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Rigamonti A, Viatore M, Polidori R, Rahal D, Erreni M, Fumagalli MR, Zanini D, Doni A, Putignano AR, Bossi P, Voulaz E, Alloisio M, Rossi S, Zucali PA, Santoro A, Balzano V, Nisticò P, Feuerhake F, Mantovani A, Locati M, Marchesi F. Integrating AI-Powered Digital Pathology and Imaging Mass Cytometry Identifies Key Classifiers of Tumor Cells, Stroma, and Immune Cells in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancer Res 2024; 84:1165-1177. [PMID: 38315789 PMCID: PMC10982643 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-1698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered approaches are becoming increasingly used as histopathologic tools to extract subvisual features and improve diagnostic workflows. On the other hand, hi-plex approaches are widely adopted to analyze the immune ecosystem in tumor specimens. Here, we aimed at combining AI-aided histopathology and imaging mass cytometry (IMC) to analyze the ecosystem of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). An AI-based approach was used on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) sections from 158 NSCLC specimens to accurately identify tumor cells, both adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma cells, and to generate a classifier of tumor cell spatial clustering. Consecutive tissue sections were stained with metal-labeled antibodies and processed through the IMC workflow, allowing quantitative detection of 24 markers related to tumor cells, tissue architecture, CD45+ myeloid and lymphoid cells, and immune activation. IMC identified 11 macrophage clusters that mainly localized in the stroma, except for S100A8+ cells, which infiltrated tumor nests. T cells were preferentially localized in peritumor areas or in tumor nests, the latter being associated with better prognosis, and they were more abundant in highly clustered tumors. Integrated tumor and immune classifiers were validated as prognostic on whole slides. In conclusion, integration of AI-powered H&E and multiparametric IMC allows investigation of spatial patterns and reveals tissue relevant features with clinical relevance. SIGNIFICANCE Leveraging artificial intelligence-powered H&E analysis integrated with hi-plex imaging mass cytometry provides insights into the tumor ecosystem and can translate tumor features into classifiers to predict prognosis, genotype, and therapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Rigamonti
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital; Rozzano (Milan), Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan; Milan, Italy
| | - Marika Viatore
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital; Rozzano (Milan), Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan; Milan, Italy
| | - Rebecca Polidori
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital; Rozzano (Milan), Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan; Milan, Italy
| | - Daoud Rahal
- Department of Pathology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital; Rozzano (Milan), Italy
| | - Marco Erreni
- Unit of Advanced Optical Microscopy, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Rita Fumagalli
- Unit of Advanced Optical Microscopy, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Damiano Zanini
- Unit of Advanced Optical Microscopy, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Doni
- Unit of Advanced Optical Microscopy, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Putignano
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital; Rozzano (Milan), Italy
| | - Paola Bossi
- Department of Pathology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital; Rozzano (Milan), Italy
| | - Emanuele Voulaz
- Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano (Milan), Italy
| | - Marco Alloisio
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano (Milan), Italy
| | - Sabrina Rossi
- Medical Oncology and Hematology Unit, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano (Milan), Italy
| | - Paolo Andrea Zucali
- Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- Medical Oncology and Hematology Unit, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano (Milan), Italy
| | - Armando Santoro
- Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- Medical Oncology and Hematology Unit, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano (Milan), Italy
| | - Vittoria Balzano
- Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Mantovani
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital; Rozzano (Milan), Italy
- Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- The William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Massimo Locati
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital; Rozzano (Milan), Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan; Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Marchesi
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital; Rozzano (Milan), Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan; Milan, Italy
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Di Modugno F, Di Carlo A, Spada S, Palermo B, D'Ambrosio L, D'Andrea D, Morello G, Belmonte B, Sperduti I, Balzano V, Gallo E, Melchionna R, Panetta M, Campo G, De Nicola F, Goeman F, Antoniani B, Carpano S, Frigè G, Warren S, Gallina F, Lambrechts D, Xiong J, Vincent BG, Wheeler N, Bortone DS, Cappuzzo F, Facciolo F, Tripodo C, Visca P, Nisticò P. Tumoral and stromal hMENA isoforms impact tertiary lymphoid structure localization in lung cancer and predict immune checkpoint blockade response in patients with cancer. EBioMedicine 2024; 101:105003. [PMID: 38340557 PMCID: PMC10869748 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLS) correlate with positive outcomes in patients with NSCLC and the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in cancer. The actin regulatory protein hMENA undergoes tissue-specific splicing, producing the epithelial hMENA11a linked to favorable prognosis in early NSCLC, and the mesenchymal hMENAΔv6 found in invasive cancer cells and pro-tumoral cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). This study investigates how hMENA isoforms in tumor cells and CAFs relate to TLS presence, localization and impact on patient outcomes and ICB response. METHODS Methods involved RNA-SEQ on NSCLC cells with depleted hMENA isoforms. A retrospective observational study assessed tissues from surgically treated N0 patients with NSCLC, using immunohistochemistry for tumoral and stromal hMENA isoforms, fibronectin, and TLS presence. ICB-treated patient tumors were analyzed using Nanostring nCounter and GeoMx spatial transcriptomics. Multiparametric flow cytometry characterized B cells and tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM). Survival and ICB response were estimated in the cohort and validated using bioinformatics pipelines in different datasets. FINDINGS Findings indicate that hMENA11a in NSCLC cells upregulates the TLS regulator LTβR, decreases fibronectin, and favors CXCL13 production by TRM. Conversely, hMENAΔv6 in CAFs inhibits LTβR-related NF-kB pathway, reduces CXCL13 secretion, and promotes fibronectin production. These patterns are validated in N0 NSCLC tumors, where hMENA11ahigh expression, CAF hMENAΔv6low, and stromal fibronectinlow are associated with intratumoral TLS, linked to memory B cells and predictive of longer survival. The hMENA isoform pattern, fibronectin, and LTβR expression broadly predict ICB response in tumors where TLS indicates an anti-tumor immune response. INTERPRETATION This study uncovers hMENA alternative splicing as an unexplored contributor to TLS-related Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME) and a promising biomarker for clinical outcomes and likely ICB responsiveness in N0 patients with NSCLC. FUNDING This work is supported by AIRC (IG 19822), ACC (RCR-2019-23669120), CAL.HUB.RIA Ministero Salute PNRR-POS T4, "Ricerca Corrente" granted by the Italian Ministry of Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Di Modugno
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
| | - Anna Di Carlo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Sheila Spada
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Belinda Palermo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo D'Ambrosio
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniel D'Andrea
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, New Hall Block - Room 171, Clifton Campus - NG11 8NS, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Gaia Morello
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, 90134, Palermo, Italy
| | - Beatrice Belmonte
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, 90134, Palermo, Italy
| | - Isabella Sperduti
- Biostatistics and Scientific Direction, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Vittoria Balzano
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Enzo Gallo
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Melchionna
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Panetta
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Campo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca De Nicola
- SAFU Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Frauke Goeman
- SAFU Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Antoniani
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Carpano
- Second Division of Medical Oncology, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianmaria Frigè
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Ripamonti 435, Milan, Italy
| | - Sarah Warren
- NanoString Technologies Inc., 530 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Filippo Gallina
- Thoracic-Surgery Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Diether Lambrechts
- Center for Cancer Biology, Herestraat 49 box 912, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jieyi Xiong
- Center for Cancer Biology, Herestraat 49 box 912, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Benjamin G Vincent
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 5206 Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Nathan Wheeler
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 5206 Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Dante S Bortone
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 5206 Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Federico Cappuzzo
- Second Division of Medical Oncology, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Facciolo
- Thoracic-Surgery Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Tripodo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, 90134, Palermo, Italy
| | - Paolo Visca
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
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Melchionna R, Trono P, Di Carlo A, Di Modugno F, Nisticò P. Transcription factors in fibroblast plasticity and CAF heterogeneity. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:347. [PMID: 38124183 PMCID: PMC10731891 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02934-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, research focused on the multifaceted landscape and functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) aimed to reveal their heterogeneity and identify commonalities across diverse tumors for more effective therapeutic targeting of pro-tumoral stromal microenvironment. However, a unified functional categorization of CAF subsets remains elusive, posing challenges for the development of targeted CAF therapies in clinical settings.The CAF phenotype arises from a complex interplay of signals within the tumor microenvironment, where transcription factors serve as central mediators of various cellular pathways. Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing technology have emphasized the role of transcription factors in the conversion of normal fibroblasts to distinct CAF subtypes across various cancer types.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the specific roles of transcription factor networks in shaping CAF heterogeneity, plasticity, and functionality. Beginning with their influence on fibroblast homeostasis and reprogramming during wound healing and fibrosis, it delves into the emerging insights into transcription factor regulatory networks. Understanding these mechanisms not only enables a more precise characterization of CAF subsets but also sheds light on the early regulatory processes governing CAF heterogeneity and functionality. Ultimately, this knowledge may unveil novel therapeutic targets for cancer treatment, addressing the existing challenges of stromal-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Melchionna
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
| | - Paola Trono
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC), National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Di Carlo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Modugno
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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4
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Marinelli D, Gallina FT, Pannunzio S, Di Civita MA, Torchia A, Giusti R, Gelibter AJ, Roberto M, Verrico M, Melis E, Tajè R, Cecere FL, Landi L, Nisticò P, Porciello N, Occhipinti M, Brambilla M, Forde PM, Liu SV, Botticelli A, Novello S, Ciliberto G, Cortesi E, Facciolo F, Cappuzzo F, Santini D. Surgical and survival outcomes with perioperative or neoadjuvant immune-checkpoint inhibitors combined with platinum-based chemotherapy in resectable NSCLC: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 192:104190. [PMID: 37871779 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of neoadjuvant or perioperative anti-PD(L)1 was recently tested in multiple clinical trials. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials comparing neoadjuvant or perioperative chemoimmunotherapy to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in resectable NSCLC. Nine reports from 6 studies were included. Receipt of surgery was more frequent in the experimental arm (odds ratio, OR 1.39) as was pCR (OR 7.60). EFS was improved in the experimental arm (hazard ratio, HR 0.55) regardless of stage, histology, PD-L1 expression (PD-L1 negative, HR 0.74) and smoking exposure (never smokers, HR 0.67), as was OS (HR 0.67). Grade > = 3 treatment-related adverse events were more frequent in the experimental arm (OR 1.22). The experimental treatment improved surgical outcomes, pCR rates, EFS and OS in stage II-IIIB, EGFR/ALK negative resectable NSCLC; confirmatory evidence is warranted for stage IIIB tumours and with higher maturity of the OS endpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Marinelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; Division of Medical Oncology B, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy.
| | | | - Sergio Pannunzio
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical Oncology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Mattia Alberto Di Civita
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomopathological Sciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; Division of Medical Oncology A, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Torchia
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomopathological Sciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; Division of Medical Oncology A, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaele Giusti
- Division of Medical Oncology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Michela Roberto
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Verrico
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Melis
- Thoracic Surgery Unit, IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Riccardo Tajè
- Thoracic Surgery Unit, IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabiana Letizia Cecere
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenza Landi
- Clinical Trials Center: Phase 1 and Precision Medicine, IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicla Porciello
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Occhipinti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Brambilla
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrick M Forde
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephen V Liu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Andrea Botticelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomopathological Sciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Novello
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, San Luigi Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Gennaro Ciliberto
- Scientific Direction, IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Cortesi
- Division of Medical Oncology B, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy; Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomopathological Sciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Facciolo
- Thoracic Surgery Unit, IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Cappuzzo
- Division of Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele Santini
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy; Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University, Latina, Italy
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Bruno V, Betti M, D'Ambrosio L, Massacci A, Chiofalo B, Pietropolli A, Piaggio G, Ciliberto G, Nisticò P, Pallocca M, Buda A, Vizza E. Machine learning endometrial cancer risk prediction model: integrating guidelines of European Society for Medical Oncology with the tumor immune framework. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2023; 33:1708-1714. [PMID: 37875322 PMCID: PMC10646888 DOI: 10.1136/ijgc-2023-004671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Current prognostic factors for endometrial cancer are not sufficient to predict recurrence in early stages. Treatment choices are based on the prognostic factors included in the risk classes defined by the ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO (European Society for Medical Oncology-European Society of Gynaecological Oncology-European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology) consensus conference with the new biomolecular classification based on POLE, TP53, and microsatellite instability status. However, a minority of early stage cases relapse regardless of their low risk profiles. Integration of the immune context status to existing molecular based models has not been fully evaluated. This study aims to investigate whether the integration of the immune landscape in the tumor microenvironment could improve clinical risk prediction models and allow better profiling of early stages. METHODS Leveraging the potential of in silico deconvolution tools, we estimated the relative abundances of immune populations in public data and then applied feature selection methods to generate a machine learning based model for disease free survival probability prediction. RESULTS We included information on International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, POLEmut status, interferon γ signature, and relative abundances of monocytes, natural killer cells, and CD4+T cells to build a relapse prediction model and obtained a balanced accuracy of 69%. We further identified two novel early stage profiles that undergo different pathways of recurrence. CONCLUSION This study presents an extension of current prognostic factors for endometrial cancer by exploiting machine learning models and deconvolution techniques on available public biomolecular data. Prospective clinical trials are advisable to validate the early stage stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bruno
- Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Alice Massacci
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Benito Chiofalo
- Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Adalgisa Pietropolli
- Section of Ginecology and Obstetrics, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy
| | - Giulia Piaggio
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paola Nisticò
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alessandro Buda
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Michele and Pietro Ferrero Hospital, Verduno, Italy
| | - Enrico Vizza
- Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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6
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Palermo B, Franzese O, Frisullo G, D'Ambrosio L, Panetta M, Campo G, D'Andrea D, Sperduti I, De Nicola F, Goeman F, Gallina F, Visca P, Facciolo F, Nisticò P. CD28/PD1 co-expression: dual impact on CD8 + T cells in peripheral blood and tumor tissue, and its significance in NSCLC patients' survival and ICB response. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:287. [PMID: 37898752 PMCID: PMC10612243 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02846-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has significantly prolonged survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, although most patients develop mechanisms of resistance. Recently single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-Seq) revealed a huge T-cell phenotypic and (dys)functional state variability. Accordingly, T-cell exhaustion is recognized as a functional adaptation, with a dynamic progression from a long-lived "pre-exhausted stem-like progenitor" to a "terminally exhausted" state. In this scenario it is crucial to understand the complex interplay between co-stimulatory and inhibitory molecules in CD8+ T-cell functionality. METHODS To gain a baseline landscape of the composition, functional states, and transcriptomic signatures predictive of prognosis, we analyzed CD8+ T-cell subsets characterized by the presence/absence of PD1 and CD28 from periphery, adjacent non-tumor tissue and tumor site of a cohort of treatment-naïve NSCLC patients, by integrated multiparametric flow cytometry, targeted multi-omic scRNA-seq analyses, and computational pipelines. RESULTS Despite the increased PD1 levels, an improved PD1+CD28+ T-cell polyfunctionality was observed with the transition from periphery to tumor site, associated with lack of TIGIT, TIM-3 and LAG-3, but not with Ag-experienced-marker CD11a. Differently from CD28+ T cells, the increased PD1 levels in the tumor were associated with reduced functionality in PD1+CD28- T cells. CD11ahigh, although expressed only in a small fraction of this subset, still sustained its functionality. Absence of TIGIT, TIM-3 and CTLA-4, alone or combined, was beneficial to CD28- T cells. Notably, we observed distinct TRM phenotypes in the different districts, with CD28+ T cells more capable of producing TGFβ in the periphery, potentially contributing to elevated CD103 levels. In contrast CD28- TRM mainly produced CXCL13 within the tumor. ScRNA-seq revealed 5 different clusters for each of the two subsets, with distinctive transcriptional profiles in the three districts. By interrogating the TCGA dataset of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and metastatic NSCLC treated with atezolizumab, we found signatures of heterogeneous TRM and "pre-exhausted" long-lived effector memory CD8+ T cells associated with improved response to ICB only in the presence of CD28. CONCLUSIONS Our findings identify signatures able to stratify survival of LUAD patients and predict ICB response in advanced NSCLC. CD28 is advocated as a key determinant in the signatures identified, in both periphery and tumor site, thus likely providing feasible biomarkers of ICB response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Palermo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Ornella Franzese
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Frisullo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo D'Ambrosio
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Panetta
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Campo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniel D'Andrea
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Isabella Sperduti
- Biostatistics and Scientific Direction, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Frauke Goeman
- SAFU Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Gallina
- Thoracic-Surgery Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Visca
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Facciolo
- Thoracic-Surgery Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
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7
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Moschella F, Buccione C, Ruspantini I, Castiello L, Rozo Gonzalez A, Iacobone F, Ferraresi V, Palermo B, Nisticò P, Belardelli F, Proietti E, Macchia I, Urbani F. Blood immune cells as potential biomarkers predicting relapse-free survival of stage III/IV resected melanoma patients treated with peptide-based vaccination and interferon-alpha. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1145667. [PMID: 37274275 PMCID: PMC10233106 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1145667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Despite the recent approval of several therapies in the adjuvant setting of melanoma, tumor relapse still occurs in a significant number of completely resected stage III-IV patients. In this context, the use of cancer vaccines is still relevant and may increase the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. We previously demonstrated safety, immunogenicity and preliminary evidence of clinical efficacy in stage III/IV resected melanoma patients subjected to a combination therapy based on peptide vaccination together with intermittent low-dose interferon-α2b, with or without dacarbazine preconditioning (https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/search, identifier: 2008-008211-26). In this setting, we then focused on pre-treatment patient immune status to highlight possible factors associated with clinical outcome. Methods Multiparametric flow cytometry was used to identify baseline immune profiles in patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells and correlation with the patient clinical outcome. Receiver operating characteristic curve, Kaplan-Meier survival and principal component analyses were used to evaluate the predictive power of the identified markers. Results We identified 12 different circulating T and NK cell subsets with significant (p ≤ 0.05) differential baseline levels in patients who later relapsed with respect to patients who remained free of disease. All 12 parameters showed a good prognostic accuracy (AUC>0.7, p ≤ 0.05) and 11 of them significantly predicted the relapse-free survival. Remarkably, 3 classifiers also predicted the overall survival. Focusing on immune cell subsets that can be analyzed through simple surface staining, three subsets were identified, namely regulatory T cells, CD56dimCD16- NK cells and central memory γδ T cells. Each subset showed an AUC>0.8 and principal component analysis significantly grouped relapsing and non-relapsing patients (p=0.034). These three subsets were used to calculate a combination score that was able to perfectly distinguish relapsing and non-relapsing patients (AUC=1; p=0). Noticeably, patients with a combined score ≥2 demonstrated a strong advantage in both relapse-free (p=0.002) and overall (p=0.011) survival as compared to patients with a score <2. Discussion Predictive markers may be used to guide patient selection for personalized therapies and/or improve follow-up strategies. This study provides preliminary evidence on the identification of peripheral blood immune biomarkers potentially capable of predicting the clinical response to combined vaccine-based adjuvant therapies in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Moschella
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Buccione
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Rozo Gonzalez
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Floriana Iacobone
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Virginia Ferraresi
- Department of Medical Oncology 1, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS) Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Belinda Palermo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS) Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS) Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Belardelli
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Proietti
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Iole Macchia
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Urbani
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine PhD School, II University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
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Bellone M, Brevi A, Bronte V, Dusi S, Ferrucci PF, Nisticò P, Rosato A, Russo V, Sica A, Toietta G, Colombo MP. Cancer immunity and immunotherapy beyond COVID-19. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023:10.1007/s00262-023-03411-9. [PMID: 36995489 PMCID: PMC10061391 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03411-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Bellone
- Unit of Cellular Immunology, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
| | - Arianna Brevi
- Unit of Cellular Immunology, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Bronte
- Immunology Section, Department of Medicine, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Silvia Dusi
- Immunology Section, Department of Medicine, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Pier Francesco Ferrucci
- Unit of Tumor Biotherapy, Department of Experimental Oncology, I.R.C.C.S. European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Unit Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, I.R.C.C.S. Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Rosato
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-I.R.C.C.S, Padua, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Russo
- Unit of Immuno-Biotherapy of Melanoma and Solid Tumors, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Sica
- Molecular Immunology Lab, I.R.C.C.S. Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano (Mi), Italy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Novara, Italy
| | - Gabriele Toietta
- Unit Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, I.R.C.C.S. Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Paolo Colombo
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20068, Milan, Italy.
