficult-to-treat cancers. However, despite these promising long-term responses, a majority of patients fail to respond to single-agent therapy, demonstrating primary or acquired resistance. Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is a rare high-risk gynecological cancer with very limited treatment options. Despite research indicating a strong potential for ICB in uLMS, a clinical trial assessing the response to immunotherapy with single-agent nivolumab in advanced-stage uLMS showed no clinical benefit. Many mechanisms of resistance to ICB have been characterized in a variety of tumor types, and many more continue to be uncovered. However, the mechanisms of resistance to ICB in uLMS remain largely unexplored. By elucidating and targeting mechanisms of resistance, treatments can be tailored to improve clinical outcomes. Therefore, in this review we will explore what is known about the immunosuppressive microenvironment of uLMS, link these data to possible resistance mechanisms extrapolated from other cancer types, and discuss potential therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wout De Wispelaere
- Department of Oncology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (W.D.W.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
| | - Daniela Annibali
- Department of Oncology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (W.D.W.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
- Division of Oncogenomics, Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek—Netherlands Cancer Institute (AvL-NKI), 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra Tuyaerts
- Department of Oncology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (W.D.W.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
- Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Oncology (LMMO), Department of Medical Oncology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Diether Lambrechts
- Laboratory for Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- VIB Center for Cancer Biology, Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Amant
- Department of Oncology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (W.D.W.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
- Centre for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek—Netherlands Cancer Institute, University Medical Center (UMC), 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospitals Leuven (UZ Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence:
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26
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Zhang Z, Lu M, Qin Y, Gao W, Tao L, Su W, Zhong J. Neoantigen: A New Breakthrough in Tumor Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:672356. [PMID: 33936118 PMCID: PMC8085349 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.672356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy works by stimulating and strengthening the body’s anti-tumor immune response to eliminate cancer cells. Over the past few decades, immunotherapy has shown remarkable efficacy in the treatment of cancer, particularly the success of immune checkpoint blockade targeting CTLA-4, PD-1 and PDL1, which has led to a breakthrough in tumor immunotherapy. Tumor neoantigens, a new approach to tumor immunotherapy, include antigens produced by tumor viruses integrated into the genome and antigens produced by mutant proteins, which are abundantly expressed only in tumor cells and have strong immunogenicity and tumor heterogeneity. A growing number of studies have highlighted the relationship between neoantigens and T cells’ recognition of cancer cells. Vaccines developed against neoantigens are now being used in clinical trials in various solid tumors. In this review, we summarized the latest advances in the classification of immunotherapy and the process of classification, identification and synthesis of tumor-specific neoantigens, as well as their role in current cancer immunotherapy. Finally, the application prospects and existing problems of neoantigens were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheying Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Manman Lu
- Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Yu Qin
- Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Wuji Gao
- Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Li Tao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wei Su
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Jiateng Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
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27
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Richardson JR, Schöllhorn A, Gouttefangeas C, Schuhmacher J. CD4+ T Cells: Multitasking Cells in the Duty of Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:596. [PMID: 33546283 PMCID: PMC7913359 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy activates the immune system to specifically target malignant cells. Research has often focused on CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, as those have the capacity to eliminate tumor cells after specific recognition upon TCR-MHC class I interaction. However, CD4+ T cells have gained attention in the field, as they are not only essential to promote help to CD8+ T cells, but are also able to kill tumor cells directly (via MHC-class II dependent recognition) or indirectly (e.g., via the activation of other immune cells like macrophages). Therefore, immunotherapy approaches have shifted from only stimulating CD8+ T cells to targeting and assessing both, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. Here, we discuss the various subsets of CD4+ T cells, their plasticity and functionality, their relevance in the antitumor immune response in patients affected by cancer, and their ever-growing role in therapeutic approaches for human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R. Richardson
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.R.R.); (A.S.); (J.S.)
| | - Anna Schöllhorn
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.R.R.); (A.S.); (J.S.)
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Cécile Gouttefangeas
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.R.R.); (A.S.); (J.S.)
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Partner Site Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Juliane Schuhmacher
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.R.R.); (A.S.); (J.S.)
