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Alqurashi YE. Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) as a promising immune checkpoint in cancer immunotherapy: From biology to the clinic. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 254:155124. [PMID: 38295462 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2024.155124] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, there have been notable advancements in the field of cancer immunotherapy, namely in the area of immune checkpoint inhibition. The Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) has garnered attention as a potentially valuable focus of study in this particular field. The present study examines the biological aspects of LAG-3, its clinical consequences, and the potential therapeutic opportunities associated with its modulation. LAG-3, similar to CD4, has a regulatory role in modulating the immune system. The upregulation of this protein inside the neoplastic milieu hampers the immune system's ability to mount an effective response, hence enabling the evasion of cancer cells from immune surveillance. The LAG-3 protein interacts with ligands, inhibiting cytotoxic immune cells such as CD8+ T cells and NK cells. The potential of LAG-3 inhibitors presents intriguing prospects. Integrating these medicines with established treatments like PD-1/PD-L1 or CTLA-4 inhibitors can broaden the range of available therapy choices and address resistance issues. The advent of personalized therapy is imminent, as evidenced by the utilization of predictive biomarkers such as LAG-3 expression to inform individualized therapeutic approaches. Additionally, inhibitors of LAG-3 exhibit promise in addressing immunological depletion and resistance by revitalizing T cells and producing durable immune responses. The realization of LAG-3's promise necessitates global collaboration and equal access. Multinational trials are expected to ascertain the efficacy of the intervention in various patient groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaser E Alqurashi
- Department of Biology, College of Science Al-zulfi, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia.
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2
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Zhou D, Gong Z, Wu D, Ma C, Hou L, Niu X, Xu T. Harnessing immunotherapy for brain metastases: insights into tumor-brain microenvironment interactions and emerging treatment modalities. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:121. [PMID: 38104104 PMCID: PMC10725587 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01518-1] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases signify a deleterious milestone in the progression of several advanced cancers, predominantly originating from lung, breast and melanoma malignancies, with a median survival timeframe nearing six months. Existing therapeutic regimens yield suboptimal outcomes; however, burgeoning insights into the tumor microenvironment, particularly the immunosuppressive milieu engendered by tumor-brain interplay, posit immunotherapy as a promising avenue for ameliorating brain metastases. In this review, we meticulously delineate the research advancements concerning the microenvironment of brain metastases, striving to elucidate the panorama of their onset and evolution. We encapsulate three emergent immunotherapeutic strategies, namely immune checkpoint inhibition, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell transplantation and glial cell-targeted immunoenhancement. We underscore the imperative of aligning immunotherapy development with in-depth understanding of the tumor microenvironment and engendering innovative delivery platforms. Moreover, the integration with established or avant-garde physical methodologies and localized applications warrants consideration in the prevailing therapeutic schema.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dairan Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, 415 Fengyang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200003, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenyu Gong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany
| | - Dejun Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijun Hou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, 415 Fengyang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200003, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Niu
- Department of Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 241 Huaihai West Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Tao Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, 415 Fengyang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200003, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Li Y, Ju M, Miao Y, Zhao L, Xing L, Wei M. Advancement of anti-LAG-3 in cancer therapy. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23236. [PMID: 37846808 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301018r] [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: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have effectively transformed the treatment of many cancers, particularly those highly devastating malignancies. With their widespread popularity, the drawbacks of immune checkpoint inhibitors are also recognized, such as drug resistance and immune-related systematic side effects. Thus, it never stops investigating novel immune checkpoint inhibitors. Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3 (LAG-3) is a well-established co-inhibitory receptor that performs negative regulation on immune responses. Recently, a novel FDA-approved LAG-3 blocking agent, together with nivolumab as a new combinational immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma, brought LAG-3 back into focus. Clinical data suggests that anti-LAG-3 agents can amplify the therapeutic response of other immune checkpoint inhibitors with manageable side effects. In this review, we elucidate the intercellular and intracellular mechanisms of LAG-3, clarify the current understanding of LAG-3 in the tumor microenvironment, identify present LAG-3-associated therapeutic agents, discuss current LAG-3-involving clinical trials, and eventually address future prospects for LAG-3 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunong Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China
