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Trimaglio G, Sneperger T, Raymond BBA, Gilles N, Näser E, Locard-Paulet M, Ijsselsteijn ME, Brouwer TP, Ecalard R, Roelands J, Matsumoto N, Colom A, Habch M, de Miranda NFCC, Vergnolle N, Devaud C, Neyrolles O, Rombouts Y. The C-type lectin DCIR contributes to the immune response and pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7199. [PMID: 38532110 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57941-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Development and progression of malignancies are accompanied and influenced by alterations in the surrounding immune microenvironment. Understanding the cellular and molecular interactions between immune cells and cancer cells has not only provided important fundamental insights into the disease, but has also led to the development of new immunotherapies. The C-type lectin Dendritic Cell ImmunoReceptor (DCIR) is primarily expressed by myeloid cells and is an important regulator of immune homeostasis, as demonstrated in various autoimmune, infectious and inflammatory contexts. Yet, the impact of DCIR on cancer development remains largely unknown. Analysis of available transcriptomic data of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients revealed that high DCIR gene expression is associated with improved patients' survival, immunologically "hot" tumors and high immunologic constant of rejection, thus arguing for a protective and immunoregulatory role of DCIR in CRC. In line with these correlative data, we found that deficiency of DCIR1, the murine homologue of human DCIR, leads to the development of significantly larger tumors in an orthotopic murine model of CRC. This phenotype is accompanied by an altered phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and a reduction in the percentage of activated effector CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in CRC tumors of DCIR1-deficient mice. Overall, our results show that DCIR promotes antitumor immunity in CRC, making it an attractive target for the future development of immunotherapies to fight the second deadliest cancer in the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Trimaglio
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Tamara Sneperger
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Benjamin B A Raymond
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Nelly Gilles
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Emmanuelle Näser
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Marie Locard-Paulet
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Thomas P Brouwer
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Romain Ecalard
- INSERM US006 ANEXPLO/CREFRE, Purpan Hospital, Toulouse, France
| | - Jessica Roelands
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Naoki Matsumoto
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - André Colom
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Myriam Habch
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Nathalie Vergnolle
- Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive, IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAe, ENVT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Christel Devaud
- Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive, IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAe, ENVT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Olivier Neyrolles
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Yoann Rombouts
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France.
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Zhu H, Roelands J, Ahmed EI, Stouten I, Hoorntje R, van Vlierberghe RLP, Ijsselsteijn ME, Lei X, de Miranda NFCC, Tollenaar RAEM, Vahrmeijer AL, Bedognetti D, Hendrickx WRL, Kuppen PJK. Location matters: spatial dynamics of tumor-infiltrating T cell subsets is prognostic in colon cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1293618. [PMID: 38375478 PMCID: PMC10875018 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1293618] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Colon cancer is a heterogeneous disease and consists of various molecular subtypes. Despite advances in high-throughput expression profiling, limitations remain in predicting clinical outcome and assigning specific treatment to individual cases. Tumor-immune interactions play a critical role, with tumors that activate the immune system having better outcome for the patient. The localization of T cells within tumor epithelium, to enable direct contact, is essential for antitumor function, but bulk DNA/RNA sequencing data lacks spatial distribution information. In this study, we provide spatial T cell tumor distribution and connect these data with previously determined genomic data in the AC-ICAM colon cancer patient cohort. Methods Colon cancer patients (n=90) with transcriptome data available were selected. We used a custom multiplex immunofluorescence assay on colon tumor tissue sections for quantifying T cell subsets spatial distribution in the tumor microenvironment, in terms of cell number, location, mutual distance, and distance to tumor cells. Statistical analyses included the previously determined Immunologic Constant of Rejection (ICR) transcriptome correlation and patient survival, revealing potential prognostic value in T cell spatial distribution. Results T cell phenotypes were characterized and CD3+CD8-FoxP3- T cells were found to be the predominant tumor-infiltrating subtype while CD3+FoxP3+ T cells and CD3+CD8+ T cells showed similar densities. Spatial distribution analysis elucidated that proliferative T cells, characterized by Ki67 expression, and Granzyme B-expressing T cells were predominantly located within the tumor epithelium. We demonstrated an increase in immune cell density and a decrease in the distance of CD3+CD8+ T cells to the nearest tumor cell, in the immune active, ICR High, immune subtypes. Higher densities of stromal CD3+FoxP3+ T cells showed enhanced survival outcomes, and patients exhibited superior clinical benefits when greater spatial distances were observed between CD3+CD8-FoxP3- or CD3+CD8+ T cells and CD3+FoxP3+ T cells. Conclusion Our study's in-depth analysis of the spatial distribution and densities of major T cell subtypes within the tumor microenvironment has provided valuable information that paves the way for further research into the intricate relationships between immune cells and colon cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hehuan Zhu
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jessica Roelands
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Translational Medicine Division, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Eiman I. Ahmed
- Translational Medicine Division, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Imke Stouten
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Rachel Hoorntje
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Xin Lei
- Department of Immunology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Davide Bedognetti
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
- Kite, A Gilead Company, Santa Monica, CA, United States
| | - Wouter R. L. Hendrickx
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Peter J. K. Kuppen
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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van Oost S, Meijer DM, Ijsselsteijn ME, Roelands JP, van den Akker BEMW, van der Breggen R, Briaire-de Bruijn IH, van der Ploeg M, Wijers-Koster PM, Polak SB, Peul WC, van der Wal RJP, de Miranda NFCC, Bovee JVMG. Multimodal profiling of chordoma immunity reveals distinct immune contextures. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008138. [PMID: 38272563 PMCID: PMC10824073 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008138] [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] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chordomas are rare cancers from the axial skeleton which present a challenging clinical management with limited treatment options due to their anatomical location. In recent years, a few clinical trials demonstrated that chordomas can respond to immunotherapy. However, an in-depth portrayal of chordoma immunity and its association with clinical parameters is still lacking. METHODS We present a comprehensive characterization of immunological features of 76 chordomas through application of a multimodal approach. Transcriptomic profiling of 20 chordomas was performed to inform on the activity of immune-related genes through the immunologic constant of rejection (ICR) signature. Multidimensional immunophenotyping through imaging mass cytometry was applied to provide insights in the different immune contextures of 32 chordomas. T cell infiltration was further evaluated in all 76 patients by means of multispectral immunofluorescence and then associated with clinical parameters through univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models as well as Kaplan-Meier estimates. Moreover, distinct expression patterns of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I were assessed by immunohistochemical staining in all 76 patients. Finally, clonal enrichment of the T cell receptor (TCR) was sought through profiling of the variable region of TCRB locus of 24 patients. RESULTS Chordomas generally presented an immune "hot" microenvironment in comparison to other sarcomas, as indicated by the ICR transcriptional signature. We identified two distinct groups of chordomas based on T cell infiltration which were independent from clinical parameters. The highly infiltrated group was further characterized by high dendritic cell infiltration and the presence of multicellular immune aggregates in tumors, whereas low T cell infiltration was associated with lower overall cell densities of immune and stromal cells. Interestingly, patients with higher T cell infiltration displayed a more pronounced clonal enrichment of the TCR repertoire compared with those with low T cell counts. Furthermore, we observed that the majority of chordomas maintained HLA class I expression. CONCLUSION Our findings shed light on the natural immunity against chordomas through the identification of distinct immune contextures. Understanding their immune landscape could guide the development and application of immunotherapies in a tailored manner, ultimately leading to an improved clinical outcome for patients with chordoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddh van Oost