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Palermo B, Bottero M, Panetta M, Faiella A, Sperduti I, Masi S, Frisullo G, Foddai ML, Cordone I, Nisticò P, Sanguineti G. Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy in 3 Fractions Induces a Favorable Systemic Immune Cell Profiling in Prostate Cancer Patients. Oncoimmunology 2023; 12:2174721. [PMID: 36798427 PMCID: PMC9928462 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2023.2174721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of radiotherapy (RT) on immune cell status in prostate cancer (PCa) is only partially determined. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different RT strategies on peripheral B, T, and Natural killer (NK) lymphocytes at precise longitudinal time-points in PCa. 18 patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) (40 Gy/3FRX), definitive moderate-hypofractionation (62 Gy/20FRX), or post-operative conventional-fractionation RT (66-69 Gy/30FRX) were prospectively evaluated for the immune cell profile in terms of immune cell composition, differentiation stage, cytokine production and inhibitory receptor (IR) expression. The immune-monitoring of the 18 patients revealed that RT affects the balance of systemic immune cells, with the main differences observed between SBRT and conventionally fractionated RT. SBRT favorably impacts immune response in term of increased B cells, central-memory and effector-memory CD8+ T cells, along with decreased Treg cells after treatment. On the contrary, conventional fractionated RT had a long-term negative effect on the systemic immune profile, including a decrease of total lymphocyte counts accompanied by an increase of neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio. Total B and T cells decreased and Treg-to-CD8+ ratio increased. Functionality of T lymphocytes were not affected by any of the 3-fractionation schedules. Interestingly, SBRT significantly up-regulates the expression of V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T-cell activation (VISTA) in CD8+ T cells in the absence of other IRs. Our results indicate the relevance of systematic immunomonitoring during RT to identify novel immune-related target to design trials of combined radio-immunotherapy as a promising strategy in the clinical management of PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Palermo
- Unit Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Bottero
- Radiation Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Panetta
- Unit Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Adriana Faiella
- Radiation Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Sperduti
- Biostatistical Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Masi
- Clinical Pathology and Cancer Biobank, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Frisullo
- Unit Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Foddai
- Transfusion Medicine, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Iole Cordone
- Clinical Pathology and Cancer Biobank, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Unit Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy,Paola Nisticò Unit Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sanguineti
- Radiation Oncology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy,CONTACT Giuseppe Sanguineti
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Porciello N, Franzese O, D’Ambrosio L, Palermo B, Nisticò P. T-cell repertoire diversity: friend or foe for protective antitumor response? J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:356. [PMID: 36550555 PMCID: PMC9773533 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02566-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Profiling the T-Cell Receptor (TCR) repertoire is establishing as a potent approach to investigate autologous and treatment-induced antitumor immune response. Technical and computational breakthroughs, including high throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches and spatial transcriptomics, are providing unprecedented insight into the mechanisms underlying antitumor immunity. A precise spatiotemporal variation of T-cell repertoire, which dynamically mirrors the functional state of the evolving host-cancer interaction, allows the tracking of the T-cell populations at play, and may identify the key cells responsible for tumor eradication, the evaluation of minimal residual disease and the identification of biomarkers of response to immunotherapy. In this review we will discuss the relationship between global metrics characterizing the TCR repertoire such as T-cell clonality and diversity and the resultant functional responses. In particular, we will explore how specific TCR repertoires in cancer patients can be predictive of prognosis or response to therapy and in particular how a given TCR re-arrangement, following immunotherapy, can predict a specific clinical outcome. Finally, we will examine current improvements in terms of T-cell sequencing, discussing advantages and challenges of current methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicla Porciello
- grid.417520.50000 0004 1760 5276Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Ornella Franzese
- grid.6530.00000 0001 2300 0941Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo D’Ambrosio
- grid.417520.50000 0004 1760 5276Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Belinda Palermo
- grid.417520.50000 0004 1760 5276Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- grid.417520.50000 0004 1760 5276Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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11
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Vidiri A, Ascione A, Piludu F, Polito E, Gallo E, Covello R, Nisticò P, Balzano V, Pichi B, Pellini R, Marzi S. Microenvironmental Factors in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Surgery: Correlation with Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 15:cancers15010015. [PMID: 36612011 PMCID: PMC9817509 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In this prospective study, we hypothesized that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may represent not only the tumor but also the microenvironment, reflecting the heterogeneity and microstructural complexity of neoplasms. We investigated the correlation between both diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI with the pathological factors in oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). METHODS A total of 37 patients with newly diagnosed OSCCs underwent an MR examination on a 3T system. The diffusion coefficient (D), the kurtosis parameter (K), the transfer constants Ktrans and Kep and the volume of extravascular extracellular space ve were quantified. A histogram-based approach was proposed to investigate the associations between the imaging and the pathological factors based on the histology and immunochemistry. RESULTS Significant differences in the DCE-MRI and DKI parameters were found in relation to the inflammatory infiltrate, tumor grading, keratinization and desmoplastic reaction. Relevant relationships emerged between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and DKI, with lower D and higher K values being associated with increased TILs. CONCLUSION Although a further investigation is needed, these findings provide a more comprehensive biological characterization of OSCCs and may contribute to a better understanding of DKI-derived parameters, whose biophysical meaning is still not well-defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonello Vidiri
- Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging Department, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-5266-2731
| | - Andrea Ascione
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza, University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Piludu
- Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging Department, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Polito
- Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging Department, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
- Scuola di Specializzazione in Radiodiagnostica, Sapienza Università di Roma—Policlinico Umberto I, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Enzo Gallo
- Pathology Department, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Renato Covello
- Pathology Department, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Vittoria Balzano
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Pichi
- Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Raul Pellini
- Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Marzi
- Medical Physics Laboratory, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
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12
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Baldari S, Di Modugno F, Nisticò P, Toietta G. Strategies for Efficient Targeting of Tumor Collagen for Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194706. [PMID: 36230627 PMCID: PMC9563908 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194706] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The tumor microenvironment encompasses the cellular and extracellular matrix components that support and shape the three-dimensional framework in which solid tumors develop and grow. The extracellular matrix of the tumor is characterized by increased deposition and aberrant architecture of collagen fibers. Therefore, as a key mechanical component of the tumor microenvironment, collagen plays a critical role in cancer progression, metastasis, and therapeutic response. To boost the efficacy of current anticancer therapies, including immunotherapy, innovative approaches should take into account strategies directed against the dysregulated non-cancer cell stromal components. In the current review, we provide an overview of the principal approaches to target tumor collagen to provide therapeutic benefits. Abstract The tumor stroma, which comprises stromal cells and non-cellular elements, is a critical component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The dynamic interactions between the tumor cells and the stroma may promote tumor progression and metastasis and dictate resistance to established cancer therapies. Therefore, novel antitumor approaches should combine anticancer and anti-stroma strategies targeting dysregulated tumor extracellular matrix (ECM). ECM remodeling is a hallmark of solid tumors, leading to extensive biochemical and biomechanical changes, affecting cell signaling and tumor tissue three-dimensional architecture. Increased deposition of fibrillar collagen is the most distinctive alteration of the tumor ECM. Consequently, several anticancer therapeutic strategies have been developed to reduce excessive tumor collagen deposition. Herein, we provide an overview of the current advances and challenges of the main approaches aiming at tumor collagen normalization, which include targeted anticancer drug delivery, promotion of degradation, modulation of structure and biosynthesis of collagen, and targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts, which are the major extracellular matrix producers.
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Bellone M, Brevi A, Bronte V, Dusi S, Ferrucci PF, Nisticò P, Rosato A, Russo V, Sica A, Toietta G, Colombo MP. Cancer bio-immunotherapy XVIII annual NIBIT-(Italian network for tumor biotherapy) meeting, October 15-16, 2020. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2022; 71:1787-1794. [PMID: 35034143 PMCID: PMC8761376 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03145-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Bellone
- Unit of Cellular Immunology, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Brevi
- Unit of Cellular Immunology, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Bronte
- Immunology Section, Department of Medicine, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Silvia Dusi
- Immunology Section, Department of Medicine, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Pier Francesco Ferrucci
- Unit of Tumor Biotherapy, Department of Experimental Oncology, I.R.C.C.S. European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Unit Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, I.R.C.C.S. Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Rosato
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-I.R.C.C.S., Padua, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Russo
- Unit of Immuno-Biotherapy of Melanoma and Solid Tumors, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Sica
- Molecular Immunology Lab, I.R.C.C.S. Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, MI, Italy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Novara, Italy
| | - Gabriele Toietta
- Unit Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, I.R.C.C.S. Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Paolo Colombo
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20068, Milan, Italy.
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14
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Venuti A, Donzelli S, Nisticò P, Blandino G, Ciliberto G. Does Interleukin-6 Bridge SARS-CoV-2 With Virus-Associated Cancers? J Immunother Precis Oncol 2021; 4:79-85. [PMID: 35663529 PMCID: PMC9153257 DOI: 10.36401/jipo-20-27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
To date SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), a member of the Coronaviridae family, has infected more than 40 million people worldwide. A second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection is aggressively surging. The clinical worsening of SARS-CoV-2 infection appears to be strictly associated with comorbidities, which can be used to establish an intrinsic patient network whose molecular profile is pivotal for identifying and successfully treating populations at risk. Herein, we focus on the direct interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and virus-associated cancers, exploring the critical role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a mediator of this complex cross talk. IL-6 production is enhanced in diverse viral infections ranging from human papilloma virus (HPV) to hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and SARS-CoV-2 infection. High systemic levels of IL-6 are associated with viral persistence and poor clinical outcomes in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. Blockade of IL-6/IL-6R, using specific molecules, is under investigation in active clinical trials for the treatment of patients with SARS-CoV-2. Although the data are as yet inconclusive, they pave the way for selective targeting of crucial cytokine-activated aberrant signaling in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo Venuti
- HPV-Unit, UOSD (Simple Departmental Operational Unit) Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare) Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
- UOSD Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Donzelli
- Oncogenomic and Epigenetic Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- UOSD Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Blandino
- Oncogenomic and Epigenetic Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Gennaro Ciliberto
- Scientific Direction, IRCSS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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15
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Spada S, Tocci A, Di Modugno F, Nisticò P. Fibronectin as a multiregulatory molecule crucial in tumor matrisome: from structural and functional features to clinical practice in oncology. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:102. [PMID: 33731188 PMCID: PMC7972229 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-01908-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [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: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and architecture may represent a novel approach to identify diagnostic and therapeutic targets in cancer. Among the ECM components, fibronectin and its fibrillary assembly represent the scaffold to build up the entire ECM structure, deeply affecting its features. Herein we focus on this extraordinary protein starting from its complex structure and defining its role in cancer as prognostic and theranostic marker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Spada
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Annalisa Tocci
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Modugno
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
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16
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Melchionna R, Trono P, Tocci A, Nisticò P. Actin Cytoskeleton and Regulation of TGFβ Signaling: Exploring Their Links. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11020336. [PMID: 33672325 PMCID: PMC7926735 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human tissues, to maintain their architecture and function, respond to injuries by activating intricate biochemical and physical mechanisms that regulates intercellular communication crucial in maintaining tissue homeostasis. Coordination of the communication occurs through the activity of different actin cytoskeletal regulators, physically connected to extracellular matrix through integrins, generating a platform of biochemical and biomechanical signaling that is deregulated in cancer. Among the major pathways, a controller of cellular functions is the cytokine transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), which remains a complex and central signaling network still to be interpreted and explained in cancer progression. Here, we discuss the link between actin dynamics and TGFβ signaling with the aim of exploring their aberrant interaction in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Melchionna
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (P.T.); (A.T.)
| | - Paola Trono
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (P.T.); (A.T.)
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, via Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Tocci
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (P.T.); (A.T.)