| | - Mingyi Ju
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China
| | - Yuxi Miao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China
| | - Lin Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China
| | - Lijuan Xing
- Precision Laboratory, Panjin Central Hospital, Panjin, P.R. China
| | - Minjie Wei
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China
- Shenyang Kangwei Medical Laboratory Analysis Co. Ltd, Shenyang, P.R. China
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4
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Ibrahim R, Saleh K, Chahine C, Khoury R, Khalife N, Cesne AL. LAG-3 Inhibitors: Novel Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Changing the Landscape of Immunotherapy. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1878. [PMID: 37509517 PMCID: PMC10377063 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most important steps forward in the management of cancer was the discovery of immunotherapy. It has become an essential pillar in the treatment paradigm of cancer patients. Unfortunately, despite the various options presented with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the benefit is still limited to select patients and the vast majority of these patients gain either minimal benefit or eventually progress, leaving an unmet need for the development of novel therapeutic agents and strategies. Lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), an immune checkpoint receptor protein, is a molecule found on the surface of activated T-cells. It plays a major role in negatively regulating T-cell function thereby providing tumors with an immune escape in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Given its importance in regulating the immune system, LAG-3 has been considered as a promising target in oncology and precision medicine. To date, two LAG-3-directed agents (eftilagimod alpha and relatlimab) have been approved in combination with programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors in the setting of advanced solid tumors. In this review, we discuss the structure of LAG-3, its mechanism of action, and its interaction with its ligands. We also shed light on the emerging treatments targeting LAG-3 for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Ibrahim
- International Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Khalil Saleh
- International Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Claude Chahine
- International Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Rita Khoury
- International Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Nadine Khalife
- Department of head and neck Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Axel Le Cesne
- International Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 94800 Villejuif, France
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5
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Barrera C, Corredor G, Viswanathan VS, Ding R, Toro P, Fu P, Buzzy C, Lu C, Velu P, Zens P, Berezowska S, Belete M, Balli D, Chang H, Baxi V, Syrigos K, Rimm DL, Velcheti V, Schalper K, Romero E, Madabhushi A. Deep computational image analysis of immune cell niches reveals treatment-specific outcome associations in lung cancer. NPJ Precis Oncol 2023; 7:52. [PMID: 37264091 PMCID: PMC10235089 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-023-00403-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor immune composition influences prognosis and treatment sensitivity in lung cancer. The presence of effective adaptive immune responses is associated with increased clinical benefit after immune checkpoint blockers. Conversely, immunotherapy resistance can occur as a consequence of local T-cell exhaustion/dysfunction and upregulation of immunosuppressive signals and regulatory cells. Consequently, merely measuring the amount of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) may not accurately reflect the complexity of tumor-immune interactions and T-cell functional states and may not be valuable as a treatment-specific biomarker. In this work, we investigate an immune-related biomarker (PhenoTIL) and its value in associating with treatment-specific outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PhenoTIL is a novel computational pathology approach that uses machine learning to capture spatial interplay and infer functional features of immune cell niches associated with tumor rejection and patient outcomes. PhenoTIL's advantage is the computational characterization of the tumor immune microenvironment extracted from H&E-stained preparations. Association with clinical outcome and major non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) histology variants was studied in baseline tumor specimens from 1,774 lung cancer patients treated with immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy, including the clinical trial Checkmate 057 (NCT01673867).
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Barrera
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Germán Corredor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Ruiwen Ding
- Case Western Reserve University, School of Engineering, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Pingfu Fu
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Christina Buzzy
- Case Western Reserve University, School of Engineering, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Cheng Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Priya Velu
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Philipp Zens
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sabina Berezowska
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Han Chang
- Bristol Myers Squibb, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Konstantinos Syrigos
- School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - David L Rimm
- School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Kurt Schalper
- School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eduardo Romero
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Medicina, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Anant Madabhushi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- VA Medical Center, Atlanta, OH, USA.