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Center for Computational Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Debora M Meijer
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Center for Computational Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Jessica P Roelands
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Manon van der Ploeg
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Samuel B Polak
- University Neurosurgical Center Holland, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
| | - Wilco C Peul
- University Neurosurgical Center Holland, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
| | - Robert J P van der Wal
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Noel F C C de Miranda
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Center for Computational Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Judith V M G Bovee
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Center for Computational Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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Luk SJ, Schoppmeyer R, Ijsselsteijn ME, Somarakis A, Acem I, Remst DFG, Cox DT, van Bergen CAM, Briaire-de Bruijn I, Grönloh MLB, van der Meer WJ, Hawinkels LJAC, Koning RI, Bos E, Bovée JVMG, de Miranda NFCC, Szuhai K, van Buul JD, Falkenburg JHF, Heemskerk MHM. VISTA Expression on Cancer-Associated Endothelium Selectively Prevents T-cell Extravasation. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1480-1492. [PMID: 37695550 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Cancers evade T-cell immunity by several mechanisms such as secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines, down regulation of antigen presentation machinery, upregulation of immune checkpoint molecules, and exclusion of T cells from tumor tissues. The distribution and function of immune checkpoint molecules on tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating leukocytes is well established, but less is known about their impact on intratumoral endothelial cells. Here, we demonstrated that V-domain Ig suppressor of T-cell activation (VISTA), a PD-L1 homolog, was highly expressed on endothelial cells in synovial sarcoma, subsets of different carcinomas, and immune-privileged tissues. We created an ex vivo model of the human vasculature and demonstrated that expression of VISTA on endothelial cells selectively prevented T-cell transmigration over endothelial layers under physiologic flow conditions, whereas it does not affect migration of other immune cell types. Furthermore, endothelial VISTA correlated with reduced infiltration of T cells and poor prognosis in metastatic synovial sarcoma. In endothelial cells, we detected VISTA on the plasma membrane and in recycling endosomes, and its expression was upregulated by cancer cell-secreted factors in a VEGF-A-dependent manner. Our study reveals that endothelial VISTA is upregulated by cancer-secreted factors and that it regulates T-cell accessibility to cancer and healthy tissues. This newly identified mechanism should be considered when using immunotherapeutic approaches aimed at unleashing T cell-mediated cancer immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sietse J Luk
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Rouven Schoppmeyer
- Molecular Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Leeuwenhoek Centre for Advanced Microscopy, Molecular Cytology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Antonios Somarakis
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ibtissam Acem
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Oncological and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dennis F G Remst
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Daan T Cox
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Max L B Grönloh
- Molecular Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Leeuwenhoek Centre for Advanced Microscopy, Molecular Cytology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Werner J van der Meer
- Molecular Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Leeuwenhoek Centre for Advanced Microscopy, Molecular Cytology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lukas J A C Hawinkels
- Department of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Roman I Koning
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Erik Bos
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Judith V M G Bovée
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Karoly Szuhai
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jaap D van Buul
- Molecular Cell Biology Lab, Department of Molecular Hematology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Leeuwenhoek Centre for Advanced Microscopy, Molecular Cytology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Mirjam H M Heemskerk
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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van den Bulk J, Verdegaal EM, van der Ploeg M, Visser M, Nunes JB, de Ru AH, Tjokrodirijo RT, Ijsselsteijn ME, Janssen NI, van der Breggen R, de Bruin L, de Kok P, Janssen GM, Ruano D, Kapiteijn EH, van Veelen PA, de Miranda NF, van der Burg SH. Neoantigen Targetability in Progressive Advanced Melanoma. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:4278-4288. [PMID: 37540567 PMCID: PMC10570682 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-1106] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The availability of (neo)antigens and the infiltration of tumors by (neo)antigen-specific T cells are crucial factors in cancer immunotherapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the targetability of (neo)antigens in advanced progessive melanoma and explore the potential for continued T-cell-based immunotherapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We examined a cohort of eight patients with melanoma who had sequential metastases resected at early and later time points. Antigen-presenting capacity was assessed using IHC and flow cytometry. T-cell infiltration was quantified through multiplex immunofluorescence. Whole-exome and RNA sequencing were conducted to identify neoantigens and assess the expression of neoantigens and tumor-associated antigens. Mass spectrometry was used to evaluate antigen presentation. Tumor recognition by autologous T cells was assessed by coculture assays with cell lines derived from the metastatic lesions. RESULTS We observed similar T-cell infiltration in paired early and later metastatic (LM) lesions. Although elements of the antigen-presenting machinery were affected in some LM lesions, both the early and later metastasis-derived cell lines were recognized by autologous T cells. At the genomic level, the (neo)antigen landscape was dynamic, but the (neo)antigen load was stable between paired lesions. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that subsequently isolated tumors from patients with late-stage melanoma retain sufficient antigen-presenting capacity, T-cell infiltration, and a stable (neo)antigen load, allowing recognition of tumor cells by T cells. This indicates a continuous availability of T-cell targets in metastases occurring at different time points and supports further exploration of (neo)antigen-specific T-cell-based therapeutic approaches for advanced melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitske van den Bulk
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Els M.E. Verdegaal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Manon van der Ploeg
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marten Visser
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Joana B. Nunes
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Arnoud H. de Ru
- Center of Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Rayman T.N. Tjokrodirijo
- Center of Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Natasja I. Janssen
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ruud van der Breggen