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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van Asten SD, de Groot R, van Loenen MM, Castenmiller SM, de Jong J, Monkhorst K, Haanen JBAG, Amsen D, Bex A, Spaapen RM, Wolkers MC. T cells expanded from renal cell carcinoma display tumor-specific CD137 expression but lack significant IFN-γ, TNF-α or IL-2 production. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1860482. [PMID: 33537169 PMCID: PMC7833735 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2020.1860482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has a poor prognosis. Recent advances have shown beneficial responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies. As only a subset of RCC patients respond, alternative strategies should be explored. Patients refractory to anti-PD-1 therapy may benefit from autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. Even though efficient TIL expansion was reported from RCC lesions, it is not well established how many RCC TIL products are tumor-reactive, how well they produce pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to autologous tumors, and whether their response correlates with the presence of specific immune cells in the tumor lesions. We here compared the immune infiltrate composition of RCC lesions with that of autologous kidney tissue of 18 RCC patients. Tcell infiltrates were increased in the tumor lesions, and CD8+ Tcell infiltrates were primarily of effector memory phenotype. Nine out of 16 (56%) tested TIL products we generated were tumor-reactive, as defined by CD137 upregulation after exposure to autologous tumor digest. Tumor reactivity was found in particular in TIL products originating from tumors with ahigh percentage of infiltrated Tcells compared to autologous kidney, and increased CD25 expression on CD8+ Tcells. Importantly, although TIL products had the capacity to produce the key effector cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α or IL-2, they failed to produce significant amounts in response to autologous tumor digests. In conclusion, TIL products from RCC lesions contain tumor-reactive Tcells. Their restricted tumor-specific cytokine production requires further investigation of immunosuppressive factors in RCC and subsequent optimization of RCC-derived TIL culture conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia D van Asten
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rosa de Groot
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department Of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marleen M van Loenen
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department Of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Suzanne M Castenmiller
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department Of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen de Jong
- Department Of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (NKI-AvL), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kim Monkhorst
- Department Of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (NKI-AvL), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Derk Amsen
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department Of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Axel Bex
- Department Of Urology, NKI-AvL, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Robbert M Spaapen
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Monika C Wolkers
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department Of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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29
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Yang H, Kuo YH, Smith ZI, Spangler J. Targeting cancer metastasis with antibody therapeutics. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 13:e1698. [PMID: 33463090 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cancer metastasis, the spread of disease from a primary to a distal site through the circulatory or lymphatic systems, accounts for over 90% of all cancer related deaths. Despite significant progress in the field of cancer therapy in recent years, mortality rates remain dramatically higher for patients with metastatic disease versus those with local or regional disease. Although there is clearly an urgent need to develop drugs that inhibit cancer spread, the overwhelming majority of anticancer therapies that have been developed to date are designed to inhibit tumor growth but fail to address the key stages of the metastatic process: invasion, intravasation, circulation, extravasation, and colonization. There is growing interest in engineering targeted therapeutics, such as antibody drugs, that inhibit various steps in the metastatic cascade. We present an overview of antibody therapeutic approaches, both in the pipeline and in the clinic, that disrupt the essential mechanisms that underlie cancer metastasis. These therapies include classes of antibodies that indirectly target metastasis, including anti-integrin, anticadherin, and immune checkpoint blocking antibodies, as well as monoclonal and bispecific antibodies that are specifically designed to interrupt disease dissemination. Although few antimetastatic antibodies have achieved clinical success to date, there are many promising candidates in various stages of development, and novel targets and approaches are constantly emerging. Collectively, these efforts will enrich our understanding of the molecular drivers of metastasis, and the new strategies that arise promise to have a profound impact on the future of cancer therapeutic development. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huilin Yang
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yun-Huai Kuo
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Zion I Smith
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jamie Spangler
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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30