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (P.T.); (A.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0652662539
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17
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Nisticò P, Ciliberto G. Biological mechanisms linked to inflammation in cancer: Discovery of tumor microenvironment-related biomarkers and their clinical application in solid tumors. Int J Biol Markers 2020; 35:8-11. [PMID: 32079468 DOI: 10.1177/1724600820906155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Our view of cancer biology radically shifted from a "cancer-cell-centric" vision to a view of cancer as an organ disease. The concept that genetic and/or epigenetic alterations, at the basis of cancerogenesis, are the main if not the exclusive drivers of cancer development and the principal targets of therapy, has now evolved to include the tumor microenvironment in which tumor cells can grow, proliferate, survive, and metastasize only within a favorable environment. The interplay between cancer cells and the non-cellular and cellular components of the tumor microenvironment plays a fundamental role in tumor development and evolution both at the primary site and at the level of metastasis. The shape of the tumor cells and tumor mass is the resultant of several contrasting forces either pro-tumoral or anti-tumoral which have at the level of the tumor microenvironment their battle field. This crucial role of tumor microenvironment composition in cancer progression also dictates whether immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitor antibodies is going to be efficacious. Hence, tumor microenvironment deconvolution has become of great relevance in order to identify biomarkers predictive of efficacy of immunotherapy. In this short paper we will briefly review the relationship between inflammation and cancer, and will summarize in 10 short points the key concepts learned so far and the open challenges to be solved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Nisticò
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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18
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Melchionna R, Spada S, Di Modugno F, D'Andrea D, Di Carlo A, Panetta M, Mileo AM, Sperduti I, Antoniani B, Gallo E, Lawlor RT, Piemonti L, Visca P, Milella M, Grazi GL, Facciolo F, Chen E, Scarpa A, Nisticò P. The actin modulator hMENA regulates GAS6-AXL axis and pro-tumor cancer/stromal cell cooperation. EMBO Rep 2020; 21:e50078. [PMID: 32909687 PMCID: PMC7645265 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202050078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamic interplay between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is regulated by multiple signaling pathways, which can lead to cancer progression and therapy resistance. We have previously demonstrated that hMENA, a member of the actin regulatory protein of Ena/VASP family, and its tissue-specific isoforms influence a number of intracellular signaling pathways related to cancer progression. Here, we report a novel function of hMENA/hMENAΔv6 isoforms in tumor-promoting CAFs and in the modulation of pro-tumoral cancer cell/CAF crosstalk via GAS6/AXL axis regulation. LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis reveals that CAFs that overexpress hMENAΔv6 secrete the AXL ligand GAS6, favoring the invasiveness of AXL-expressing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Reciprocally, hMENA/hMENAΔv6 regulates AXL expression in tumor cells, thus sustaining GAS6-AXL axis, reported as crucial in EMT, immune evasion, and drug resistance. Clinically, we found that a high hMENA/GAS6/AXL gene expression signature is associated with a poor prognosis in PDAC and NSCLC. We propose that hMENA contributes to cancer progression through paracrine tumor-stroma crosstalk, with far-reaching prognostic and therapeutic implications for NSCLC and PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Melchionna
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Sheila Spada
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Modugno
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniel D'Andrea
- Department of Medicine, Centre for Cell Signaling and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Di Carlo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Panetta
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Mileo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Sperduti
- Biostatistics and Scientific Direction, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Antoniani
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Enzo Gallo
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita T Lawlor
- ARC-NET Research Centre, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Piemonti
- Diabetes Research Institute, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Visca
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Department of Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Grazi
- Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Facciolo
- Thoracic-Surgery Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Emily Chen
- Thermo Fisher Precision Medicine Science Center, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aldo Scarpa
- ARC-NET Research Centre, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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19
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Galli F, Aguilera JV, Palermo B, Markovic SN, Nisticò P, Signore A. Relevance of immune cell and tumor microenvironment imaging in the new era of immunotherapy. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2020; 39:89. [PMID: 32423420 PMCID: PMC7236372 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01586-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [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: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating immune cells play a key role against cancer. However, malignant cells are able to evade the immune response and establish a very complex balance in which different immune subtypes may drive tumor progression, metastatization and resistance to therapy. New immunotherapeutic approaches aim at restoring the natural balance and increase immune response against cancer by different mechanisms. The complexity of these interactions and the heterogeneity of immune cell subpopulations are a real challenge when trying to develop new immunotherapeutics and evaluate or predict their efficacy in vivo. To this purpose, molecular imaging can offer non-invasive diagnostic tools like radiopharmaceuticals, contrast agents or fluorescent dyes. These agents can be useful for preclinical and clinical purposes and can overcome [18F]FDG limitations in discriminating between true-progression and pseudo-progression. This review provides a comprehensive overview of immune cells involved in microenvironment, available immunotherapies and imaging agents to highlight the importance of new therapeutic biomarkers and their in vivo evaluation to improve the management of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Galli
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and of Translational Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, S. Andrea University Hospital, Roma, Italy.
| | - Jesus Vera Aguilera
- Department of oncology and Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, (MN), Rochester, USA
| | - Belinda Palermo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Svetomir N Markovic
- Department of oncology and Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, (MN), Rochester, USA
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Signore
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and of Translational Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, S. Andrea University Hospital, Roma, Italy
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20
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Urbani F, Ferraresi V, Capone I, Macchia I, Palermo B, Nuzzo C, Torsello A, Pezzotti P, Giannarelli D, Pozzi AF, Santaquilani M, Roazzi P, Bastucci S, Catricalà C, La Malfa A, Vercillo G, Gualtieri N, Buccione C, Castiello L, Cognetti F, Nisticò P, Belardelli F, Moschella F, Proietti E. Clinical and Immunological Outcomes in High-Risk Resected Melanoma Patients Receiving Peptide-Based Vaccination and Interferon Alpha, With or Without Dacarbazine Preconditioning: A Phase II Study. Front Oncol 2020; 10:202. [PMID: 32211314 PMCID: PMC7069350 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical studies based on novel rationales and mechanisms of action of chemotherapy agents and cytokines can contribute to the development of new concepts and strategies of antitumor combination therapies. In previous studies, we investigated the paradoxical immunostimulating effects of some chemotherapeutics and the immunoadjuvant activity of interferon alpha (IFN-α) in preclinical and clinical models, thus unraveling novel rationales and mechanisms of action of chemotherapy agents and cytokines for cancer immunotherapy. Here, we carried out a randomized, phase II clinical trial, in which we analyzed the relapse-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) of 34 completely resected stage III–IV melanoma patients, treated with peptide-based vaccination (Melan-A/MART-1 and NY-ESO-1) in combination with IFN-α2b, with (arm 2) or without (arm 1) dacarbazine preconditioning. All patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At a median follow-up of 4.5 years (interquartile range, 15.4–81.0 months), the rates of RFS were 52.9 and 35.3% in arms 1 and 2, respectively. The 4.5-year OS rates were 68.8% in arm 1 and 62.7% in arm 2. No significant differences were observed between the two arms for both RFS and OS. Interestingly, the RFS and OS curves remained stable starting from 18 and 42 months, respectively. Grade 3 adverse events occurred in 5.9% of patients, whereas grade 4 events were not observed. Both treatments induced a significant expansion of vaccine-specific CD8+ T cells, with no correlation with the clinical outcome. However, treatment-induced increase of polyfunctionality and of interleukin 2 production by Melan-A–specific CD8+ T cells and expansion/activation of natural killer cells correlated with RFS, being observed only in nonrelapsing patients. Despite the recent availability of different therapeutic options, low-cost, low-toxic therapies with long-lasting clinical effects are still needed in patients with high-risk resected stage III/IV melanoma. The combination of peptide vaccination with IFN-α2b showed a minimal toxicity profile and resulted in encouraging RFS and OS rates, justifying further evaluation in clinical trials, which may include the use of checkpoint inhibitors to further expand the antitumor immune response and the clinical outcome. Clinical Trial Registration:https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/search, identifier: 2008-008211-26
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Urbani
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.,Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Virginia Ferraresi
- Department of Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Imerio Capone
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Iole Macchia
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Belinda Palermo
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Carmen Nuzzo
- Department of Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Torsello
- Department of Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizio Pezzotti
- Department of Infectious Disease, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Diana Giannarelli
- Biostatistical Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Fausta Pozzi
- Hospital Pharmacia, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Roazzi
- Health Technology Assessement, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Bastucci
- Clinical Trial Center, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Antonia La Malfa
- Hospital Pharmacia, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vercillo
- Clinical Pathology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Novella Gualtieri
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Buccione
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Cognetti
- Department of Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Federica Moschella
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Proietti
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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21
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Grimaldi A, Cammarata I, Martire C, Focaccetti C, Piconese S, Buccilli M, Mancone C, Buzzacchino F, Berrios JRG, D'Alessandris N, Tomao S, Giangaspero F, Paroli M, Caccavale R, Spinelli GP, Girelli G, Peruzzi G, Nisticò P, Spada S, Panetta M, Letizia Cecere F, Visca P, Facciolo F, Longo F, Barnaba V. Combination of chemotherapy and PD-1 blockade induces T cell responses to tumor non-mutated neoantigens. Commun Biol 2020; 3:85. [PMID: 32099064 PMCID: PMC7042341 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0811-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we developed an unbiased, functional target-discovery platform to identify immunogenic proteins from primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells that had been induced to apoptosis by cisplatin (CDDP) treatment in vitro, as compared with their live counterparts. Among the multitude of proteins identified, some of them were represented as fragmented proteins in apoptotic tumor cells, and acted as non-mutated neoantigens (NM-neoAgs). Indeed, only the fragmented proteins elicited effective multi-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses, upon a chemotherapy protocol including CDDP. Importantly, these responses further increased upon anti-PD-1 therapy, and correlated with patients' survival and decreased PD-1 expression. Cross-presentation assays showed that NM-neoAgs were unveiled in apoptotic tumor cells as the result of caspase-dependent proteolytic activity of cellular proteins. Our study demonstrates that apoptotic tumor cells generate a repertoire of immunogenic NM-neoAgs that could be potentially used for developing effective T cell-based immunotherapy across multiple cancer patients.
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MESH Headings
- Aged
- Antigen Presentation/drug effects
- Antigen Presentation/immunology
- Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology
- Antigens, Neoplasm/isolation & purification
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/administration & dosage
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/immunology
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/therapy
- Case-Control Studies
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cisplatin/administration & dosage
- Cisplatin/pharmacology
- Combined Modality Therapy
- Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor/methods
- Female
- Humans
- Immunity, Cellular/drug effects
- Immunotherapy/methods
- Lung Neoplasms/immunology
- Lung Neoplasms/pathology
- Lung Neoplasms/therapy
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/antagonists & inhibitors
- Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/drug effects
- T-Lymphocytes/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Grimaldi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilenia Cammarata
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Carmela Martire
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Focaccetti
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Piconese
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Buccilli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Carmine Mancone
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Buzzacchino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Oncologiche e Anatomo Patologiche, Oncologia Medica, Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Julio Rodrigo Giron Berrios
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Oncologiche e Anatomo Patologiche, Oncologia Medica, Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicoletta D'Alessandris
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Silverio Tomao
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Oncologiche e Anatomo Patologiche, Oncologia Medica, Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Felice Giangaspero
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy
| | - Marino Paroli
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Biotecnologie Medico-Chirurgiche, Sapienza Università di Roma - Polo Pontino, 04100, Latina, Italy
| | - Rosalba Caccavale
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Biotecnologie Medico-Chirurgiche, Sapienza Università di Roma - Polo Pontino, 04100, Latina, Italy
| | - Gian Paolo Spinelli
- UOC Oncologia Universitaria, ASL Latina (distretto Aprilia), Sapienza Università di Roma, Via Giustiniano snc, 04011, Aprilia, Latina, Italy
| | - Gabriella Girelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Peruzzi
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Sheila Spada
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Panetta
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Visca
- Unit of Pathology, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Facciolo
- Thoracic Surgery Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Longo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Oncologiche e Anatomo Patologiche, Oncologia Medica, Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barnaba
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00161, Rome, Italy.
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161, Rome, Italy.
- Istituto Pasteur - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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22
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Bedognetti D, Ceccarelli M, Galluzzi L, Lu R, Palucka K, Samayoa J, Spranger S, Warren S, Wong KK, Ziv E, Chowell D, Coussens LM, De Carvalho DD, DeNardo DG, Galon J, Kaufman HL, Kirchhoff T, Lotze MT, Luke JJ, Minn AJ, Politi K, Shultz LD, Simon R, Thórsson V, Weidhaas JB, Ascierto ML, Ascierto PA, Barnes JM, Barsan V, Bommareddy PK, Bot A, Church SE, Ciliberto G, De Maria A, Draganov D, Ho WS, McGee HM, Monette A, Murphy JF, Nisticò P, Park W, Patel M, Quigley M, Radvanyi L, Raftopoulos H, Rudqvist NP, Snyder A, Sweis RF, Valpione S, Zappasodi R, Butterfield LH, Disis ML, Fox BA, Cesano A, Marincola FM. Correction to: Toward a comprehensive view of cancer immune responsiveness: a synopsis from the SITC workshop. J Immunother Cancer 2019; 7:167. [PMID: 31272507 PMCID: PMC6610889 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-019-0640-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.,Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Université Paris Descartes/Paris V, Paris, France
| | | | - Karolina Palucka
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | | | - Stefani Spranger
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MT, USA
| | | | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elad Ziv
- University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Diego Chowell
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Daniel D De Carvalho
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - David G DeNardo
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jérôme Galon
- INSERM, Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Sorbonne Université, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Université Paris Diderot; Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Howard L Kaufman
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA and Replimune, Inc, Woburn, MA, USA
| | - Tomas Kirchhoff
- Perlmutter Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael T Lotze
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Andy J Minn
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Adrian Bot
- Kite, a Gilead Company, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Andrea De Maria
- Università degli Studi di Genova and Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Winson S Ho
- Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Primary Children's Hospital, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Heather M McGee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne Monette
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Paola Nisticò
- IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Wungki Park
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Laszlo Radvanyi
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Nils-Petter Rudqvist
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Sara Valpione
- CRUK Manchester Institute and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Roberta Zappasodi
- Ludwig Collaborative and Swim Across America Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Bernard A Fox
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Robert W. Franz Cancer Center, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
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23
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Modugno FD, Spada S, Carlo AD, Trono P, Sperduti I, Antoniani B, Gallo E, Campo G, Facciolo F, Visca P, Nisticò P. Abstract 1482: Tissue specific splicing program of hMENA: impact on tumor immune microenvironment in node-negative NSCLC. Cancer Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2019-1482] [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
Deciphering the complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME)is essential to unveil mechanisms of therapy resistance and develop novel microenvironment-related anti-tumor treatment. Actin cytoskeleton dynamics act as platforms for gene regulation and key signaling transduction pathways involved in the cross-talk among tumor cells and cellular and non-cellular components of TME.The actin regulatory protein hMENA undergoes tissue specific splicing, generating two alternatively expressed isoforms hMENA11a and hMENAΔv6 with a crucial role in EMT. We have previously demonstrated that hMENA11a and hMENAΔv6, respectively inhibit or increase cell invasiveness, TGFβ and β1 integrin signaling and the secretion of several key extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Early node-negative NSCLC patients show a prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) when expressing high tumor hMENA11a/low stromal FN1. Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLS), sites of transient lymphoid neo-genesis and determinants of antitumor immunity, have been associated with a favorable clinical outcome in NSCLC patientsandfound in responding lesions of ICB-treated melanoma patients.
The aim of the present study was to analyzethe pattern ofhMENA isoforms as biomarker of EMT signature in the context of ECM composition and TLS presence and localization.
We evaluated by gain and loss of function experiments the role of hMENA isoforms in TLS neogenesis. hMENA isoforms expression, TLS presence and stromal fibronectin were evaluated in 110primary tumors of node negative NSCLC patients by immunohistochemical analysis using pan-hMENA, hMENA11a, CD3, CD20 and fibronectin (FN) antibodies. The Chi-Square or Fisher Exact tests were used to estimate associations among categorical variables.
We found, by RNA-SEQ analysisand subsequent validation by QRT-PCR, in NSCLC cell lines depleted for the expression of ‘epithelial’ hMENA11a isoform,that hMENA11asustains the expression of lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTBR), a regulator of TLS formation.
The evaluation of TLS presence and spatial distribution in the primary tumors indicatedthat the presence of TLS within the tumor core is significantly correlatedwith hMENA11a expression in tumor cells, whereas the presence of TLS at the margin oftumor nests correlates with the absence of hMENA11a. When we evaluated also the fibronectin we found a trend of association between low stromal fibronectin and intratumoral TLS, however a low level of stromal FN in concomitance with the expression of hMENA11ain tumor cells,strongly associated with intra-tumoralTLS presence.
Our findings indicate that the alternative splicing of hMENA is crucial in the reciprocal signaling between tumor cells and their immune microenvironment, by participating in tertiary lymphoid structure neo genesis and spatial distribution.