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Linda de Bruin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Pita de Kok
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - George M.C. Janssen
- Center of Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Dina Ruano
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ellen H.W. Kapiteijn
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Peter A. van Veelen
- Center of Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Sjoerd H. van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Ijsselsteijn ME, de Miranda NFCC. Advancing multiplexed imaging for enhanced tissue complexity analysis. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1280-1281. [PMID: 37653119 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01935-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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Krop J, van der Meeren LE, van der Hoorn MLP, Ijsselsteijn ME, Dijkstra KL, Kapsenberg H, van der Keur C, Cornish EF, Nikkels PGJ, Koning F, Claas FHJ, Heidt S, Eikmans M, Bos M. Identification of a unique intervillous cellular signature in chronic histiocytic intervillositis. Placenta 2023; 139:34-42. [PMID: 37300938 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI) is a rare histopathological lesion in the placenta characterized by an infiltrate of CD68+ cells in the intervillous space. CHI is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, fetal growth restriction, and (late) intrauterine fetal death. The adverse pregnancy outcomes and a variable recurrence rate of 25-100% underline its clinical relevance. The pathophysiologic mechanism of CHI is unclear, but it appears to be immunologically driven. The aim of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the phenotype of the cellular infiltrate in CHI. METHOD We used imaging mass cytometry to achieve in-depth visualization of the intervillous maternal immune cells and investigated their spatial orientation in situ in relation to the fetal syncytiotrophoblast. RESULTS We found three phenotypically distinct CD68+HLA-DR+CD38+ cell clusters that were unique for CHI. Additionally, syncytiotrophoblast cells in the vicinity of these CD68+HLA-DR+CD38+ cells showed decreased expression of the immunosuppressive enzyme CD39. DISCUSSION The current results provide novel insight into the phenotype of CD68+ cells in CHI. The identification of unique CD68+ cell clusters will allow more detailed analysis of their function and could result in novel therapeutic targets for CHI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Krop
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Lotte E van der Meeren
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Pathology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Kyra L Dijkstra
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - H Kapsenberg
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - C van der Keur
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Emily F Cornish
- Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Peter G J Nikkels
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Frits Koning
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Frans H J Claas
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Heidt
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Michael Eikmans
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Manon Bos
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
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8
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van den Bulk J, van der Ploeg M, Ijsselsteijn ME, Ruano D, van der Breggen R, Duhen R, Peeters KCMJ, Fariña-Sarasqueta A, Verdegaal EME, van der Burg SH, Duhen T, de Miranda NFCC. CD103 and CD39 coexpression identifies neoantigen-specific cytotoxic T cells in colorectal cancers with low mutation burden. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-005887. [PMID: 36792124 PMCID: PMC9933759 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expression of CD103 and CD39 has been found to pinpoint tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells in a variety of solid cancers. We aimed to investigate whether these markers specifically identify neoantigen-specific T cells in colorectal cancers (CRCs) with low mutation burden. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Whole-exome and RNA sequencing of 11 mismatch repair-proficient (MMR-proficient) CRCs and corresponding healthy tissues were performed to determine the presence of putative neoantigens. In parallel, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were cultured from the tumor fragments and, in parallel, CD8+ T cells were flow-sorted from their respective tumor digests based on single or combined expression of CD103 and CD39. Each subset was expanded and subsequently interrogated for neoantigen-directed reactivity with synthetic peptides. Neoantigen-directed reactivity was determined by flow cytometric analyses of T cell activation markers and ELISA-based detection of IFN-γ and granzyme B release. Additionally, imaging mass cytometry was applied to investigate the localization of CD103+CD39+ cytotoxic T cells in tumors. RESULTS Neoantigen-directed reactivity was only encountered in bulk TIL populations and CD103+CD39+ (double positive, DP) CD8+ T cell subsets but never in double-negative or single-positive subsets. Neoantigen-reactivity detected in bulk TIL but not in DP CD8+ T cells could be attributed to CD4+ T cells. CD8+ T cells that were located in direct contact with cancer cells in tumor tissues were enriched for CD103 and CD39 expression. CONCLUSION Coexpression of CD103 and CD39 is characteristic of neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cells in MMR-proficient CRCs with low mutation burden. The exploitation of these subsets in the context of adoptive T cell transfer or engineered T cell receptor therapies is a promising avenue to extend the benefits of immunotherapy to an increasing number of CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitske van den Bulk
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Manon van der Ploeg
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Dina Ruano
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud van der Breggen
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Rebekka Duhen
- Basic Immunology Lab, Earle A Chiles Research Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Koen C M J Peeters
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Els M E Verdegaal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Duhen
- Anti-Cancer Immune Response Lab, Earle A Chiles Research Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Roelands J, van der Ploeg M, Ijsselsteijn ME, Dang H, Boonstra JJ, Hardwick JCH, Hawinkels LJAC, Morreau H, de Miranda NFCC. Transcriptomic and immunophenotypic profiling reveals molecular and immunological hallmarks of colorectal cancer tumourigenesis. Gut 2022:gutjnl-2022-327608. [PMID: 36442992 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-327608] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Biological insights into the stepwise development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) are imperative to develop tailored approaches for early detection and optimal clinical management of this disease. Here, we aimed to dissect the transcriptional and immunologic alterations that accompany malignant transformation in CRC and to identify clinically relevant biomarkers through spatial profiling of pT1 CRC samples. DESIGN We employed digital spatial profiling (GeoMx) on eight pT1 CRCs to study gene expression in the epithelial and stromal segments across regions of distinct histology, including normal mucosa, low-grade and high-grade dysplasia and cancer. Consecutive histology sections were profiled by imaging mass cytometry to reveal immune contextures. Finally, publicly available single-cell RNA-sequencing data was analysed to determine the cellular origin of relevant transcripts. RESULTS Comparison of gene expression between regions within pT1 CRC samples identified differentially expressed genes in the epithelium (n=1394 genes) and the stromal segments (n=1145 genes) across distinct histologies. Pathway analysis identified an early onset of inflammatory responses during malignant transformation, typified by upregulation of gene signatures such as innate immune sensing. We detected increased infiltration of myeloid cells and a shift in macrophage populations from pro-inflammatory HLA-DR+CD204- macrophages to HLA-DR-CD204+ immune-suppressive subsets from normal tissue through dysplasia to cancer, accompanied by the upregulation of the CD47/SIRPα 'don't eat me signal'. CONCLUSION Spatial profiling revealed the molecular and immunological landscape of CRC tumourigenesis at early disease stage. We identified biomarkers with strong association with disease progression as well as targetable immune processes that are exploitable in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Roelands
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Manon van der Ploeg
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Hao Dang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jurjen J Boonstra