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Yang L, Yang Y, Meng M, Wang W, He S, Zhao Y, Gao H, Tang W, Liu S, Lin Z, Li L, Hou Z. Identification of prognosis-related genes in the cervical cancer immune microenvironment. Gene 2021; 766:145119. [PMID: 32946928 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.145119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cervical cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. The metastasis and invasion of this type of cancer are closely related to the tumor microenvironment. Immune cells and stromal cells dominate the tumor microenvironment in cervical cancer. Therefore, we should further investigate the complex interplay between the tumor progression with immune cells or stromal cells. METHODS We downloaded the gene expression profiles and clinical data of 307 patients with cervical cancers based on the TCGA database. Subsequently, the Estimation of Stromal and Immune cells in Malignant Tumours using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm was used to calculate the scores of stromal cells and immune cells in order to uncover differential expressed genes, and we analyzed the correlation between their scores and patient survival. Then the Cell type Identification By Estimating Relative Subsets Of known RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) deconvolution algorithm was applied to quantify the fraction and infiltration of 22 types of immune cells in cervical cancer. Moreover, we also used R language packs and network tools to analyze GO term, gene enrichment pathway, and protein-protein relationship to trace down genes related to inflammation and immune regulation. RESULTS The gene expression profiles and corresponding clinical data of 307 patients were obtained from TCGA database. The results showed that the scores were statistically significant between the high immunescore group and the low immunescore group. And the low immunescore group had shorter survival period than the high scores group (P = 0.035). Among the 22 types of immune cells, only T cells and mast cells were significantly related to the survival rate of cervical cancer patients. Moreover, PPI network analysis revealed that CCR5 and CXCL9, -10, -11/CXCR3 axis might be a new target for cervical cancer treatment. Finally, Kaplan-Meier survival curves found outnine representative genes significantly related to survival rate including BTNL8, CCR7, CD1E, CD6, CD27, CD79A, GRAP2, SP1B, LY9. CONCLUSIONS These genes can be used as markers for the prognosis and diagnosis of cervical cancer and also might be used as treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lirong Yang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Mingyao Meng
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China
| | - Wenju Wang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China
| | - Shan He
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China
| | - Yiyi Zhao
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China
| | - Hui Gao
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China
| | - Shijie Liu
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Zhuying Lin
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Lin Li
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China.
| | - Zongliu Hou
- Central Laboratory of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunological Prevention and Treatment of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China; Yunnan Cell Biology and Clinical Translation Research Center, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650000, China.
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Li W, Deng C, Yang H, Lu X, Li S, Liu X, Chen F, Chen L, Shu X, Zhang L, Liu Q, Wang G, Peng Q. Expansion of circulating peripheral TIGIT+CD226+ CD4 T cells with enhanced effector functions in dermatomyositis. Arthritis Res Ther 2021; 23:15. [PMID: 33413573 PMCID: PMC7791775 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-020-02397-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND T cell Ig and ITIM domain (TIGIT)/CD226 pathway has a critical role in regulating T cell responses and has come to the forefront in cancer as a promising immunotherapeutic target. However, its role in autoimmune diseases is just beginning to be elucidated. Dermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune disease, in which T cell dysregulation plays a pivotal role, and importantly, it is a common immune-related adverse event in response to treatment of cancers with immune checkpoint inhibitors, but no studies have implicated the TIGIT/CD226 axis in DM. METHODS We recruited 30 treatment-naïve DM patients and 26 healthy controls. Flow cytometry analysis was used to investigate the co-expression of TIGIT and CD226 on T cells in blood samples. Magnetic bead or FACS-based cell isolation, T cell proliferation assay, and intracellular cytokine staining were performed to analyze the functions of different TIGIT/CD226 phenotypes. Recombinant proteins CD155, CD112, and anti-CD226 antibodies were used to suppress the function of TIGIT/CD226-expressing CD4 T cells. RESULTS Four distinct subsets of T cells based on TIGIT/CD226 co-expression, TIGIT+CD226-, TIGIT+CD226+, TIGIT-CD226+, and TIGIT-CD226-, were identified and characterized in DM patients. Our data showed that the function of CD4 T cell subset varied by the TIGIT/CD226 phenotype. An elevated TIGIT+CD226+ CD4 subset with enhanced effector function was observed in patients with DM, especially the patients complicated with interstitial lung disease. This subpopulation was closely related to DM activity and decreased significantly in DM remission after treatment. Furthermore, the effector function of TIGIT+CD226+ CD4 subset could be suppressed by blocking CD226. CONCLUSION Our data revealed that the TIGIT and CD226 expression profiles could be used to identify functionally distinct subsets of CD4 T cells and TIGIT+CD226+ CD4 T cells is a significant subset in DM with enhanced frequency and effector function. This abnormal subset could be suppressed by blocking CD226, providing insight into the therapeutic target of the TIGIT/CD226 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenli Li
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuiwen Deng
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hanbo Yang
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanshan Li
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang Chen
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Lida Chen
- Department of Blood Transfusion, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoming Shu
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingyan Liu
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Guochun Wang
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinglin Peng
- Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Ying Hua East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.
