1
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Lefler DS, Manobianco SA, Bashir B. Immunotherapy resistance in solid tumors: mechanisms and potential solutions. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2315655. [PMID: 38389121 PMCID: PMC10896138 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2315655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
While the emergence of immunotherapies has fundamentally altered the management of solid tumors, cancers exploit many complex biological mechanisms that result in resistance to these agents. These encompass a broad range of cellular activities - from modification of traditional paradigms of immunity via antigen presentation and immunoregulation to metabolic modifications and manipulation of the tumor microenvironment. Intervening on these intricate processes may provide clinical benefit in patients with solid tumors by overcoming resistance to immunotherapies, which is why it has become an area of tremendous research interest with practice-changing implications. This review details the major ways cancers avoid both natural immunity and immunotherapies through primary (innate) and secondary (acquired) mechanisms of resistance, and it considers available and emerging therapeutic approaches to overcoming immunotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S. Lefler
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Steven A. Manobianco
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Babar Bashir
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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2
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Yang L, Wang Q, He L, Sun X. The critical role of tumor microbiome in cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2301801. [PMID: 38241173 PMCID: PMC10802201 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2301801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the microbiome has shown an integral role in cancer immunotherapy and has become a prominent and widely studied topic. A full understanding of the interactions between the tumor microbiome and various immunotherapies offers opportunities for immunotherapy of cancer. This review scrutinizes the composition of the tumor microbiome, the mechanism of microbial immune regulation, the influence of tumor microorganisms on tumor metastasis, and the interaction between tumor microorganisms and immunotherapy. In addition, this review also summarizes the challenges and opportunities of immunotherapy through tumor microbes, as well as the prospects and directions for future related research. In conclusion, the potential of microbial immunotherapy to enhance treatment outcomes for cancer patients should not be underestimated. Through this review, it is hoped that more research on tumor microbial immunotherapy will be done to better solve the treatment problems of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Yang
- School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Lijuan He
- Department of Health Management Center, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xingyu Sun
- Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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3
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Liu YH, Chen J, Chen X, Liu H. Factors of faecal microbiota transplantation applied to cancer management. J Drug Target 2024; 32:101-114. [PMID: 38174845 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2023.2299724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The homeostasis of the microbiota is essential for human health. In particular, the gut microbiota plays a critical role in the regulation of the immune system. Thus, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), a technology that has rapidly developed in the last decade, has specifically been utilised for the treatment of intestinal inflammation and has recently been found to be able to treat tumours in combination with immunotherapy. FMT has become a breakthrough in enhancing the response rate to immunotherapy in cancer patients by altering the composition of the patient's gut microbiota. This review discusses the mechanisms of faecal microorganism effects on tumour development, drug treatment efficacy, and adverse effects and describes the recent clinical research trials on FMT. Moreover, the factors influencing the efficacy and safety of FMT are described. We summarise the possibilities of faecal transplantation in the treatment of tumours and its complications and propose directions to explore the development of FMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Huang Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Research Center of Molecular Metabolomics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Juan Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Research Center of Molecular Metabolomics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Research Center of Molecular Metabolomics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Research Center of Molecular Metabolomics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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4
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Zhang W, Ling J, Xu B, Wang J, Chen Z, Li G. Gut microbiome-mediated monocytes promote liver metastasis. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 133:111877. [PMID: 38608440 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The gut microbiome plays an important role in tumor growth by regulating immune cell function. However, the role of the gut microbiome-mediated monocytes in liver metastasis remains unclear. In this study, we found that fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) from the stool of patients with liver metastasis (LM) significantly promoted liver metastasis compared with healthy donors (HD). Monocytes were upregulated in liver tissues by the CCL2/CCR2 axis in LM patients' stool transplanted mouse model. CCL2/CCR2 inhibition and monocyte depletion significantly suppress liver metastasis. FMT using LM patients' stool enhanced the plasma lipopolysaccharides (LPS) concentration. The LPS/TLR4 signaling pathway is crucial for gut microbiome-mediated liver metastasis. These results indicated that monocytes contribute to liver metastasis via the CCL2/CCR2 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhong Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai 201200, China
| | - Jie Ling
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai 201200, China
| | - Baiying Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai 201200, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai 201200, China
| | - Zexu Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai 201200, China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai 201200, China.
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5
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Zhang L, Yu L. The role of the microscopic world: Exploring the role and potential of intratumoral microbiota in cancer immunotherapy. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e38078. [PMID: 38758914 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000038078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, coexist in the human body, forming a symbiotic microbiota that plays a vital role in human health and disease. Intratumoral microbial components have been discovered in various tumor tissues and are closely linked to the occurrence, progression, and treatment results of cancer. The intratumoral microbiota can enhance antitumor immunity through mechanisms such as activating the stimulator of interferon genes signaling pathway, stimulating T and NK cells, promoting the formation of TLS, and facilitating antigen presentation. Conversely, the intratumoral microbiota might suppress antitumor immune responses by increasing reactive oxygen species levels, creating an anti-inflammatory environment, inducing T cell inactivation, and enhancing immune suppression, thereby promoting cancer progression. The impact of intratumoral microbiota on antitumor immunity varies based on microbial composition, interactions with cancer cells, and the cancer's current state. A deep understanding of the complex interactions between intratumoral microbiota and antitumor immunity holds the potential to bring new therapeutic strategies and targets to cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqiang Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Liang Yu
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Weifang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang City, Shandong Province, China
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6
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Davoutis E, Gkiafi Z, Lykoudis PM. Bringing gut microbiota into the spotlight of clinical research and medical practice. World J Clin Cases 2024; 12:2293-2300. [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i14.2293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the increasing scientific interest and expanding role of gut microbiota (GM) in human health, it is rarely reported in case reports and deployed in clinical practice. Proteins and metabolites produced by microbiota contribute to immune system development, energy homeostasis and digestion. Exo- and endogenous factors can alter its composition. Disturbance of microbiota, also known as dysbiosis, is associated with various pathological conditions. Specific bacterial taxa and related metabolites are involved in disease pathogenesis and therefore can serve as a diagnostic tool. GM could also be a useful prognostic factor by predicting future disease onset and preventing hospital-associated infections. Additionally, it can influence response to treatments, including those for cancers, by altering drug bioavailability. A thorough understanding of its function has permitted significant development in therapeutics, such as probiotics and fecal transplantation. Hence, GM should be considered as a ground-breaking biological parameter, and it is advisable to be investigated and reported in literature in a more consistent and systematic way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efstathia Davoutis
- School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Zoi Gkiafi
- School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Panagis M Lykoudis
- School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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7
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Chapman NM, Chi H. Metabolic rewiring and communication in cancer immunity. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:862-883. [PMID: 38428418 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The immune system shapes tumor development and progression. Although immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment, its overall efficacy remains limited, underscoring the need to uncover mechanisms to improve therapeutic effects. Metabolism-associated processes, including intracellular metabolic reprogramming and intercellular metabolic crosstalk, are emerging as instructive signals for anti-tumor immunity. Here, we first summarize the roles of intracellular metabolic pathways in controlling immune cell function in the tumor microenvironment. How intercellular metabolic communication regulates anti-tumor immunity, and the impact of metabolites or nutrients on signaling events, are also discussed. We then describe how targeting metabolic pathways in tumor cells or intratumoral immune cells or via nutrient-based interventions may boost cancer immunotherapies. Finally, we conclude with discussions on profiling and functional perturbation methods of metabolic activity in intratumoral immune cells, and perspectives on future directions. Uncovering the mechanisms for metabolic rewiring and communication in the tumor microenvironment may enable development of novel cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Chapman
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hongbo Chi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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8
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Li Z, Xiong W, Liang Z, Wang J, Zeng Z, Kołat D, Li X, Zhou D, Xu X, Zhao L. Critical role of the gut microbiota in immune responses and cancer immunotherapy. J Hematol Oncol 2024; 17:33. [PMID: 38745196 PMCID: PMC11094969 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-024-01541-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota plays a critical role in the progression of human diseases, especially cancer. In recent decades, there has been accumulating evidence of the connections between the gut microbiota and cancer immunotherapy. Therefore, understanding the functional role of the gut microbiota in regulating immune responses to cancer immunotherapy is crucial for developing precision medicine. In this review, we extract insights from state-of-the-art research to decipher the complicated crosstalk among the gut microbiota, the systemic immune system, and immunotherapy in the context of cancer. Additionally, as the gut microbiota can account for immune-related adverse events, we discuss potential interventions to minimize these adverse effects and discuss the clinical application of five microbiota-targeted strategies that precisely increase the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Finally, as the gut microbiota holds promising potential as a target for precision cancer immunotherapeutics, we summarize current challenges and provide a general outlook on future directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehua Li
- Department of Plastic and Burn Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), CAMS Oxford Institute (COI), Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
| | - Weixi Xiong
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhu Liang
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), CAMS Oxford Institute (COI), Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
- Target Discovery Institute, Center for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
| | - Jinyu Wang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ziyi Zeng
- Department of Neonatology, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Damian Kołat
- Department of Functional Genomics, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
- Department of Biomedicine and Experimental Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Xi Li
- Department of Urology, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation, Oxford, UK
| | - Dong Zhou
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuewen Xu
- Department of Plastic and Burn Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Linyong Zhao
- Department of General Surgery and Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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9
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Liu X, Li S, Ma K, Wang L. Microecological regulation in HCC therapy: Gut microbiome enhances ICI treatment. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024:167230. [PMID: 38734322 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
The exploration of the complex mechanisms of cancer immunotherapy is rapidly evolving worldwide, and our focus is on the interaction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), particularly as it relates to the regulatory role of the gut microbiome. An important basis for the induction of immune responses in HCC is the presence of specific anti-tumor cells that can be activated and reinforced by ICIs, which is why the application of ICIs results in sustained tumor response rates in the majority of HCC patients. However, mechanisms of acquired resistance to immunotherapy in unresectable HCC result in no long-term benefit for some patients. The significant heterogeneity of inter-individual differences in the gut microbiome in response to treatment with ICIs makes it possible to target modulation of specific gut microbes to assist in augmenting checkpoint blockade therapies in HCC. This review focuses on the complex relationship between the gut microbiome, host immunity, and HCC, and emphasizes that manipulating the gut microbiome to improve response rates to cancer ICI therapy is a clinical strategy with unlimited potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuliang Liu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Shiyao Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Kexin Ma
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
| | - Liming Wang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China; Engineering Research Center for New Materials and Precision Treatment Technology of Malignant Tumors Therapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China; Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
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10
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Kim CW, Kim HJ, Lee HK. Microbiome dynamics in immune checkpoint blockade. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2024:S1043-2760(24)00096-1. [PMID: 38705760 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is one of the leading immunotherapies, although a variable extent of resistance has been observed among patients and across cancer types. Among the efforts underway to overcome this challenge, the microbiome has emerged as a factor affecting the responsiveness and efficacy of ICB. Active research, facilitated by advances in sequencing techniques, is assessing the predominant influence of the intestinal microbiome, as well as the effects of the presence of an intratumoral microbiome. In this review, we describe recent findings from clinical trials, observational studies of human patients, and animal studies on the impact of the microbiome on the efficacy of ICB, highlighting the role of the intestinal and tumor microbiomes and the contribution of methodological advances in their study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chae Won Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea; Life Science Institute, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Jin Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea; Life Science Institute, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Heung Kyu Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Ma Y, Wang T, Zhang X, Wang P, Long F. The role of circular RNAs in regulating resistance to cancer immunotherapy: mechanisms and implications. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:312. [PMID: 38697964 PMCID: PMC11066075 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06698-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has rapidly transformed cancer treatment, yet resistance remains a significant hurdle, limiting its efficacy in many patients. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of non-coding RNAs, have emerged as pivotal regulators of gene expression and cellular processes. Increasing evidence indicates their involvement in modulating resistance to cancer immunotherapy. Notably, certain circRNAs function as miRNA sponges or interact with proteins, influencing the expression of immune-related genes, including crucial immune checkpoint molecules. This, in turn, shapes the tumor microenvironment and significantly impacts the response to immunotherapy. In this comprehensive review, we explore the evolving role of circRNAs in orchestrating resistance to cancer immunotherapy, with a specific focus on their mechanisms in influencing immune checkpoint gene expression. Additionally, we underscore the potential of circRNAs as promising therapeutic targets to augment the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. Understanding the role of circRNAs in cancer immunotherapy resistance could contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Ma
- Department of Clinical Research, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Clinical Research, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xudong Zhang
- Department of Clinical Research, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Pinghan Wang
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Affiliated Women's and Children's Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610032, China
| | - Fangyi Long
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Affiliated Women's and Children's Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610032, China.