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6
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Clifton GT, Rothenberg M, Ascierto PA, Begley G, Cecchini M, Eder JP, Ghiringhelli F, Italiano A, Kochetkova M, Li R, Mechta-Grigoriou F, Pai SI, Provenzano P, Puré E, Ribas A, Schalper KA, Fridman WH. Developing a definition of immune exclusion in cancer: results of a modified Delphi workshop. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e006773. [PMID: 37290925 PMCID: PMC10254706 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-006773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Checkpoint inhibitors represent an effective treatment approach for a variety of cancers through their inhibition of immune regulatory pathways within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Unfortunately only a minority of patients with cancer achieve clinical benefit from immunotherapy, with the TME emerging as an important predictor of outcomes and sensitivity to therapy. The extent and pattern of T-cell infiltration can vary prominently within/across tumors and represents a biological continuum. Three immune profiles have been identified along this continuum: 'immune-desert' or 'T-cell cold' phenotype, 'immune-active', 'inflamed', or 'T-cell hot' phenotype, and 'immune excluded' phenotype. Of the three profiles, immune excluded remains the most ill-defined with no clear, universally accepted definition even though it is commonly associated with lack of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors and poor clinical outcomes. To address this, 16 multidisciplinary cancer experts from around the world were invited to participate in a symposium using a three-round modified Delphi approach. The first round was an open-ended questionnaire distributed via email and the second was an in-person discussion of the first round results that allowed for statements to be revised as necessary to achieve a maximum consensus (75% agreement) among the rating committee (RC). The final round questionnaire was distributed to the RC via email and had a 100% completion rate. The Delphi process resulted in moving us closer to a consensus definition for immune exclusion that is practical, clinically pertinent, and applicable across a wide range of cancer histologies. A general consensus of the role of immune exclusion in resistance to checkpoint therapy and five research priorities emerged from this process. Together, these tools could help efforts designed to address the underlying mechanisms of immune exclusion that span cancer types and, ultimately, aid in the development of treatments to target these mechanisms to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mace Rothenberg
- Consultant, Parthenon Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paolo Antonio Ascierto
- Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics Unit, IRCCS Fondazione "G. Pascale", Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Napoli, Campania, Italy
| | - Glenn Begley
- Parthenon Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael Cecchini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Francois Ghiringhelli
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center-UNICANCER, Dijon, France
| | - Antoine Italiano
- Early Phase Trial Unit, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux 33000, France
| | - Marina Kochetkova
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Sara I Pai
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paolo Provenzano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ellen Puré
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Kurt A Schalper
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Wolf Herve Fridman
- Department of Immunology, Inflammation and Cancer, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France
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7
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Tietscher S, Wagner J, Anzeneder T, Langwieder C, Rees M, Sobottka B, de Souza N, Bodenmiller B. A comprehensive single-cell map of T cell exhaustion-associated immune environments in human breast cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:98. [PMID: 36609566 PMCID: PMC9822999 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35238-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [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: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint therapy in breast cancer remains restricted to triple negative patients, and long-term clinical benefit is rare. The primary aim of immune checkpoint blockade is to prevent or reverse exhausted T cell states, but T cell exhaustion in breast tumors is not well understood. Here, we use single-cell transcriptomics combined with imaging mass cytometry to systematically study immune environments of human breast tumors that either do or do not contain exhausted T cells, with a focus on luminal subtypes. We find that the presence of a PD-1high exhaustion-like T cell phenotype is associated with an inflammatory immune environment with a characteristic cytotoxic profile, increased myeloid cell activation, evidence for elevated immunomodulatory, chemotactic, and cytokine signaling, and accumulation of natural killer T cells. Tumors harboring exhausted-like T cells show increased expression of MHC-I on tumor cells and of CXCL13 on T cells, as well as altered spatial organization with more immature rather than mature tertiary lymphoid structures. Our data reveal fundamental differences between immune environments with and without exhausted T cells within luminal breast cancer, and show that expression of PD-1 and CXCL13 on T cells, and MHC-I - but not PD-L1 - on tumor cells are strong distinguishing features between these environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Tietscher
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Life Science Zurich Graduate School, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Wagner
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Division of Translational Medical Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Bettina Sobottka
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Natalie de Souza
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernd Bodenmiller
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Institute for Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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8
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Wong CK, Lam TH, Liao SY, Lau YM, Tse HF, So BYF. Immunopathogenesis of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Induced Myocarditis: Insights from Experimental Models and Treatment Implications. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11010107. [PMID: 36672615 PMCID: PMC9855410 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11010107] [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: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the extraordinary success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer treatment, their use is associated with a high incidence of immune-related adverse events (IRAEs), resulting from therapy-related autoimmunity against various target organs. ICI-induced myocarditis is one of the most severe forms of IRAE, which is associated with risk of hemodynamic compromise and mortality. Despite increasing recognition and prompt treatment by clinicians, there remain significant gaps in knowledge regarding the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of ICI-induced myocarditis. As the newly emerged disease entity is relatively rare, it is challenging for researchers to perform studies involving patients at scale. Alternatively, mouse models have been developed to facilitate research understanding of the pathogenesis of ICI-induced myocarditis and drug discovery. Transgenic mice with immune checkpoint genes knocked out allow induction of myocarditis in a highly reproducible manner. On the other hand, it has not been possible to induce ICI-induced myocarditis in wild type mice by injecting ICIs monotherapy alone. Additional interventions such as combinational ICI, tumor inoculation, cardiac sarcomere immunization, or cardiac irradiation are necessary to mimic the underlying pathophysiology in human cancer patients and to induce ICI-induced myocarditis successfully. This review focuses on the immunopathogenesis of ICI-induced myocarditis, drawing insights from human studies and animal models, and discusses the potential implications for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ka Wong