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - James C H Hardwick
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lukas J A C Hawinkels
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Morreau
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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10
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Niewold P, Ijsselsteijn ME, Verreck FAW, Ottenhoff THM, Joosten SA. An imaging mass cytometry immunophenotyping panel for non-human primate tissues. Front Immunol 2022; 13:915157. [PMID: 35911721 PMCID: PMC9334813 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.915157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It has recently become clear that spatial organization contributes to cellular function and that expanding our knowledge on cellular organization is essential to further our understanding of processes in health and disease. Imaging mass cytometry enables high dimensional imaging of tissue while preserving spatial context and is therefore a suitable tool to unravel spatial relationships between cells. As availability of human tissue collected over the course of disease or infection is limited, preclinical models are a valuable source of such material. Non-human primate models are used for translational research as their anatomy, physiology and immune system closely resemble those of humans due to close evolutionary proximity. Tissue from non-human primate studies is often preserved large archives encompassing a range of conditions and organs. However, knowledge on antibody clones suitable for FFPE tissue of non-human primate origin is very limited. Here, we present an imaging mass cytometry panel development pipeline which enables the selection and incorporation of antibodies for imaging of non-human primate tissue. This has resulted in an 18-marker backbone panel which enables visualization of a broad range of leukocyte subsets in rhesus and cynomolgus macaque tissues. This high-dimensional imaging mass cytometry panel can be used to increase our knowledge of cellular organization within tissues and its effect on outcome of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Niewold
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Frank A. W. Verreck
- Section of Tuberculosis (TB) Research and Immunology, Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Tom H. M. Ottenhoff
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Simone A. Joosten
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Simone A. Joosten,
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11
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Glaire MA, Ryan NAJ, Ijsselsteijn ME, Kedzierska K, Obolenski S, Ali R, Crosbie EJ, Bosse T, de Miranda NFCC, Church DN. Discordant prognosis of mismatch repair deficiency in colorectal and endometrial cancer reflects variation in antitumour immune response and immune escape. J Pathol 2022; 257:340-351. [PMID: 35262923 PMCID: PMC9322587 DOI: 10.1002/path.5894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Defective DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) causes elevated tumour mutational burden (TMB) and microsatellite instability (MSI) in multiple cancer types. dMMR/MSI colorectal cancers (CRCs) have enhanced T-cell infiltrate and favourable outcome; however, this association has not been reliably detected in other tumour types, including endometrial cancer (EC). We sought to confirm this and explore the underpinning mechanisms. We first meta-analysed CRC and EC trials that have examined the prognostic value of dMMR/MSI and confirmed that dMMR/MSI predicts better prognosis in CRC, but not EC, with statistically significant variation between cancers (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.54-0.73 versus HR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.72-1.58; PINT = 0.02). Next, we studied intratumoural immune infiltrate in CRCs and ECs of defined MMR status and found that while dMMR was associated with increased density of tumour-infiltrating CD3+ and CD8+ T-cells in both cancer types, the increases were substantially greater in CRC and significant only in this group (PINT = 4.3e-04 and 7.3e-03, respectively). Analysis of CRC and EC from the independent Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) series revealed similar variation and significant interactions in proportions of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, CD8+ , CD4+ , NK cells and immune checkpoint expression, confirming a more vigorous immune response to dMMR/MSI in CRC than EC. Agnostic analysis identified the IFNγ pathway activity as strongly upregulated by dMMR/MSI in CRC, but downregulated in EC by frequent JAK1 mutations, the impact of which on IFNγ response was confirmed by functional analyses. Collectively, our results confirm the discordant prognosis of dMMR/MSI in CRC and EC and suggest that this relates to differences in intratumoural immune infiltrate and tumour genome. Our study underscores the need for tissue-specific analysis of cancer biomarkers and may help inform immunotherapy use. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Glaire
- Cancer Genomics and Immunology Group, Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Neil AJ Ryan
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of Manchester, St Mary's HospitalManchesterUK
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of Manchester, St. Mary's HospitalManchesterUK
- The Academic Women's Health Unit, Translational Health SciencesBristol Medical School, University of BristolBristolUK
| | | | - Katarzyna Kedzierska
- Cancer Genomics and Immunology Group, Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Sofia Obolenski
- Cancer Genomics and Immunology Group, Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Reem Ali
- Cancer Genomics and Immunology Group, Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Emma J Crosbie
- Division of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of Manchester, St Mary's HospitalManchesterUK
- Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologySt Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science CentreManchesterUK
| | - Tjalling Bosse
- Department of PathologyLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Noel FCC de Miranda
- Department of PathologyLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - David N Church
- Cancer Genomics and Immunology Group, Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Oxford Cancer Centre, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals Foundation NHS TrustOxfordUK
- Oxford NIHR Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustOxfordUK
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12
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Krop J, van der Zwan A, Ijsselsteijn ME, Kapsenberg H, Luk SJ, Hendriks SH, van der Keur C, Verleng LJ, Somarakis A, van der Meeren L, Haasnoot G, Bos M, de Miranda NF, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, van der Hoorn MLP, Koning F, Claas FH, Heidt S, Eikmans M. Imaging Mass cytometry reveals the prominent role of myeloid cells at the maternal-fetal interface. iScience 2022; 25:104648. [PMID: 35811852 PMCID: PMC9257341 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the immunological complexity of the maternal-fetal interface is well appreciated, the actual interaction of maternal immune cells and fetal trophoblasts is insufficiently understood. To comprehend the composition and spatial orientation of maternal immune cells and fetal extravillous trophoblasts, we applied imaging mass cytometry on decidua basalis of the three trimesters of healthy pregnancy. Within all trimesters, we observed considerably higher frequencies of myeloid cells in the decidua than is seen with single-cell suspension techniques. Moreover, they were the most pronounced cell type in the microenvironment of other decidual cells. In first trimester, HLA-DR- macrophages represented the most abundant myeloid subcluster and these cells were frequently observed in the vicinity of trophoblasts. At term, HLA-DR+ macrophage subclusters were abundantly present and frequently observed in the microenvironment of T cells. Taken together, our results highlight the dynamic role of myeloid cells at the human maternal-fetal interface throughout gestation. Frequency of myeloid cells is underestimated after tissue digestion Myeloid cells could support NK cells with proper trophoblast invasion Myeloid cells are dynamic in their role throughout gestation
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13