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12
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Masheghati F, Asgharzadeh MR, Jafari A, Masoudi N, Maleki-Kakelar H. The role of gut microbiota and probiotics in preventing, treating, and boosting the immune system in colorectal cancer. Life Sci 2024; 344:122529. [PMID: 38490297 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The gut microbiome plays a significant role in developing colorectal cancer (CRC). The gut microbiome usually acts as a protective barrier against harmful pathogens and infections in the intestine, while also regulating inflammation by affecting the human immune system. The gut microbiota and probiotics play a role not only in intestinal inflammation associated with tumor formation but also in regulating anti-cancer immune response. As a result, they associated with tumor progression and the effectiveness of anti-cancer therapies. Research indicates that gut microbiota and probiotics can be used as biomarkers to predict the impact of immunotherapy and enhance its efficacy in treating CRC by regulating it. This review examines the importance of gut microbiota and probiotics in the development and progression of CRC, as well as their synergistic impact on anti-cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forough Masheghati
- Solid Tumor Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | | | - Abbas Jafari
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Naser Masoudi
- Solid Tumor Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran; Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Hadi Maleki-Kakelar
- Solid Tumor Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
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13
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Xiao T, Lee J, Gauntner TD, Velegraki M, Lathia JD, Li Z. Hallmarks of sex bias in immuno-oncology: mechanisms and therapeutic implications. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:338-355. [PMID: 38589557 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-024-00680-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences are present across multiple non-reproductive organ cancers, with male individuals generally experiencing higher incidence of cancer with poorer outcomes. Although some mechanisms underlying these differences are emerging, the immunological basis is not well understood. Observations from clinical trials also suggest a sex bias in conventional immunotherapies with male individuals experiencing a more favourable response and female individuals experiencing more severe adverse events to immune checkpoint blockade. In this Perspective article, we summarize the major biological hallmarks underlying sex bias in immuno-oncology. We focus on signalling from sex hormones and chromosome-encoded gene products, along with sex hormone-independent and chromosome-independent epigenetic mechanisms in tumour and immune cells such as myeloid cells and T cells. Finally, we highlight opportunities for future studies on sex differences that integrate sex hormones and chromosomes and other emerging cancer hallmarks such as ageing and the microbiome to provide a more comprehensive view of how sex differences underlie the response in cancer that can be leveraged for more effective immuno-oncology approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Xiao
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-The James, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Juyeun Lee
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Timothy D Gauntner
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-The James, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Maria Velegraki
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-The James, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Justin D Lathia
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumour Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Zihai Li
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-The James, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Morita A, Ichihara E, Inoue K, Fujiwara K, Yokoyama T, Harada D, Ando C, Kano H, Oda N, Tamura T, Ochi N, Kawai H, Inoue M, Hara N, Fujimoto N, Ichikawa H, Oze I, Hotta K, Maeda Y, Kiura K. Impacts of probiotics on the efficacies of immune checkpoint inhibitors with or without chemotherapy for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Int J Cancer 2024; 154:1607-1615. [PMID: 38196128 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
The relationships between the therapeutic effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and the intestinal flora have attracted increasing attention. However, the effects of oral probiotics on the efficacies of ICIs used to treat non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear. We investigated the effects of probiotics on the efficacies of ICIs in patients treated with and without chemotherapy. We investigated patients with advanced NSCLC on ICI monotherapy or combination ICI and chemotherapy using the Okayama Lung Cancer Study Group Immunotherapy Database (OLCSG-ID) and the Okayama Lung Cancer Study Group Immunochemotherapy Database (OLCSG-ICD). In total, 927 patients (482 on ICI monotherapy, 445 on an ICI + chemotherapy) were enrolled. Most were male, of good performance status, smokers, and without epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutations. Probiotics were administered to 19% of patients on ICI monotherapies and 17% of those on ICIs + chemotherapy. Of the former patients, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly better in the probiotics group (PFS 7.9 vs. 2.9 months, hazard ratio [HR] 0.54, p < .001; OS not attained vs. 13.1 months, HR 0.45, p < .001). Among patients receiving ICI and chemotherapy, there were no significant differences in PFS between those on probiotics and not but OS was significantly better in the probiotics group (PFS 8.8 vs. 8.6 months, HR 0.89, p = .43; OS not attained vs. 22.6 months, HR 0.61, p = .03). Patients on probiotics experienced better outcomes following ICI treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Morita
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Eiki Ichihara
- Center for Clinical Oncology, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Koji Inoue
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Keiichi Fujiwara
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, NHO Okayama Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Toshihide Yokoyama
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ohara Healthcare Foundation, Kurashiki Central Hospital, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Daijiro Harada
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, NHO Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Chihiro Ando
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Okayama Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Kano
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Okayama Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Naohiro Oda
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Fukuyama City Hospital, Fukuyama, Japan
| | - Tomoki Tamura
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, NHO Iwakuni Clinical Center, Iwakuni, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Ochi
- Department of General Internal Medicine 4, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan
| | - Haruyuki Kawai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Okayama Saiseikai General Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Masaaki Inoue
- Department of Chest Surgery, Shimonoseki City Hospital, Shimonoseki, Japan
| | - Naofumi Hara
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama Rosai Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Nobukazu Fujimoto
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama Rosai Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Ichikawa
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, KKR Takamatsu Hospital, Takamatsu, Japan
| | - Isao Oze
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Hotta
- Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Maeda
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Kiura
- Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
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15
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Wang W, Fan J, Zhang C, Huang Y, Chen Y, Fu S, Wu J. Targeted modulation of gut and intra-tumor microbiota to improve the quality of immune checkpoint inhibitor responses. Microbiol Res 2024; 282:127668. [PMID: 38430889 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies, such as those blocking the interaction of PD-1 with its ligands, can restore the immune-killing function of T cells. However, ICI therapy is clinically beneficial in only a small number of patients, and it is difficult to predict post-treatment outcomes, thereby limiting its widespread clinical use. Research suggests that gut microbiota can regulate the host immune system and affect cancer progression and treatment. Moreover, the effectiveness of immunotherapy is related to the composition of the patient's gut microbiota; different gut microbial strains can either activate or inhibit the immune response. However, the importance of the microbial composition within the tumor has not been explored until recently. This study describes recent advances in the crosstalk between microbes in tumors and gut microbiota, which can modulate the tumor microbiome by directly translocating into the tumor and altering the tumor microenvironment. This study focused on the potential manipulation of the tumor and gut microbiota using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), probiotics, antimicrobials, prebiotics, and postbiotics to enrich immune-boosting bacteria while decreasing unfavorable bacteria to proactively improve the efficacy of ICI treatments. In addition, the use of genetic technologies and nanomaterials to modify microorganisms can largely optimize tumor immunotherapy and advance personalized and precise cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- WeiZhou Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - JunYing Fan
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Yuan Huang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Yue Chen
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - ShaoZhi Fu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
| | - JingBo Wu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
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16
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Felchle H, Gissibl J, Lansink Rotgerink L, Nefzger SM, Walther CN, Timnik VR, Combs SE, Fischer JC. Influence of intestinal microbial metabolites on the abscopal effect after radiation therapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 2024; 46:100758. [PMID: 38500667 PMCID: PMC10945164 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctro.2024.100758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Most clinical studies failed to elicit a strong antitumor immune response and subsequent systemic tumor regression after radiation therapy (RT), even in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) anti-CTLA4 or anti-PD1. Mechanistically, type I interferon (IFN-I) activation is essential for the development of such abscopal effects (AE); however, mechanisms driving or limiting IFN-I activation are ill defined. Groundbreaking discoveries have shown that antibiotics (ABx) can affect oncological outcomes and that microbiota-derived metabolites can modulate systemic antitumor immunity. Recent studies have demonstrated that the bacterial metabolites desaminotyrosine (DAT) and indole-3-carboxaldehyde (ICA) can enhance IFN-I activation in models of inflammatory diseases. Materials and Methods The subcutaneous bilateral MC38 tumor model is a widely used experimental tool to study the AE in mice. We applied it to explore the influence of broad-spectrum ABx, DAT and ICA on the AE after radioimmunotherapy (RIT). We performed 1x8 Gy of the primary tumor ± anti-CTLA4 or anti-PD1, and ± daily oral application of ABx or metabolites. Result Combinatory ABx had neither a significant effect on tumor growth of the irradiated tumor nor on tumor progression of the abscopal tumor after RIT with anti-CTLA4. Furthermore, DAT and ICA did not significantly impact on the AE after RIT with anti-CTLA4 or anti-PD1. Surprisingly, ICA even appears to reduce outcomes after RIT with anti-CTLA4. Conclusion We did not find a significant impact of combinatory ABx on the AE. Experimental application of the IFN-I-inducing metabolites DAT or ICA did not boost the AE after combined RIT. Additional studies are important to further investigate whether the intestinal microbiota or specific microbiota-derived metabolites modulate the AE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Felchle
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Gissibl
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Lansink Rotgerink
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sophie M. Nefzger
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Caroline N. Walther
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Vincent R. Timnik
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephanie E. Combs
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner-site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Radiation Medicine, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Julius C. Fischer