Funded by Airc
Citation Format: Francesca Di Modugno, Sheila Spada, Anna Di Carlo, Paola Trono, Isabella Sperduti, Barbara Antoniani, Enzo Gallo, Giulia Campo, Francesco Facciolo, Paolo Visca, Paola Nisticò. Tissue specific splicing program of hMENA: impact on tumor immune microenvironment in node-negative NSCLC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1482.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sheila Spada
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Di Carlo
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Trono
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Enzo Gallo
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Campo
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Visca
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Bedognetti D, Ceccarelli M, Galluzzi L, Lu R, Palucka K, Samayoa J, Spranger S, Warren S, Wong KK, Ziv E, Chowell D, Coussens LM, De Carvalho DD, DeNardo DG, Galon J, Kaufman HL, Kirchhoff T, Lotze MT, Luke JJ, Minn AJ, Politi K, Shultz LD, Simon R, Thórsson V, Weidhaas JB, Ascierto ML, Ascierto PA, Barnes JM, Barsan V, Bommareddy PK, Bot A, Church SE, Ciliberto G, De Maria A, Draganov D, Ho WS, McGee HM, Monette A, Murphy JF, Nisticò P, Park W, Patel M, Quigley M, Radvanyi L, Raftopoulos H, Rudqvist NP, Snyder A, Sweis RF, Valpione S, Zappasodi R, Butterfield LH, Disis ML, Fox BA, Cesano A, Marincola FM. Toward a comprehensive view of cancer immune responsiveness: a synopsis from the SITC workshop. J Immunother Cancer 2019; 7:131. [PMID: 31113486 PMCID: PMC6529999 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-019-0602-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [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: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor immunology has changed the landscape of cancer treatment. Yet, not all patients benefit as cancer immune responsiveness (CIR) remains a limitation in a considerable proportion of cases. The multifactorial determinants of CIR include the genetic makeup of the patient, the genomic instability central to cancer development, the evolutionary emergence of cancer phenotypes under the influence of immune editing, and external modifiers such as demographics, environment, treatment potency, co-morbidities and cancer-independent alterations including immune homeostasis and polymorphisms in the major and minor histocompatibility molecules, cytokines, and chemokines. Based on the premise that cancer is fundamentally a disorder of the genes arising within a cell biologic process, whose deviations from normality determine the rules of engagement with the host's response, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened a task force of experts from various disciplines including, immunology, oncology, biophysics, structural biology, molecular and cellular biology, genetics, and bioinformatics to address the complexity of CIR from a holistic view. The task force was launched by a workshop held in San Francisco on May 14-15, 2018 aimed at two preeminent goals: 1) to identify the fundamental questions related to CIR and 2) to create an interactive community of experts that could guide scientific and research priorities by forming a logical progression supported by multiple perspectives to uncover mechanisms of CIR. This workshop was a first step toward a second meeting where the focus would be to address the actionability of some of the questions identified by working groups. In this event, five working groups aimed at defining a path to test hypotheses according to their relevance to human cancer and identifying experimental models closest to human biology, which include: 1) Germline-Genetic, 2) Somatic-Genetic and 3) Genomic-Transcriptional contributions to CIR, 4) Determinant(s) of Immunogenic Cell Death that modulate CIR, and 5) Experimental Models that best represent CIR and its conversion to an immune responsive state. This manuscript summarizes the contributions from each group and should be considered as a first milestone in the path toward a more contemporary understanding of CIR. We appreciate that this effort is far from comprehensive and that other relevant aspects related to CIR such as the microbiome, the individual's recombined T cell and B cell receptors, and the metabolic status of cancer and immune cells were not fully included. These and other important factors will be included in future activities of the taskforce. The taskforce will focus on prioritization and specific actionable approach to answer the identified questions and implementing the collaborations in the follow-up workshop, which will be held in Houston on September 4-5, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V, Paris, France
| | | | - Karolina Palucka
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | | | - Stefani Spranger
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MT, USA
| | | | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elad Ziv
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Diego Chowell
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Daniel D De Carvalho
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - David G DeNardo
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jérôme Galon
- INSERM, Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Sorbonne Université, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Université Paris Diderot; Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Howard L Kaufman
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA and Replimune, Inc., Woburn, MA, USA
| | - Tomas Kirchhoff
- Perlmutter Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael T Lotze
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Andy J Minn
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Adrian Bot
- Kite, a Gilead Company, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Andrea De Maria
- Università degli Studi di Genova and Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Winson S Ho
- Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Primary Children's Hospital, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Heather M McGee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne Monette
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Paola Nisticò
- IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Wungki Park
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Laszlo Radvanyi
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Nils-Petter Rudqvist
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Sara Valpione
- CRUK Manchester Institute and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Roberta Zappasodi
- Ludwig Collaborative and Swim Across America Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Bernard A Fox
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Robert W. Franz Cancer Center, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
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Pallocca M, Angeli D, Palombo F, Sperati F, Milella M, Goeman F, De Nicola F, Fanciulli M, Nisticò P, Quintarelli C, Ciliberto G. Combinations of immuno-checkpoint inhibitors predictive biomarkers only marginally improve their individual accuracy. J Transl Med 2019; 17:131. [PMID: 31014354 PMCID: PMC6480695 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-019-1865-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [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: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are no accepted universal biomarkers capable to accurately predict response to immuno-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Although recent literature has been flooded with studies on ICI predictive biomarkers, available data show that currently approved companion diagnostics either leave out many possible responders, as in the case of PD-L1 testing for first-line metastatic lung cancer, or apply to a small subset of patients, such as the recently approved treatment for microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficiency tumors. In this study, we conducted a survey of the available data on ICI trials with matched genomic or transcriptomic datasets in order to cross-validate the proposed biomarkers, to assess whether their prediction power was confirmed and, mainly, to investigate if their combination was able to generate a better predictive tool. METHODS We extracted clinical information and sequencing data details from publicly available datasets, along with a list of possible biomarkers obtained from the recent literature. After an operation of data harmonization, we validated the performance of all the biomarkers taken individually. Furthermore, we tested two strategies to combine the best performing biomarkers in order to improve their predictive value. RESULTS When considered individually, some of the biomarkers, such as the ImmunoPhenoScore, and the IFN-γ signature, did not confirm their originally proposed predictive power. The best absolute scoring biomarkers are TIDE, one of the ICB resistance signatures and CTLA4 with a mean AUC > 0.66. Among the combinations tested, generalized linear models showed the best performance with an AUC of 0.78. CONCLUSIONS We confirmed that the available biomarkers, taken individually, fail to provide a satisfactory predictive value. Unfortunately, also combination of some of them only provides marginal improvements. Hence, in order to generate a more robust way to predict ICI efficacy it is necessary to analyze and combine additional biomarkers and interrogate a wider set of clinical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Pallocca
- SAFU Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Angeli
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Meldola, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Sperati
- UOS Biostatistics, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Frauke Goeman
- UOSD Oncogenomics and Epigenetics, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Paola Nisticò
- UOSD Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Concetta Quintarelli
- Department of Paediatric Haematology, IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
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Mileo AM, Nisticò P, Miccadei S. Polyphenols: Immunomodulatory and Therapeutic Implication in Colorectal Cancer. Front Immunol 2019; 10:729. [PMID: 31031748 PMCID: PMC6470258 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [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: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyphenolic compounds, widely present in fruits, vegetables, and cereals, have potential benefits for human health and are protective agents against the development of chronic/degenerative diseases including cancer. More recently these bioactive molecules have been gaining great interest as anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents, mainly in neoplasia where the pro-inflammatory context might promote carcinogenesis. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is considered a major public healthy issue, a leading cause of cancer mortality and morbidity worldwide. Epidemiological, pre-clinical and clinical investigations have consistently highlighted important relationships between large bowel inflammation, gut microbiota (GM), and colon carcinogenesis. Many experimental studies and clinical evidence suggest that polyphenols have a relevant role in CRC chemoprevention, exhibit cytotoxic capability vs. CRC cells and induce increased sensitization to chemo/radiotherapies. These effects are most likely related to the immunomodulatory properties of polyphenols able to modulate cytokine and chemokine production and activation of immune cells. In this review we summarize recent advancements on immunomodulatory activities of polyphenols and their ability to counteract the inflammatory tumor microenvironment. We focus on potential role of natural polyphenols in increasing the cell sensitivity to colon cancer therapies, highlighting the polyphenol-based combined treatments as innovative immunomodulatory strategies to inhibit the growth of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Mileo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostic and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostic and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Miccadei
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostic and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Di Modugno F, Colosi C, Trono P, Antonacci G, Ruocco G, Nisticò P. 3D models in the new era of immune oncology: focus on T cells, CAF and ECM. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2019; 38:117. [PMID: 30898166 PMCID: PMC6429763 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1086-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [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: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has changed clinical practice for patients with different cancers, since these agents have demonstrated a significant improvement of overall survival and are effective in many patients. However, an intrinsic or acquired resistance frequently occur and biomarkers predictive of responsiveness should help in patient selection and in defining the adequate treatment options. A deep analysis of the complexity of the tumor microenvironment is likely to further advance the field and hopefully identify more effective combined immunotherapeutic strategies. Here we review the current knowledge on tumor microenvironment, focusing on T cells, cancer associated fibroblasts and extracellular matrix. The use of 3D cell culture models to resemble tumor microenvironment landscape and to screen immunomodulatory drugs is also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Di Modugno
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
| | - Cristina Colosi
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Trono
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Antonacci
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
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Palermo B, Franzese O, Donna CD, Panetta M, Quintarelli C, Sperduti I, Gualtieri N, Foddai ML, Proietti E, Ferraresi V, Ciliberto G, Nisticò P. Antigen-specificity and DTIC before peptide-vaccination differently shape immune-checkpoint expression pattern, anti-tumor functionality and TCR repertoire in melanoma patients. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7:e1465163. [PMID: 30524882 PMCID: PMC6279427 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1465163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
We have recently described that DNA-damage inducing drug DTIC, administered before peptide (Melan-A and gp100)-vaccination, improves anti-tumor CD8+ Melan-A-specific T-cell functionality, enlarges the Melan-A+ TCR repertoire and impacts the overall survival of melanoma patients. To identify whether the two Ags employed in the vaccination differently shape the anti-tumor response, herein we have carried out a detailed analysis of phenotype, anti-tumor functionality and TCR repertoire in treatment-driven gp100-specific CD8+ T cells, in the same patients previously analyzed for Melan-A. We found that T-cell clones isolated from patients treated with vaccination alone possessed an Early/intermediate differentiated phenotype, whereas T cells isolated after DTIC plus vaccination were late-differentiated. Sequencing analysis of the TCRBV chains of 29 treatment-driven gp100-specific CD8+ T-cell clones revealed an oligoclonal TCR repertoire irrespective of the treatment schedule. The high anti-tumor activity observed in T cells isolated after chemo-immunotherapy was associated with low PD-1 expression. Differently, T-cell clones isolated after peptide-vaccination alone expressed a high level of PD-1, along with LAG-3 and TIM-3, and were neither tumor-reactive nor polyfunctional. Blockade of PD-1 reversed gp100-specific CD8+ T-cell dysfunctionality, confirming the direct role of this co-inhibitory molecule in suppressing anti-tumor activity, differently from what we have previously observed for Melan-A+CD8+ T cells, expressing PD-1 but highly functional. These findings indicate that the functional advantage induced by combined chemo-immunotherapy is determined by the tumor antigen nature, T-cell immune-checkpoints phenotype, TCR repertoire diversity and anti-tumor T-cell quality and highlights the importance of integrating these parameters to develop effective immunotherapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Palermo
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Ornella Franzese
- Department of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Cosmo Di Donna
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Panetta
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Concetta Quintarelli
- Department of Pediatric Haematology and Oncology, IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Novella Gualtieri
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Enrico Proietti
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome
| | | | | | - Paola Nisticò
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Caprara V, Modugno FD, Chellini L, Tocci P, Spadaro F, Sacconi A, Blandino G, Nisticò P, Bagnato A, Rosanò L. Abstract 3162: Endothelin-1 receptor/beta-arrestin-1 pathway promotes invadopodia and metastatic process by integration with hMENA in human serous ovarian cancer. Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2018-3162] [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
Aberrant activation of the endothelin-1 receptor (ET-1R) elicits pleiotropic effects relevant for serous ovarian cancer (SOC) cell invasion. The network activated by this receptor might be finely, spatially and temporary orchestrated by β-arrestin1 (β-arr1)-driven interactome. Recently, we uncovered a novel role for ET-1R/β-arr1 as regulator of cytoskeletal remodelling and invasive protrusions, invadopodia. Emerging evidence demonstrated that hMENA protein, an Ena/Vasp family member, is a key invadopodia component. In this study, we set out to molecularly dissect whether hMENA might represent a novel interacting partner of β-arr1 necessary for invadopodial function downstream of ET-1R in SOC cells. ENAH mRNA is significantly upregulated in OC tissues, and in particular in high-grade (HG)-SOC tumors, compared with normal tissues. In a panel of SOC cells, the expression hMENA, along with the spliced isoform hMENAΔv6, is upregulated by ET-1, at mRNA and protein levels, through β-arr1, restricted to mesenchymal phenotype. This effect is inhibited by treatment with the dual ETAR/ETBR antagonist macitentan. As shown by biochemical and imaging assays, ET-1 promotes a physical association between hMENA and β-arr1 as well PDZ-RhoGEF, which in turn activate RhoC. Most importantly, ET-1 induces localization of hMENA in F-actin-containing puncta, which co-localize with cortactin, and extracellular matrix degradation sites, thus promoting invadopodia maturation. Silencing of hMENA, as well as of β-arr1, or treatment with macitentan, impairs ET-1-dependent invadopodia activity, MMP secretion and activation, invasion, transendothelial migration and cell plasticity. In vivo, macitentan is able to inhibit SOC metastatic dissemination and hMENA expression along with other invadopodia markers. Finally, high ETAR/ARRB1/ENAH gene expression is associated with a poor prognosis in SOC patients. Collectively, these data define a pivotal function of hMENA/ hMENAΔv6, which is required for ET-1/β-arr1-induced invadopodial function and metastatic spreading of SOC.
Citation Format: Valentina Caprara, Francesca Di Modugno, Lidia Chellini, Piera Tocci, Francesca Spadaro, Andrea Sacconi, Giovanni Blandino, Paola Nisticò, Anna Bagnato, Laura Rosanò. Endothelin-1 receptor/beta-arrestin-1 pathway promotes invadopodia and metastatic process by integration with hMENA in human serous ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3162.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Piera Tocci
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Paola Nisticò
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Bagnato
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Rosanò
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Modugno FD, Spada S, Palermo B, Visca P, Iapicca P, Carlo AD, Antoniani B, Sperduti I, Benedetto AD, Terrenato I, Mottolese M, Gandolfi F, Facciolo F, Chen E, Schwartz MA, Santoni A, Bissell MJ, Nisticò P. Abstract 5224: hMENA isoforms impact NSCLC patient outcome through fibronectin/β1 integrin axis. Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2018-5224] [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
The splicing of the actin regulator hMENA generates different isoforms and we have demonstrated that the two alternatively expressed isoforms, hMENA11a and hMENAΔv6, have opposite functions in cell invasiveness. This general mechanism is of great clinical relevance in early NSCLC patients, where the pattern of hMENA isoform expression is a powerful prognostic factor. However the mechanism of action of the two isoforms have remained unclear. Herein, we evaluated whether hMENA and its isoforms influence β1 integrin expression and signaling considering the role of this integrin in cancer cell invasiveness and tumor progression. We performed hMENA silencing by siRNA and shRNA, to evaluate by QRT-PCR and biochemical approaches the expression of β1 integrin; by immunofluorescence the MRTF1 localization, by in vivo assay G-Actin/F-Actin ratio and by luciferase reporter assay the SRF activity. β1 integrin activation and signaling was evaluated by flow cytometry using an antibody specific for the β1 active conformation and by biochemical analysis of the phosphorylation of FAK, SRC and Paxillin. The secretoma of hMENA11a transfected cancer cell lines was analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using pan-hMENA, hMENA11a, and fibronectin antibodies in primary cancer tissues from node negative NSCLC patients. The Chi-Square or Fisher Exact tests were used to estimate associations among categorical variables and disease-free survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier product limit method. We show that the depletion of all hMENA isoforms inhibits the Serum Response Factor (SRF) activity, and the expression of its target gene β1 Integrin, by affecting G-Actin/F-Actin ratio, critical for the nuclear localization of the SRF co-factor myocardin related transcription factor 1 (MRTF1). Furthermore, we provide new insights into the mechanisms involved in the opposite functions of hMENA11a and hMENAΔv6 in cell invasiveness and we identify a new role of these isoforms in the β1 integrin-ECM signalling axis. Indeed, hMENAΔv6-drives cancer cell invasion by increasing β1 integrin activation and signalling, which is reduced by the anti-invasive hMENA11a isoform. Moreover, exogenous expression of hMENA11a in hMENAΔv6 positive cancer cells dramatically reduces secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, including β1 integrin ligands and metalloproteinases. On the other hand overexpression of the pro-invasive hMENAΔv6 increases fibronectin production. In primary tumors high hMENA11a correlates with low stromal fibronectin and favorable clinical outcome of early node-negative non-small cell lung cancer patients. This newly discovered signature, which pays attention to the alternative splicing of hMENA and ECM components such as fibronectin in the stroma, might help fill in the gap in the still controversial clinical management of early node-negative NSCLC patients.