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tsun-Ho Lam
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Song-Yan Liao
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yee-Man Lau
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hung-Fat Tse
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Cardiac and Vascular Center, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518053, China
- Hong Kong-Guangdong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong and Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Stem Cell Translational Biology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Benjamin Y. F. So
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +852-2255-3111
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9
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Deutschmann C, Bartsch R, Singer CF, Gschwantler-Kaulich D, Seifert M, Leser C, Marhold M, Bago-Horvath Z, Pfeiler G. Atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel for unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer: real-world results from a single academic center in Austria. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:1099. [PMID: 36289467 PMCID: PMC9609239 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10168-4] [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: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose IMpassion130 led to the approval of atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel as first-line treatment for patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative, PD-L1 immune-cell positive breast cancer (BC) by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The objective of the present study was to investigate the implementation, safety and efficacy of this combination in the initial phase after approval. Methods A retrospective data analysis including all BC patients who received atezolizumab and nab-paclitaxel between 1.1.2019 and 31.10.2020 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Medicine 1, respectively, at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, was performed. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated with the Kaplan-Maier product-limit method. Owing to the retrospective nature of this study, all statistics must be considered exploratory. Results In total 20 patients were included in the study. Median follow-up was 7.1 months (IQR 5.2–9.1). Median PFS was 3.0 months (SE = .24; 95% CI [2.5; 3.5]). Median OS was 8.94 months (SE = 2.34, 95%CI [4.35; 13.53]). No new safety signals were observed. Conclusion The present study showed a considerably shorter PFS (3.0 vs. 7.5 months) and OS (8.94 vs. 25.0 months) than IMpassion130 putatively owing to the use of atezolizumab in later treatment lines, more aggressive tumors and a study population with higher morbidity compared to the pivotal trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Deutschmann
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of General Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Bartsch
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine 1, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian F Singer
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of General Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Daphne Gschwantler-Kaulich
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of General Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Seifert
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of General Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Carmen Leser
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of General Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximilian Marhold
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Medicine 1, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zsuzsanna Bago-Horvath
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Pfeiler
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of General Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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10
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Chen Z, Liu Y, Chen N, Xing H, Tian Z, Tang K, Rao Q, Xu Y, Wang Y, Wang M, Wang J. Loop CD20/CD19 CAR-T cells eradicate B-cell malignancies efficiently. Sci China Life Sci 2022; 66:754-770. [PMID: 36251156 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2173-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have shown robust efficacy in relapsed and refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R ALL), but compromising result in chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). CD19 relapse and the lack of CAR-T cell persistence which result in treatment failure are considerable obstacles to overcome. CAR-T targeting CD20 is an option for salvaging CD19 CAR-T failure. Previous studies have established variant structures of bispecific CAR-T which could avoid antigen-loss and immune escape. Here, we constructed tandem and loop CAR structures targeting both CD19 and CD20 antigen. Bispecific CAR-T cells could eliminate either CD19 or CD20 negative lymphoma cells, suggesting they exhibited dual antigen targeting of CD19 and CD20. By comparing the efficiency of four bispecific CAR modified T cells, it was found that loop2019 CAR was the best structure among them to eradicate lymphoma cell lines and patients' primary lymphoma or CLL cells in a very low dose in vitro and prolong the survival time dramatically in lymphoma xenograft mice model. These data highlighted the potential of loop2019 CAR-T in clinical treatment.
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Wang DR, Wu XL, Sun YL. Therapeutic targets and biomarkers of tumor immunotherapy: response versus non-response. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:331. [PMID: 36123348 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01136-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancers are highly complex diseases that are characterized by not only the overgrowth of malignant cells but also an altered immune response. The inhibition and reprogramming of the immune system play critical roles in tumor initiation and progression. Immunotherapy aims to reactivate antitumor immune cells and overcome the immune escape mechanisms of tumors. Represented by immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive cell transfer, tumor immunotherapy has seen tremendous success in the clinic, with the capability to induce long-term regression of some tumors that are refractory to all other treatments. Among them, immune checkpoint blocking therapy, represented by PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (nivolumab) and CTLA-4 inhibitors (ipilimumab), has shown encouraging therapeutic effects in the treatment of various malignant tumors, such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and melanoma. In addition, with the advent of CAR-T, CAR-M and other novel immunotherapy methods, immunotherapy has entered a new era. At present, evidence indicates that the combination of multiple immunotherapy methods may be one way to improve the therapeutic effect. However, the overall clinical response rate of tumor immunotherapy still needs improvement, which warrants the development of novel therapeutic designs as well as the discovery of biomarkers that can guide the prescription of these agents. Learning from the past success and failure of both clinical and basic research is critical for the rational design of studies in the future. In this article, we describe the efforts to manipulate the immune system against cancer and discuss different targets and cell types that can be exploited to promote the antitumor immune response.