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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Likhitsup A, Fontana RJ. Diagnosis and management of immune mediated liver injury from checkpoint inhibitors. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 2024; 40:164-171. [PMID: 38375823 DOI: 10.1097/mog.0000000000001015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim is to summarize the latest data on the incidence, clinical manifestations, and management of immune- mediated liver injury from checkpoint inhibitors (ILICI). RECENT FINDINGS ILICI develops in 10-15% of oncology patients receiving immunotherapy with most having asymptomatic serum aminotransferase and/or alkaline phosphatase elevations. Most grade 1-2 ILICI patients improve with drug discontinuation and/or short-term oral corticosteroids. In contrast, the 2-3% with grade 3/4 hepatotoxicity frequently require oral or intravenous corticosteroids and some are hospitalized to initiate further immunosuppression with mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine. Liver biopsy is generally reserved for patients with atypical features or those with severe hepatotoxicity who fail to respond to treatment. Up to 3% of ILICI patients with a cholestatic profile have MRI evidence of intra or extrahepatic cholangitis that responds poorly to immunosuppression. Most ILICI patients improve during follow-up and liver-related death is very uncommon (<1%). Up to 30% of rechallenged ILICI patients develop recurrent hepatotoxicity with a shorter latency. SUMMARY ILICI is increasingly encountered by gastroenterologists evaluating oncology patients with abnormal liver biochemistries. A stepwise approach to exclude viral hepatitis, alcohol, hepatic metastases, and pancreaticobiliary disease is recommended. The majority of ILICI patients fully recover with ICI discontinuation and short-term corticosteroids or a second line immunosuppressant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Likhitsup
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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18
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Valsecchi AA, Ferrari G, Paratore C, Dionisio R, Vignani F, Sperone P, Vellani G, Novello S, Di Maio M. Gut and local microbiota in patients with cancer: increasing evidence and potential clinical applications. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 197:104328. [PMID: 38490281 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, cancer research has highlighted the role of disrupted microbiota in carcinogenesis and cancer recurrence. However, microbiota may also interfere with drug metabolism, influencing the efficacy of cancer drugs, especially immunotherapy, and modulating the onset of adverse events. Intestinal micro-organisms can be altered by external factors, such as use of antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors treatment, lifestyle and the use of prebiotics or probiotics. The aim of our review is to provide a picture of the current evidence about preclinical and clinical data of the role of gut and local microbiota in malignancies and its potential clinical role in cancer treatments. Standardization of microbiota sequencing approaches and its modulating strategies within prospective clinical trials could be intriguing for two aims: first, to provide novel potential biomarkers both for early cancer detection and for therapeutic effectiveness; second, to propose personalized and "microbiota-tailored" treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Amela Valsecchi
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgia Ferrari
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Chiara Paratore
- Department of Oncology, ASL TO4, Ivrea Community Hospital, Ivrea, Italy.
| | - Rossana Dionisio
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Mauriziano Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Vignani
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Mauriziano Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Paola Sperone
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Giorgio Vellani
- Department of Oncology, ASL TO4, Ivrea Community Hospital, Ivrea, Italy
| | - Silvia Novello
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Massimo Di Maio
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
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19
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Febriyanto T, Muhammad F, Wijaya W, Oey O, Simadibrata DM. Antibiotic use reduces the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with urothelial carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Urol Oncol 2024; 42:160.e11-160.e23. [PMID: 38101990 DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2023.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Antibiotics have been suggested to diminish the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) by alterations of the gut microbiota. OBJECTIVE To perform a meta-analysis summarizing the effect of antibiotics on the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of urothelial cancer (UC) patients receiving ICI. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION PubMed, EMBASE (Ovid), and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify studies published up to July 14, 2023. Studies reporting the associations between antibiotics use and OS and PFS in UC patients treated with ICI were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The random-effect model was used to pool the Hazard Ratios (HRs) for OS and PFS with 95% confidence interval (95%CI). The ROBINS-I was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies, while the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) framework was used to inform the quality of evidence. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS Thirteen nonrandomized studies involving a total of 5,095 ICI-treated UC patients were included in this review, of which 1434 (28%) received antibiotics. Overall, compared to patients who did not receive antibiotics, the pooled HRs for OS and PFS in those who received antibiotics were 1.45 [95% CI 1.25-1.68] and 1.40 [95% CI 1.05-1.87], respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed that the types of ICI and timing of antibiotic initiation did not influence the effect of antibiotics on OS and PFS in UC patients (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Antibiotic use significantly reduced OS and PFS in UC patients receiving ICI. While antibiotics remain crucial for the treatment of infections in UC patients, antibiotics should be prescribed cautiously in UC patients receiving ICI. PATIENT SUMMARY Antibiotic use is associated with worsened survival in UC patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Febriyanto
- Department of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine, Mediway Clinic, Tanjung Balai Karimun, Indonesia
| | - Fajar Muhammad
- Department of Emergency, Kuala Kurun Regional Hospital, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Wynne Wijaya
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Oliver Oey
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Daniel Martin Simadibrata
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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20
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Zakharevich NV, Morozov MD, Kanaeva VA, Filippov MS, Zyubko TI, Ivanov AB, Ulyantsev VI, Klimina KM, Olekhnovich EI. Systemic metabolic depletion of gut microbiome undermines responsiveness to melanoma immunotherapy. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302480. [PMID: 38448159 PMCID: PMC10917649 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has proven to be a boon for patients battling metastatic melanoma, significantly improving their clinical condition and overall quality of life. A compelling link between the composition of the gut microbiome and the efficacy of immunotherapy has been established in both animal models and human patients. However, the precise biological mechanisms by which gut microbes influence treatment outcomes remain poorly understood. Using a robust dataset of 680 fecal metagenomes from melanoma patients, a detailed catalog of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) was constructed to explore the compositional and functional properties of the gut microbiome. Our study uncovered significant findings that deepen the understanding of the intricate relationship between gut microbes and the efficacy of melanoma immunotherapy. In particular, we discovered the specific metagenomic profile of patients with favorable treatment outcomes, characterized by a prevalence of MAGs with increased overall metabolic potential and proficiency in polysaccharide utilization, along with those responsible for cobalamin and amino acid production. Furthermore, our investigation of the biosynthetic pathways of short-chain fatty acids, known for their immunomodulatory role, revealed a differential abundance of these pathways among the specific MAGs. Among others, the cobalamin-dependent Wood-Ljungdahl pathway of acetate synthesis was directly associated with responsiveness to melanoma immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia V Zakharevich
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian
| | - Maxim D Morozov
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian
| | - Vera A Kanaeva
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russian
| | - Mikhail S Filippov
- https://ror.org/04btxg914 Bioinformatics Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russian
| | - Tatyana I Zyubko
- https://ror.org/04btxg914 Bioinformatics Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russian
| | - Artem B Ivanov
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian
- ITMO University, Saint Petersburg, Russian
| | | | - Ksenia M Klimina
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian
| | - Evgenii I Olekhnovich
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russian
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21
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Blake SJ, Wolf Y, Boursi B, Lynn DJ. Role of the microbiota in response to and recovery from cancer therapy. Nat Rev Immunol 2024; 24:308-325. [PMID: 37932511 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00951-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of how the microbiota affects the balance between response to and failure of cancer treatment by modulating the tumour microenvironment and systemic immune system has advanced rapidly in recent years. Microbiota-targeting interventions in patients with cancer are an area of intensive investigation. Promisingly, phase I-II clinical trials have shown that interventions such as faecal microbiota transplantation can overcome resistance to immune checkpoint blockade in patients with melanoma, improve therapeutic outcomes in treatment-naive patients and reduce therapy-induced immunotoxicities. Here, we synthesize the evidence showing that the microbiota is an important determinant of both cancer treatment efficacy and treatment-induced acute and long-term toxicity, and we discuss the complex and inter-related mechanisms involved. We also assess the potential of microbiota-targeting interventions, including bacterial engineering and phage therapy, to optimize the response to and recovery from cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Blake
- Precision Cancer Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Yochai Wolf
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology and Skin Cancer, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ben Boursi
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Center of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David J Lynn
- Precision Cancer Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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22
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Ma S, Wu Q, Wu W, Tian Y, Zhang J, Chen C, Sheng X, Zhao F, Ding L, Wang T, Zhao L, Xie Y, Wang Y, Yue X, Wu Z, Wei J, Zhang K, Liang X, Gao L, Wang H, Wang G, Li C, Ma C. Urolithin A Hijacks ERK1/2-ULK1 Cascade to Improve CD8 + T Cell Fitness for Antitumor Immunity. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2024; 11:e2310065. [PMID: 38447147 PMCID: PMC11095213 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202310065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
According to the latest evidence, the microbial metabolite Urolithin A (UA), known for its role in promoting cellular health, modulates CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor activity. However, the direct target protein of UA and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, this research identifies ERK1/2 as the specific target crucial for UA-mediated CD8+ T cell activation. Even at low doses, UA markedly enhances the persistence and effector functions of primary CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and human chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, UA interacts directly with ERK1/2 kinases, enhancing their activation and subsequently facilitating T cell activation by engaging ULK1. The UA-ERK1/2-ULK1 axis promotes autophagic flux in CD8+ CTLs, enhancing cellular metabolism and maintaining reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, as evidenced by increased oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rates. UA-treated CD8+ CTLs also display elevated ATP levels and enhanced spare respiratory capacity. Overall, UA activates ERK1/2, inducing autophagy and metabolic adaptation, showcasing its potential in tumor immunotherapy and interventions for diseases involving ERKs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaiya Ma
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Qi Wu
- GI Cancer Research InstituteTongji HospitalHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubei430074P. R. China
| | - Wenxian Wu
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age‐Related Cardiac and Cerebral DiseaseDepartment of NeurologyAffiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical UniversityZhanjiangGuangdong524001P. R. China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Shandong UniversityShenzhen518057P. R. China
| | - Ye Tian
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Advanced Medical Research InstituteCheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Chaojia Chen
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Xue Sheng
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Fangcheng Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Lu Ding
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Taixia Wang
- Central LaboratoryTongji University School of MedicineTongji UniversityShanghai200072P. R. China
| | - Laixi Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Yuying Xie
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age‐Related Cardiac and Cerebral DiseaseDepartment of NeurologyAffiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical UniversityZhanjiangGuangdong524001P. R. China
| | - Yongxiang Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age‐Related Cardiac and Cerebral DiseaseDepartment of NeurologyAffiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical UniversityZhanjiangGuangdong524001P. R. China
| | - Xuetian Yue
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Cell BiologySchool of Basic Medical SciencesCheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Zhuanchang Wu
