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Basile A, Giudice V, Mettivier L, Falco A, Cammarota AL, D'Ardia A, Selleri C, De Marco M, De Maio N, Turco MC, Marzullo L, Rosati A. Tuning the B-CLL microenvironment: evidence for BAG3 protein- mediated regulation of stromal fibroblasts activity. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:383. [PMID: 39198407 PMCID: PMC11358476 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02153-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The Bcl2-associated athanogene-3 (BAG3) protein, a critical regulator of cellular survival, has been identified as a potential therapeutic target in various malignancies. This study investigates the role of BAG3 within stromal fibroblasts and its interaction with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells. Previous research demonstrated that BAG3 maintains the active state of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and aids pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) spread via cytokine release. To explore BAG3's role in bone marrow-derived stromal fibroblasts, BAG3 was silenced in HS-5 cells using siRNA. In co-culture experiments with PBMCs from B-CLL patients, BAG3 silencing in HS-5 cells increased apoptosis and decreased phosphorylation of BTK, AKT, and ERK in B-CLL cells, thus disrupting their pro-survival key signaling pathways. The observation of fibroblast-activated protein (FAP) positive cells in infiltrated bone marrow specimens co-expressing BAG3 further support the involvement of the protein in fibroblast-mediated tumor survival. Additionally, BAG3 appears to support B-CLL survival by modulating cytokine networks, including IL-10 and CXCL12, which are essential for leukemic cell survival and proliferation. A robust correlation between BAG3 expression and the levels of CXCL12 and IL-10 was observed in both co-cultures and patient specimens. These findings point out the need for a more in-depth comprehension of the intricate network of interactions within the tumor microenvironment and provide valuable insights for the selection of new potential therapeutic targets in the medical treatment of CLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Basile
- Department of Sanitary Hygiene and Evaluative Medicine U.O.C. Clinical and Microbiological Pathology, University Hospital "San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona", Salerno, Italy
| | - Valentina Giudice
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Schola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital "San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona", Salerno, Italy
| | - Laura Mettivier
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital "San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona", Salerno, Italy
| | - Antonia Falco
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Schola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Anna Lisa Cammarota
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Schola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Angela D'Ardia
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Schola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Carmine Selleri
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Schola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital "San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona", Salerno, Italy
| | - Margot De Marco
- Department of Sanitary Hygiene and Evaluative Medicine U.O.C. Clinical and Microbiological Pathology, University Hospital "San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona", Salerno, Italy
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Schola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
- FIBROSYS s.r.l. Academic Spin-off, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Nicola De Maio
- FIBROSYS s.r.l. Academic Spin-off, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Maria Caterina Turco
- Department of Sanitary Hygiene and Evaluative Medicine U.O.C. Clinical and Microbiological Pathology, University Hospital "San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona", Salerno, Italy
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Schola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
- FIBROSYS s.r.l. Academic Spin-off, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Liberato Marzullo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Schola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
- FIBROSYS s.r.l. Academic Spin-off, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rosati
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Schola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy.
- FIBROSYS s.r.l. Academic Spin-off, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy.
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Pang Y, Ghosh N. Novel and multiple targets for chimeric antigen receptor-based therapies in lymphoma. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1396395. [PMID: 38711850 PMCID: PMC11070555 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1396395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy targeting CD19 in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) validates the utility of CAR-based therapy for lymphomatous malignancies. Despite the success, treatment failure due to CD19 antigen loss, mutation, or down-regulation remains the main obstacle to cure. On-target, off-tumor effect of CD19-CAR T leads to side effects such as prolonged B-cell aplasia, limiting the application of therapy in indolent diseases such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Alternative CAR targets and multi-specific CAR are potential solutions to improving cellular therapy outcomes in B-NHL. For Hodgkin lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma, several cell surface antigens have been studied as CAR targets, some of which already showed promising results in clinical trials. Some antigens are expressed by different lymphomas and could be used for designing tumor-agnostic CAR. Here, we reviewed the antigens that have been studied for novel CAR-based therapies, as well as CARs designed to target two or more antigens in the treatment of lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Pang
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Charlotte, NC, United States