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Sauer N, Szlasa W, Jonderko L, Oślizło M, Kunachowicz D, Kulbacka J, Karłowicz-Bodalska K. LAG-3 as a Potent Target for Novel Anticancer Therapies of a Wide Range of Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:9958. [PMID: 36077354 PMCID: PMC9456311 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
LAG-3 (Lymphocyte activation gene 3) protein is a checkpoint receptor that interacts with LSEC-tin, Galectin-3 and FGL1. This interaction leads to reduced production of IL-2 and IFN-γ. LAG-3 is widely expressed in different tumor types and modulates the tumor microenvironment through immunosuppressive effects. Differential expression in various tumor types influences patient prognosis, which is often associated with coexpression with immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as TIM-3, PD-1 and CTLA-4. Here, we discuss expression profiles in different tumor types. To date, many clinical trials have been conducted using LAG-3 inhibitors, which can be divided into anti-LAG-3 monoclonal antibodies, anti-LAG-3 bispecifics and soluble LAG-3-Ig fusion proteins. LAG-3 inhibitors supress T-cell proliferation and activation by disallowing for the interaction between LAG-3 to MHC-II. The process enhances anti-tumor immune response. In this paper, we will review the current state of knowledge on the structure, function and expression of LAG-3 in various types of cancer, as well as its correlation with overall prognosis, involvement in cell-based therapies and experimental medicine. We will consider the role of compounds targeting LAG-3 in clinical trials both as monotherapy and in combination, which will provide data relating to the efficacy and safety of proposed drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Sauer
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Wojciech Szlasa
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Laura Jonderko
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Julita Kulbacka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
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Wang F, Yuan C, Liu B, Yang YF, Wu HZ. Syringin exerts anti-breast cancer effects through PI3K-AKT and EGFR-RAS-RAF pathways. J Transl Med 2022; 20:310. [PMID: 35794555 PMCID: PMC9258109 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03504-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with the highest mortality in the world. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Syringin has an inhibitory effect on many tumors, but its anti-BC efficacy and mechanism are still unclear.
Methods
First, Syringin was isolated from Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Harms (ASH) by systematic solvent extraction and silica gel chromatography column. The plant name is composed of genus epithet, species additive words and the persons’ name who give its name. Then, the hub targets of Syringin against BC were revealed by bioinformatics. To provide a more experimental basis for later research, the hub genes which could be candidate biomarkers of BC and a ceRNA network related to them were obtained. And the potential mechanism of Syringin against BC was proved in vitro experiments.
Results
Syringin was obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Bioinformatics results showed that MAP2K1, PIK3CA, HRAS, EGFR, Caspase3, and PTGS2 were the hub targets of Syringin against BC. And PIK3CA and HRAS were related to the survival and prognosis of BC patients, the PIK3CA-hsa-mir-139-5p-LINC01278 and PIK3CA-hsa-mir-375 pathways might be closely related to the mechanism of Syringin against BC. In vitro experiments confirmed that Syringin inhibited the proliferation and migration and promoted apoptosis of BC cells through the above hub targets.
Conclusions
Syringin against BC via PI3K-AKT-PTGS2 and EGFR-RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathways, and PIK3CA and HRAS are hub genes for adjuvant treatment of BC.
Graphical Abstract
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14
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Zhou X, Ren T, Zan H, Hua C, Guo X. Novel Immune Checkpoints in Esophageal Cancer: From Biomarkers to Therapeutic Targets. Front Immunol 2022; 13:864202. [PMID: 35669786 PMCID: PMC9163322 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.864202] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer ranks as the sixth most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Due to the limited efficacy of conventional therapeutic strategies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, treatments are still far from satisfactory in terms of survival, prompting the search for novel treatment methods. Immune checkpoints play crucial roles in immune evasion mediated by tumor cells, and successful clinical outcomes have been achieved via blocking these pathways. However, only a small fraction of patients can benefit from current immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4. Unfortunately, some patients show primary and/or acquired resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Until now, novel immune checkpoint pathways have rarely been studied in esophageal cancer, and there is a great need for biomarkers to predict who will benefit from existing strategies. Herein, we primarily discuss the roles of new immune checkpoints as predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for esophageal cancer. In addition, we summarize the ongoing clinical trials and provide future research directions targeting these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyin Zhou
- School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Ting Ren
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongyuan Zan
- School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Chunyan Hua
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Chunyan Hua, ; Xufeng Guo,
| | - Xufeng Guo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Chunyan Hua, ; Xufeng Guo,
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15
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16
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Zhao L, Wang H, Xu K, Liu X, He Y. Update on lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) in cancers: from biological properties to clinical applications. Chin Med J (Engl) 2022. [PMID: 35170503 DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000001981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy that targets checkpoints, especially programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed cell death ligand 1, has revolutionized cancer therapy regimens. The overall response rate to mono-immunotherapy, however, is limited, emphasizing the need to potentiate the efficacy of these regimens. The functions of immune cells are modulated by multiple stimulatory and inhibitory molecules, including lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3). LAG-3 is co-expressed together with other inhibitory checkpoints and plays key roles in immune suppression. Increasing evidence, particularly in the last 5 years, has shown the potential of LAG-3 blockade in anti-tumor immunity. This review provides an update on the biological properties and clinical applications of LAG-3 in cancers.
