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Tong J, Song J, Zhang W, Zhai J, Guan Q, Wang H, Liu G, Zheng C. When DNA-damage responses meet innate and adaptive immunity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:185. [PMID: 38630271 PMCID: PMC11023972 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05214-2] [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: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
When cells proliferate, stress on DNA replication or exposure to endogenous or external insults frequently results in DNA damage. DNA-Damage Response (DDR) networks are complex signaling pathways used by multicellular organisms to prevent DNA damage. Depending on the type of broken DNA, the various pathways, Base-Excision Repair (BER), Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER), Mismatch Repair (MMR), Homologous Recombination (HR), Non-Homologous End-Joining (NHEJ), Interstrand Crosslink (ICL) repair, and other direct repair pathways, can be activated separately or in combination to repair DNA damage. To preserve homeostasis, innate and adaptive immune responses are effective defenses against endogenous mutation or invasion by external pathogens. It is interesting to note that new research keeps showing how closely DDR components and the immune system are related. DDR and immunological response are linked by immune effectors such as the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) pathway. These effectors act as sensors of DNA damage-caused immune response. Furthermore, DDR components themselves function in immune responses to trigger the generation of inflammatory cytokines in a cascade or even trigger programmed cell death. Defective DDR components are known to disrupt genomic stability and compromise immunological responses, aggravating immune imbalance and leading to serious diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders. This study examines the most recent developments in the interaction between DDR elements and immunological responses. The DDR network's immune modulators' dual roles may offer new perspectives on treating infectious disorders linked to DNA damage, including cancer, and on the development of target immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Tong
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
- Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Jiangwei Song
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Livestock and Poultry, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100089, China
| | - Wuchao Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071000, China
| | - Jingbo Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Zoonose Prevention and Control at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Medical College, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, 028000, China
| | - Qingli Guan
- The Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA 80th Group Army, Weifang, 261000, China
| | - Huiqing Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Gentao Liu
- Department of Oncology, Tenth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University & Cancer Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 20000, China.
| | - Chunfu Zheng
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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2
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Syed A, Filandr F, Patterson-Fortin J, Bacolla A, Ravindranathan R, Zhou J, McDonald D, Albuhluli M, Verway-Cohen A, Newman J, Tsai MS, Jones D, Schriemer D, D’Andrea A, Tainer J. Novobiocin blocks nucleic acid binding to Polθ and inhibits stimulation of its ATPase activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:9920-9937. [PMID: 37665033 PMCID: PMC10570058 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad727] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymerase theta (Polθ) acts in DNA replication and repair, and its inhibition is synthetic lethal in BRCA1 and BRCA2-deficient tumor cells. Novobiocin (NVB) is a first-in-class inhibitor of the Polθ ATPase activity, and it is currently being tested in clinical trials as an anti-cancer drug. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of NVB-mediated Polθ inhibition. Using hydrogen deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (HX-MS), biophysical, biochemical, computational and cellular assays, we found NVB is a non-competitive inhibitor of ATP hydrolysis. NVB sugar group deletion resulted in decreased potency and reduced HX-MS interactions, supporting a specific NVB binding orientation. Collective results revealed that NVB binds to an allosteric site to block DNA binding, both in vitro and in cells. Comparisons of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) tumors and matched controls implied that POLQ upregulation in tumors stems from its role in replication stress responses to increased cell proliferation: this can now be tested in fifteen tumor types by NVB blocking ssDNA-stimulation of ATPase activity, required for Polθ function at replication forks and DNA damage sites. Structural and functional insights provided in this study suggest a path for developing NVB derivatives with improved potency for Polθ inhibition by targeting ssDNA binding with entropically constrained small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleem Syed
- Division of Radiation and Genome Instability, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Frantisek Filandr
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Patterson-Fortin
- Division of Radiation and Genome Instability, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Albino Bacolla
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ramya Ravindranathan
- Division of Radiation and Genome Instability, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jia Zhou
- Division of Radiation and Genome Instability, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Drew T McDonald
- Biological and System Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Mohammed E Albuhluli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Amy Verway-Cohen
- Biological and System Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joseph A Newman
- Center for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Miaw-Sheue Tsai
- Biological and System Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Darin E Jones
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - David C Schriemer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Alan D D’Andrea
- Division of Radiation and Genome Instability, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - John A Tainer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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3