Citation Format: Francesca Di Modugno, Sheila Spada, Belinda Palermo, Paolo Visca, Pierluigi Iapicca, Anna Di Carlo, Barbara Antoniani, Isabella Sperduti, Anna Di Benedetto, Irene Terrenato, Marcella Mottolese, Francesco Gandolfi, Francesco Facciolo, Emily Chen, Martin A. Schwartz, Angela Santoni, Mina J. Bissell, Paola Nisticò. hMENA isoforms impact NSCLC patient outcome through fibronectin/β1 integrin axis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5224.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sheila Spada
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Inst., Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Visca
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Inst., Rome, Italy
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Sistigu A, Di Modugno F, Manic G, Nisticò P. Deciphering the loop of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, inflammatory cytokines and cancer immunoediting. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2017; 36:67-77. [PMID: 28595838 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Tumorigenesis and tumor progression relies on the dialectics between tumor cells, the extracellular matrix and its remodelling enzymes, neighbouring cells and soluble cues. The host immune response is crucial in eliminating or promoting tumor growth and the reciprocal coevolution of tumor and immune cells, during disease progression and in response to therapy, shapes tumor fate by activating innate and adaptive mechanisms. The phenotypic plasticity is a common feature of epithelial and immune cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic process, governed by microenvironmental stimuli, critical in tumor cell shaping, increased tumor cell heterogeneity and stemness. In this review we will outline how the dysregulation of microenvironmental signaling is crucial in determining tumor plasticity and EMT, arguing how therapy resistance hinges on these dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Sistigu
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy; Department of General Pathology and Physiopathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Di Modugno
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Gwenola Manic
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00173, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Unit of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
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Timperi E, Focaccetti C, Gallerano D, Panetta M, Spada S, Gallo E, Visca P, Venuta F, Diso D, Prelaj A, Longo F, Facciolo F, Nisticò P, Barnaba V. IL-18 receptor marks functional CD8 + T cells in non-small cell lung cancer. Oncoimmunology 2017; 6:e1328337. [PMID: 28811967 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1328337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
IL-18 is an inflammasome-related cytokine, member of the IL-1 family, produced by a wide range of cells in response to signals by several pathogen- or damage-associated molecular patterns. It can be highly represented in tumor patients, but its relevance in human cancer development is not clear. In this study, we provide evidence that IL-18 is principally expressed in tumor cells and, in concert with other conventional Th1 cell-driven cytokines, has a pivotal role in establishing a pro-inflammatory milieu in the tumor microenvironment of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Interestingly, the analysis of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cell populations showed that (i) the relative IL-18 receptor (IL-18R) is significantly more expressed by the minority of cells with a functional phenotype (T-bet+Eomes+), than by the majority of those with the dysfunctional phenotype T-bet-Eomes+ generally resident within tumors; (ii) as a consequence, the former are significantly more responsive than the latter to IL-18 stimulus in terms of IFNγ production ex vivo; (iii) PD-1 expression does not discriminate these two populations. These data indicate that IL-18R may represent a biomarker of the minority of functional tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells in adenocarcinoma NSCLC patients. In addition, our results lead to envisage the possible therapeutic usage of IL-18 in NSCLC, even in combination with other checkpoint inhibitor approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Timperi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Focaccetti
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Gallerano
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Panetta
- Unità di Immunologia e Immunoterapia dei Tumori, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Sheila Spada
- Unità di Immunologia e Immunoterapia dei Tumori, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Enzo Gallo
- Unità di Anatomia Patologica, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Visca
- Unità di Anatomia Patologica, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Venuta
- Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale e Specialità Chirurgiche Paride Stefanini, Chirurgia Toracica, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele Diso
- Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale e Specialità Chirurgiche Paride Stefanini, Chirurgia Toracica, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Arsela Prelaj
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare Oncologica, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Longo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare Oncologica, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Facciolo
- Unità di Chirurgia Toracica, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Unità di Immunologia e Immunoterapia dei Tumori, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barnaba
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.,Istituto Pasteur Italia, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy.,Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, CLNS@sapienza, Rome, Italy
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Palermo B, Franzese O, Donna CD, Panetta M, Sperduti I, Soriani A, Foddai ML, Santoni A, Nisticò P. Abstract A040: The low antitumor functionality of PD1-positive gp100-specific CD8+ T cell clones isolated from melanoma patients correlates with the presence of CD28 co-stimulatory molecule. Cancer Immunol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.imm2016-a040] [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
Background: The identification of activation pathways linked to anti-tumor T-cell polyfunctionality in patients responding to immunomodulatory agents is of great relevance in the new era of immunotherapy. An effective anti-tumor immune response is the result of a fine balance between TCR activation and co-stimulatory as well as inhibitory signals. The co-stimulatory molecule CD28 plays an essential role in T-cell activation, and with CD27 characterizes the different T-cell differentiation stages. Terminally differentiated T cells are CD28−CD27−, show an exhausted phenotype, low functionality along with up-regulation of co-inhibitory receptors including PD-1. However, beside its critical role in tumor-induced immune-suppression, PD-1 has recently been described as a marker of highly melanoma-reactive CD8+ T-cells. Accordingly, we have recently reported that Melan-A-specific CD8+ T-cells isolated from melanoma patients treated with combined chemo-immunotherapy [dacarbazine (DTIC) plus Melan-A/gp100 peptide vaccination], showed an enlarged TCR repertoire and high AKT-dependent anti-tumor polyfunctionality sustained by ICOS despite a late differentiated phenotype and high PD-1 expression. We hypothesize that this AKT-dependent anti-tumor polifunctionality may have contributed to protect patients from disease recurrence.
Aim of this study is to identify the complex relationship between PD-1 expression and T-cell effector functions, taking advantage from a panel of antigen-specific (Melan-A and gp100) T-cell clones isolated from melanoma patients.
Methods: We generated gp100-specific CD8+ T-cell clones from patients treated with peptide-vaccination alone or DTIC plus vaccination. We have analyzed the treatment-induced response in terms of TCR-βsequencing, differentiation phenotype, inhibitory receptor profile, polyfunctionality, cytotoxicity and AKT activation, by flow-cytometric, biochemical and functional analyses.
Results: CD8+ gp-100-specific T cells isolated from patients treated with vaccination alone showed an early differentiated phenotype, while those isolated from patients treated with DTIC plus vaccination displayed mostly a late differentiated profile, as defined by the expression of CD28 and/or CD27. These clones possessed an oligoclonal TCR repertoire, irrespective of the treatment received by the patients, differently from results obtained for Melan-A-specific clones. In gp100-specific CD8+ T cells AKT pathway was activated according to their differentiation profile as defined by the expression of CD28 and/or CD27, irrespective of the treatment. High anti-tumor lytic activity and low PD-1 expression were observed in T-cell clones isolated after chemoimmunotherapy, while cells isolated after peptide vaccination alone expressed high level of the inhibitory molecule PD-1, either alone or along with LAG-1 and TIM-3 and were non tumor-reactive. This low anti-tumor polyfunctionality (in terms of TNF-α, IFN-γ and GrB) was increased after anti-PD-1 mAb blockade. Interestingly, differently from Melan A-specific T cells which showed high levels of PD-1 in the absence of CD28, these non-functional gp100-specific T-cell clones expressed PD-1 in the presence of CD28 co-stimulatory molecule.
Conclusions: Our results, obtained in a panel of Melan-A and gp100-specific T-cell clones, show that while PD-1-positive-Melan-A specific T-cell clones have a polyfunctional effector profile in the absence of CD28 expression and in the presence of AKT activation sustained by ICOS, non-functional gp-100-specific PD-1-positive T cells express high level of CD28 molecule. The biochemical pathways involved in the control of functionality of PD-1-expressing CD8+ T cells are currently under investigation.
Citation Format: Belinda Palermo, Ornella Franzese, Cosmo Di Donna, Mariangela Panetta, Isabella Sperduti, Antonella Soriani, Maria Laura Foddai, Angela Santoni, Paola Nisticò. The low antitumor functionality of PD1-positive gp100-specific CD8+ T cell clones isolated from melanoma patients correlates with the presence of CD28 co-stimulatory molecule [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; 2016 Sept 25-28; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A040.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Paola Nisticò
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Melchionna R, Iapicca P, Modugno FD, Trono P, Sperduti I, Fassan M, Cataldo I, Rusev BC, Lawlor RT, Diodoro MG, Milella M, Grazi GL, Bissell MJ, Scarpa A, Nisticò P. Abstract A113: The pattern of hMENA isoforms is regulated by TGF-β1 in pancreatic cancer and may predict patient outcome. Cancer Immunol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.imm2016-a113] [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
Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease with the worst survival rate among solid cancers. The pressing needs for extending life expectancy of patients are the identification of early prognostic markers and novel druggable pathways. PDAC arises generally from pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and a dynamic interactions between tumor, stromal cells and autocrine and paracrine signaling lead to epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), an early process in the natural history of pancreatic cancer. Cytoskeletal reorganization, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) contribute to PDAC aggressiveness in cooperation with soluble growth factors or cytokines, with TGF-β1 as crucial player. hMENA is an actin regulatory protein whose splicing program, mediated by the epithelial splicing regulatory proteins (ESRPs), has been associated with the EMT process. Our previous studies indicated that alternative splicing of hMENA, generates hMENA11a and hMENAΔv6 isoforms with opposite roles in cell proliferation and invasion in breast and lung cancers. Alternative splicing is known to play a prominent role in tumor progression and tumorigenesis and the derived isoforms may represent powerful diagnostic and prognostic factors as we have recently shown for hMENA alternative splicing in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study is to investigate the role of TGF-β1 on the expression and function of hMENA isoforms in PDAC, and verify whether the expression pattern of hMENA isoforms may impact patient outcome.
Methods: We analyzed the expression pattern of hMENA isoforms by immunohistochemistry, using anti-pan hMENA and specific anti-hMENA11a antibodies, in 285 PDACs, 15 PanINs, 10 pancreatitis, and normal pancreas, evaluating the patient outcome. The functional role of hMENA isoforms were analyzed by loss and gain of function experiments in untreated and TGF-β1-treated PDAC cell lines.
Results: In a panel of pancreatic cancer cell lines, hMENA11a expression correlates with an epithelial phenotype, while hMENAΔv6 expression with a mesechymal phenotype, with low E-cadherin and high vimentin expression. hMENA11a knock-down in PDAC cell lines affected cell-cell adhesion but not cell invasion. TGF-β1 cooperated with β-catenin signalling to up-regulate hMENA and hMENAΔv6 expression but not hMENA11a. The hMENA/hMENAΔv6 up-regulation play a crucial role in cell invasiveness and in TGF-β1-induced EMT. After TGF-β1 treatment, hMENA/hMENAΔv6 were mobilized from focal adhesion to actin stress fibers, and the silencing of these isoforms significantly inhibited the TGF-β1-induced EMT in PANC-1. Functionally, in the absence of hMENA11a, the hMENA/hMENAΔv6 up-regulationis crucial for SMAD2-mediated TGF-β1 signalling, migration, invasion and MMPs activities. Pan hMENA immunostaining, absent in normal pancreas and low-grade PanINs, was weak in PanIN-3 and had higher levels in virtually all PDACs with 64% of cases showing strong staining. Conversely, the anti-invasive hMENA11a isoform only showed strong staining in 26% of PDAC. The absence of hMENA11a in a subset (34%) of pan-hMENA-positive tumors significantly correlated with poor outcome, in agreement with experimental results.
Conclusions: hMENA isoforms are regulated differently by TGF-β1, and the pattern of expression of hMENA isoforms is crucial in TGF-β1-dependent EMT and cell invasion. The pattern of expression of hMENA isoforms correlates with PDAC patient outcome and it could be used in specific clinical settings for the choice of the most effective treatment of PDAC patients. Our data provide new insights into molecular pathways involved in PDAC biology and suggest that hMENA-related pathways are promising targets for the development of new prognostic and therapeutic tools in PDAC.
Citation Format: Roberta Melchionna, Pierluigi Iapicca, Francesca Di Modugno, Paola Trono, Isabella Sperduti, Matteo Fassan, Ivana Cataldo, Borislav C. Rusev, Rita T. Lawlor, Maria Grazia Diodoro, Michele Milella, Gian Luca Grazi, Mina J. Bissell, Aldo Scarpa, Paola Nisticò. The pattern of hMENA isoforms is regulated by TGF-β1 in pancreatic cancer and may predict patient outcome [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; 2016 Sept 25-28; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A113.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Melchionna
- 1Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Iapicca
- 1Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Modugno
- 1Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Trono
- 1Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Sperduti
- 2Biostatistics and Scientific Direction, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Fassan
- 3ARC-NET Research Centre, Dept of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Ivana Cataldo
- 3ARC-NET Research Centre, Dept of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Borislav C. Rusev
- 3ARC-NET Research Centre, Dept of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Rita T. Lawlor
- 3ARC-NET Research Centre, Dept of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Michele Milella
- 5Medical Oncology 1, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Grazi
- 6Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Mina J. Bissell
- 7Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA
| | - Aldo Scarpa
- 3ARC-NET Research Centre, Dept of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- 1Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Melchionna R, Iapicca P, Di Modugno F, Trono P, Sperduti I, Fassan M, Cataldo I, Rusev BC, Lawlor RT, Diodoro MG, Milella M, Grazi GL, Bissell MJ, Scarpa A, Nisticò P. The pattern of hMENA isoforms is regulated by TGF-β1 in pancreatic cancer and may predict patient outcome. Oncoimmunology 2016; 5:e1221556. [PMID: 28123868 PMCID: PMC5213039 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2016.1221556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease in need of prognostic markers to address therapeutic choices. We have previously shown that alternative splicing of the actin regulator, hMENA, generates hMENA11a, and hMENAΔv6 isoforms with opposite roles in cell invasion. We examined the expression pattern of hMENA isoforms by immunohistochemistry, using anti-pan hMENA and specific anti-hMENA11a antibodies, in 285 PDACs, 15 PanINs, 10 pancreatitis, and normal pancreas. Pan hMENA immunostaining, absent in normal pancreas and low-grade PanINs, was weak in PanIN-3 and had higher levels in virtually all PDACs with 64% of cases showing strong staining. Conversely, the anti-invasive hMENA11a isoform only showed strong staining in 26% of PDAC. The absence of hMENA11a in a subset (34%) of pan-hMENA-positive tumors significantly correlated with poor outcome. The functional effects of hMENA isoforms were analyzed by loss and gain of function experiments in TGF-β1-treated PDAC cell lines. hMENA11a knock-down in PDAC cell lines affected cell-cell adhesion but not invasion. TGF-β1 cooperated with β-catenin signaling to upregulate hMENA and hMENAΔv6 expression but not hMENA11a In the absence of hMENA11a, the hMENA/hMENAΔv6 up-regulation is crucial for SMAD2-mediated TGF-β1 signaling and TGF-β1-induced EMT. Since the hMENA isoform expression pattern correlates with patient outcome, the data suggest that hMENA splicing and related pathways are novel key players in pancreatic tumor microenvironment and may represent promising targets for the development of new prognostic and therapeutic tools in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Melchionna
