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Uong TNT, Yoon M, Chung IJ, Nam TK, Ahn SJ, Jeong JU, Song JY, Kim YH, Nguyen HPQ, Cho D, Chu TH, Dang GC, Nguyen NPNM. Direct Tumor Irradiation Potentiates Adoptive NK Cell Targeting Against Parental and Stemlike Cancer in Human Liver Cancer Models. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2024; 119:234-250. [PMID: 37981041 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.11.023] [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: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Radiation therapy (RT) has been shown to effectively induce the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), which is recognized by lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) expressed on natural killer (NK) cells. However, the potential synergistic antitumor immune response of tumor irradiation and administered NK cells has not been explored in intractable human liver cancers. Furthermore, NK cell targeting against both parental and cancer stemness has never been investigated. METHODS AND MATERIALS Highly activated ex vivo NK cells were administered into the human liver tumor-bearing mice. Tumor direct RT was optimized according to tumor bearing site. HepG2 and Hep3B ICAM-1 knockout cells were generated using CRISPR/CAS9. Stemness tumor spheres were generated. NK cell cytolysis against parental and tumor sphere was evaluated using flow cytometry and real-time cytotoxicity assay. RESULTS A combination of adoptive NK cell therapy with RT significantly improved therapeutic efficacy over monotherapies against subcutaneous, orthotopic, and metastatic human liver tumor models. Direct tumor irradiation potentiated NK cell recognition and conjugation against liver cancer through the LFA-1/ICAM-1 axis. Suppression of immune synapse formation on NK cells using high-affinity LFA-1 inhibitors or ICAM-1 knockout liver cancer induced "outside-in" signal blocking in NK cells, resulting in failure to eliminate liver tumor despite the combination therapy. NK cells effectively recognized and targeted triple-high epithelial cell adhesion molecule+CD133+CD24+ liver cancer expressing upregulated ICAM-1 in the irradiated tumor microenvironment, which led to prevention of the initiation of metastasis, improving survival in a metastatic model. In addition, the LFA-1/ICAM-1 axis interruption between NK cells and stemness liver tumor spheres significantly diminished NK cell cytolysis. Consistent with our preclinical data, the LFA-1/ICAM-1 axis correlated with survival outcomes in patients with metastatic cancer from the The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. CONCLUSIONS NK cells in combination with tumor irradiation can provide synergistic therapeutic effects for NK cell recognition and elimination against both parental and stemlike liver cancer through LFA-1/ICAM-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tung Nguyen Thanh Uong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Meesun Yoon
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Immunotherapy Innovation Center, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ik-Joo Chung
- Immunotherapy Innovation Center, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Taek-Keun Nam
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Ja Ahn
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Uk Jeong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ju-Young Song
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Hyub Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Huy Phuoc Quang Nguyen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Duck Cho
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Genetics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tan-Huy Chu
- Department of Hematology, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Vietnam
| | - Giang Chau Dang
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Microbiology and Combinatorial Tumor Immunotherapy Research Center, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Nhat Phuoc Nguong Minh Nguyen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
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