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Oh G, Wang A, Wang L, Li J, Werba G, Weissinger D, Zhao E, Dhara S, Hernandez RE, Ackermann A, Porcella S, Kalfakakou D, Dolgalev I, Kawaler E, Golan T, Welling TH, Sfeir A, Simeone DM. POLQ inhibition elicits an immune response in homologous recombination-deficient pancreatic adenocarcinoma via cGAS/STING signaling. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e165934. [PMID: 36976649 PMCID: PMC10232002 DOI: 10.1172/jci165934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [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: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal malignancy that harbors mutations in homologous recombination-repair (HR-repair) proteins in 20%-25% of cases. Defects in HR impart a specific vulnerability to poly ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors and platinum-containing chemotherapy in tumor cells. However, not all patients who receive these therapies respond, and many who initially respond ultimately develop resistance. Inactivation of the HR pathway is associated with the overexpression of polymerase theta (Polθ, or POLQ). This key enzyme regulates the microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) pathway of double-strand break (DSB) repair. Using human and murine HR-deficient PDAC models, we found that POLQ knockdown is synthetically lethal in combination with mutations in HR genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 and the DNA damage repair gene ATM. Further, POLQ knockdown enhances cytosolic micronuclei formation and activates signaling of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING), leading to enhanced infiltration of activated CD8+ T cells in BRCA2-deficient PDAC tumors in vivo. Overall, POLQ, a key mediator in the MMEJ pathway, is critical for DSB repair in BRCA2-deficient PDAC. Its inhibition represents a synthetic lethal approach to blocking tumor growth while concurrently activating the cGAS-STING signaling pathway to enhance tumor immune infiltration, highlighting what we believe to be a new role for POLQ in the tumor immune environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lidong Wang
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jiufeng Li
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gregor Werba
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Weissinger
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ende Zhao
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Surajit Dhara
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Amanda Ackermann
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sarina Porcella
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Igor Dolgalev
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Emily Kawaler
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Agnel Sfeir
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Diane M. Simeone
- Department of Surgery and
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
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4
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Shapiro GI, Barry SM. Combining PARP Inhibition and Immunotherapy in BRCA-Associated Cancers. Cancer Treat Res 2023; 186:207-221. [PMID: 37978138 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-30065-3_12] [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] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have significantly improved treatment outcomes of homologous recombination (HR) repair-deficient cancers. While the activity of these agents is largely linked to multiple mechanisms underlying the synthetic lethality of PARP inhibition and HR deficiency, emerging data suggest that their efficacy is also tied to their effects on the immune microenvironment and dependent upon cytotoxic T-cell activation. Effects observed in preclinical models are currently being validated in on-treatment biopsy samples procured from patients enrolled in clinical trials. Although this work has stimulated the development of combinations of PARP inhibitors with immunomodulatory agents, results to date have not demonstrated the superiority of combined PARP inhibition and immune checkpoint blockade compared with PARP inhibition alone. These results have stimulated a more comprehensive assessment of the immunosuppressive components of the tumor microenvironment that must be addressed so that the efficacy of PARP inhibitor agents can be maximized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey I Shapiro
- Department of Medical Oncology and Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
| | - Suzanne M Barry
- Department of Medical Oncology and Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
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5
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Liddiard K, Aston-Evans AN, Cleal K, Hendrickson E, Baird D. POLQ suppresses genome instability and alterations in DNA repeat tract lengths. NAR Cancer 2022; 4:zcac020. [PMID: 35774233 PMCID: PMC9241439 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcac020] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerase theta (POLQ) is a principal component of the alternative non-homologous end-joining (ANHEJ) DNA repair pathway that ligates DNA double-strand breaks. Utilizing independent models of POLQ insufficiency during telomere-driven crisis, we found that POLQ - /- cells are resistant to crisis-induced growth deceleration despite sustaining inter-chromosomal telomere fusion frequencies equivalent to wild-type (WT) cells. We recorded longer telomeres in POLQ - / - than WT cells pre- and post-crisis, notwithstanding elevated total telomere erosion and fusion rates. POLQ - /- cells emerging from crisis exhibited reduced incidence of clonal gross chromosomal abnormalities in accordance with increased genetic heterogeneity. High-throughput sequencing of telomere fusion amplicons from POLQ-deficient cells revealed significantly raised frequencies of inter-chromosomal fusions with correspondingly depreciated intra-chromosomal recombinations. Long-range interactions culminating in telomere fusions with centromere alpha-satellite repeats, as well as expansions in HSAT2 and HSAT3 satellite and contractions in ribosomal DNA repeats, were detected in POLQ - / - cells. In conjunction with the expanded telomere lengths of POLQ - /- cells, these results indicate a hitherto unrealized capacity of POLQ for regulation of repeat arrays within the genome. Our findings uncover novel considerations for the efficacy of POLQ inhibitors in clinical cancer interventions, where potential genome destabilizing consequences could drive clonal evolution and resistant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Liddiard
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Alys N Aston-Evans
- Dementia Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Kez Cleal
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Eric A Hendrickson
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Duncan M Baird
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