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Jian Wei
- Department of PhysiologySchool of Basic Medical SciencesShandong UniversityJinan250012P. R. China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Central LaboratoryTongji University School of MedicineTongji UniversityShanghai200072P. R. China
| | - Xiaohong Liang
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Lifen Gao
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Hongyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell BiologyShanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell BiologyCenter for Excellence in Molecular Cell ScienceChinese Academy of SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031P. R. China
| | - Guihua Wang
- GI Cancer Research InstituteTongji HospitalHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubei430074P. R. China
| | - Chunyang Li
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Histology and EmbryologySchool of Basic Medical SciencesCheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
| | - Chunhong Ma
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of MedicineShandong UniversityJinanShandong250012P. R. China
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23
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Pederzoli F, Riba M, Venegoni C, Marandino L, Bandini M, Alchera E, Locatelli I, Raggi D, Giannatempo P, Provero P, Lazarevic D, Moschini M, Lucianò R, Gallina A, Briganti A, Montorsi F, Salonia A, Necchi A, Alfano M. Stool Microbiome Signature Associated with Response to Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab in Patients with Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer. Eur Urol 2024; 85:417-421. [PMID: 38184414 DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2023.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Neoadjuvant pembrolizumab has been shown to be a valid treatment for patients affected by muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), as demonstrated in the PURE-01 clinical trial (NCT02736266). Among the tumor-extrinsic factors influencing immunotherapy efficacy, extensive data highlighted that the microbiome is a central player in immune-mediated anticancer activity. This report aimed to investigate the composition and role of stool microbiome in patients enrolled in the PURE-01 clinical trial. An orthotopic animal model of bladder cancer (MB49-Luc) was used to support some of the findings from human data. An analysis of stool microbiome before pembrolizumab was conducted for 42 patients, of whom 23 showed a pathologic response. The information in the preclinical model of orthotopic bladder cancer treated with anti-PD-1 antibody or control isotype was validated. Linear discriminant analysis effect size and linear models were used to identify the bacterial taxa enriched in either responders or nonresponders. The identified taxa were also tested for their association with event-free survival (EFS). Survival at 31 d after tumor instillation was used as the study endpoint in the preclinical model. Responders and nonresponders emerged to differ in terms of enrichment for 16 bacterial taxa. Of these, the genus Sutterella was enriched in responders, while the species Ruminococcus bromii was enriched in nonresponders. The negative impact of R. bromii on anti-PD-1 antibody activity was also observed in the preclinical model. EFS and survival of the preclinical model showed a negative role of R. bromii. We found different stool bacterial taxa associated with the response or lack of response to neoadjuvant pembrolizumab. Moreover, we provided experimental data about the negative role of R. bromii on immunotherapy response. Further studies are needed to externally validate our findings and provide mechanistic insights about the host-pathogen interactions in MIBC. PATIENT SUMMARY: Using prepembrolizumab stool samples collected from patients enrolled in the PURE-01 clinical trials, we identified some bacterial taxa that were enriched in patients who either responded or did not respond to immunotherapy. Using an animal model of bladder cancer, we gathered further evidence of the negative impact of the Ruminococcus bromii on immunotherapy efficacy. Further studies are needed to confirm the current findings and test the utility of these bacteria as predictive markers of immunotherapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Pederzoli
- Unit of Urology, Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Riba
- Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milano, Italy
| | - Chiara Venegoni
- Unit of Urology, Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Marandino
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Bandini
- Unit of Urology, Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Alchera
- Unit of Urology, Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Irene Locatelli
- Unit of Urology, Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Raggi
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Provero
- Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milano, Italy; Department of Neurosciences 'Rita Levi Montalcini', University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Dejan Lazarevic
- Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Moschini
- Unit of Urology, Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Lucianò
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Gallina
- Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Alberto Briganti
- Unit of Urology, Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Montorsi
- Unit of Urology, Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Salonia
- Unit of Urology, Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Necchi
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Alfano
- Unit of Urology, Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy.
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24
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Ratiner K, Ciocan D, Abdeen SK, Elinav E. Utilization of the microbiome in personalized medicine. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024; 22:291-308. [PMID: 38110694 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00998-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Inter-individual human variability, driven by various genetic and environmental factors, complicates the ability to develop effective population-based early disease detection, treatment and prognostic assessment. The microbiome, consisting of diverse microorganism communities including viruses, bacteria, fungi and eukaryotes colonizing human body surfaces, has recently been identified as a contributor to inter-individual variation, through its person-specific signatures. As such, the microbiome may modulate disease manifestations, even among individuals with similar genetic disease susceptibility risks. Information stored within microbiomes may therefore enable early detection and prognostic assessment of disease in at-risk populations, whereas microbiome modulation may constitute an effective and safe treatment tailored to the individual. In this Review, we explore recent advances in the application of microbiome data in precision medicine across a growing number of human diseases. We also discuss the challenges, limitations and prospects of analysing microbiome data for personalized patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Ratiner
- Systems Immunology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Dragos Ciocan
- Systems Immunology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Suhaib K Abdeen
- Systems Immunology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Eran Elinav
- Systems Immunology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
- Division of Cancer-Microbiome Research, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany.
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25
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Chen X, Kou L, Xie X, Su S, Li J, Li Y. Prognostic biomarkers associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma. Immunology 2024; 172:21-45. [PMID: 38214111 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly advanced HCC, has been a serious challenge. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are landmark drugs in the field of cancer therapy in recent years, which have changed the landscape of cancer treatment. In the field of HCC treatment, this class of drugs has shown good therapeutic prospects. For example, atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab has been approved as first-line treatment for advanced HCC due to significant efficacy. However, sensitivity to ICI therapy varies widely among HCC patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need to search for determinants of resistance/sensitivity to ICIs and to screen biomarkers that can predict the efficacy of ICIs. This manuscript reviews the research progress of prognostic biomarkers associated with ICIs in HCC in order to provide a scientific basis for the development of clinically individualised precision medication regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Liqiu Kou
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaolu Xie
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Song Su
- Department of Hepatology, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yaling Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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26
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Sang Y, Zheng K, Zhao Y, Liu Y, Zhu S, Xie X, Shang L, Liu J, Li L. Efficacy and regulatory strategies of gut microbiota in immunotherapy: a narrative review. Transl Cancer Res 2024; 13:2043-2063. [PMID: 38737692 PMCID: PMC11082673 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-24-316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objective With advances in gut microbiome research, it has been recognized that the gut microbiome has an important and far-reaching impact on many human diseases, including cancer. Therefore, more and more researchers are focusing on the treatment of gut flora in tumors. In this article, we present a review of the mechanisms of gut microbes in tumor immunotherapy and related studies to provide reference for further research and insights into the clinical application of gut microbes. Methods Between April 25, 2023, and November 25, 2023, we searched for articles published only in English between 1984 and 2023 using the databases PubMed, American Medical Association and Elsevier ScienceDirect using the keywords "gut microbiology" and "tumor" or "immunotherapy". Key Content and Findings The gastrointestinal tract contains the largest number of microorganisms in the human body. Microorganisms are involved in regulating many physiological activities of the body. Studies have shown that gut microbes and their derivatives are involved in the occurrence and development of a variety of inflammations and tumors, and changes in their abundance and proportion affect the degree of cancer progression and sensitivity to immunotherapy. Gut microbiota-based drug research is ongoing, and some anti-tumor studies have entered the clinical trial stage. Conclusions The abundance and proportion of intestinal microorganisms influence the susceptibility of tumors to tumor immunotherapy. This article reviewed the effects and mechanisms of gut microbes on tumor immunotherapy to further explore the medical value of gut microbes in tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaodong Sang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Kexin Zheng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yulong Zhao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Siqiang Zhu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaozhou Xie
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Liang Shang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Leping Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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27
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Wang X, Xu T, Wu S, Li L, Cai X, Chen F, Yan Z. Candida albicans-myeloid cells-T lymphocytes axis in the tumor microenvironment of oral tumor-bearing mice. Cancer Lett 2024; 588:216814. [PMID: 38499264 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Candida albicans (C. albicans) is associated with the development of oral cancer. Here, we report the altered tumor microenvironment in oral tumor-bearing mice caused by C. albicans infection. Single-cell RNA sequencing showed that C. albicans infection influenced the tumor microenvironment significantly. Specifically, C. albicans infection reduced the CD8+ T cells but increased the IL-17A+ CD4+ T cells and IL-17A+ γδ T cells in oral tumor. The neutralization of IL-17A or TCR γ/δ alleviated the tumor progression caused by C. albicans infection. Additionally, C. albicans infection promoted the infiltration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) into tumor, especially polymorphonuclear (PMN)-MDSCs, which infiltration was reduced after the neutralization of CCL2. Thus, our findings reveal the myeloid cells-T lymphocytes axis in oral tumor microenvironment with C. albicans infection, which helps to understand the mechanisms for C. albicans promoting oral cancer from the perspective of immune microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Wang
- Department of Oral Medicine, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, China; National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing, China
| | - Tiansong Xu
- Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, China; National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing, China
| | - Shuangshuang Wu
- Department of Oral Medicine, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, China; National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing, China
| | - Linman Li
- Department of Oral Medicine, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, China; National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing, China
| | - Xinjia Cai
- Department of Oral Pathology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, China; National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, China; National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing, China.
| | - Zhimin Yan
- Department of Oral Medicine, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, China; National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing, China.