- Tumour Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Iapicca
- Tumour Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Modugno
- Tumour Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Trono
- Tumour Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Sperduti
- Biostatistics and Scientific Direction, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Fassan
- ARC-NET Research Center, Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona , Verona, Italy
| | - Ivana Cataldo
- ARC-NET Research Center, Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona , Verona, Italy
| | - Borislav C Rusev
- ARC-NET Research Center, Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona , Verona, Italy
| | - Rita T Lawlor
- ARC-NET Research Center, Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona , Verona, Italy
| | | | - Michele Milella
- Medical Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Grazi
- Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Mina J Bissell
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California , CA, USA
| | - Aldo Scarpa
- ARC-NET Research Center, Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona , Verona, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumour Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
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Nanda VGY, Peng W, Hwu P, Davies MA, Ciliberto G, Fattore L, Malpicci D, Aurisicchio L, Ascierto PA, Croce CM, Mancini R, Spranger S, Gajewski TF, Wang Y, Ferrone S, Vanpouille-Box C, Wennerberg E, Pilones KA, Formenti SC, Demaria S, Tang H, Wang Y, Fu YX, Dummer R, Puzanov I, Tarhini A, Chauvin JM, Pagliano O, Fourcade J, Sun Z, Wang H, Sanders C, Kirkwood JM, Chen THT, Maurer M, Korman AJ, Zarour HM, Stroncek DF, Huber V, Rivoltini L, Thurin M, Rau T, Lugli A, Pagès F, Camarero J, Sancho A, Jommi C, de Coaña YP, Wolodarski M, Yoshimoto Y, Gentilcore G, Poschke I, Masucci GV, Hansson J, Kiessling R, Scognamiglio G, Sabbatino F, Marino FZ, Anniciello AM, Cantile M, Cerrone M, Scala S, D’alterio C, Ianaro A, Cirin G, Liguori G, Bott G, Chapman PB, Robert C, Larkin J, Haanen JB, Ribas A, Hogg D, Hamid O, Testori A, Lorigan P, Sosman JA, Flaherty KT, Yue H, Coleman S, Caro I, Hauschild A, McArthur GA, Sznol M, Callahan MK, Kluger H, Postow MA, Gordan R, Segal NH, Rizvi NA, Lesokhin A, Atkins MB, Burke MM, Ralabate A, Rivera A, Kronenberg SA, Agunwamba B, Ruisi M, Horak C, Jiang J, Wolchok J, Ascierto PA, Liszkay G, Maio M, Mandalà M, Demidov L, Stoyakovskiy D, Thomas L, de la Cruz-Merino L, Atkinson V, Dutriaux C, Garbe C, Wongchenko M, Chang I, Koralek DO, Rooney I, Yan Y, Dréno B, Sullivan R, Patel M, Hodi S, Amaria R, Boasberg P, Wallin J, He X, Cha E, Richie N, Ballinger M, Smith DC, Bauer TM, Wasser JS, Luke JJ, Balmanoukian AS, Kaufman DR, Zhao Y, Maleski J, Leopold L, Gangadhar TC, Long GV, Michielin O, VanderWalde A, Andtbacka RHI, Cebon J, Fernandez E, Malvehy J, Olszanski AJ, Gause C, Chen L, Chou J, Stephen Hodi F, Brady B, Mortier L, Hassel JC, Rutkowski P, McNeil C, Kalinka-Warzocha E, Lebbé C, Ny L, Chacon M, Queirolo P, Loquai C, Cheema P, Berrocal A, Eizmendi KM, Bar-Sela G, Horak C, Hardy H, Weber JS, Grob JJ, Marquez-Rodas I, Schmidt H, Briscoe K, Baurain JF, Wolchok JD, Pinto R, De Summa S, Garrisi VM, Strippoli S, Azzariti A, Guida G, Guida M, Tommasi S, Jacquelot N, Enot D, Flament C, Pitt JM, Vimond N, Blattner C, Yamazaki T, Roberti MP, Vetizou M, Daillere R, Poirier-Colame V, la Semeraro M, Caignard A, Slingluff CL, Sallusto F, Rusakiewicz S, Weide B, Marabelle A, Kohrt H, Dalle S, Cavalcanti A, Kroemer G, Di Giacomo AM, Maio M, Wong P, Yuan J, Umansky V, Eggermont A, Zitvogel L, Anna P, Marco T, Stefania S, Francesco M, Mariaelena C, Gabriele M, Antonio AP, Franco S, Roberti MP, Enot DP, Semeraro M, Jégou S, Flores C, Chen THT, Kwon BS, Anderson AC, Borg C, Aubin F, Ayyoub M, De Presbiteris AL, Cordaro FG, Camerlingo R, Fratangelo F, Mozzillo N, Pirozzi G, Patriarca EJ, Caputo E, Motti ML, Falcon R, Miceli R, Capone M, Madonna G, Mallardo D, Carrier MV, Panza E, De Cicco P, Armogida C, Ercolano G, Botti G, Cirino G, Sandru A, Blank M, Balatoni T, Olasz J, Farkas E, Szollar A, Savolt A, Godeny M, Csuka O, Horvath S, Eles K, Shoenfeld Y, Kasler M, Costantini S, Capone F, Moradi F, Berglund P, Leandersson K, Linnskog R, Andersson T, Prasad CP, Nigro CL, Lattanzio L, Wang H, Proby C, Syed N, Occelli M, Cauchi C, Merlano M, Harwood C, Thompson A, Crook T, Bifulco K, Ingangi V, Minopoli M, Ragone C, Pessi A, Mannavola F, D’Oronzo S, Felici C, Tucci M, Doronzo A, Silvestris F, Ferretta A, Guida S, Maida I, Cocco T, Passarelli A, Quaresmini D, Franzese O, Palermo B, Di Donna C, Sperduti I, Foddai M, Stabile H, Gismondi A, Santoni A, Nisticò P, Sponghini AP, Platini F, Marra E, Rondonotti D, Alabiso O, Fierro MT, Savoia P, Stratica F, Quaglino P, Di Monta G, Corrado C, Di Marzo M, Ugo M, Di Cecilia ML, Nicola M, Fusciello C, Marra A, Guarrasi R, Baldi C, Russo R, Di Giulio G, Faiola V, Zeppa P, Pepe S, Gambale E, Carella C, Di Paolo A, De Tursi M, Marra L, De Murtas F, Sorrentino V, Voinea S, Panaitescu E, Bolovan M, Stanciu A, Cinca S, Botti C, Aquino G, Anniciello A, Fortes C, Mastroeni S, Caggiati A, Passarelli F, Zappalà A, Capuano M, Bono R, Nudo M, Marino C, Michelozzi P, De Biasio V, Battarra VC, Formenti S, Ascierto ML, McMiller TL, Berger AE, Danilova L, Anders RA, Netto GJ, Xu H, Pritchard TS, Fan J, Cheadle C, Cope L, Drake CG, Pardoll DM, Taube JM, Topalian SL, Gnjatic S, Nataraj S, Imai N, Rahman A, Jungbluth AA, Pan L, Venhaus R, Park A, Lehmann FF, Lendvai N, Cohen AD, Cho HJ, Daniel S, Hirsh V. Melanoma and immunotherapy bridge 2015 : Naples, Italy. 1-5 December 2015. J Transl Med 2016; 14:65. [PMID: 27461275 PMCID: PMC4965835 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-016-0791-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
MELANOMA BRIDGE 2015 KEYNOTE SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS Molecular and immuno-advances K1 Immunologic and metabolic consequences of PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation in melanoma Vashisht G. Y. Nanda, Weiyi Peng, Patrick Hwu, Michael A. Davies K2 Non-mutational adaptive changes in melanoma cells exposed to BRAF and MEK inhibitors help the establishment of drug resistance Gennaro Ciliberto, Luigi Fattore, Debora Malpicci, Luigi Aurisicchio, Paolo Antonio Ascierto, Carlo M. Croce, Rita Mancini K3 Tumor-intrinsic beta-catenin signaling mediates tumor-immune avoidance Stefani Spranger, Thomas F. Gajewski K4 Intracellular tumor antigens as a source of targets of antibody-based immunotherapy of melanoma Yangyang Wang, Soldano Ferrone Combination therapies K5 Harnessing radiotherapy to improve responses to immunotherapy in cancer Claire Vanpouille-Box, Erik Wennerberg, Karsten A. Pilones, Silvia C. Formenti, Sandra Demaria K6 Creating a T cell-inflamed tumor microenvironment overcomes resistance to checkpoint blockade Haidong Tang, Yang Wang, Yang-Xin Fu K7 Biomarkers for treatment decisions? Reinhard Dummer K8 Combining oncolytic therapies in the era of checkpoint inhibitors Igor Puzanov K9 Immune checkpoint blockade for melanoma: should we combine or sequence ipilimumab and PD-1 antibody therapy? Michael A. Postow News in immunotherapy K10 An update on adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy for melanom Ahmad Tarhini K11 Targeting multiple inhibitory receptors in melanoma Joe-Marc Chauvin, Ornella Pagliano, Julien Fourcade, Zhaojun Sun, Hong Wang, Cindy Sanders, John M. Kirkwood, Tseng-hui Timothy Chen, Mark Maurer, Alan J. Korman, Hassane M. Zarour K12 Improving adoptive immune therapy using genetically engineered T cells David F. Stroncek Tumor microenvironment and biomarkers K13 Myeloid cells and tumor exosomes: a crosstalk for assessing immunosuppression? Veronica Huber, Licia Rivoltini K14 Update on the SITC biomarker taskforce: progress and challenges Magdalena Thurin World-wide immunoscore task force: an update K15 The immunoscore in colorectal cancer highlights the importance of digital scoring systems in surgical pathology Tilman Rau, Alessandro Lugli K16 The immunoscore: toward an integrated immunomonitoring from the diagnosis to the follow up of cancer’s patients Franck Pagès Economic sustainability of melanoma treatments: regulatory, health technology assessment and market access issues K17 Nivolumab, the regulatory experience in immunotherapy Jorge Camarero, Arantxa Sancho K18 Evidence to optimize access for immunotherapies Claudio Jommi ORAL PRESENTATIONS Molecular and immuno-advances O1 Ipilimumab treatment results in CD4 T cell activation that is concomitant with a reduction in Tregs and MDSCs Yago Pico de Coaña, Maria Wolodarski, Yuya Yoshimoto, Giusy Gentilcore, Isabel Poschke, Giuseppe V. Masucci, Johan Hansson, Rolf Kiessling O2 Evaluation of prognostic and therapeutic potential of COX-2 and PD-L1 in primary and metastatic melanoma Giosuè Scognamiglio, Francesco Sabbatino, Federica Zito Marino, Anna Maria Anniciello, Monica Cantile, Margherita Cerrone, Stefania Scala, Crescenzo D’alterio, Angela Ianaro, Giuseppe Cirino, Paolo Antonio Ascierto, Giuseppina Liguori, Gerardo Botti O3 Vemurafenib in patients with BRAFV600 mutation–positive metastatic melanoma: final overall survival results of the BRIM-3 study Paul B. Chapman, Caroline Robert, James Larkin, John B. Haanen, Antoni Ribas, David Hogg, Omid Hamid, Paolo Antonio Ascierto, Alessandro Testori, Paul Lorigan, Reinhard Dummer, Jeffrey A. Sosman, Keith T. Flaherty, Huibin Yue, Shelley Coleman, Ivor Caro, Axel Hauschild, Grant A. McArthur O4 Updated survival, response and safety data in a phase 1 dose-finding study (CA209-004) of concurrent nivolumab (NIVO) and ipilimumab (IPI) in advanced melanoma Mario Sznol, Margaret K. Callahan, Harriet Kluger, Michael A. Postow, RuthAnn Gordan, Neil H. Segal, Naiyer A. Rizvi, Alexander Lesokhin, Michael B. Atkins, John M. Kirkwood, Matthew M. Burke, Amanda Ralabate, Angel Rivera, Stephanie A. Kronenberg, Blessing Agunwamba, Mary Ruisi, Christine Horak, Joel Jiang, Jedd Wolchok Combination therapies O5 Efficacy and correlative biomarker analysis of the coBRIM study comparing cobimetinib (COBI) + vemurafenib (VEM) vs placebo (PBO) + VEM in advanced BRAF-mutated melanoma patients (pts) Paolo A. Ascierto, Grant A. McArthur, James Larkin, Gabriella Liszkay, Michele Maio, Mario Mandalà, Lev Demidov, Daniil Stoyakovskiy, Luc Thomas, Luis de la Cruz-Merino, Victoria Atkinson, Caroline Dutriaux, Claus Garbe, Matthew Wongchenko, Ilsung Chang, Daniel O. Koralek, Isabelle Rooney, Yibing Yan, Antoni Ribas, Brigitte Dréno O6 Preliminary clinical safety, tolerability and activity results from a Phase Ib study of atezolizumab (anti-PDL1) combined with vemurafenib in BRAFV600-mutant metastatic melanoma Ryan Sullivan, Omid Hamid, Manish Patel, Stephen Hodi, Rodabe Amaria, Peter Boasberg, Jeffrey Wallin, Xian He, Edward Cha, Nicole Richie, Marcus Ballinger, Patrick Hwu O7 Preliminary safety and efficacy data from a phase 1/2 study of epacadostat (INCB024360) in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced/metastatic melanoma Thomas F. Gajewski, Omid Hamid, David C. Smith, Todd M. Bauer, Jeffrey S. Wasser, Jason J. Luke, Ani S. Balmanoukian, David R. Kaufman, Yufan Zhao, Janet Maleski, Lance Leopold, Tara C. Gangadhar O8 Primary analysis of MASTERKEY-265 phase 1b study of talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) and pembrolizumab (pembro) for unresectable stage IIIB-IV melanoma Reinhard Dummer, Georgina V. Long, Antoni Ribas, Igor Puzanov, Olivier Michielin, Ari VanderWalde, Robert H.I. Andtbacka, Jonathan Cebon, Eugenio Fernandez, Josep Malvehy, Anthony J. Olszanski, Thomas F. Gajewski, John M. Kirkwood, Christine Gause, Lisa Chen, David R. Kaufman, Jeffrey Chou, F. Stephen Hodi News in immunotherapy O9 Two-year survival and safety update in patients (pts) with treatment-naïve advanced melanoma (MEL) receiving nivolumab (NIVO) or dacarbazine (DTIC) in CheckMate 066 Victoria Atkinson, Paolo A. Ascierto, Georgina V. Long, Benjamin Brady, Caroline Dutriaux, Michele Maio, Laurent Mortier, Jessica C. Hassel, Piotr Rutkowski, Catriona McNeil, Ewa Kalinka-Warzocha, Celeste Lebbé, Lars Ny, Matias Chacon, Paola Queirolo, Carmen Loquai, Parneet Cheema, Alfonso Berrocal, Karmele Mujika Eizmendi, Luis De La Cruz-Merino, Gil Bar-Sela, Christine Horak, Joel Jiang, Helene Hardy, Caroline Robert O10 Efficacy and safety of nivolumab (NIVO) in patients (pts) with advanced melanoma (MEL) who were treated beyond progression in CheckMate 066/067 Georgina V. Long, Jeffrey S. Weber, James Larkin, Victoria Atkinson, Jean-Jacques Grob, Reinhard Dummer, Caroline Robert, Ivan Marquez-Rodas, Catriona McNeil, Henrik Schmidt, Karen Briscoe, Jean-François Baurain, F. Stephen Hodi, Jedd D. Wolchok Tumor microenvironment and biomarkers O11 New biomarkers for response/resistance to BRAF inhibitor therapy in metastatic melanoma Rosamaria Pinto, Simona De Summa, Vito Michele Garrisi, Sabino Strippoli, Amalia Azzariti, Gabriella Guida, Michele Guida, Stefania Tommasi O12 Chemokine receptor patterns in lymphocytes mirror metastatic spreading in melanoma and response to ipilimumab Nicolas Jacquelot, David Enot, Caroline Flament, Jonathan M. Pitt, Nadège Vimond, Carolin Blattner, Takahiro Yamazaki, Maria-Paula Roberti, Marie Vetizou, Romain Daillere, Vichnou Poirier-Colame, Michaëla Semeraro, Anne Caignard, Craig L Slingluff Jr, Federica Sallusto, Sylvie Rusakiewicz, Benjamin Weide, Aurélien Marabelle, Holbrook Kohrt, Stéphane Dalle, Andréa Cavalcanti, Guido Kroemer, Anna Maria Di Giacomo, Michaele Maio, Phillip Wong, Jianda Yuan, Jedd Wolchok, Viktor Umansky, Alexander Eggermont, Laurence Zitvogel O13 Serum levels of PD1- and CD28-positive exosomes before Ipilimumab correlate with therapeutic response in metastatic melanoma patients Passarelli Anna, Tucci Marco, Stucci Stefania, Mannavola Francesco, Capone Mariaelena, Madonna Gabriele, Ascierto Paolo Antonio, Silvestris Franco O14 Immunological prognostic factors in stage III melanomas María Paula Roberti, Nicolas Jacquelot, David P Enot, Sylvie Rusakiewicz, Michaela Semeraro, Sarah Jégou, Camila Flores, Lieping Chen, Byoung S. Kwon, Ana Carrizossa Anderson, Caroline Robert, Christophe Borg, Benjamin Weide, François Aubin, Stéphane Dalle, Michele Maio, Jedd D. Wolchok, Holbrook Kohrt, Maha Ayyoub, Guido Kroemer, Aurélien Marabelle, Andréa Cavalcanti, Alexander Eggermont, Laurence Zitvogel POSTER PRESENTATIONS Molecular and immuno-advances P1 Human melanoma cells resistant to B-RAF and MEK inhibition exhibit
mesenchymal-like features Anna Lisa De Presbiteris, Fabiola Gilda Cordaro, Rosa Camerlingo, Federica Fratangelo, Nicola Mozzillo, Giuseppe Pirozzi, Eduardo J. Patriarca, Paolo A. Ascierto, Emilia Caputo P2 Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effect of ABT888 on melanoma cell lines and its potential role in the treatment of melanoma resistant to B-RAF inhibitors Federica Fratangelo, Rosa Camerlingo, Emilia Caputo, Maria Letizia Motti, Rosaria Falcone, Roberta Miceli, Mariaelena Capone, Gabriele Madonna, Domenico Mallardo, Maria Vincenza Carriero, Giuseppe Pirozzi and Paolo Antonio Ascierto P3 Involvement of the L-cysteine/CSE/H2S pathway in human melanoma progression Elisabetta Panza, Paola De Cicco, Chiara Armogida, Giuseppe Ercolano, Rosa Camerlingo, Giuseppe Pirozzi, Giosuè Scognamiglio, Gerardo Botti, Giuseppe Cirino, Angela Ianaro P4 Cancer stem cell antigen revealing pattern of antibody variable region genes were defined by immunoglobulin repertoire analysis in patients with malignant melanoma Beatrix Kotlan, Gabriella Liszkay, Miri Blank, Timea Balatoni, Judit Olasz, Emil Farkas, Andras Szollar, Akos Savolt, Maria Godeny, Orsolya Csuka, Szabolcs Horvath, Klara Eles, Yehuda Shoenfeld and Miklos Kasler P5 Upregulation of Neuregulin-1 expression is a hallmark of adaptive response to BRAF/MEK inhibitors in melanoma Debora Malpicci, Luigi Fattore, Susan Costantini, Francesca Capone, Paolo Antonio Ascierto, Rita Mancini, Gennaro Ciliberto P6 HuR positively regulates migration of HTB63 melanoma cells Farnaz Moradi, Pontus Berglund, Karin Leandersson, Rickard Linnskog, Tommy Andersson, Chandra Prakash Prasad P7 Prolyl 4- (C-P4H) hydroxylases have opposing effects in malignant melanoma: implication in prognosis and therapy Cristiana Lo Nigro, Laura Lattanzio, Hexiao Wang, Charlotte Proby, Nelofer Syed, Marcella Occelli, Carolina Cauchi, Marco Merlano, Catherine Harwood, Alastair Thompson, Tim Crook P8 Urokinase receptor antagonists: novel agents for the treatment of melanoma Maria Letizia Motti, Katia Bifulco, Vincenzo Ingangi, Michele Minopoli, Concetta Ragone, Federica Fratangelo, Antonello Pessi, Gennaro Ciliberto, Paolo Antonio Ascierto, Maria Vincenza Carriero P9 Exosomes released by melanoma cell lines enhance chemotaxis of primary tumor cells Francesco Mannavola, Stella D’Oronzo, Claudia Felici, Marco Tucci, Antonio Doronzo, Franco Silvestris P10 New insights in mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming in melanoma Anna Ferretta, Gabriella Guida, Stefania Guida, Imma Maida, Tiziana Cocco, Sabino Strippoli, Stefania Tommasi, Amalia Azzariti, Michele Guida P11 Lenalidomide restrains the proliferation in melanoma cells through a negative regulation of their cell cycle Stella D’Oronzo, Anna Passarelli, Claudia Felici, Marco Tucci, Davide Quaresmini, Franco Silvestris Combination therapies P12 Chemoimmunotherapy elicits polyfunctional anti-tumor CD8 + T cells depending on the activation of an AKT pathway sustained by ICOS Ornella Franzese, Belinda Palermo, Cosmo Di Donna, Isabella Sperduti, MariaLaura Foddai, Helena Stabile, Angela Gismondi, Angela Santoni, Paola Nisticò P13 Favourable toxicity profile of combined BRAF and MEK inhibitors in metastatic melanoma patients Andrea P. Sponghini, Francesca Platini, Elena Marra, David Rondonotti, Oscar Alabiso, Maria T. Fierro, Paola Savoia, Florian Stratica, Pietro Quaglino P14 Electrothermal bipolar vessel sealing system dissection reduces seroma output or time to drain removal following axillary and ilio-inguinal node dissection in melanoma patients: a pilot study Di Monta Gianluca, Caracò Corrado, Di Marzo Massimiliano, Marone Ugo, Di Cecilia Maria Luisa, Mozzillo Nicola News in immunotherapy P15 Clinical and immunological response to ipilimumab in a metastatic melanoma patient with HIV infection Francesco Sabbatino, Celeste Fusciello1, Antonio Marra, Rosario Guarrasi, Carlo Baldi, Rosa Russo, Di Giulio Giovanni, Vincenzo Faiola, Pio Zeppa, Stefano Pepe P16 Immunotherapy and hypophysitis: a case report Elisabetta Gambale, Consiglia Carella, Alessandra Di Paolo, Michele De Tursi Tumor microenvironment and biomarkers P17 New immuno- histochemical markers for the differential diagnosis of atypical melanocytic lesions with uncertain malignant potential Laura Marra, Giosuè Scognamiglio, Monica Cantile, Margherita Cerrone, Fara De Murtas, Valeria Sorrentino, Anna Maria Anniciello, Gerardo Botti P18 Utility of simultaneous measurement of three serum tumor markers in melanoma patients Angela Sandru, Silviu Voinea, Eugenia Panaitescu, Madalina Bolovan, Adina Stanciu, Sabin Cinca P19 The significance of various cut-off levels of melanoma inhibitory activity in evaluation of cutaneous melanoma patients Angela Sandru, Silviu Voinea, Eugenia Panaitescu, Madalina Bolovan, Adina Stanciu, Sabin Cinca P20 The long noncoding RNA HOTAIR is associated to metastatic progression of melanoma and it can be identified in the blood of patients with advanced disease Chiara Botti, Giosuè Scognamiglio, Laura Marra, Gabriella Aquino, Rosaria Falcone, Annamaria Anniciello, Paolo Antonio Ascierto, Gerardo Botti, Monica Cantile Other P21 The effect of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in melanoma mortality: timing of dissection Cristina Fortes, Simona Mastroeni, Alessio Caggiati, Francesca Passarelli, Alba Zappalà, Maria Capuano, Riccardo Bono, Maurizio Nudo, Claudia Marino, Paola Michelozzi P22 Epidemiological survey on related psychopathology in melanoma Valeria De Biasio, Vincenzo C. Battarra IMMUNOTHERAPY BRIDGE KEYNOTE SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS Immunotherapy beyond melanoma K19 Predictor of response to radiation and immunotherapy Silvia Formenti K20 Response and resistance to PD-1 pathway blockade: clues from the tumor microenvironment Maria Libera Ascierto, Tracee L. McMiller, Alan E. Berger, Ludmila Danilova, Robert A. Anders, George J. Netto, Haiying Xu, Theresa S. Pritchard, Jinshui Fan, Chris Cheadle, Leslie Cope, Charles G. Drake, Drew M. Pardoll, Janis M. Taube and Suzanne L. Topalian K21 Combination immunotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation, protein immunization, and PBMC reinfusion in myeloma patients Sacha Gnjatic, Sarah Nataraj, Naoko Imai, Adeeb Rahman, Achim A. Jungbluth, Linda Pan, Ralph Venhaus, Andrew Park, Frédéric F. Lehmann, Nikoletta Lendvai, Adam D. Cohen, and Hearn J. Cho K22 Anti-cancer immunity despite T cell “exhaustion” Speiser Daniel Immunotherapy in oncology (I-O): data from clinical trial K23 The Checkpoint Inhibitors for the Treatment of Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Vera Hirsh