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Zhang Y, Wu L, Wang Z, Wang J, Roychoudhury S, Tomasik B, Wu G, Wang G, Rao X, Zhou R. Replication Stress: A Review of Novel Targets to Enhance Radiosensitivity-From Bench to Clinic. Front Oncol 2022; 12:838637. [PMID: 35875060 PMCID: PMC9305609 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.838637] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA replication is a process fundamental in all living organisms in which deregulation, known as replication stress, often leads to genomic instability, a hallmark of cancer. Most malignant tumors sustain persistent proliferation and tolerate replication stress via increasing reliance to the replication stress response. So whilst replication stress induces genomic instability and tumorigenesis, the replication stress response exhibits a unique cancer-specific vulnerability that can be targeted to induce catastrophic cell proliferation. Radiation therapy, most used in cancer treatment, induces a plethora of DNA lesions that affect DNA integrity and, in-turn, DNA replication. Owing to radiation dose limitations for specific organs and tumor tissue resistance, the therapeutic window is narrow. Thus, a means to eliminate or reduce tumor radioresistance is urgently needed. Current research trends have highlighted the potential of combining replication stress regulators with radiation therapy to capitalize on the high replication stress of tumors. Here, we review the current body of evidence regarding the role of replication stress in tumor progression and discuss potential means of enhancing tumor radiosensitivity by targeting the replication stress response. We offer new insights into the possibility of combining radiation therapy with replication stress drugs for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuewen Zhang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Wu
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhao Wang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinpeng Wang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shrabasti Roychoudhury
- Division of Radiation and Genome Stability, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Bartlomiej Tomasik
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Gang Wu
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Geng Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinrui Rao
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Rui Zhou, ; Xinrui Rao,
| | - Rui Zhou
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Rui Zhou, ; Xinrui Rao,
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Drzewiecka M, Barszczewska-Pietraszek G, Czarny P, Skorski T, Śliwiński T. Synthetic Lethality Targeting Polθ. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13061101. [PMID: 35741863 PMCID: PMC9223150 DOI: 10.3390/genes13061101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Research studies regarding synthetic lethality (SL) in human cells are primarily motivated by the potential of this phenomenon to be an effective, but at the same time, safe to the patient's anti-cancer chemotherapy. Among the factors that are targets for the induction of the synthetic lethality effect, those involved in DNA repair seem to be the most relevant. Specifically, when mutation in one of the canonical DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways occurs, which is a frequent event in cancer cells, the alternative pathways may be a promising target for the elimination of abnormal cells. Currently, inhibiting RAD52 and/or PARP1 in the tumor cells that are deficient in the canonical repair pathways has been the potential target for inducing the effect of synthetic lethality. Unfortunately, the development of resistance to commonly used PARP1 inhibitors (PARPi) represents the greatest obstacle to working out a successful treatment protocol. DNA polymerase theta (Polθ), encoded by the POLQ gene, plays a key role in an alternative DSB repair pathway-theta-mediated end joining (TMEJ). Thus, it is a promising target in the treatment of tumors harboring deficiencies in homologous recombination repair (HRR), where its inhibition can induce SL. In this review, the authors discuss the current state of knowledge on Polθ as a potential target for synthetic lethality-based anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Drzewiecka
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (M.D.); (G.B.-P.)
| | - Gabriela Barszczewska-Pietraszek
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (M.D.); (G.B.-P.)
| | - Piotr Czarny
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 92-216 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Tomasz Skorski
- Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Departament of Cancer and Cellular Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
- Correspondence: (T.S.); (T.Ś.); Tel.: +1-215-707-9157 (T.S.); +48-42-635-44-86 (T.Ś.)
| | - Tomasz Śliwiński
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (M.D.); (G.B.-P.)
- Correspondence: (T.S.); (T.Ś.); Tel.: +1-215-707-9157 (T.S.); +48-42-635-44-86 (T.Ś.)
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8
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Chen M, Linstra R, van Vugt MATM. Genomic instability, inflammatory signaling and response to cancer immunotherapy. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1877:188661. [PMID: 34800547 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [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: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Genomic and chromosomal instability are hallmarks of cancer and shape the genomic composition of cancer cells, thereby determining their behavior and response to treatment. Various genetic and epigenetic alterations in cancer have been linked to genomic instability, including DNA repair defects, oncogene-induced replication stress, and spindle assembly checkpoint malfunction. A consequence of genomic and chromosomal instability is the leakage of DNA from the nucleus into the cytoplasm, either directly or through the formation and subsequent rupture of micronuclei. Cytoplasmic DNA subsequently activates cytoplasmic DNA sensors, triggering downstream pathways, including a type I interferon response. This inflammatory signaling has pleiotropic effects, including enhanced anti-tumor immunity and potentially results in sensitization of cancer cells to immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, cancers frequently evolve mechanisms to avoid immune clearance, including suppression of inflammatory signaling. In this review, we summarize inflammatory signaling pathways induced by various sources of genomic instability, adaptation mechanisms that suppress inflammatory signaling, and implications for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengting Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Renske Linstra
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel A T M van Vugt
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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