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Abdulrahman Z, Santegoets SJ, Sturm G, Charoentong P, Ijsselsteijn ME, Somarakis A, Höllt T, Finotello F, Trajanoski Z, van Egmond SL, Mustafa DAM, Welters MJP, de Miranda NFCC, van der Burg SH. Tumor-specific T cells support chemokine-driven spatial organization of intratumoral immune microaggregates needed for long survival. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:e004346. [PMID: 35217577 PMCID: PMC8883276 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The composition of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) associated with good prognosis generally also predicts the success of immunotherapy, and both entail the presence of pre-existing tumor-specific T cells. Here, the blueprint of the TIME associated with such an ongoing tumor-specific T-cell response was dissected in a unique prospective oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) cohort, in which tumor-specific tumor-infiltrating T cells were detected (immune responsiveness (IR+)) or not (lack of immune responsiveness (IR-)). METHODS A comprehensive multimodal, high-dimensional strategy was applied to dissect the TIME of treatment-naive IR+ and IR- OPSCC tissue, including bulk RNA sequencing (NanoString), imaging mass cytometry (Hyperion) for phenotyping and spatial interaction analyses of immune cells, and combined single-cell gene expression profiling and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing (single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq)) to characterize the transcriptional states of clonally expanded tumor-infiltrating T cells. RESULTS IR+ patients had an excellent survival during >10 years follow-up. The tumors of IR+ patients expressed higher levels of genes strongly related to interferon gamma signaling, T-cell activation, TCR signaling, and mononuclear cell differentiation, as well as genes involved in several immune signaling pathways, than IR- patients. The top differently overexpressed genes included CXCL12 and LTB, involved in ectopic lymphoid structure development. Moreover, scRNAseq not only revealed that CD4+ T cells were the main producers of LTB but also identified a subset of clonally expanded CD8+ T cells, dominantly present in IR+ tumors, which secreted the T cell and dendritic cell (DC) attracting chemokine CCL4. Indeed, immune cell infiltration in IR+ tumors is stronger, highly coordinated, and has a distinct spatial phenotypical signature characterized by intratumoral microaggregates of CD8+CD103+ and CD4+ T cells with DCs. In contrast, the IR- TIME comprised spatial interactions between lymphocytes and various immunosuppressive myeloid cell populations. The impact of these chemokines on local immunity and clinical outcome was confirmed in an independent The Cancer Genome Atlas OPSCC cohort. CONCLUSION The production of lymphoid cell attracting and organizing chemokines by tumor-specific T cells in IR+ tumors constitutes a positive feedback loop to sustain the formation of the DC-T-cell microaggregates and identifies patients with excellent survival after standard therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziena Abdulrahman
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia J Santegoets
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gregor Sturm
- Biocenter, Institute of Bioinformatics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Pornpimol Charoentong
- Medical Oncology and National Center for Tumor diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Thomas Höllt
- Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Francesca Finotello
- Biocenter, Institute of Bioinformatics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | | | - Dana A M Mustafa
- Pathology, Tumor Immuno-Pathology Laboratory, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marij J P Welters
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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14
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Ijsselsteijn ME, Somarakis A, Lelieveldt BPF, Höllt T, de Miranda NFCC. Semi-automated background removal limits data loss and normalizes imaging mass cytometry data. Cytometry A 2021; 99:1187-1197. [PMID: 34196108 PMCID: PMC9542015 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Imaging mass cytometry (IMC) allows the detection of multiple antigens (approximately 40 markers) combined with spatial information, making it a unique tool for the evaluation of complex biological systems. Due to its widespread availability and retained tissue morphology, formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) tissues are often a material of choice for IMC studies. However, antibody performance and signal to noise ratios can differ considerably between FFPE tissues as a consequence of variations in tissue processing, including fixation. In contrast to batch effects caused by differences in the immunodetection procedure, variations in tissue processing are difficult to control. We investigated the effect of immunodetection‐related signal intensity fluctuations on IMC analysis and phenotype identification, in a cohort of 12 colorectal cancer tissues. Furthermore, we explored different normalization strategies and propose a workflow to normalize IMC data by semi‐automated background removal, using publicly available tools. This workflow can be directly applied to previously acquired datasets and considerably improves the quality of IMC data, thereby supporting the analysis and comparison of multiple samples.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonios Somarakis
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Thomas Höllt
- Computer Graphics and Visualization, EEMCS, TU Delft, Delft, The Netherlands.,Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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15
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Somarakis A, Ijsselsteijn ME, Luk SJ, Kenkhuis B, de Miranda NFCC, Lelieveldt BPF, Hollt T. Visual cohort comparison for spatial single-cell omics-data. IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph 2021; 27:733-743. [PMID: 33112747 DOI: 10.1109/tvcg.2020.3030336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Spatially-resolved omics-data enable researchers to precisely distinguish cell types in tissue and explore their spatial interactions, enabling deep understanding of tissue functionality. To understand what causes or deteriorates a disease and identify related biomarkers, clinical researchers regularly perform large-scale cohort studies, requiring the comparison of such data at cellular level. In such studies, with little a-priori knowledge of what to expect in the data, explorative data analysis is a necessity. Here, we present an interactive visual analysis workflow for the comparison of cohorts of spatially-resolved omics-data. Our workflow allows the comparative analysis of two cohorts based on multiple levels-of-detail, from simple abundance of contained cell types over complex co-localization patterns to individual comparison of complete tissue images. As a result, the workflow enables the identification of cohort-differentiating features, as well as outlier samples at any stage of the workflow. During the development of the workflow, we continuously consulted with domain experts. To show the effectiveness of the workflow, we conducted multiple case studies with domain experts from different application areas and with different data modalities.
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16
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Rocha S, Basto AP, Ijsselsteijn ME, Teles SP, Azevedo MM, Gonçalves G, Gullo I, Almeida GM, Maqueda JJ, Oliveira MI, Carneiro F, Barata JT, Graça L, de Miranda NFCC, Carvalho J, Oliveira C. Immunophenotype of Gastric Tumors Unveils a Pleiotropic Role of Regulatory T Cells in Tumor Development. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030421. [PMID: 33498681 PMCID: PMC7865950 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030421] [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: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) patients display increased regulatory T cell (Tregs) numbers in peripheral blood and among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Nevertheless, the role of Tregs in GC progression remains controversial. Here, we sought to explore the impact of Tregs in GCs with distinct histology, and whether Tregs can directly influence tumor cell behavior and GC development. We performed a comprehensive immunophenotyping of 82 human GC cases, through an integrated analysis of multispectral immunofluorescence detection of T cells markers and patient clinicopathological data. Moreover, we developed 3D in vitro co-cultures with Tregs and tumor cells that were followed by high-throughput and light-sheet imaging, and their biological features studied with conventional/imaging flow cytometry and Western blotting. We showed that Tregs located at the tumor nest were frequent in intestinal-type GCs but did not associate with increased levels of effector T cells. Our in vitro results suggested that Tregs preferentially infiltrated intestinal-type GC spheroids, induced the expression of IL2Rα and activation of MAPK signaling pathway in tumor cells, and promoted spheroid growth. Accumulation of Tregs in intestinal-type GCs was increased at early stages of the stomach wall invasion and in the absence of vascular and perineural invasion. In this study, we proposed a non-immunosuppressive mechanism through which Tregs might directly modulate GC cells and thereby promote tumor growth. Our findings hold insightful implications for therapeutic strategies targeting intestinal-type GCs and other tumors with similar immune context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Rocha
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.R.); (S.P.T.); (M.M.A.); (I.G.); (G.M.A.); (J.J.M.); (F.C.); (J.C.)