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Guo Y, Feng Y, Fan P, Yao X, Peng Y, Wang R, Kuerban G. Expression and Clinical Significance of KLRG1 and 2B4 on T Cells in the Peripheral Blood and Tumour of Patients with Cervical Cancer. Immunol Invest 2021; 51:670-687. [PMID: 33401997 DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2020.1867567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background: Killer cell lectin-like receptor G1 (KLRG1) and 2B4 play important roles in the immune regulation and immune tolerance to tumor cells by inhibiting T cell function. However, the clinical relevance of KLRG1 and 2B4 to cervical cancer remains to be understood.Methods: We measured the frequency of KLRG1+ or 2B4+ cells in CD4+ or CD8 + T cells derived from peripheral blood or tumour biopsies in cervical cancer patients by flow cytometry.Results: Compared with healthy controls, the level of KLRG1 and 2B4 on CD8 + T cells in the blood of the patients increased significantly (P = .0056 and .0441). KLRG1 level on CD8 + T cells and 2B4 level on CD4 + T cells in peripheral blood were significantly higher than in tumor tissues (P < .0001 and P = .0003). Higher KLRG1 level on blood-derived CD8 + T cells was observed in patients older than 54 years (P = .001) or tested to be HPV-negative (P = .026). Tumor-infiltrated CD8 + T cells demonstrated elevated KLRG1 level in patients having pelvic lymph node metastasis (P = .016). Increased 2B4 level on blood-derived CD8 + T cells was also observed in patients older than 54 years (P < .001). KLRG1 expression on both CD4 + T (P = .0158) and CD8 + T (P = .0187) cells in the peripheral blood increased after radiotherapy.Conclusion: KLRG1 level on T cells was related to age and HPV in patients with cervical cancer, while 2B4 level on T cells was related to age, underlying their roles in the host immune response to cervical cancer. Radiotherapy can improve the immune function of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuping Guo
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Yaning Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Peiwen Fan
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Xuan Yao
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute (CAMS Oxford Institute), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yanchun Peng
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute (CAMS Oxford Institute), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ruozheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Gulina Kuerban
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
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33
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Preillon J, Cuende J, Rabolli V, Garnero L, Mercier M, Wald N, Pappalardo A, Denies S, Jamart D, Michaux AC, Pirson R, Pitard V, Bagot M, Prasad S, Houthuys E, Brouwer M, Marillier R, Lambolez F, Marchante JR, Nyawouame F, Carter MJ, Baron-Bodo V, Marie-Cardine A, Cragg M, Déchanet-Merville J, Driessens G, Hoofd C. Restoration of T-cell Effector Function, Depletion of Tregs, and Direct Killing of Tumor Cells: The Multiple Mechanisms of Action of a-TIGIT Antagonist Antibodies. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:121-131. [PMID: 33277440 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
TIGIT is an immune checkpoint inhibitor expressed by effector CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, NK cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs). Inhibition of TIGIT-ligand binding using antagonistic anti-TIGIT mAbs has shown in vitro potential to restore T-cell function and therapeutic efficacy in murine tumor models when combined with an anti-PD(L)-1 antibody. In the current work, we demonstrate broader TIGIT expression than previously reported in healthy donors and patients with cancer with expression on γδ T cells, particularly in CMV-seropositive donors, and on tumor cells from hematologic malignancies. Quantification of TIGIT density revealed tumor-infiltrating Tregs as the population expressing the highest receptor density. Consequently, the therapeutic potential of anti-TIGIT mAbs might be wider than the previously described anti-PD(L)-1-like restoration of αβ T-cell function. CD155 also mediated inhibition of γδ T cells, an immune population not previously described to be sensitive to TIGIT inhibition, which could be fully prevented via use of an antagonistic anti-TIGIT mAb (EOS-448). In PBMCs from patients with cancer, as well as in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from mice, the higher TIGIT expression in Tregs correlated with strong antibody-dependent killing and preferential depletion of this highly immunosuppressive population. Accordingly, the ADCC/ADCP-enabling format of the anti-TIGIT mAb had superior antitumor activity, which was dependent upon Fcγ receptor engagement. In addition, the anti-TIGIT mAb was able to induce direct killing of TIGIT-expressing tumor cells both in human patient material and in animal models, providing strong rationale for therapeutic intervention in hematologic malignancies. These findings reveal multiple therapeutic opportunities for anti-TIGIT mAbs in cancer therapeutics.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Neoplasm/immunology