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Shi AP, Tang XY, Xiong YL, Zheng KF, Liu YJ, Shi XG, Lv Y, Jiang T, Ma N, Zhao JB. Immune Checkpoint LAG3 and Its Ligand FGL1 in Cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 12:785091. [PMID: 35111155 PMCID: PMC8801495 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.785091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [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: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
LAG3 is the most promising immune checkpoint next to PD-1 and CTLA-4. High LAG3 and FGL1 expression boosts tumor growth by inhibiting the immune microenvironment. This review comprises four sections presenting the structure/expression, interaction, biological effects, and clinical application of LAG3/FGL1. D1 and D2 of LAG3 and FD of FGL1 are the LAG3-FGL1 interaction domains. LAG3 accumulates on the surface of lymphocytes in various tumors, but is also found in the cytoplasm in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. FGL1 is found in the cytoplasm in NSCLC cells and on the surface of breast cancer cells. The LAG3-FGL1 interaction mechanism remains unclear, and the intracellular signals require elucidation. LAG3/FGL1 activity is associated with immune cell infiltration, proliferation, and secretion. Cytokine production is enhanced when LAG3/FGL1 are co-expressed with PD-1. IMP321 and relatlimab are promising monoclonal antibodies targeting LAG3 in melanoma. The clinical use of anti-FGL1 antibodies has not been reported. Finally, high FGL1 and LAG3 expression induces EGFR-TKI and gefitinib resistance, and anti-PD-1 therapy resistance, respectively. We present a comprehensive overview of the role of LAG3/FGL1 in cancer, suggesting novel anti-tumor therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Ping Shi
- Department of Radiology & Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Lab of Shaanxi Province, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University (Air Force Medical University), Xi'an, China
| | - Xi-Yang Tang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yan-Lu Xiong
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Kai-Fu Zheng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yu-Jian Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xian-Gui Shi
- College of Basic Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yao Lv
- College of Basic Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Nan Ma
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jin-Bo Zhao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
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Masoumi E, Tahaghoghi-Hajghorbani S, Jafarzadeh L, Sanaei MJ, Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi A, Bashash D. The application of immune checkpoint blockade in breast cancer and the emerging role of nanoparticle. J Control Release 2021; 340:168-187. [PMID: 34743998 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in the female population with a high mortality rate. Despite the satisfying depth of studies evaluating the contributory role of immune checkpoints in this malignancy, few articles have reviewed the pros and cons of immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs). In the current review, we provide an overview of immune-related inhibitory molecules and also discuss the original data obtained from international research laboratories on the aberrant expression of T and non-T cell-associated immune checkpoints in breast cancer. Then, we especially focus on recent studies that utilized ICBs as the treatment strategy in breast cancer and provide their efficiency reports. As there are always costs and benefits, we discuss the limitations and challenges toward ICB therapy such as adverse events and drug resistance. In the last section, we allocate an overview of the recent data concerning the application of nanoparticle systems for cancer immunotherapy and propose that nano-based ICB approaches may overcome the challenges related to ICB therapy in breast cancer. In conclusion, it seems it is time for nanoscience to more rapidly move forward into clinical trials and illuminates the breast cancer treatment area with its potent features for the target delivery of ICBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Masoumi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Sahar Tahaghoghi-Hajghorbani
- Microbiology and Virology Research Center, Qaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Leila Jafarzadeh
- Department of Laboratory Science, Sirjan Faculty of Medical Science, Sirjan, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Javad Sanaei
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atieh Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Bashash
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Rhyner Agocs G, Assarzadegan N, Kirsch R, Dawson H, Galván JA, Lugli A, Zlobec I, Berger MD. LAG-3 Expression Predicts Outcome in Stage II Colon Cancer. J Pers Med 2021; 11:749. [PMID: 34442393 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11080749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION LAG-3 is an inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule that suppresses T cell activation and inflammatory cytokine secretion. T cell density in the tumor microenvironment of colon cancer plays an important role in the host's immunosurveillance. We therefore hypothesized that LAG-3 expression on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) predicts outcome in patients with stage II colon cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Immunohistochemical staining for LAG-3 was performed on tissue microarrays (TMAs) of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue from 142 stage II colon cancer patients. LAG-3 expression was assessed in TILs within both the tumor front and tumor center and scored as either positive or negative. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS In patients diagnosed with stage II colon cancer, the presence of LAG-3 expression on TILs was significantly associated with better 5-year DFS (HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.14-0.80, p = 0.009). The effect on DFS was mainly due to LAG-3-positive TILs in the tumor front (HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.13-0.82, p = 0.012). CONCLUSION Assessment of LAG-3 might help to predict outcomes in patients with stage II colon cancer and potentially identify those patients who might benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Therefore, LAG-3 may serve as a prognostic biomarker in stage II colon cancer.