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Palermo B, Franzese O, Di Donna C, Panetta M, Gualtieri N, Soriani A, Foddai ML, Santoni A, Nisticò P. ‘PD-1 related effector functions rely on the presence/absence of CD28 co-stimulatory molecule in Ag-specific CD8+ T cell clones isolated from melanoma patients’. The Journal of Immunology 2016. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.196.supp.213.15] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The relationship between PD-1 expression and T-cell effector functions is still unclear, although crucial in the new era of immunotherapy targeting the PD-1/PDL-1 pathway. We have recently reported that Melan-A-specific CD8+ T-cells isolated from melanoma patients treated with combined chemo-immunotherapy (dacarbazine before peptide Melan-A/gp100-vaccination), show an enlarged T-cell repertoire, CD28− PD-1+AKT+ phenotype with high anti-tumor polyfunctionality sustained by ICOS (Franzese et al, OncoImmunology, in press). Herein, we have analyzed the gp100-specific CD8+ T-cell clones isolated from the same patients. Cells have been characterized for gp-100 specificity, and TCR beta-chain sequencing analysis evidenced that they possess an oligoclonal repertoire. The relationship among inhibitory receptors (PD-1, TIM-3 and LAG-3), co-stimulatory molecules (CD27 and CD28) and effector functions of T cells has been studied. Taking advantage from a battery of Melan-A- and gp100-specific T-cell clones, here we show that gp100-CD8+ T cells with a CD28+ PD-1+AKT+ phenotype are unable to kill gp100-expressing melanoma cells, differently from data obtained with Melan-A-specific clones showing a CD28− PD-1+ AKT+ phenotype, and able to lyse tumor cells with high efficiency. Studies are in progress to identify the biochemical pathways involved in the control of functionality of PD-1-expressing CD8+ T cells.
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Franzese O, Palermo B, Di Donna C, Sperduti I, Ferraresi V, Stabile H, Gismondi A, Santoni A, Nisticò P. Polyfunctional Melan-A-specific tumor-reactive CD8(+) T cells elicited by dacarbazine treatment before peptide-vaccination depends on AKT activation sustained by ICOS. Oncoimmunology 2016; 5:e1114203. [PMID: 27467927 PMCID: PMC4910730 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2015.1114203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 08/03/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of activation pathways linked to antitumor T-cell polyfunctionality in long surviving patients is of great relevance in the new era of immunotherapy. We have recently reported that dacarbazine (DTIC) injected one day before peptide-vaccination plus IFN-α improves the antitumor lytic activity and enlarges the repertoire of Melan-A-specific T-cell clones, as compared with vaccination alone, impacting the overall survival of melanoma patients. To identify the mechanisms responsible for this improvement of the immune response, we have analyzed the endogenous and treatment-induced antigen (Ag)-specific response in a panel of Melan-A-specific CD8+ T-cell clones in terms of differentiation phenotype, inhibitory receptor profile, polyfunctionality and AKT activation. Here, we show that Melan-A-specific CD8+ T cells isolated from patients treated with chemoimmunotherapy possess a late differentiated phenotype as defined by the absence of CD28 and CD27 co-stimulatory molecules and high levels of LAG-3, TIM-3 and PD-1 inhibitory receptors. Nevertheless, they show higher proliferative potential and an improved antitumor polyfunctional effector profile in terms of co-production of TNF-α, IFNγ and Granzyme-B (GrB) compared with cells derived from patients treated with vaccination alone. Polyfunctionality is dependent on an active AKT signaling related to the engagement of the co-stimulatory molecule ICOS. We suggest that this phenotypic and functional signature is dictated by a fine-tuned balance between TCR triggering, AKT activation, co-stimulatory and inhibitory signals induced by chemoimmunotherapy and may be associated with antitumor T cells able to protect patients from tumor recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ornella Franzese
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Tor Vergata , Rome, Italy
| | - Belinda Palermo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza;" Rome, Italy; Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Cosmo Di Donna
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Sperduti
- Biostatistics and Scientific Direction, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Virginia Ferraresi
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Medical Oncology 1, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Helena Stabile
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza ;" Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Gismondi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza ;" Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Santoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza ;" Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
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Franzese O, Palermo B, Donna CD, Sperduti I, Panetta M, Foddai ML, Santoni A, Nisticò P. Abstract A003: Polyfunctional antitumor CD8 T cells obtained from a broad repertoire elicited by chemo-immunotherapy and preventing melanoma relapse depends on the activation of an AKT pathway sustained by ICOS. Cancer Immunol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/2326-6074.cricimteatiaacr15-a003] [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
The identification of activation pathways linked to anti-tumor T-cell polyfunctionality, associated with clinical benefit, is of great relevance in the new era of immunotherapy and combined chemo-immunotherapy. Recently we have reported that Melan-A-specific CD8 T cells isolated from long-term surviving patients treated with DTIC injected in a tight window before peptide-vaccination plus IFN-α; possess higher anti-tumor reactivity and an enlarged T-cell repertoire, compared to cells isolated after vaccination alone, suggesting that DTIC before peptide-vaccination may favor a protective anti-tumor specific immune response (1).
To identify the mechanisms enhancing the immune response induced by the combined therapy, we analyzed the endogenous and treatment-induced antigen specific CD8 T-cell response in a panel of Melan-A- and gp100-specific clones from five patients. To this purpose, we analyzed the maturation/differentiation phenotype of these clones (CCR7 and CD45RA), the co-stimulatory (CD27, CD28 and ICOS) and inhibitory (TIM-3, LAG-3 and PD-1) profile, in parallel with the polyfunctionality (IFN-γ; TNF-α; and Granzyme B) and the activation of AKT (pSer473-AKT).
AKT activation was correlated with the differentiation profile (in term of CD28 and/or CD27 expression) and was associated with poor polyfunctionality and low ICOS expression in Melan-A-specific T cells isolated from the endogenous response of both treatments and from the peptide-vaccination-driven response. Conversely, in three patients the combined treatment with DTIC before peptide vaccination elicited tumor-specific CD8+ T cells displaying the hallmarks of differentiated and highly activated effector T cells. These clones are highly efficient in tumor killing, possess polyfunctional activity, up-regulate inhibitory receptors (with PD-1 expressed at the highest level), retain proliferative capability and activate an AKT pathway not-related to the expression of CD27/CD28 molecules and partially dependent on ICOS engagement. Strikingly, T-cell polyfunctionality elicited by the combined therapy was strictly dependent on this AKT activation, as demonstrated by the blockade with selective inhibitors, which occurred only in Melan-A-specific CD8+ T cells and not in cells specific for gp100, suggesting that the nature of the peptide is crucial for the activation of this pathway.
We suggest that this phenotypic and functional T-cell signature related to a highly effective tumor-specific response is fine-tuned between TCR activation, co-stimulatory and inhibitory signals critical to preserve the self-tolerance during immunotherapy treatment. Of clinical relevance, these three patients treated with chemo-immunotherapy are clinically disease-free after 9 years of follow-up.
The study represents a critical contribution for the comprehension of the mechanisms underlying the advantages of combined chemo-immunotherapy and paves the way for the identification of new biomarkers of T-cell activation that may be employed as markers of immune responsiveness.
Reference:
1. Palermo B, Del Bello D, Sottini A, Serana F, Ghidini C, Gualtieri N, Ferraresi V, Catricalà C, Belardelli F, Proietti E, Natali PG, Imberti L, Nisticò P. Dacarbazine treatment before peptide vaccination enlarges T-cell repertoire diversity of melan-a-specific, tumor-reactive CTL in melanoma patients. Cancer Res. 2010 Sep 15;70(18):7084-92.
Citation Format: Ornella Franzese, Belinda Palermo, Cosmo Di Donna, Isabella Sperduti, Mariangela Panetta, Maria Laura Foddai, Angela Santoni, Paola Nisticò. Polyfunctional antitumor CD8 T cells obtained from a broad repertoire elicited by chemo-immunotherapy and preventing melanoma relapse depends on the activation of an AKT pathway sustained by ICOS. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A003.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Paola Nisticò
- 2Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy,
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Trono P, Di Modugno F, Nisticò P. hMENA(11a), a hMENA isoform sending survival signals. Mol Cell Oncol 2015; 3:e1083648. [PMID: 27308605 PMCID: PMC4905527 DOI: 10.1080/23723556.2015.1083648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Human MENA11a (hMENA11a), an epithelial-associated isoform of the actin binding protein enabled homolog (ENAH, also known as mammalian ENA [MENA]), is upregulated and phosphorylated following the activation of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 1, HER2, and HER3. Here, we reveal a novel role of this isoform in sustaining cell survival and propose hMENA11a as a marker of HER3 activation and resistance to phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibition therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Trono
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Modugno
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome, Italy
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Bria E, Di Modugno F, Sperduti I, Iapicca P, Visca P, Alessandrini G, Antoniani B, Pilotto S, Ludovini V, Vannucci J, Bellezza G, Sidoni A, Tortora G, Radisky DC, Crinò L, Cognetti F, Facciolo F, Mottolese M, Milella M, Nisticò P. Prognostic impact of alternative splicing-derived hMENA isoforms in resected, node-negative, non-small-cell lung cancer. Oncotarget 2015; 5:11054-63. [PMID: 25373410 PMCID: PMC4294370 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Risk assessment and treatment choice remain a challenge in early non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Alternative splicing is an emerging source for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tools. Here, we investigated the prognostic value of the actin cytoskeleton regulator hMENA and its isoforms, hMENA11a and hMENAΔv6, in early NSCLC. The epithelial hMENA11a isoform was expressed in NSCLC lines expressing E-CADHERIN and was alternatively expressed with hMENAΔv6. Enforced expression of hMENAΔv6 or hMENA11a increased or decreased the invasive ability of A549 cells, respectively. hMENA isoform expression was evaluated in 248 node-negative NSCLC. High pan-hMENA and low hMENA11a were the only independent predictors of shorter disease-free and cancer-specific survival, and low hMENA11a was an independent predictor of shorter overall survival, at multivariate analysis. Patients with low pan-hMENA/high hMENA11a expression fared significantly better (P≤0.0015) than any other subgroup. Such hybrid variable was incorporated with T-size and number of resected lymph nodes into a 3-class-risk stratification model, which strikingly discriminated between different risks of relapse, cancer-related death, and death. The model was externally validated in an independent dataset of 133 patients. Relative expression of hMENA splice isoforms is a powerful prognostic factor in early NSCLC, complementing clinical parameters to accurately predict individual patient risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Bria
- Department of Medical Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy. Department of Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Isabella Sperduti
- Biostatistics and Scientific Direction, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Iapicca
- Laboratory of Immunology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Pathology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Barbara Antoniani
- Department of Pathology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Pilotto
- Department of Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Vienna Ludovini
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Jacopo Vannucci
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Guido Bellezza
- Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Angelo Sidoni
- Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Tortora
- Department of Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Lucio Crinò
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesco Cognetti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Facciolo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcella Mottolese
- Department of Pathology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Department of Medical Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Laboratory of Immunology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Trono P, Di Modugno F, Circo R, Spada S, Melchionna R, Palermo B, Panetta M, Matteoni S, Soddu S, De Maria R, Nisticò P. Abstract 4316: hMENA11a contributes to HER3-mediated resistance to PI3K inhibitors in HER2 overexpressing breast cancer cells. Cancer Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2015-4316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [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
Human Mena (hMENA), an actin regulatory protein of the ENA/VASP family, cooperates with ErbB receptor family signaling in breast cancer. It is overexpressed in high-risk preneoplastic lesions and in primary breast tumors where it correlates with HER2 overexpression and an activated status of AKT and MAPK. The concomitant overexpression of hMENA and HER2 identifies breast cancer patients with a worse prognosis. hMENA is expressed along with alternatively expressed isoforms, hMENA11a and hMENAΔv6 with opposite functions.
By Reverse Phase Protein Assay, we identified a novel role for the epithelial associated hMENA11a isoform in sustaining HER3 activation and pro-survival pathways in HER2 overexpressing breast luminal cancer cells. Since HER3 activation is crucial in mechanisms of cell resistance to PI3K inhibitors, we explored whether hMENA11a is involved in these resistance mechanisms. The specific hMENA11a depletion switched off the HER3-related pathway activated by PI3K inhibitors and impaired the nuclear accumulation of HER3 transcription factor FOXO3a induced by PI3K inhibitors. On the other hand, PI3K inhibitors activated hMENA11a phosphorylation and affected its localization. At the functional level, we found that hMENA11a sustains cell proliferation and survival in response to PI3K inhibitor treatment whereas hMENA11a silencing increases molecules involved in cancer cell apoptosis. As shown in three-dimensional cultured breast cancer cells hMENA11a contributes to cancer cells resistance to PI3K inhibition since the depletion of hMENA11a drastically reduced cell viability upon treatment with PI3K inhibitor BEZ235.
Altogether, these results indicate that hMENA11a in HER2 overexpressing breast cancer cells sustains HER3/AKT axis activation and contributes to HER3-mediated resistance mechanisms to PI3K inhibitors. Thus, hMENA11a expression can be proposed as a marker of HER3 activation and of resistance to PI3K inhibition therapies, to select patients who can benefit from these combined targeted treatments. hMENA11a activity may represent a new target for anti-proliferative therapies in breast cancer.