- Antibodies, Neoplasm/pharmacology
- Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity/drug effects
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic/drug effects
- Female
- Healthy Volunteers
- Humans
- Immunoglobulin G/metabolism
- Lymphocyte Depletion
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/drug effects
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/metabolism
- Receptors, IgG/metabolism
- Receptors, Immunologic/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Immunologic/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/drug effects
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Preillon
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Julia Cuende
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Virginie Rabolli
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Lucile Garnero
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Marjorie Mercier
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Noémie Wald
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Angela Pappalardo
- ImmunoConcEpT, UMR 5164, Bordeaux University, CNRS, Bordeaux, France
| | - Sofie Denies
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Diane Jamart
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Romain Pirson
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Vincent Pitard
- ImmunoConcEpT, UMR 5164, Bordeaux University, CNRS, Bordeaux, France
| | - Martine Bagot
- INSERM U976, Université de Paris, Hôpital Saint Louis, Paris, France
| | - Shruthi Prasad
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Erica Houthuys
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Margreet Brouwer
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Reece Marillier
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Joäo R Marchante
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Mathew J Carter
- Antibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Cancer Sciences Unit, Southampton University Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Mark Cragg
- Antibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Cancer Sciences Unit, Southampton University Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gregory Driessens
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| | - Catherine Hoofd
- iTeos Therapeutics, Gosselies, Belgium and Cambridge, Massachusetts
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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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Guo L, Hua K. Cervical Cancer: Emerging Immune Landscape and Treatment. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:8037-8047. [PMID: 32884290 PMCID: PMC7434518 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s264312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune cells are essential for defending the body’s balance and have increasingly been implicated in controlling tumor growth. In cervical cancer (CC), the immune landscape is extensively connected with human papillomavirus (HPV) status. Recent insights from studies have revealed that as a result of infection with HPV, immune cell populations such as lymphocytes or monocytes change during carcinogenesis. Immune therapy, in particular checkpoint inhibitors, those targeting PD-1 or PD-L1, has shown promising efficacy. This article reviews the immune landscape and immunotherapy of CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luopei Guo
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - Keqin Hua
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai 200011, People's Republic of China
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36
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Łaniewski P, Cui H, Roe DJ, Chase DM, Herbst-Kralovetz MM. Vaginal microbiota, genital inflammation, and neoplasia impact immune checkpoint protein profiles in the cervicovaginal microenvironment. NPJ Precis Oncol 2020; 4:22. [PMID: 32802959 PMCID: PMC7398915 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-020-0126-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that the vaginal microbiota play a role in HPV persistence and cervical neoplasia development and progression. Here we examine a broad range of immune checkpoint proteins in the cervicovaginal microenvironment across cervical carcinogenesis and explore relationships among these key immunoregulatory proteins, the microbiota composition, and genital inflammation. First, we demonstrate that immune checkpoint molecules can be measured in cervicovaginal lavages. Secondly, we identify CD40, CD27, and TIM-3 to specifically discriminate cervical cancer from other groups and CD40, CD28, and TLR2 to positively correlate to genital inflammation. Finally, PD-L1 and LAG-3 levels negatively, whereas TLR2 positively correlate to health-associated Lactobacillus dominance. Overall, our study identifies immune checkpoint signatures associated with cervical neoplasm and illuminates the multifaceted microbiota-host immunity network in the local microenvironment. This study provides a foundation for future mechanistic studies and highlights the utility of cervicovaginal lavage profiling for predicting and monitoring response to cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Łaniewski