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28
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Inukai Y, Yamamoto K, Honda T, Yokoyama S, Ito T, Imai N, Ishizu Y, Nakamura M, Ishigami M, Kawashima H. Intestinal Microbiome Associated with Efficacy of Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1675. [PMID: 38730627 PMCID: PMC11083184 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16091675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab has become the first-line treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no studies have reported on specific intestinal microbiota associated with the efficacy of atezolizumab and bevacizumab. In this study, we analyzed fecal samples collected before treatment to investigate the relationship between the intestinal microbiome and the efficacy of atezolizumab and bevacizumab. A total of 37 patients with advanced HCC who were treated with atezolizumab and bevacizumab were enrolled. Fecal samples were collected from the patients, and they were divided into responder (n = 28) and non-responder (n = 9) groups. We compared the intestinal microbiota of the two groups and analyzed the intestinal bacteria associated with prognosis using QIIME2. The alpha and beta diversities were not significantly different between both groups, and the proportion of microbiota was similar. The relative abundance of Bacteroides stercoris and Parabacteroides merdae was higher in the responder group than in the non-responder group. When the prognosis was analyzed by the presence or absence of those bacteria, patients without both had a significantly poorer prognosis. Differences in intestinal microbiome are involved in the therapeutic effect of atezolizumab and bevacizumab.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Takashi Honda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan (Y.I.); (M.N.)
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29
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Tamura K, Okuma Y, Nomura S, Fukuda A, Masuda K, Matsumoto Y, Shinno Y, Yoshida T, Goto Y, Horinouchi H, Yamamoto N, Ohe Y. Efficacy and safety of chemoimmunotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with antibiotics-induced dysbiosis: a propensity-matched real-world analysis. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:216. [PMID: 38668936 PMCID: PMC11052849 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-024-05649-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The gut microbiota is hypothesized as a prognostic biomarker for cancer immunotherapy. Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis negatively affects the clinical outcomes of immunotherapy. However, the effect of dysbiosis on the efficacy and safety of Chemoimmunotherapy (chemo-IOs), the frontline standard of care, in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unknown. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of chemo-IOs in patients exposed to antibiotics before treatment with those of patients who were not exposed. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced NSCLC treated with first-line chemo-IOs between 2018 and 2020 at the National Cancer Center Hospital. The patients were divided into two groups: those exposed to antibiotics within 30 days before induction therapy (ABx group) and those did not antibiotics (Non-ABx group). Propensity score matching was used to control for potential confounding factors. Clinical outcomes including progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were compared. RESULTS Of 201 eligible patients, 21 were in the ABx group, and 42 were in the non-ABx group after propensity score matching. No differences in PFS or OS emerged between the two groups (ABx group vs. Non-ABx group) (PFS:7.0 months vs. 6.4 months, hazard ratio [HR] 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49-1.63, OS:20.4 months vs. 20.1 months, HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.44-1.71). The frequency of irAEs before propensity score matching was similar across any-grade irAEs (39.4% vs. 42.9%) or grade 3 or higher irAEs (9.1% vs. 11.3%). CONCLUSION Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis may not affect the efficacy of chemo-IOs in patients with advanced NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Tamura
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
- Division of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8, Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan
| | - Yusuke Okuma
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan.
| | - Shogo Nomura
- Department of Biostatics and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Akito Fukuda
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Ken Masuda
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yuji Matsumoto
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yuki Shinno
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Yoshida
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yasushi Goto
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Hidehito Horinouchi
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Noboru Yamamoto
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Ohe
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
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30
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Franco F, McCoy KD. Microbes and vitamin D aid immunotherapy. Science 2024; 384:384-385. [PMID: 38662852 DOI: 10.1126/science.adp1309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Vitamin D modulates intestinal epithelial cell function to enhance antitumor microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Franco
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Snyder Institute of Chronic Disease, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kathy D McCoy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Snyder Institute of Chronic Disease, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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31
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Battaglia TW, Mimpen IL, Traets JJH, van Hoeck A, Zeverijn LJ, Geurts BS, de Wit GF, Noë M, Hofland I, Vos JL, Cornelissen S, Alkemade M, Broeks A, Zuur CL, Cuppen E, Wessels L, van de Haar J, Voest E. A pan-cancer analysis of the microbiome in metastatic cancer. Cell 2024; 187:2324-2335.e19. [PMID: 38599211 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Microbial communities are resident to multiple niches of the human body and are important modulators of the host immune system and responses to anticancer therapies. Recent studies have shown that complex microbial communities are present within primary tumors. To investigate the presence and relevance of the microbiome in metastases, we integrated mapping and assembly-based metagenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, and clinical data of 4,160 metastatic tumor biopsies. We identified organ-specific tropisms of microbes, enrichments of anaerobic bacteria in hypoxic tumors, associations between microbial diversity and tumor-infiltrating neutrophils, and the association of Fusobacterium with resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in lung cancer. Furthermore, longitudinal tumor sampling revealed temporal evolution of the microbial communities and identified bacteria depleted upon ICB. Together, we generated a pan-cancer resource of the metastatic tumor microbiome that may contribute to advancing treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Battaglia
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Iris L Mimpen
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Joleen J H Traets
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Arne van Hoeck
- Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Laurien J Zeverijn
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Birgit S Geurts
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Gijs F de Wit
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Michaël Noë
- Department of Pathology, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek/the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ingrid Hofland
- Core Facility Molecular Pathology & Biobanking, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Joris L Vos
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Head and Neck Service and Immunogenomic Oncology Platform, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sten Cornelissen
- Core Facility Molecular Pathology & Biobanking, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Maartje Alkemade
- Core Facility Molecular Pathology & Biobanking, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Annegien Broeks
- Core Facility Molecular Pathology & Biobanking, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Charlotte L Zuur
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Edwin Cuppen
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht 3584CX, the Netherlands; Hartwig Medical Foundation, Science Park, Amsterdam 1098XH, the Netherlands
| | - Lodewyk Wessels
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Faculty of EEMCS, Delft University of Technology, Delft 2628 CD, the Netherlands
| | - Joris van de Haar
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands
| | - Emile Voest
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066 CX, the Netherlands.
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Karaman I, Pathak A, Bayik D, Watson DC. Harnessing Bacterial Extracellular Vesicle Immune Effects for Cancer Therapy. Pathog Immun 2024; 9:56-90. [PMID: 38690563 PMCID: PMC11060327 DOI: 10.20411/pai.v9i1.657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
There are a growing number of studies linking the composition of the human microbiome to disease states and treatment responses, especially in the context of cancer. This has raised significant interest in developing microbes and microbial products as cancer immunotherapeutics that mimic or recapitulate the beneficial effects of host-microbe interactions. Bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs) are nano-sized, membrane-bound particles secreted by essentially all bacteria species and contain a diverse bioactive cargo of the producing cell. They have a fundamental role in facilitating interactions among cells of the same species, different microbial species, and even with multicellular host organisms in the context of colonization (microbiome) and infection. The interaction of bEVs with the immune system has been studied extensively in the context of infection and suggests that bEV effects depend largely on the producing species. They thus provide functional diversity, while also being nonreplicative, having inherent cell-targeting qualities, and potentially overcoming natural barriers. These characteristics make them highly appealing for development as cancer immunotherapeutics. Both natively secreted and engineered bEVs are now being investigated for their application as immunotherapeutics, vaccines, drug delivery vehicles, and combinations of the above, with promising early results. This suggests that both the intrinsic immunomodulatory properties of bEVs and their ability to be modified could be harnessed for the development of next-generation microbe-inspired therapies. Nonetheless, there remain major outstanding questions regarding how the observed preclinical effectiveness will translate from murine models to primates, and humans in particular. Moreover, research into the pharmacology, toxicology, and mass manufacturing of this potential novel therapeutic platform is still at early stages. In this review, we highlight the breadth of bEV interactions with host cells, focusing on immunologic effects as the main mechanism of action of bEVs currently in preclinical development. We review the literature on ongoing efforts to develop natively secreted and engineered bEVs from a variety of bacterial species for cancer therapy and finally discuss efforts to overcome outstanding challenges that remain for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irem Karaman
- Bahcesehir University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Asmita Pathak
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Florida
| | - Defne Bayik
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Florida
| | - Dionysios C. Watson
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Florida
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Usyk M, Hayes RB, Knight R, Gonzalez A, Li H, Osman I, Weber JS, Ahn J. Gut microbiome is associated with recurrence-free survival in patients with resected Stage IIIB-D or Stage IV melanoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. bioRxiv 2024:2024.04.16.589761. [PMID: 38659744 PMCID: PMC11042335 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.16.589761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The gut microbiome (GMB) has been associated with outcomes of immune checkpoint blockade therapy in melanoma, but there is limited consensus on the specific taxa involved, particularly across different geographic regions. We analyzed pre-treatment stool samples from 674 melanoma patients participating in a phase-III trial of adjuvant nivolumab plus ipilimumab versus nivolumab, across three continents and five regions. Longitudinal analysis revealed that GMB was largely unchanged following treatment, offering promise for lasting GMB-based interventions. In region-specific and cross-region meta-analyses, we identified pre-treatment taxonomic markers associated with recurrence, including Eubacterium, Ruminococcus, Firmicutes, and Clostridium. Recurrence prediction by these markers was best achieved across regions by matching participants on GMB compositional similarity between the intra-regional discovery and external validation sets. AUCs for prediction ranged from 0.83-0.94 (depending on the initial discovery region) for patients closely matched on GMB composition (e.g., JSD ≤0.11). This evidence indicates that taxonomic markers for prediction of recurrence are generalizable across regions, for individuals of similar GMB composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mykhaylo Usyk
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard B. Hayes
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- NYU Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Departments of Pediatrics, Computer Science & Engineering, and Bioengineering; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Antonio Gonzalez
- Departments of Pediatrics, Computer Science & Engineering, and Bioengineering; Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Huilin Li
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- NYU Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Iman Osman
- NYU Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Weber
- NYU Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jiyoung Ahn
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- NYU Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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Shen J, Sun H, Chu J, Gong X, Liu X. Cervicovaginal microbiota: a promising direction for prevention and treatment in cervical cancer. Infect Agent Cancer 2024; 19:13. [PMID: 38641803 PMCID: PMC11027553 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-024-00573-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer is a common malignancy in women, with high incidence rate and mortality. Persistent infection of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most important risk factor for cervical cancer and precancerous lesions. Cervicovaginal microbiota (CVM) plays an essential role in the defense of HPV infections and prevention of subsequent lesions. Dominance of Lactobacillus is the key of CVM homeostasis, which can be regulated by host, exogenous and endogenous factors. Dysbiosis of CVM, including altered microbial, metabolic, and immune signatures, can contribute to persist HPV infection, leading to cervical cancer. However, there is no evidence of the causality between CVM and cervical cancer, and the underlying mechanism remains unexplored. Considering the close correlation between CVM dysbiosis and persistent HPV infection, this review will overview CVM, its role in cervical cancer development and related mechanisms, and the prospects for therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Shen
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Shanghai Changzheng Hospital), 200003, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Shanghai Changzheng Hospital), 200003, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Chu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Shanghai Changzheng Hospital), 200003, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaodi Gong
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Shanghai Changzheng Hospital), 200003, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaojun Liu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Shanghai Changzheng Hospital), 200003, Shanghai, China.