Citation Format: Paola Trono, Francesca Di Modugno, Rita Circo, Sheila Spada, Roberta Melchionna, Belinda Palermo, Mariangela Panetta, Silvia Matteoni, Silvia Soddu, Ruggero De Maria, Paola Nisticò. hMENA11a contributes to HER3-mediated resistance to PI3K inhibitors in HER2 overexpressing breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4316. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4316
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Trono
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Rita Circo
- 2Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Sheila Spada
- 3Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Belinda Palermo
- 3Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Silvia Soddu
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paola Nisticò
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Abstract
Following a highly dynamic and complex dialogue between the epithelium and the surrounding microenvironment, the mammary gland develops into a branching structure during puberty, buds during pregnancy, forms intricate polar acini during lactation and, once the babies are weaned, remodels and involutes. At every stage of menstrual and pregnancy cycles, interactions between the cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) and homotypic and heterotypic cell–cell interactions give rise to the architecture and function of the gland at that junction. These orchestrated programs would not be possible without the important role of the ECM receptors, integrins being the prime examples. The ECM–integrin axis regulates many crucial cellular functions including survival, migration and quiescence; the imbalance in any of these processes could contribute to oncogenesis. In this review we spotlight the involvement of two prominent integrin subunits, β1 and β4 integrins, in cross-talk with tyrosine kinase receptors, and we discuss the roles of these integrin subunits in the biology of normal breast differentiation and as potential prognostic and therapeutic targets in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Nisticò
- Laboratory of Immunology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, Rome, 00144, Italy.
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Melchionna R, Iapicca P, Modugno FD, Trono P, Gualtieri N, Diodoro MG, Mottolese M, Grazi GL, Fassan M, Scarpa A, Bissell MJ, Nisticò P. Abstract A60: The hMENA Splicing Program: An important regulator of TGFβ1-driven EMT and invasiveness in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.panca2014-a60] [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
Background: The pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumor microenvironment plays an important role in promoting the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), an early event in pancreatic cancer, involved in cancer invasiveness and in tumor progression. Among the stromal components the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are responsible for the peculiar pancreatic tumor microenvironment and are known to be linked to the induction of EMT.
The EMT process requires a dynamic remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton and we have suggested that the splicing program of hMENA, an actin regulator, play a role in EMT. Two alternatively expressed isoforms, hMENA11a and hMENAΔv6, with opposite functions in invasiveness have been described in breast cancer (Di Modugno et al PNAS 2012).
hMENA expression has not been detected in normal pancreatic ducts, whereas expressed in the human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) samples, but no data are available on hMENA alternative isoform expression in this neoplasia.
The aim of this study is to investigate whether TGFβ1-mediated EMT in pancreatic cancer cells is affected by hMENA overexpression and splicing and how CAFs affect this process in cancer cell lines and in human tissues.
Methods: hMENA isoform expression was evaluated in PDAC tissues by immunohistochemistry using isoform specific antibodies. hMENA isoforms and EMT markers expression were characterized in human PDAC cell lines, TGFβ1-treated or untreated, by qRT-PCR and WB analysis. The effects of either hMENA isoform specific knockdown or overexpression in the TGFβ1-induced EMT were also evaluated.
Pancreatic CAFs were isolated from human tissues of resected PDAC patients. The effect of the conditioned medium of cultured CAFs was evaluated on hMENA expression. In parallel, the role of CAF-cancer cell interaction on the expression of the different hMENA isoforms was analysed using a co-culture system.
Results: Freshly explanted CAFs expressed the “mesenchymal” hMENAΔv6, and not hMENA11a and secreted paracrine factors involved in the induction of hMENA isoforms in tumor cells.
In a panel of pancreatic cancer cell lines, hMENA11a expression correlated with an epithelial phenotype, while hMENAΔv6 expression was correlated with a mesenchymal phenotype. Interestingly, the expression of the invasive hMENAΔv6 isoform is specifically up-regulated by TGFβ1 treatment.
hMENA isoform expression levels influenced molecular changes induced by TGFβ1. Thus, the hMENA11a specific silencing led to E-cadherin down-regulation that is more evident in TGFβ1 treated cells. On the contrary, hMENA11a overexpression led to a reduction of vimentin expression and to E-cadherin up-regulation. Knockdown of the endogenous hMENA/hMENAΔv6 isoform expression prevented the activation of TGFβ1 signaling and up-regulation of mesenchymal markers. In addition, hMENA/hMENAΔv6 isoform depletion impaired the TGFβ1-induced invasiveness, migration and production of MMPs.
IHC analysis of PDAC tissues revealed that the epithelial hMENA11a is rarely expressed in primary pancreatic tumour, while high levels of hMENA and hMENAΔv6 isoforms were found in 75% of primary tumours analysed.
Conclusions: This data suggests that the lack of the epithelial hMENA11a isoform is an early event in pancreatic cancer, provides new insights into the role of hMENA splicing in TGFβ1-mediated EMT and highlights hMENA splicing program as an attractive pathway for the development of new therapies in PDAC.
Citation Format: Roberta Melchionna, Pierluigi Iapicca, Francesca Di Modugno, Paola Trono, Novella Gualtieri, Maria Grazia Diodoro, Marcella Mottolese, Gian Luca Grazi, Matteo Fassan, Aldo Scarpa, Mina J. Bissell, Paola Nisticò. The hMENA Splicing Program: An important regulator of TGFβ1-driven EMT and invasiveness in pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Innovations in Research and Treatment; May 18-21, 2014; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(13 Suppl):Abstract nr A60.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paola Trono
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy,
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Paola Nisticò
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy,
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45
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Trono P, Di Modugno F, Circo R, Spada S, Di Benedetto A, Melchionna R, Palermo B, Matteoni S, Soddu S, Mottolese M, De Maria R, Nisticò P. hMENA(11a) contributes to HER3-mediated resistance to PI3K inhibitors in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Oncogene 2015; 35:887-96. [PMID: 25961924 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Revised: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Human Mena (hMENA), an actin regulatory protein of the ENA/VASP family, cooperates with ErbB receptor family signaling in breast cancer. It is overexpressed in high-risk preneoplastic lesions and in primary breast tumors where it correlates with HER2 overexpression and an activated status of AKT and MAPK. The concomitant overexpression of hMENA and HER2 in breast cancer patients is indicative of a worse prognosis. hMENA is expressed along with alternatively expressed isoforms, hMENA(11a) and hMENAΔv6 with opposite functions. A novel role for the epithelial-associated hMENA(11a) isoform in sustaining HER3 activation and pro-survival pathways in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells has been identified by reverse phase protein array and validated in vivo in a series of breast cancer tissues. As HER3 activation is crucial in mechanisms of cell resistance to PI3K inhibitors, we explored whether hMENA(11a) is involved in these resistance mechanisms. The specific hMENA(11a) depletion switched off the HER3-related pathway activated by PI3K inhibitors and impaired the nuclear accumulation of HER3 transcription factor FOXO3a induced by PI3K inhibitors, whereas PI3K inhibitors activated hMENA(11a) phosphorylation and affected its localization. At the functional level, we found that hMENA(11a) sustains cell proliferation and survival in response to PI3K inhibitor treatment, whereas hMENA(11a) silencing increases molecules involved in cancer cell apoptosis. As shown in three-dimensional cultures, hMENA(11a) contributes to resistance to PI3K inhibition because its depletion drastically reduced cell viability upon treatment with PI3K inhibitor BEZ235. Altogether, these results indicate that hMENA(11a) in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells sustains HER3/AKT axis activation and contributes to HER3-mediated resistance mechanisms to PI3K inhibitors. Thus, hMENA(11a) expression can be proposed as a marker of HER3 activation and resistance to PI3K inhibition therapies, to select patients who may benefit from these combined targeted treatments. hMENA(11a) activity could represent a new target for antiproliferative therapies in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Trono
- Laboratory of Immunology, Experimental Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - F Di Modugno
- Laboratory of Immunology, Experimental Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - R Circo
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - S Spada
- Laboratory of Immunology, Experimental Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - A Di Benedetto
- Department of Pathology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - R Melchionna
- Laboratory of Immunology, Experimental Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - B Palermo
- Laboratory of Immunology, Experimental Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - S Matteoni
- Experimental Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - S Soddu
- Experimental Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - M Mottolese
- Department of Pathology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - R De Maria
- Scientific Direction, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - P Nisticò
- Laboratory of Immunology, Experimental Oncology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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46
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Melchionna R, Iapicca P, Modugno FD, Trono P, Gualtieri N, Diodoro MG, Spada S, Falasca G, Grazi GL, Bissell MJ, Nisticò P. Abstract 1035: hMENA splicing program and TGF-β1-mediated EMT in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Res 2014. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2014-1035] [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
Background
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an early event in pancreatic cancer and has been involved in cancer invasiveness. An intense stromal reaction, peculiar to the pancreatic tumor microenvironment, includes cancer-associated fibroblasts(CAFs), abundant cells in the tumor stroma, recently linked to the induction of EMT. On the other hand, the EMT process requires a dynamic remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton, and the splicing program of hMENA, a regulator of actin, has been associated with the EMT process. We have described two alternatively expressed isoforms, hMENA11a and hMENAΔv6, with opposite functions in invasiveness in breast cancer (1). hMENA expression was detected in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma samples (PDAC) (2), but no data are available on the alternative isoform expression in this neoplasia. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of hMENA splicing in TGF-β -mediated EMT in pancreatic cancer, the mechanisms involved in hMENA induction in PDAC and the role of CAFs in this process.
Methods
hMENA isoform expression was evaluated in PDAC tissues by immunohistochemistry using isoform-specific antibodies. Human PDAC cell lines, untreated or TGF-β treated, were characterized for the expression of hMENA isoforms and markers of EMT by qRT-PCR and WB analysis. The effects of both hMENAΔv6 knockdown or overexpression were also evaluated. Pancreatic cancer associated-fibroblasts were isolated from primary PDAC tissues. To study the role of fibroblast-cancer cell interactions on hMENA expression, a noncontact coculture system was used.
Results
IHC analysis of PDAC tissues revealed that epithelial hMENA11a is rarely expressed in primary pancreatic tumors that express a high level of hMENA and hMENAΔv6 isoforms. In a panel of pancreatic cancer cell lines, hMENA11a expression correlates with an epithelial phenotype, wherea hMENAΔv6 expression is associated with a mesechymal phenotype. TGF-β treatment specifically upregulated the invasive hMENAΔv6 isoform expression. Knockdown of endogenous hMENA/hMENAΔv6 isoform reduced cell invasiveness, reverted cells to an epithelial -“like” phenotype with an increased E-cadherin expression and impaired the TGF-β-mediated vimentin up-regulation. Conversely, overexpression of hMENAΔv6 increased the expression of the mesenchymal marker vimentin. Freshly explanted CAFs expressed the “mesenchymal” hMENAΔv6, and not hMENA11a and produced paracrine factors involved in the induction of hMENA isoforms in tumor cells.
Conclusions
These data provide new and critical insights into the role of hMENA splicing in TGF-β mediated EMT and identify the hMENA splicing program as a promising pathway for the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics in PDAC.
(1) Di Modugno F. et al PNAS 2012
(2) Pino S. et al Clin Cancer Res 2008
Citation Format: Roberta Melchionna, Pierluigi Iapicca, Francesca Di Modugno, Paola Trono, Novella Gualtieri, Maria Grazia Diodoro, Sheila Spada, Giuliana Falasca, Gian Luca Grazi, Mina J Bissell, Paola Nisticò. hMENA splicing program and TGF-β1-mediated EMT in pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1035. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1035
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paola Trono
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Sheila Spada
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Mina J Bissell
- 2Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA
| | - Paola Nisticò
- 1Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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47
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Ubertini V, Norelli G, D'Arcangelo D, Gurtner A, Cesareo E, Baldari S, Gentileschi MP, Piaggio G, Nisticò P, Soddu S, Facchiano A, Bossi G. Mutant p53 gains new function in promoting inflammatory signals by repression of the secreted interleukin-1 receptor antagonist. Oncogene 2014; 34:2493-504. [PMID: 24998848 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2014.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Revised: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The TP53 tumor-suppressor gene is frequently mutated in human cancer. Missense mutations can add novel functions (gain-of-function, GOF) that promote tumor malignancy. Here we report that mutant (mut) p53 promotes tumor malignancy by suppressing the expression of a natural occurring anti-inflammatory cytokine, the secreted interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (sIL-1Ra, IL1RN). We show that mutp53 but not wild-type (wt) p53 suppresses the sIL-1Ra production in conditioned media of cancer cells. Moreover, mutp53, but not wtp53, binds physically the sIL-1Ra promoter and the protein-protein interaction with the transcriptional co-repressor MAFF (v-MAF musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene family, protein F) is required for mutp53-induced sIL-1Ra suppression. Remarkably, when exposed to IL-1 beta (IL-1β) inflammatory stimuli, mutp53 sustains a ready-to-be-activated in vitro and in vivo cancer cells' response through the sIL-1Ra repression. Taken together, these results identify sIL-1Ra as a novel mutp53 target gene, whose suppression might be required to generate a chronic pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment through which mutp53 promotes tumor malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Ubertini
- Experimental Oncology Laboratories, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - G Norelli
- Experimental Oncology Laboratories, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - D D'Arcangelo
- Istituto Dermopatico Dell'immacolata IDI-IRCSS, Rome, Italy
| | - A Gurtner
- Experimental Oncology Laboratories, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - E Cesareo
- Istituto Dermopatico Dell'immacolata IDI-IRCSS, Rome, Italy
| | - S Baldari
- Experimental Oncology Laboratories, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - M P Gentileschi
- Experimental Oncology Laboratories, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - G Piaggio
- Experimental Oncology Laboratories, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - P Nisticò
- Experimental Oncology Laboratories, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - S Soddu
- Experimental Oncology Laboratories, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - A Facchiano
- Istituto Dermopatico Dell'immacolata IDI-IRCSS, Rome, Italy
| | - G Bossi
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Expert Systems, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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48
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Visca P, Spada S, Di Modugno F, Bria E, Sperduti I, Antoniani B, Alessandrini G, Palermo B, Ludovini V, Crinò L, Facciolo F, Milella M, Mottolese M, Nisticò P. hMENA splicing program impacts the clinical outcome of early stage lung cancer patients. How and why? Lab Invest 2014. [PMCID: PMC4108875 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-12-s1-p12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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49
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Nisticò P, Bissell MJ, Radisky DC. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition: general principles and pathological relevance with special emphasis on the role of matrix metalloproteinases. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2012; 4:4/2/a011908. [PMID: 22300978 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a011908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a physiological process in which epithelial cells acquire the motile and invasive characteristics of mesenchymal cells. Although EMT in embryonic development is a coordinated, organized process involving interaction between many different cells and tissue types, aspects of the EMT program can be inappropriately activated in response to microenvironmental alterations and aberrant stimuli, and this can contribute to disease conditions including tissue fibrosis and cancer progression. Here we will outline how EMT functions in normal development, how it could be activated in pathologic conditions-especially by matrix metalloproteinases-and how it may be targeted for therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Nisticò
- Laboratory of Immunology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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50
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Di Modugno F, Mottolese M, DeMonte L, Trono P, Balsamo M, Conidi A, Melucci E, Terrenato I, Belleudi F, Torrisi MR, Alessio M, Santoni A, Nisticò P. The cooperation between hMena overexpression and HER2 signalling in breast cancer. PLoS One 2010; 5:e15852. [PMID: 21209853 PMCID: PMC3012725 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2010] [Accepted: 11/26/2010] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
hMena and the epithelial specific isoform hMena11a are actin cytoskeleton regulatory proteins belonging to the Ena/VASP family. EGF treatment of breast cancer cell lines upregulates hMena/hMena11a expression and phosphorylates hMena11a, suggesting cross-talk between the ErbB receptor family and hMena/hMena11a in breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine whether the hMena/hMena11a overexpression cooperates with HER-2 signalling, thereby affecting the HER2 mitogenic activity in breast cancer. In a cohort of breast cancer tissue samples a significant correlation among hMena, HER2 overexpression, the proliferation index (high Ki67), and phosphorylated MAPK and AKT was found and among the molecular subtypes the highest frequency of hMena overexpressing tumors was found in the HER2 subtype. From a clinical viewpoint, concomitant overexpression of HER2 and hMena identifies a subgroup of breast cancer patients showing the worst prognosis, indicating that hMena overexpression adds prognostic information to HER2 overexpressing tumors. To identify a functional link between HER2 and hMena, we show here that HER2 transfection in MCF7 cells increased hMena/hMena11a expression and hMena11a phosphorylation. On the other hand, hMena/hMena11a knock-down reduced HER3, AKT and p44/42 MAPK phosphorylation and inhibited the EGF and NRG1-dependent HER2 phosphorylation and cell proliferation. Of functional significance, hMena/hMena11a knock-down reduced the mitogenic activity of EGF and NRG1. Collectively these data provide new insights into the relevance of hMena and hMena11a as downstream effectors of the ErbB receptor family which may represent a novel prognostic indicator in breast cancer progression, helping to stratify patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcella Mottolese
- Department of Pathology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia DeMonte
- Tumor Immunology, Dibit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Proteome Biochemistry, Dibit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Trono
- Laboratory of Immunology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Balsamo
- Laboratory of Immunology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Andrea Conidi
- Laboratory of Immunology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Genetics, VIB11, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elisa Melucci
- Department of Pathology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Irene Terrenato
- Department of Epidemiology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Massimo Alessio
- Proteome Biochemistry, Dibit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Santoni
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University ‘Sapienza’, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Laboratory of Immunology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
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