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Karsten H, Matrisch L, Cichutek S, Fiedler W, Alsdorf W, Block A. Broadening the horizon: potential applications of CAR-T cells beyond current indications. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1285406. [PMID: 38090582 PMCID: PMC10711079 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1285406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineering immune cells to treat hematological malignancies has been a major focus of research since the first resounding successes of CAR-T-cell therapies in B-ALL. Several diseases can now be treated in highly therapy-refractory or relapsed conditions. Currently, a number of CD19- or BCMA-specific CAR-T-cell therapies are approved for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), multiple myeloma (MM), and follicular lymphoma (FL). The implementation of these therapies has significantly improved patient outcome and survival even in cases with previously very poor prognosis. In this comprehensive review, we present the current state of research, recent innovations, and the applications of CAR-T-cell therapy in a selected group of hematologic malignancies. We focus on B- and T-cell malignancies, including the entities of cutaneous and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (T-ALL, PTCL, CTCL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), classical Hodgkin-Lymphoma (HL), Burkitt-Lymphoma (BL), hairy cell leukemia (HCL), and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM). While these diseases are highly heterogenous, we highlight several similarly used approaches (combination with established therapeutics, target depletion on healthy cells), targets used in multiple diseases (CD30, CD38, TRBC1/2), and unique features that require individualized approaches. Furthermore, we focus on current limitations of CAR-T-cell therapy in individual diseases and entities such as immunocompromising tumor microenvironment (TME), risk of on-target-off-tumor effects, and differences in the occurrence of adverse events. Finally, we present an outlook into novel innovations in CAR-T-cell engineering like the use of artificial intelligence and the future role of CAR-T cells in therapy regimens in everyday clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Karsten
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ludwig Matrisch
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Sophia Cichutek
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Division of Pneumology, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Walter Fiedler
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Division of Pneumology, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Winfried Alsdorf
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Division of Pneumology, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Block
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Division of Pneumology, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Jain N, Senapati J, Thakral B, Ferrajoli A, Thompson P, Burger J, Basu S, Kadia T, Daver N, Borthakur G, Konopleva M, Pemmaraju N, Parry E, Wu CJ, Khoury J, Bueso-Ramos C, Garg N, Wang X, Lopez W, Ayala A, O’Brien S, Kantarjian H, Keating M, Allison J, Sharma P, Wierda W. A phase 2 study of nivolumab combined with ibrutinib in patients with diffuse large B-cell Richter transformation of CLL. Blood Adv 2023; 7:1958-1966. [PMID: 36287248 PMCID: PMC10189379 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022008790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Richter transformation (RT) is a rare complication of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that has dismal outcomes. Upregulation of PD-1/PD-L1 drives immunological evasion in patients with RT. We hypothesized that combining nivolumab, a PD-1 blocking antibody, with the BTK inhibitor (BTKi) ibrutinib could potentiate tumor-cell killing. We conducted an investigator-initiated phase 2 clinical trial to assess the efficacy of combined nivolumab and ibrutinib in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) RT and CLL. Patients included were ≥18 years of age with adequate hepatic and renal function. Patients received nivolumab every 2 weeks of a 4-week cycle for a maximum of 24 cycles. A standard dose ibrutinib was initiated from cycle 2 onward and continued daily until progression. For patients who were already on ibrutinib at the time of study entry, the same was continued while nivolumab was initiated. A total of 24 patients with RT with a median age of 64.5 years (range, 47-88) were enrolled. Ten patients (42%) had received prior treatment for RT and 13 patients (54%) had received a prior BTKi. A total of 10 patients (42%) responded with a median duration of response of 15 months. The median overall survival was 13 months. Four of 24 (17%) patients had checkpoint inhibition-related immunological toxicities. In the CLL cohort, 10 patients were enrolled, of whom 3 patients converted from partial to complete remission; 1 patient had a grade 2 immunological toxicity. Combined nivolumab and ibrutinib is an active regimen for patients with DLBCL RT with an overall response rate of 42%. Given the limited treatment options for patients with RT, checkpoint inhibition provides a potential therapeutic option. This trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02420912.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Jain
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jayastu Senapati
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Beenu Thakral
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Alessandra Ferrajoli
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Philip Thompson
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jan Burger
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Sreyashi Basu
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Tapan Kadia
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Naval Daver
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Gautam Borthakur
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Marina Konopleva
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Naveen Pemmaraju
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Erin Parry
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Catherine J. Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Joseph Khoury
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Carlos Bueso-Ramos
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Naveen Garg
- Department of Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Xuemei Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Wanda Lopez
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Ana Ayala
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Susan O’Brien
- Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA
| | - Hagop Kantarjian
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Michael Keating
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - James Allison
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Padmanee Sharma
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - William Wierda
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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