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Wyatt NJ, Watson H, Anderson CA, Kennedy NA, Raine T, Ahmad T, Allerton D, Bardgett M, Clark E, Clewes D, Cotobal Martin C, Doona M, Doyle JA, Frith K, Hancock HC, Hart AL, Hildreth V, Irving PM, Iqbal S, Kennedy C, King A, Lawrence S, Lees CW, Lees R, Letchford L, Liddle T, Lindsay JO, Maier RH, Mansfield JC, Marchesi JR, McGregor N, McIntyre RE, Ostermayer J, Osunnuyi T, Powell N, Prescott NJ, Satsangi J, Sharma S, Shrestha T, Speight A, Strickland M, Wason JM, Whelan K, Wood R, Young GR, Zhang X, Parkes M, Stewart CJ, Jostins-Dean L, Lamb CA. Defining predictors of responsiveness to advanced therapies in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis: protocol for the IBD-RESPONSE and nested CD-metaRESPONSE prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study in precision medicine. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e073639. [PMID: 38631839 PMCID: PMC11029295 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Characterised by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms including diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fatigue can significantly impact patient's quality of life. Therapeutic developments in the last 20 years have revolutionised treatment. However, clinical trials and real-world data show primary non-response rates up to 40%. A significant challenge is an inability to predict which treatment will benefit individual patients.Current understanding of IBD pathogenesis implicates complex interactions between host genetics and the gut microbiome. Most cohorts studying the gut microbiota to date have been underpowered, examined single treatments and produced heterogeneous results. Lack of cross-treatment comparisons and well-powered independent replication cohorts hampers the ability to infer real-world utility of predictive signatures.IBD-RESPONSE will use multi-omic data to create a predictive tool for treatment response. Future patient benefit may include development of biomarker-based treatment stratification or manipulation of intestinal microbial targets. IBD-RESPONSE and downstream studies have the potential to improve quality of life, reduce patient risk and reduce expenditure on ineffective treatments. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This prospective, multicentre, observational study will identify and validate a predictive model for response to advanced IBD therapies, incorporating gut microbiome, metabolome, single-cell transcriptome, human genome, dietary and clinical data. 1325 participants commencing advanced therapies will be recruited from ~40 UK sites. Data will be collected at baseline, week 14 and week 54. The primary outcome is week 14 clinical response. Secondary outcomes include clinical remission, loss of response in week 14 responders, corticosteroid-free response/remission, time to treatment escalation and change in patient-reported outcome measures. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval was obtained from the Wales Research Ethics Committee 5 (ref: 21/WA/0228). Recruitment is ongoing. Following study completion, results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific meetings. Publications will be summarised at www.ibd-response.co.uk. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN96296121.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola J Wyatt
- Translational & Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Gastroenterology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hannah Watson
- Translational & Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Carl A Anderson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Nicholas A Kennedy
- Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UK
- Exeter Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Pharmacogenetics Research Group, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Tim Raine
- Department of Gastroenterology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tariq Ahmad
- Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UK
- Exeter Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Pharmacogenetics Research Group, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Dean Allerton
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Michelle Bardgett
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Emma Clark
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Dawn Clewes
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Mary Doona
- Department of Gastroenterology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Jennifer A Doyle
- Translational & Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Katherine Frith
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Helen C Hancock
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ailsa L Hart
- Department of Gastroenterology, St Mark's Hospital and Academic Institute, London, UK
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Victoria Hildreth
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Peter M Irving
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sameena Iqbal
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Ciara Kennedy
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Andrew King
- Department of Gastroenterology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Sarah Lawrence
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Charlie W Lees
- Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh IBD Unit, Western General Hospital, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert Lees
- Department of Gastroenterology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Laura Letchford
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Trevor Liddle
- Research Informatics Team, Clinical Research, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - James O Lindsay
- Department of Gastroenterology, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
- Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca H Maier
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - John C Mansfield
- Translational & Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Gastroenterology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Julian R Marchesi
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Naomi McGregor
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | | | - Nick Powell
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Gastroenterology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Natalie J Prescott
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jack Satsangi
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Shriya Sharma
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Tara Shrestha
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ally Speight
- Translational & Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Gastroenterology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - James Ms Wason
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Kevin Whelan
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ruth Wood
- Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gregory R Young
- Translational & Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Xinyue Zhang
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Miles Parkes
- Department of Gastroenterology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christopher J Stewart
- Translational & Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Christopher A Lamb
- Translational & Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Gastroenterology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Dicks LMT. Gut Bacteria Provide Genetic and Molecular Reporter Systems to Identify Specific Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4431. [PMID: 38674014 PMCID: PMC11050607 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
With genetic information gained from next-generation sequencing (NGS) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), it is now possible to select for genes that encode reporter molecules that may be used to detect abnormalities such as alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD), cancer, cognitive impairment, multiple sclerosis (MS), diabesity, and ischemic stroke (IS). This, however, requires a thorough understanding of the gut-brain axis (GBA), the effect diets have on the selection of gut microbiota, conditions that influence the expression of microbial genes, and human physiology. Bacterial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) play a major role in gut homeostasis, maintain intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), and regulate the immune system, neurological, and endocrine functions. Changes in butyrate levels may serve as an early warning of colon cancer. Other cancer-reporting molecules are colibactin, a genotoxin produced by polyketide synthetase-positive Escherichia coli strains, and spermine oxidase (SMO). Increased butyrate levels are also associated with inflammation and impaired cognition. Dysbiosis may lead to increased production of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (OX-LDLs), known to restrict blood vessels and cause hypertension. Sudden changes in SCFA levels may also serve as a warning of IS. Early signs of ARLD may be detected by an increase in regenerating islet-derived 3 gamma (REG3G), which is associated with changes in the secretion of mucin-2 (Muc2). Pro-inflammatory molecules such as cytokines, interferons, and TNF may serve as early reporters of MS. Other examples of microbial enzymes and metabolites that may be used as reporters in the early detection of life-threatening diseases are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon M T Dicks
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
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Yousefi Y, Baines KJ, Maleki Vareki S. Microbiome bacterial influencers of host immunity and response to immunotherapy. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101487. [PMID: 38547865 PMCID: PMC11031383 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The gut microbiota influences anti-tumor immunity and can induce or inhibit response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Therefore, microbiome features are being studied as predictive/prognostic biomarkers of patient response to ICIs, and microbiome-based interventions are attractive adjuvant treatments in combination with ICIs. Specific gut-resident bacteria can influence the effectiveness of immunotherapy; however, the mechanism of action on how these bacteria affect anti-tumor immunity and response to ICIs is not fully understood. Nevertheless, early bacterial-based therapeutic strategies have demonstrated that targeting the gut microbiome through various methods can enhance the effectiveness of ICIs, resulting in improved clinical responses in patients with a diverse range of cancers. Therefore, understanding the microbiota-driven mechanisms of response to immunotherapy can augment the success of these interventions, particularly in patients with treatment-refractory cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeganeh Yousefi
- Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - Kelly J Baines
- Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Saman Maleki Vareki
- Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; Department of Oncology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
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38
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Kang X, Lau HCH, Yu J. Modulating gut microbiome in cancer immunotherapy: Harnessing microbes to enhance treatment efficacy. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101478. [PMID: 38631285 PMCID: PMC11031381 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a robust approach against cancer, yet its efficacy has varied among individuals, accompanied by the occurrence of immune-related adverse events. As a result, the efficacy of immunotherapy is far from satisfactory, and enormous efforts have been invested to develop strategies to improve patient outcomes. The gut microbiome is now well acknowledged for its critical role in immunotherapy, with better understanding on host-microbes interaction in the context of cancer treatment. Also, an increasing number of trials have been conducted to evaluate the potential and feasibility of microbiome-targeting approaches to enhance efficacy of cancer treatment in patients. Here, the role of the gut microbiome and metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan metabolites) in immunotherapy and the underlying mechanisms are explored. The application of microbiome-targeting approaches that aim to improve immunotherapy efficacy (e.g., fecal microbiota transplantation, probiotics, dietary intervention) is also elaborated, with further discussion on current challenges and suggestions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Kang
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong; Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Harry Cheuk-Hay Lau
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
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Tang L, Yang X, Zhou M, Feng L, Ji C, Liang J, Zhang B, Shen R, Wang L. Inhibition of inosine metabolism of the gut microbiota decreases testosterone secretion in the testis. mSystems 2024; 9:e0013824. [PMID: 38470251 PMCID: PMC11019917 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00138-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that gut microbiota is involved in the regulation of the host's sex hormone levels, such as through interfering with the sex hormone metabolism in the intestine. However, if gut microbiota or its metabolites directly influence the sex hormone biosynthesis in the gonad remains largely unknown. Our previous study showed that colistin, as a narrow-spectrum antibiotic, can significantly downregulate the serum testosterone levels and thus enhance the antitumor efficiency of anti-PD-L1 in male mice; however, the underlying mechanism for the regulation of the host's testosterone levels remains uninvestigated. In the present study, we analyzed the impact of colistin on the immune microenvironment of the testis as well as the composition and metabolism of gut microbiota in male mice. Our results showed that colistin has an impact on the immune microenvironment of the testis and can downregulate serum testosterone levels in male mice through inhibition of Akkermansia, leading to destroyed inosine metabolism. Supplement with inosine can restore testosterone secretion probably by prompting the recovery of the intestinal mucus barrier and the serum lipopolysaccharides levels. All these findings reveal a new pathway for the regulation of the host's sex hormone levels by gut microbiota.IMPORTANCEThis study demonstrates that exposure to even narrow-spectrum antibiotics may affect the host's testosterone levels by altering the gut microbiota and its metabolites. Our findings provide evidence that some specific gut bacteria have an impact on the sex hormone biosynthesis in the testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Tang