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Stovgaard ES, Kümler I, List-Jensen K, Roslind A, Christensen IJ, Høgdall E, Nielsen D, Balslev E. Prognostic and Clinicopathologic Associations of LAG-3 Expression in Triple-negative Breast Cancer. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2021. [PMID: 34081635 DOI: 10.1097/PAI.0000000000000954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The immune checkpoint molecule lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) is currently being investigated as a possible target for immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), frequently as an addition to treatment with programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibition. However, expression of LAG-3, the frequency of coexpression with PD-L1, and the prognostic significance of this marker have not been studied extensively in TNBC. For this study, tissue microarrays (TMAs) were constructed from surgical specimens of 514 patients with TNBC. TMAs were stained immunohistochemically for LAG-3 and PD-L1 expression. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were evaluated on full glass slides. LAG-3 expression was significantly associated with improved overall survival and relapse-free survival. When adjusted for clinicopathologic factors, each increment of 10 LAG-3-positive intratumoral lymphocytes per TMA core was associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio=0.93, 95% confidence interval: 0.89-0.97, P=0.002), and recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio=0.91, 95% confidence interval: 0.85-0.97, P=0.002). PD-L1 expression on immune cells and PD-L1 expression evaluated with the combined positive score and TILs were also associated with improved survival in both univariate and multivariate analyses. PD-L1 expression on tumor cells was only associated with improved survival in univariate analysis. LAG-3 expression was associated with both TILs and PD-L1 expression. Coexpression of LAG-3 and PD-L1 did not confer additional survival benefits. In conclusion, LAG-3 expression is associated with improved survival in TNBC. LAG-3 is often coexpressed with PD-L1, confirming that TNBC is likely a suitable candidate for cotreatment with LAG-3 and programmed cell death protein 1/PD-L1 inhibitors. However, coexpression does not confer additional survival benefits.
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Lenga L, Bernatz S, Martin SS, Booz C, Solbach C, Mulert-Ernst R, Vogl TJ, Leithner D. Iodine Map Radiomics in Breast Cancer: Prediction of Metastatic Status. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2431. [PMID: 34069795 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13102431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Early and accurate diagnosis of breast cancer that has spread to other organs and tissues is crucial, as therapeutic decisions and outcome expectations might change. Computed tomography (CT) is often used to detect breast cancer’s spread, but this method has its weaknesses. The computer-assisted technique “radiomics” extracts grey-level patterns, so-called radiomic features, from medical images, which may reflect underlying biological processes. Our retrospective study therefore evaluated whether breast cancer spread can be predicted by radiomic features derived from iodine maps, an application on a new generation of CT scanners visualizing tissue blood flow. Based on 77 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer, we found that this approach might indeed predict cancer spread to other organs/tissues. In the future, radiomics may serve as an additional tool for cancer detection and risk assessment. Abstract Dual-energy CT (DECT) iodine maps enable quantification of iodine concentrations as a marker for tissue vascularization. We investigated whether iodine map radiomic features derived from staging DECT enable prediction of breast cancer metastatic status, and whether textural differences exist between primary breast cancers and metastases. Seventy-seven treatment-naïve patients with biopsy-proven breast cancers were included retrospectively (41 non-metastatic, 36 metastatic). Radiomic features including first-, second-, and higher-order metrics as well as shape descriptors were extracted from volumes of interest on iodine maps. Following principal component analysis, a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network (MLP-NN) was used for classification (70% of cases for training, 30% validation). Histopathology served as reference standard. MLP-NN predicted metastatic status with AUCs of up to 0.94, and accuracies of up to 92.6 in the training and 82.6 in the validation datasets. The separation of primary tumor and metastatic tissue yielded AUCs of up to 0.87, with accuracies of up to 82.8 in the training, and 85.7 in the validation dataset. DECT iodine map-based radiomic signatures may therefore predict metastatic status in breast cancer patients. In addition, microstructural differences between primary and metastatic breast cancer tissue may be reflected by differences in DECT radiomic features.