- Ipatimup—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Doctoral Program on Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Applied to Health Sciences, ICBAS—Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Afonso P Basto
- iMM—Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.P.B.); (J.T.B.); (L.G.)
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Marieke E Ijsselsteijn
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; (M.E.I.); (N.F.C.C.d.M.)
| | - Sara P Teles
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.R.); (S.P.T.); (M.M.A.); (I.G.); (G.M.A.); (J.J.M.); (F.C.); (J.C.)
- Ipatimup—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria M Azevedo
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.R.); (S.P.T.); (M.M.A.); (I.G.); (G.M.A.); (J.J.M.); (F.C.); (J.C.)
| | - Gilza Gonçalves
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Irene Gullo
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.R.); (S.P.T.); (M.M.A.); (I.G.); (G.M.A.); (J.J.M.); (F.C.); (J.C.)
- Ipatimup—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal;
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Gabriela M Almeida
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.R.); (S.P.T.); (M.M.A.); (I.G.); (G.M.A.); (J.J.M.); (F.C.); (J.C.)
- Ipatimup—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Joaquín J Maqueda
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.R.); (S.P.T.); (M.M.A.); (I.G.); (G.M.A.); (J.J.M.); (F.C.); (J.C.)
- Ipatimup—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marta I Oliveira
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, 4715-330 Braga, Portugal;
| | - Fátima Carneiro
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.R.); (S.P.T.); (M.M.A.); (I.G.); (G.M.A.); (J.J.M.); (F.C.); (J.C.)
- Ipatimup—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal;
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - João T Barata
- iMM—Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.P.B.); (J.T.B.); (L.G.)
| | - Luís Graça
- iMM—Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.P.B.); (J.T.B.); (L.G.)
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Noel F C C de Miranda
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; (M.E.I.); (N.F.C.C.d.M.)
| | - Joana Carvalho
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.R.); (S.P.T.); (M.M.A.); (I.G.); (G.M.A.); (J.J.M.); (F.C.); (J.C.)
- Ipatimup—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Carla Oliveira
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.R.); (S.P.T.); (M.M.A.); (I.G.); (G.M.A.); (J.J.M.); (F.C.); (J.C.)
- Ipatimup—Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-225-570-785
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17
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Guo N, van Unen V, Ijsselsteijn ME, Ouboter LF, van der Meulen AE, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, de Miranda NFCC, Koning F, Li N. A 34-Marker Panel for Imaging Mass Cytometric Analysis of Human Snap-Frozen Tissue. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1466. [PMID: 32765508 PMCID: PMC7381123 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Imaging mass cytometry (IMC) is able to quantify the expression of dozens of markers at sub-cellular resolution on a single tissue section by combining a novel laser ablation system with mass cytometry. As such, it allows us to gain spatial information and antigen quantification in situ, and can be applied to both snap-frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections. Herein, we have developed and optimized the immunodetection conditions for a 34-antibody panel for use on human snap-frozen tissue sections. For this, we tested the performance of 80 antibodies. Moreover, we compared tissue drying times, fixation procedures and antibody incubation conditions. We observed that variations in the drying times of tissue sections had little impact on the quality of the images. Fixation with methanol for 5 min at -20°C or 1% paraformaldehyde (PFA) for 5 min at room temperature followed by methanol for 5 min at -20°C were superior to fixation with acetone or PFA only. Finally, we observed that antibody incubation overnight at 4°C yielded more consistent results as compared to staining at room temperature for 5 h. Finally, we used the optimized method for staining of human fetal and adult intestinal tissue samples. We present the tissue architecture and spatial distribution of the stromal cells and immune cells in these samples visualizing blood vessels, the epithelium and lamina propria based on the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), E-Cadherin and Vimentin, while simultaneously revealing the colocalization of T cells, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), and various myeloid cell subsets in the lamina propria of the human fetal intestine. We expect that this work can aid the scientific community who wish to improve IMC data quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Guo
- Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Vincent van Unen
- Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | | | - Laura F Ouboter
- Gastroenterology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Frits Koning
- Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Na Li
- Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Key Laboratory of Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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18
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de Vries NL, van Unen V, Ijsselsteijn ME, Abdelaal T, van der Breggen R, Farina Sarasqueta A, Mahfouz A, Peeters KCMJ, Höllt T, Lelieveldt BPF, Koning F, de Miranda NFCC. High-dimensional cytometric analysis of colorectal cancer reveals novel mediators of antitumour immunity. Gut 2020; 69:691-703. [PMID: 31270164 PMCID: PMC7063399 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A comprehensive understanding of anticancer immune responses is paramount for the optimal application and development of cancer immunotherapies. We unravelled local and systemic immune profiles in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) by high-dimensional analysis to provide an unbiased characterisation of the immune contexture of CRC. DESIGN Thirty-six immune cell markers were simultaneously assessed at the single-cell level by mass cytometry in 35 CRC tissues, 26 tumour-associated lymph nodes, 17 colorectal healthy mucosa and 19 peripheral blood samples from 31 patients with CRC. Additionally, functional, transcriptional and spatial analyses of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes were performed by flow cytometry, single-cell RNA-sequencing and multispectral immunofluorescence. RESULTS We discovered that a previously unappreciated innate lymphocyte population (Lin-CD7+CD127-CD56+CD45RO+) was enriched in CRC tissues and displayed cytotoxic activity. This subset demonstrated a tissue-resident (CD103+CD69+) phenotype and was most abundant in immunogenic mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient CRCs. Their presence in tumours was correlated with the infiltration of tumour-resident cytotoxic, helper and γδ T cells with highly similar activated (HLA-DR+CD38+PD-1+) phenotypes. Remarkably, activated γδ T cells were almost exclusively found in MMR-deficient cancers. Non-activated counterparts of tumour-resident cytotoxic and γδ T cells were present in CRC and healthy mucosa tissues, but not in lymph nodes, with the exception of tumour-positive lymph nodes. CONCLUSION This work provides a blueprint for the understanding of the heterogeneous and intricate immune landscape of CRC, including the identification of previously unappreciated immune cell subsets. The concomitant presence of tumour-resident innate and adaptive immune cell populations suggests a multitargeted exploitation of their antitumour properties in a therapeutic setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasja L de Vries
- Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands,TECObiosciences GmbH, Landshut, Germany
| | - Vincent van Unen
- Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Tamim Abdelaal
- Pattern Recognition and Bioinformatics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands,Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Ahmed Mahfouz
- Pattern Recognition and Bioinformatics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands,Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Thomas Höllt
- Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands,Computer Graphics and Visualization, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Boudewijn P F Lelieveldt