- Department of Special Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xizhong Yang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Qingdao Haici Medical Group, Qingdao, China
| | - Mengting Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Lingxin Feng
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Cuijie Ji
- Department of Spine Surgery, Qingdao Haici Medical Group, Qingdao, China
| | - Jie Liang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Bei Zhang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ruowu Shen
- Department of Special Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Luoyang Wang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Qingdao Haici Medical Group, Qingdao, China
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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Ni Y, Li R, Shen X, Yi D, Ren Y, Wang F, Geng Y, You Q. Diaphorobacter nitroreducens synergize with oxaliplatin to reduce tumor burden in mice with lung adenocarcinoma. mSystems 2024; 9:e0132323. [PMID: 38483163 PMCID: PMC11019951 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01323-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) is the most common lung cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Accumulating evidence suggests that the gut microbiota regulates the host response to chemotherapeutic drugs and can be targeted to reduce the toxicity of current chemotherapeutic agents. However, the effect of Diaphorobacter nitroreducens synergized with oxaliplatin on the gut microbiota and their impact on LADC have never been explored. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of D. nitroreducens, oxaliplatin, and their combined treatment on tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. The composition of gut microbiota and the immune infiltration of tumors were evaluated by using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and immunofluorescence, respectively. The inhibitory effect of the combination treatment with D. nitroreducens and oxaliplatin was significantly stronger than that of oxaliplatin alone in tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, we observed that the combination treatment significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Akkermansia in the gut microbiota. Meanwhile, the combination treatment significantly increased the proportions of macrophage but decreased the proportion of regulatory T cells in the LADC tumor tissues of mice. These findings underscored the relationship between D. nitroreducens and the gut microbiota-immune cell-LADC axis, highlighting potential therapeutic avenues for LADC treatment. IMPORTANCE Oxaliplatin is widely used as an effective chemotherapeutic agent in cancer treatment, but its side effects and response rate still need to be improved. Conventional probiotics potentially benefit cancer chemotherapy by regulating gut microbiota and tumor immune infiltration. This study was novel in reporting a more significant inhibitory effect of Diaphorobacter nitroreducens on lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) cells compared with common traditional probiotics and validating its potential as an adjuvant therapy for LADC chemotherapy in mice. This study investigated the impact of D. nitroreducens combined with oxaliplatin on the gut microbiota and immune infiltration of tumors as a potential mechanism to improve anticancer effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalan Ni
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Children’s Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Children’s Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoyu Shen
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Children’s Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Deli Yi
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Children’s Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yilin Ren
- Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Fudong Wang
- Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yan Geng
- School of Life Science and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Qingjun You
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Children’s Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
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Wilbur HC, Le DT, Agarwal P. Immunotherapy of MSI Cancer: Facts and Hopes. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:1438-1447. [PMID: 38015720 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-1935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a tumor molecular phenotype that evolves from loss of function in the mismatch repair (MMR) proteins through deleterious germline mutations, epigenetic inactivation, or somatic biallelic mutations. This phenotype is characterized by genomic hyper-mutability, increased neoantigen expression, and a favorable, immune-rich tumor microenvironment. These features confer a greater likelihood of response to treatment with the class of agents known as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and, potentially, other immune-based therapeutics. MSI as a predictive biomarker for response to treatment with ICIs ultimately led to the first tissue-agnostic approval of pembrolizumab for advanced, previously treated MSI or deficient MMR (dMMR) tumors. Nevertheless, response to ICIs in dMMR/MSI tumors is not universal. Identifying predictors of response and elucidating mechanisms of immune escape will be crucial to continued successful treatment of this subset. In this review, we aim to describe the pathogenesis and key immunologic features of dMMR/MSI tumors, provide a brief overview of the currently approved treatments, and discuss promising novel immune-based therapeutics currently under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Catherine Wilbur
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Dung T Le
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Parul Agarwal
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Stevens J, Culberson E, Kinder J, Ramiriqui A, Gray J, Bonfield M, Shao TY, Al Gharabieh F, Peterson L, Steinmeyer S, Zacharias W, Pryhuber G, Paul O, Sengupta S, Alenghat T, Way SS, Deshmukh H. Microbiota-derived inosine programs protective CD8 + T cell responses against influenza in newborns. bioRxiv 2024:2024.04.09.588427. [PMID: 38645130 PMCID: PMC11030415 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.588427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The immunological defects causing susceptibility to severe viral respiratory infections due to early-life dysbiosis remain ill-defined. Here, we show that influenza virus susceptibility in dysbiotic infant mice is caused by CD8+ T cell hyporesponsiveness and diminished persistence as tissue-resident memory cells. We describe a previously unknown role for nuclear factor interleukin 3 (NFIL3) in repression of memory differentiation of CD8+ T cells in dysbiotic mice involving epigenetic regulation of T cell factor 1 (TCF 1) expression. Pulmonary CD8+ T cells from dysbiotic human infants share these transcriptional signatures and functional phenotypes. Mechanistically, intestinal inosine was reduced in dysbiotic human infants and newborn mice, and inosine replacement reversed epigenetic dysregulation of Tcf7 and increased memory differentiation and responsiveness of pulmonary CD8+ T cells. Our data unveils new developmental layers controlling immune cell activation and identifies microbial metabolites that may be used therapeutically in the future to protect at-risk newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Stevens
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Erica Culberson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Jeremy Kinder
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Infectious Disease, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Alicia Ramiriqui
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Jerilyn Gray
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Madeline Bonfield
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Tzu-Yu Shao
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Infectious Disease, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Faris Al Gharabieh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Laura Peterson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Shelby Steinmeyer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - William Zacharias
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Gloria Pryhuber
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester, School of Medicine
| | - Oindrila Paul
- Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Shaon Sengupta
- Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Theresa Alenghat
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Sing Sing Way
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Infectious Disease, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
| | - Hitesh Deshmukh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
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Klupt S, Fam KT, Zhang X, Chodisetti PK, Mehmood A, Boyd T, Grotjahn D, Park D, Hang HC. Secreted antigen A peptidoglycan hydrolase is essential for Enterococcus faecium cell separation and priming of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. bioRxiv 2024:2023.11.19.567738. [PMID: 38014356 PMCID: PMC10680833 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.19.567738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Enterococcus faecium is a microbiota species in humans that can modulate host immunity1, but has also acquired antibiotic resistance and is a major cause of hospital-associated infections2. Notably, diverse strains of E. faecium produce SagA, a highly conserved peptidoglycan hydrolase that is sufficient to promote intestinal immunity3-5 and immune checkpoint inhibitor antitumor activity6. However, the functions of SagA in E. faecium were unknown. Here we report that deletion of sagA impaired E. faecium growth and resulted in bulged and clustered enterococci due to defective peptidoglycan cleavage and cell separation. Moreover, ΔsagA showed increased antibiotic sensitivity, yielded lower levels of active muropeptides, displayed reduced activation of the peptidoglycan pattern-recognition receptor NOD2, and failed to promote cancer immunotherapy. Importantly, plasmid-based expression of SagA, but not its catalytically-inactive mutant, restored ΔsagA growth, production of active muropeptides and NOD2 activation. SagA is therefore essential for E. faecium growth, stress resistance and activation of host immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Klupt
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Contributed equally
| | - Kyong Tkhe Fam
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Contributed equally
| | - Xing Zhang
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Contributed equally
| | - Pavan Kumar Chodisetti
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Abeera Mehmood
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Tumara Boyd
- Department of Integrative Structural & Computational Biology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Danielle Grotjahn
- Department of Integrative Structural & Computational Biology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Donghyun Park
- Department of Integrative Structural & Computational Biology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Howard C. Hang
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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Zhu X, Huang X, Hu M, Sun R, Li J, Wang H, Pan X, Ma Y, Ning L, Tong T, Zhou Y, Ding J, Zhao Y, Xuan B, Fang JY, Hong J, Hon Wong JW, Zhang Y, Chen H. A specific enterotype derived from gut microbiome of older individuals enables favorable responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:489-505.e5. [PMID: 38513657 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but inconsistent responses persist. Our study delves into the intriguing phenomenon of enhanced immunotherapy sensitivity in older individuals with cancers. Through a meta-analysis encompassing 25 small-to-mid-sized trials of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), we demonstrate that older individuals exhibit heightened responsiveness to ICB therapy. To understand the underlying mechanism, we reanalyze single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from multiple studies and unveil distinct upregulation of exhausted and cytotoxic T cell markers within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of older patients. Recognizing the potential role of gut microbiota in modulating the efficacy of immunotherapy, we identify an aging-enriched enterotype linked to improved immunotherapy outcomes in older patients. Fecal microbiota transplantation experiments in mice confirm the therapeutic potential of the aging-enriched enterotype, enhancing treatment sensitivity and reshaping the TME. Our discoveries confront the prevailing paradox and provide encouraging paths for tailoring cancer immunotherapy strategies according to an individual's gut microbiome profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park. Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Baoshan Branch, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaowen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Muni Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rongrong Sun
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jiantao Li
- Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
| | - Hai Wang
- Department of Endoscopy, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuefeng Pan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yanru Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lijun Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianying Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yilu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinmei Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Baoqin Xuan
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing-Yuan Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jason Wing Hon Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park. Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Youwei Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
| | - Haoyan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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45