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Chocarro L, Blanco E, Zuazo M, Arasanz H, Bocanegra A, Fernández-Rubio L, Morente P, Fernández-Hinojal G, Echaide M, Garnica M, Ramos P, Vera R, Kochan G, Escors D. Understanding LAG-3 Signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105282. [PMID: 34067904 PMCID: PMC8156499 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) is a cell surface inhibitory receptor with multiple biological activities over T cell activation and effector functions. LAG-3 plays a regulatory role in immunity and emerged some time ago as an inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule comparable to PD-1 and CTLA-4 and a potential target for enhancing anti-cancer immune responses. LAG-3 is the third inhibitory receptor to be exploited in human anti-cancer immunotherapies, and it is considered a potential next-generation cancer immunotherapy target in human therapy, right next to PD-1 and CTLA-4. Unlike PD-1 and CTLA-4, the exact mechanisms of action of LAG-3 and its relationship with other immune checkpoint molecules remain poorly understood. This is partly caused by the presence of non-conventional signaling motifs in its intracellular domain that are different from other conventional immunoregulatory signaling motifs but with similar inhibitory activities. Here we summarize the current understanding of LAG-3 signaling and its role in LAG-3 functions, from its mechanisms of action to clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Chocarro
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
| | - Ester Blanco
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
| | - Miren Zuazo
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
| | - Hugo Arasanz
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra CHN-IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
| | - Ana Bocanegra
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
| | - Leticia Fernández-Rubio
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
| | - Pilar Morente
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
| | - Gonzalo Fernández-Hinojal
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra CHN-IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
| | - Miriam Echaide
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
| | - Maider Garnica
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
| | - Pablo Ramos
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
| | - Ruth Vera
- Department of Medical Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra CHN-IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
| | - Grazyna Kochan
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
- Correspondence: (G.K.); (D.E.)
| | - David Escors
- Oncoimmunology Group, Navarrabiomed-Public University of Navarre, IdISNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (L.C.); (E.B.); (M.Z.); (H.A.); (A.B.); (L.F.-R.); (P.M.); (G.F.-H.); (M.E.); (M.G.); (P.R.)
- Correspondence: (G.K.); (D.E.)
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Sobottka B, Nowak M, Frei AL, Haberecker M, Merki S, Levesque MP, Dummer R, Moch H, Koelzer VH. Establishing standardized immune phenotyping of metastatic melanoma by digital pathology. J Transl Med 2021; 101:1561-1570. [PMID: 34446805 PMCID: PMC8590976 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-021-00653-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
CD8+ tumor-infiltrating T cells can be regarded as one of the most relevant predictive biomarkers in immune-oncology. Highly infiltrated tumors, referred to as inflamed (clinically "hot"), show the most favorable response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in contrast to tumors with a scarce immune infiltrate called immune desert or excluded (clinically "cold"). Nevertheless, quantitative and reproducible methods examining their prevalence within tumors are lacking. We therefore established a computational diagnostic algorithm to quantitatively measure spatial densities of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells by digital pathology within the three known tumor compartments as recommended by the International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group in 116 prospective metastatic melanomas of the Swiss Tumor Profiler cohort. Workflow robustness was confirmed in 33 samples of an independent retrospective validation cohort. The introduction of the intratumoral tumor center compartment proved to be most relevant for establishing an immune diagnosis in metastatic disease, independent of metastatic site. Cut-off values for reproducible classification were defined and successfully assigned densities into the respective immune diagnostic category in the validation cohort with high sensitivity, specificity, and precision. We provide a robust diagnostic algorithm based on intratumoral and stromal CD8+ T-cell densities in the tumor center compartment that translates spatial densities of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells into the clinically relevant immune diagnostic categories "inflamed", "excluded", and "desert". The consideration of the intratumoral tumor center compartment allows immune phenotyping in the clinically highly relevant setting of metastatic lesions, even if the invasive margin compartment is not captured in biopsy material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Sobottka
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Marta Nowak
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anja Laura Frei
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Haberecker
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Samuel Merki
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Mitchell P. Levesque
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Department of Dermatology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Department of Dermatology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Holger Moch
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Viktor Hendrik Koelzer
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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