- Pattern Recognition and Bioinformatics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands,LKEB Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Frits Koning
- Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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19
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van den Bulk J, Verdegaal EME, Ruano D, Ijsselsteijn ME, Visser M, van der Breggen R, Duhen T, van der Ploeg M, de Vries NL, Oosting J, Peeters KCMJ, Weinberg AD, Farina-Sarasqueta A, van der Burg SH, de Miranda NFCC. Neoantigen-specific immunity in low mutation burden colorectal cancers of the consensus molecular subtype 4. Genome Med 2019; 11:87. [PMID: 31888734 PMCID: PMC6938004 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-019-0697-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [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: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The efficacy of checkpoint blockade immunotherapies in colorectal cancer is currently restricted to a minority of patients diagnosed with mismatch repair-deficient tumors having high mutation burden. However, this observation does not exclude the existence of neoantigen-specific T cells in colorectal cancers with low mutation burden and the exploitation of their anti-cancer potential for immunotherapy. Therefore, we investigated whether autologous neoantigen-specific T cell responses could also be observed in patients diagnosed with mismatch repair-proficient colorectal cancers. Methods Whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing were performed on cancer and normal tissues from seven colorectal cancer patients diagnosed with mismatch repair-proficient tumors to detect putative neoantigens. Corresponding neo-epitopes were synthesized and tested for recognition by in vitro expanded T cells that were isolated from tumor tissues (tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes) and from peripheral mononuclear blood cells stimulated with tumor material. Results Neoantigen-specific T cell reactivity was detected to several neo-epitopes in the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes of three patients while their respective cancers expressed 15, 21, and 30 non-synonymous variants. Cell sorting of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes based on the co-expression of CD39 and CD103 pinpointed the presence of neoantigen-specific T cells in the CD39+CD103+ T cell subset. Strikingly, the tumors containing neoantigen-reactive TIL were classified as consensus molecular subtype 4 (CMS4), which is associated with TGF-β pathway activation and worse clinical outcome. Conclusions We have detected neoantigen-targeted reactivity by autologous T cells in mismatch repair-proficient colorectal cancers of the CMS4 subtype. These findings warrant the development of specific immunotherapeutic strategies that selectively boost the activity of neoantigen-specific T cells and target the TGF-β pathway to reinforce T cell reactivity in this patient group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dina Ruano
- Pathology, LUMC, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marten Visser
- Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, LUMC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Jan Oosting
- Pathology, LUMC, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
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20
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Ijsselsteijn ME, van der Breggen R, Farina Sarasqueta A, Koning F, de Miranda NFCC. A 40-Marker Panel for High Dimensional Characterization of Cancer Immune Microenvironments by Imaging Mass Cytometry. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2534. [PMID: 31736961 PMCID: PMC6830340 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [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: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiplex immunophenotyping technologies are indispensable for a deeper understanding of biological systems. Until recently, high-dimensional cellular analyses implied the loss of tissue context as they were mostly performed in single-cell suspensions. The advent of imaging mass cytometry introduced the possibility to simultaneously detect a multitude of cellular markers in tissue sections. This technique can be applied to various tissue sources including snap-frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. However, a number of methodological challenges must be overcome when developing large antibody panels in order to preserve signal intensity and specificity of antigen detection. We report the development of a 40-marker panel for imaging mass cytometry on FFPE tissues with a particular focus on the study of cancer immune microenvironments. It comprises a variety of immune cell markers including lineage and activation markers as well as surrogates of cancer cell states and tissue-specific markers (e.g., stroma, epithelium, vessels) for cellular contextualization within the tissue. Importantly, we developed an optimized workflow for maximum antibody performance by separating antibodies into two distinct incubation steps, at different temperatures and incubation times, shown to significantly improve immunodetection. Furthermore, we provide insight into the antibody validation process and discuss why some antibodies and/or cellular markers are not compatible with the technique. This work is aimed at supporting the implementation of imaging mass cytometry in other laboratories by describing methodological procedures in detail. Furthermore, the panel described here is an excellent immune monitoring tool that can be readily applied in the context of cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Frits Koning
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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Miranda NFD, Vries NLD, Unen VV, Abdelaal T, Ijsselsteijn ME, Breggen RVD, Farina-Sarasqueta A, Peeters KC, Höllt T, Lelieveldt BP, Koning F. Abstract A063: Multidimensional cytometric analysis of colorectal cancer reveals novel and diverse mediators of antitumor immunity. Cancer Immunol Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1158/2326-6074.cricimteatiaacr18-a063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Checkpoint blockade has revived the potential of immunotherapy for cancer treatment. For optimal application and development of cancer immunotherapies, a comprehensive understanding of the antitumor immune response is required. We unraveled local and systemic immune profiles of colorectal cancer by multidimensional mass cytometric analysis of 36 immune cell markers at the single-cell level in tumor tissues, tumor-associated lymph nodes, adjacent normal mucosa, and peripheral blood samples from CRC patients. We identified 218 phenotypically distinct immune cell clusters, including a previously neglected innate lymphoid cell (CD7+CD3-CD127-CD45RO+CD56+) population with cytotoxic potential. This subset demonstrated a tissue-resident (CD69+, CD103+) phenotype, and was most abundant in the immunogenic mismatch repair deficient (MMRd) cancers. Furthermore, tumor-resident immune cell populations were identified across the adaptive (CD4+ and CD8+) and innate (gammadelta) T-cell compartments showing a highly similar activated (HLA-DR+, CD38+, PD-1+) phenotype. PD-1 intermediate and PD-1 high CD8+ T-cell subsets represented distinct states of T-cell activation that further discriminated immunogenic from non-immunogenic colorectal cancers. Remarkably, activated gammadelta T-cells were specific for MMRd cancers, and their potential role in the response to PD-1 checkpoint blockade requires further clarification. The nonactivated counterparts of the tumor-resident CD103+PD-1+ cytotoxic and gammadelta T-cells were present in both tumor and healthy colorectal tissues. We did not detect any of the aforementioned tumor-resident immune cell populations in lymph node samples, with the exception of a tumor-positive lymph node. This indicates that the critical immune cell populations with antitumor activity reside in the colorectal mucosa, and that the role of lymph nodes in the antitumor immune response should be revisited. Finally, by applying imaging mass cytometry we demonstrated that the cytotoxic anti-tumor response in colorectal cancer is highly diverse and not restricted to cytotoxic T-cells, which opens new avenues for the management of this disease.The findings presented here advance the paradigm of antitumor immunity in colorectal cancer and provide a blueprint for the detailed characterization of the involved immune cell subsets. The coordinated action of innate and adaptive immune cell populations suggests a multitargeted exploitation of their antitumor properties in a therapeutic setting.