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Bao YQ, Zhang Y, Li ZN. Causal associations between gut microbiota and cutaneous melanoma: a Mendelian randomization study. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1339621. [PMID: 38650882 PMCID: PMC11033470 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1339621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Cutaneous melanoma (CM) of the skin stands as the leading cause of mortality among skin cancer-related deaths. Despite the successes achieved with novel therapies such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy, their efficacy remains limited, necessitating further exploration of new treatment modalities. The gut microbiota and CM may be linked, as indicated by a growing body of preclinical and observational research. Nevertheless, the exact correlation between the intestinal microbiota and CM remains to be determined. Therefore, this study aims to assess the potential causal relationship between the gut microbiota and CM. Methods The study utilized exposure data obtained from the MiBioGen consortium's microbiome GWAS, which included a total of 18,340 samples gathered from 24 population-based cohorts. Data at the summary level for CM were acquired from the UK Biobank investigation. The main analytical strategy utilized in this research was the inverse variance weighted (IVW) technique, supported by quality assurance measures like the weighted median model, MR-Egger, simple model, and weighted model approaches. The Cochran's Q test was used to evaluate heterogeneity. To ascertain potential pleiotropy, we employed both the MR-Egger regression and the MR-PRESSO test. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using the leave-one-out method. Results The study found that the class Bacteroidia (OR = 0.997, 95% CI: 0.995-0.999, p = 0.027), genus Parabacteroides (OR = 0.997, 95% CI: 0.994-0.999, p = 0.037), order Bacteroidales (OR = 0.997, 95% CI: 0.995-0.999, p = 0.027), and genus Veillonella (OR = 0.998, 95% CI: 0.996-0.999, p = 0.046) have protective effects on CM. On the order hand, the genus Blautia (OR = 1.003, 95% CI: 1-1.006, p = 0.001) and phylum Cyanobacteria (OR = 1.002, 95% CI: 1-1.004, p = 0.04) are identified as risk factors for CM. Conclusion We comprehensively assessed the potential causal relationship between the gut microbiota and CM and identified associations between six gut microbiota and CM. Among these, four gut microbiota were identified as protective factors for CM, while two gut microbiota were identified as risk factors for CM. This study effectively established a causal relationship between the gut microbiota and CM, thereby providing valuable insights into the mechanistic pathways through which the microbiota impacts the progression of CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Qiu Bao
- Department of Medical Research Center, Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Dermatology, Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhou-Na Li
- Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin, China
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Abstract
An enzyme that remodels the cell wall of Enterococcus faecium helps these gut bacteria to divide and generate peptide fragments that enhance the immune response against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishika Prasad
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonUnited States
| | - Robert R Jenq
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonUnited States
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Itoh K, Matsueda S. Exploring the Potential of Humoral Immune Response to Commensal Bifidobacterium as a Biomarker for Human Health, including Both Malignant and Non-Malignant Diseases: A Perspective on Detection Strategies and Future Directions. Biomedicines 2024; 12:803. [PMID: 38672158 PMCID: PMC11048515 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12040803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In this comprehensive review, we explore the pivotal role of commensal Bifidobacterium (c-BIF) as potent non-self-antigens through antigenic mimicry, along with exploring the potential of humoral immune responses for both malignant and non-malignant disease. c-BIF, a predominant component of the human gut microbiome encompassing around 90% of the human genome, has emerged as a pivotal player in human biology. Over recent decades, there has been extensive research elucidating the intricate connections between c-BIF and various facets of human health, with particular emphasis on their groundbreaking impact on anti-cancer effects and the management of non-malignant diseases. The multifaceted role of c-BIF is explored, ranging from enhancing anti-tumor immunity to improving the efficacy of anti-cancer and anti-infectious disease strategies, and serving as predictive biomarkers for various diseases. Recent studies highlight not only c-BIF's promotion of anti-tumor immunity but also their role in enhancing the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. The review emphasizes the promising avenue of manipulating the gut microbiota, particularly c-BIF, for modulating cancer immunotherapy with targeted effects on tumor cells while minimizing harm to normal tissue. In the context of infectious and inflammatory diseases, the crucial role of c-BIFs in the management of COVID-19 symptoms is examined, emphasizing their impact on the severity of and immune response to COVID-19. Furthermore, c-BIF exhibits preventive and therapeutic effects on Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) and shows promise in improving inflammatory bowel diseases. The potential application of c-BIF as a biomarker for immunotherapy is explored, with a specific emphasis on its predictive and prognostic value in cancer. Suggestions are made regarding the use of humoral immune responses to cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope peptides that share motifs with c-BIF, proposing them as potential markers for predicting overall survival in diverse cancer patients. In conclusion, c-BIF emerges as a crucial and multifaceted determinant of human health, across anti-tumor immunity to infectious and inflammatory disease management. The manipulation of c-BIF and gut microbiota presents a promising avenue for advancing therapeutic strategies, particularly in the realm of cancer immunotherapy. Additionally, this review highlights the significance of c-BIF as potent non-self-antigens via antigenic mimicry, emphasizing the importance of robust humoral immune responses against c-BIF for preventing various diseases, including inflammatory conditions. Elevated levels of circulating antibodies against c-BIF in healthy individuals may serve as potential indicators of lower risks for malignant and non-malignant diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Satoko Matsueda
- Cancer Vaccine Center, Kurume University, Kurume 839-0863, Japan
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48
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Li J, Zhang Y, Cai Y, Yao P, Jia Y, Wei X, Du C, Zhang S. Multi-omics analysis elucidates the relationship between intratumor microbiome and host immune heterogeneity in breast cancer. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0410423. [PMID: 38442004 PMCID: PMC10986513 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04104-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Research has indicated that intratumor microbiomes affect the occurrence, progression, and therapeutic response in many cancer types by influencing the immune system. We aim to evaluate the characteristics of immune-related intratumor microbiomes (IRIMs) in breast cancer (BC) and search for potential prognosis prediction factors and treatment targets. The clinical information, microbiome data, transcriptomics data of The Cancer Genome Atlas Breast Invasive Carcinoma (TCGA-BRCA) patients were obtained from Kraken-TCGA-Raw-Data and TCGA portal. The core tumor-infiltrating immune cell was identified using univariate Cox regression analysis. Based on consensus clustering analysis, BC patients were categorized into two immune subtypes, referred to as immune-enriched and immune-deficient subtypes. The immune-enriched subtype, characterized by higher levels of immune infiltration of CD8+ T and macrophage M1 cells, demonstrated a more favorable prognosis. Furthermore, significant differences in alpha-diversity and beta-diversity were observed between the two immune subtypes, and the least discriminant analysis effect size method identified 33 types of IRIMs. An intratumor microbiome-based prognostic signature consisting of four prognostic IRIMs (Acidibacillus, Succinimonas, Lachnoclostridium, and Pseudogulbenkiania) was constructed using the Cox proportional-hazard model, and it had great prognostic value. The prognostic IRIMs were correlated with immune gene expression and the sensitivity of chemotherapy drugs, specifically tamoxifen and docetaxel. In conclusion, our research has successfully identified two distinct immune subtypes in BC, which exhibit contrasting prognoses and possess unique epigenetic and intratumor microbiomes. The critical IRIMs were correlated with prognosis, tumor-infiltrating immune cell abundance, and immunotherapeutic efficacy in BC. Consequently, this study has identified potential IRIMs as biomarkers, providing a novel therapeutic approach for treating BC.IMPORTANCERecent research has substantiated the presence of the intratumor microbiome in tumor immune microenvironment, which could influence tumor occurrence and progression, as well as provide new opportunities for cancer diagnosis and treatment. This study identified the critical immune-related intratumor microbiome (Acidibacillus, Succinimonas, Lachnoclostridium, and Pseudogulbenkiania), which were correlated with prognosis, tumor-infiltrating immune cell abundance, and immunotherapeutic efficacy in breast cancer and might be the novel target to regulate immunotherapy in BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Li
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yifan Cai
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Peizhuo Yao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yiwei Jia
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xinyu Wei
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chong Du
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shuqun Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
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Li H, Dong T, Tao M, Zhao H, Lan T, Yan S, Gong X, Hou Q, Ma X, Song Y. Fucoidan enhances the anti-tumor effect of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy by regulating gut microbiota. Food Funct 2024; 15:3463-3478. [PMID: 38456333 DOI: 10.1039/d3fo04807a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Currently, the clinical efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy strategies against breast cancer is limited, and low response rates need to be improved. Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the sensitization process of immunotherapy. As a natural dietary supplement, fucoidan has been reported to have immunomodulatory effects, while some studies have found that oral fucoidan may act as a potential prebiotic to modulate the gut microbiota. Therefore, this study investigated whether fucoidan could enhance the effects of anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody antitumor immunotherapy by modulating gut microbiota and its metabolites. We found that the anti-tumor effect of the combination treatment was significantly enhanced, while fucoidan significantly improved the composition of the gut microbiota by increasing the number of potentially beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, Faecalibaculum and Lactobacillus. Interference with the gut microbiota by antibiotics revealed impaired antitumor efficacy, confirming the necessity of gut microbiota in the antitumor effects of fucoidan in vivo. Metabolomics further revealed that fucoidan may have reversed the metabolic disturbances induced by the breast cancer model through tryptophan metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways, with the most significant increase in the content of short-chain fatty acids, especially acetic and butyric acids. These modulations improved the function of effector T cells and suppressed Treg cell production. Thus, our findings suggest that fucoidan combined with the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody may be a novel strategy to sensitize breast cancer patients to anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody immunotherapy. Meanwhile, the gut microbiota might serve as a new biomarker to predict the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody response to breast cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Tieying Dong
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Meng Tao
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Haifeng Zhao
- Qingdao Institute of Food and Drug Inspection, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Traditional Marine Chinese, Medicine, China
| | - Tongtong Lan
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Shiyu Yan
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Xinyi Gong
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Qilong Hou
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Xuezhen Ma
- The Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yang Song
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
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50
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Pei B, Peng S, Huang C, Zhou F. Bifidobacterium modulation of tumor immunotherapy and its mechanism. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:94. [PMID: 38564002 PMCID: PMC10987355 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03665-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The advent of tumor immunotherapy in patients has revolutionized the treatment of tumors and significantly improved survival rates for a wide range of tumors. However, the full therapeutic potential of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has yet to be realized, as not all patients have a lasting survival benefit from them, and a significant proportion of patients show primary or acquired resistance to immunotherapy. Bifidobacterium is one of the most common probiotics, and its antitumor and immunomodulatory effects have been demonstrated in recent years, but its immunomodulatory effects in tumors, especially on ICIs and in combination, have not been extensively studied in clinical practice, and its effects on the immune system and the mechanisms that modulate immunotherapy are largely unknown. Therefore, this review will focus on the immunomodulatory effects of Bifidobacteria in malignancies and the possible mechanisms of action of Bifidobacteria on immunotherapy in the hope of providing a basis for further research and better application of Bifidobacteria in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Pei
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
- Department of Oncology, The Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi Clinical College of Wuhan University, Enshi, China
| | - Shixuan Peng
- Department of Oncology, Graduate Collaborative Training Base of The First People's Hospital of Xiangtan City, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Chuying Huang
- Department of Oncology, The Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi Clinical College of Wuhan University, Enshi, China
- Hubei Selenium and Human Health Institute, The Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, China
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Selenium Resources and Bioapplications, Enshi, China
| | - Fuxiang Zhou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China.
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