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine—Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ USA
| | - Haiyan Cui
- UA Cancer Center, University of Arizona, Phoenix/Tucson, AZ USA
| | - Denise J. Roe
- UA Cancer Center, University of Arizona, Phoenix/Tucson, AZ USA
| | - Dana M. Chase
- UA Cancer Center, University of Arizona, Phoenix/Tucson, AZ USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine–Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ USA
- Valleywise Health Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ USA
- Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ USA
- US Oncology, Phoenix, AZ USA
| | - Melissa M. Herbst-Kralovetz
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine—Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ USA
- UA Cancer Center, University of Arizona, Phoenix/Tucson, AZ USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine–Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ USA
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37
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Kooshkaki O, Derakhshani A, Safarpour H, Najafi S, Vahedi P, Brunetti O, Torabi M, Lotfinejad P, Paradiso AV, Racanelli V, Silvestris N, Baradaran B. The Latest Findings of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitor Application in Gynecologic Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E5034. [PMID: 32708748 PMCID: PMC7404077 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21145034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gynecologic cancers account for approximately 11% of the newly diagnosed cancers in women in the United States and for 18% globally. The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) influences the clinical outcome of cancer patients and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including anti programmed cell death protein-1 (anti-PD-1), anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1), and anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (anti-CTLA-4), which have been approved for treating different types of malignancies. Antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint have shown dynamic and durable tumor regressions, suggesting a rebalancing of the host-tumor interaction. There are several the US food and drug administration (FDA)-approved ICIs targeting PD-1, including pembrolizumab and nivolumab, as well as those targeting PD-L1, including avelumab, atezolizumab, and durvalumab for melanoma, renal cell cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, cervix cancer, urothelial cancer, and lung cancer. Current pre-clinical and clinical studies assessing PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in several gynecologic cancers have reported significant antitumor activity. In this review, we investigate pre-clinical and clinical studies that describe the safety and efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, with a particular focus on ongoing clinical trials, analyzing the oncological outcome and adverse effects of ICIs in gynecologic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Kooshkaki
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand 9717853577, Iran;
- Department of Immunology, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand 9717853577, Iran
| | - Afshin Derakhshani
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5165665811, Iran; (A.D.); (S.N.); (P.L.)
| | - Hossein Safarpour
- Cellular & Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand 9717853577, Iran;
| | - Souzan Najafi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5165665811, Iran; (A.D.); (S.N.); (P.L.)
| | - Parviz Vahedi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh 5165665931, Iran;
| | - Oronzo Brunetti
- Medical Oncology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II” of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy;
| | - Mitra Torabi
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5165665811, Iran;
| | - Parisa Lotfinejad
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5165665811, Iran; (A.D.); (S.N.); (P.L.)
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5166614766, Iran
| | - Angelo Virgilio Paradiso
- Institutional BioBank, Experimental Oncology and Biobank Management Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, 70124 Bari, Italy;
| | - Vito Racanelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy;
| | - Nicola Silvestris
- Medical Oncology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II” of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy;
| | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5165665811, Iran; (A.D.); (S.N.); (P.L.)