Citation Format: Noel F. de Miranda, Natasja L. de Vries, Vincent van Unen, Tamim Abdelaal, Marieke E. Ijsselsteijn, Ruud van der Breggen, Arantza Farina-Sarasqueta, Koen C.M.J. Peeters, Thomas Höllt, Boudewijn P.F. Lelieveldt, Frits Koning. Multidimensional cytometric analysis of colorectal cancer reveals novel and diverse mediators of antitumor immunity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A063.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tamim Abdelaal
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Thomas Höllt
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Frits Koning
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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22
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Bulk JVD, Ruano D, Ijsselsteijn ME, Visser M, Breggen RVD, Peeters KC, Duhen T, Duhen R, Weinberg AD, Burg SSVD, Verdegaal EM, Miranda NFD. Abstract B094: Successful identification of neoantigen-specific T-cell responses in low mutation burden colorectal cancers for personalized cancer vaccine development. Cancer Immunol Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1158/2326-6074.cricimteatiaacr18-b094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Innovative treatment options are required to improve cure rates in advanced colorectal cancer patients. Immune checkpoint blockade therapy (anti-PD-1) was shown to be effective in colorectal cancers with high mutation burden (e.g., mismatch repair deficient) as antitumor reactivity is largely explained by the recognition of somatically mutated antigens (neoantigens). No immunotherapeutic strategies are currently available for patients diagnosed with low mutation burden colorectal cancer. We hypothesized that if neoantigen-reactive T-cells are present in low mutation burden patients, the latter could benefit from immunotherapeutic interventions that stimulate neoantigen recognition and the onset of a robust antitumor immune response.In order to detect neoantigens, whole exome and RNA next-generation sequencing analyses were performed in cancer and healthy tissues from five colorectal cancer patients. Corresponding neoepitopes were synthesized and tested for their ability to induce immune cell activation in T-cells isolated from the tumor tissue (TIL) and from peripheral blood. Neoantigen-specific T-cell responses were identified in the majority of patients that presented with tumors carrying 25 to 36 transcribed, non-synonymous variants. Up to six different neoantigens were recognized per tumor, which resulted in a higher detection rate than anticipated based on published data. Moreover, we discovered the merits of isolating CD39+CD103+CD8+ T-cells for detection of a broad recognition of HLA class I-restricted neoantigens. This CD39+CD103+CD8+ T-cell subset comprises the majority and a broader repertoire of neoantigen-specific T-cells compared to bulk TIL populations or lymphocytes derived from peripheral blood. In conclusion, we developed a neoantigen screening pipeline to unlock the immunogenic potential of colorectal cancers with low mutation burden. We have detected a relatively high number of neoantigens that are recognized by tumor- and/or PBMC-derived T-cells in mismatch repair proficient, low mutation burden colorectal cancer patients, and show the importance of the CD39+CD103+CD8+ T-cell subset for neoantigen-based immunotherapies. These findings warrant the further exploration of the potential to employ neoantigen-targeted therapies to improve clinical outcomes of colorectal cancer patients.
Citation Format: Jitske van den Bulk, Dina Ruano, Marieke E. Ijsselsteijn, Marten Visser, Ruud van der Breggen, Koen C.M.J. Peeters, Thomas Duhen, Rebekka Duhen, Andrew D Weinberg, Sjoerd S.H. van der Burg, Els M.E. Verdegaal, Noel F. de Miranda. Successful identification of neoantigen-specific T-cell responses in low mutation burden colorectal cancers for personalized cancer vaccine development [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B094.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitske van den Bulk
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dina Ruano
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke E. Ijsselsteijn
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marten Visser
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud van der Breggen
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Koen C.M.J. Peeters
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Duhen
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rebekka Duhen
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew D Weinberg
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd S.H. van der Burg
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Els M.E. Verdegaal
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Noel F. de Miranda
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR; Leiden University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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23
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Ijsselsteijn ME, Brouwer TP, Abdulrahman Z, Reidy E, Ramalheiro A, Heeren AM, Vahrmeijer A, Jordanova ES, de Miranda NF. Cancer immunophenotyping by seven-colour multispectral imaging without tyramide signal amplification. J Pathol Clin Res 2018; 5:3-11. [PMID: 30191683 PMCID: PMC6317065 DOI: 10.1002/cjp2.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Checkpoint blockade immunotherapies have revolutionised cancer treatment in the last decade. Nevertheless, these are only beneficial for a small proportion of cancer patients. Important prognosticators for response to immunotherapy are the mutation burden of tumours as well as the quality and quantity of tumour-infiltrating immune cells. High-throughput multiplex immunophenotyping technologies have a central role in deciphering the complexity of anti-tumour immune responses. Current techniques for the immunophenotyping of solid tumours are held back by the lack of spatial context, limitations in the number of targets that can be visualised simultaneously, and/or cumbersome protocols. We developed a tyramide signal amplification-free method for the simultaneous detection of seven cellular targets by immunofluorescence. This method overcomes limitations posed by most widespread techniques and provides a unique tool for extensive phenotyping by multispectral fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, it can be easily implemented as a high-throughput technology for validation of discovery sets generated by RNA sequencing or mass cytometry and may serve in the future as a complementary diagnostic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas P Brouwer
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ziena Abdulrahman
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eileen Reidy
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ana Ramalheiro
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - A Marijne Heeren
- Department of Gynaecology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Centre for Gynaecologic Oncology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Vahrmeijer
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ekaterina S Jordanova
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Gynaecology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Centre for Gynaecologic Oncology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Noel Fcc de Miranda
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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