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5166614766, Iran
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38
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Wistuba-Hamprecht K, Gouttefangeas C, Weide B, Pawelec G. Immune Signatures and Survival of Patients With Metastatic Melanoma, Renal Cancer, and Breast Cancer. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1152. [PMID: 32582215 PMCID: PMC7296133 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite remarkable recent progress in treating solid cancers, especially the success of immunomodulatory antibody therapies for numerous different cancer types, it remains the case that many patients fail to respond to treatment. It is therefore of immense importance to identify biomarkers predicting clinical responses to treatment and patient survival, which would not only assist in targeting treatments to patients most likely to benefit, but might also provide mechanistic insights into the reasons for success or failure of the therapy. Several peripheral blood or tumor tissue diagnostic and predictive biomarkers known to be informative for cancer patient survival may be applicable for this purpose. The use of peripheral blood (“liquid biopsy”) offers numerous advantages not only for predicting treatment responses at baseline but also for monitoring patients on-therapy. Assessment of the tumor microenvironment and infiltrating immune cells also delivers important information on cancer-host interactions but the requirement for tumor tissues makes this more challenging, especially for monitoring sequential changes in the individual patient. In this contribution, we will review our findings on immune signatures potentially informative for clinical outcome in melanoma, breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma, particularly the outcome of checkpoint blockade, by applying multiparametric flow cytometry and mass cytometry, routine clinical monitoring and functional testing for predicting and following individual patient responses to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kilian Wistuba-Hamprecht
- Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Centre Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Immunoguiding Workgroup of the Cancer Immunotherapy Association (CIP/CIMT), Mainz, Germany
- *Correspondence: Kilian Wistuba-Hamprecht
| | - Cécile Gouttefangeas
- Immunoguiding Workgroup of the Cancer Immunotherapy Association (CIP/CIMT), Mainz, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Germany and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Weide
- Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Centre Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Graham Pawelec
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Germany and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Health Sciences North Research Institute, Sudbury, ON, Canada
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39
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Abd Hamid M, Peng Y, Dong T. Human cancer germline antigen-specific cytotoxic T cell-what can we learn from patient. Cell Mol Immunol 2020; 17:684-692. [PMID: 32451453 PMCID: PMC7331575 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-020-0468-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we will highlight the importance of cancer germline antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes (CTL) and the factors affecting antitumor CTL responses. In light of cancer immunotherapy, we will emphasis the need to further understand the features, characteristics, and actions of modulatory receptors of human cancer germline-specific CTLs, in order to determine the optimal conditions for antitumor CTL responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megat Abd Hamid
- Nufield Department of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yanchun Peng
- Nufield Department of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tao Dong
- Nufield Department of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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40
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Hargadon KM. Tumor microenvironmental influences on dendritic cell and T cell function: A focus on clinically relevant immunologic and metabolic checkpoints. Clin Transl Med 2020; 10:374-411. [PMID: 32508018 PMCID: PMC7240858 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is fast becoming one of the most promising means of treating malignant disease. Cancer vaccines, adoptive cell transfer therapies, and immune checkpoint blockade have all shown varying levels of success in the clinical management of several cancer types in recent years. However, despite the clinical benefits often achieved by these regimens, an ongoing problem for many patients is the inherent or acquired resistance of their cancer to immunotherapy. It is now appreciated that dendritic cells and T lymphocytes both play key roles in antitumor immune responses and that the tumor microenvironment presents a number of barriers to the function of these cells that can ultimately limit the success of immunotherapy. In particular, the engagement of several immunologic and metabolic checkpoints within the hostile tumor microenvironment can severely compromise the antitumor functions of these important immune populations. This review highlights work from both preclinical and clinical studies that has shaped our understanding of the tumor microenvironment and its influence on dendritic cell and T cell function. It focuses on clinically relevant targeted and immunotherapeutic strategies that have emerged from these studies in an effort to prevent or overcome immune subversion within the tumor microenvironment. Emphasis is also placed on the potential of next-generation combinatorial regimens that target metabolic and immunologic impediments to dendritic cell and T lymphocyte function as strategies to improve antitumor immune reactivity and the clinical outcome of cancer immunotherapy going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian M. Hargadon
- Hargadon LaboratoryDepartment of BiologyHampden‐Sydney CollegeHampden‐SydneyVirginiaUSA
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