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Luke JJ, Dadey RE, Augustin RC, Newman S, Singh KB, Doerfler R, Behr S, Lee P, Isett B, Deitrick C, Li A, Joy M, Reeder C, Smith K, Urban J, Sellitto L, Jelinek M, Christner SM, Beumer JH, Villaruz LC, Kulkarni A, Davar D, Poklepovic AS, Najjar Y, Zandberg DP, Soloff AC, Bruno TC, Vujanović L, Skinner HD, Ferris RL, Bao R. Tumor cell p38 inhibition to overcome immunotherapy resistance. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-3183496. [PMID: 37645831 PMCID: PMC10462255 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3183496/v1] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Patients with tumors that do not respond to immune-checkpoint inhibition often harbor a non-T cell-inflamed tumor microenvironment, characterized by the absence of IFN-γ-associated CD8+ T cell and dendritic cell activation. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying immune exclusion in non-responding patients may enable the development of novel combination therapies. p38 MAPK is a known regulator of dendritic and myeloid cells however a tumor-intrinsic immunomodulatory role has not been previously described. Here we identify tumor cell p38 signaling as a therapeutic target to potentiate anti-tumor immunity and overcome resistance to immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Molecular analysis of tumor tissues from patients with human papillomavirus-negative head and neck squamous carcinoma reveals a p38-centered network enriched in non-T cell-inflamed tumors. Pan-cancer single-cell RNA analysis suggests that p38 activation may be an immune-exclusion mechanism across multiple tumor types. P38 knockdown in cancer cell lines increases T cell migration, and p38 inhibition plus ICI in preclinical models shows greater efficacy compared to monotherapies. In a clinical trial of patients refractory to PD1/L1 therapy, pexmetinib, a p38 inhibitor, plus nivolumab demonstrated deep and durable clinical responses. Targeting of p38 with anti-PD1 has the potential to induce the T cell-inflamed phenotype and overcome immunotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J. Luke
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rebekah E. Dadey
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ryan C. Augustin
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sarah Newman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Krishna B. Singh
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rose Doerfler
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sarah Behr
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Brian Isett
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Cancer Bioinformatics Core, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Christopher Deitrick
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Cancer Bioinformatics Core, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Aofei Li
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marion Joy
- Translational Pathology Imaging Laboratory, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carly Reeder
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Julie Urban
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Mark Jelinek
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Biostatistics Core, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Susan M. Christner
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jan H. Beumer
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Liza C. Villaruz
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Aditi Kulkarni
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Diwakar Davar
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Andrew S. Poklepovic
- Departments of Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Yana Najjar
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Adam C. Soloff
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tullia C. Bruno
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lazar Vujanović
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Heath D. Skinner
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Robert L. Ferris
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Riyue Bao
- Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Korpics MC, Onderdonk BE, Dadey RE, Hara JH, Karapetyan L, Zha Y, Karrison TG, Olson AC, Fleming GF, Weichselbaum RR, Bao R, Chmura SJ, Luke JJ. Partial tumor irradiation plus pembrolizumab in treating large advanced solid tumor metastases. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:162260. [PMID: 37183819 PMCID: PMC10178837 DOI: 10.1172/jci162260] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDWe previously demonstrated the safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy followed by pembrolizumab (SBRT+P) in patients with advanced solid tumors. This phase I clinical trial was expanded to study the safety of partial tumor irradiation (partial-Rx). We assessed irradiated local failure (LF) and clinical outcomes with correlations to biomarkers including CD8+ T cell radiomics score (RS) and circulating cytokines.METHODSPatients received SBRT to 2-4 metastases and pembrolizumab for up to 7 days after SBRT. Tumors measuring up to 65 cc received the full radiation dose (complete-Rx), whereas tumors measuring more than 65 cc received partial-Rx. Landmark analysis was used to assess the relationship between tumor response and overall survival (OS). Multivariable analysis was performed for RS and circulating cytokines.RESULTSIn the combined (expansion plus original) cohort, 97 patients (219 metastases) were analyzed and received SBRT+P. Forty-six (47%) patients received at least 1 partial-Rx treatment. There were 7 (7.2%)dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). 1-year LF was 7.6% overall, and 13.3% and 5.4% for partial-Rx and complete-Rx tumors, respectively (HR 2.32, 95% CI 0.90-5.97, P = 0.08). The overall, unirradiated, and irradiated objective response rates were 22%, 12%, and 34%, respectively. Irradiated tumor response to SBRT+P was associated with prolonged OS; 1-year OS was 71% (responders), 42% (mixed-responders), and 0% (nonresponders) (P < 0.01). High-RS was significantly associated with improved LF, progression-free survival (PFS), and OS. Elevated circulating IL-8 was independently associated with inferior PFS and OS.CONCLUSIONSBRT+P is safe in patients with large, advanced solid tumors. Additional studies are warranted to assess noninferiority of complete versus partial irradiation of tumors in the setting of immunotherapy.TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicaltrials.gov NCT02608385FUNDINGMerck Investigator Studies Program; Hillman Fellows for Innovative Cancer Research Program; NIH grants UM1CA186690-06, P50CA254865-01A1, P30CA047904-32, and R01DE031729-01A1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Korpics
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Benjamin E Onderdonk
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Rebekah E Dadey
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jared H Hara
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lilit Karapetyan
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Zha
- Human Immunological Monitoring Core, Biological Sciences Division
| | | | - Adam C Olson
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gini F Fleming
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, and
| | - Ralph R Weichselbaum
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Riyue Bao
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Steven J Chmura
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jason J Luke
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Dadey RE, Grebinoski S, Zhang Q, Brunazzi EA, Burton A, Workman CJ, Vignali DAA. Regulatory T Cell-Derived TRAIL Is Not Required for Peripheral Tolerance. Immunohorizons 2021; 5:48-58. [PMID: 33483333 PMCID: PMC8663370 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2000098] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
TRAIL (Tnfsf10/TRAIL/CD253/Apo2L) is an important immune molecule that mediates apoptosis. TRAIL can play key roles in regulating cell death in the tumor and autoimmune microenvironments. However, dissecting TRAIL function remains difficult because of the lack of optimal models. We have now generated a conditional knockout (Tnfsf10 L/L) for cell type-specific analysis of TRAIL function on C57BL/6, BALB/c, and NOD backgrounds. Previous studies have suggested a role for TRAIL in regulatory T cell (Treg)-mediated suppression. We generated mice with a Treg-restricted Tnfsf10 deletion and surprisingly found no impact on tumor growth in C57BL/6 and BALB/c tumor models. Furthermore, we found no difference in the suppressive capacity of Tnfsf10-deficient Tregs and no change in function or proliferation of T cells in tumors. We also assessed the role of TRAIL on Tregs in two autoimmune mouse models: the NOD mouse model of autoimmune diabetes and the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) C57BL/6 model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We found that deletion of Tnfsf10 on Tregs had no effect on disease progression in either model. We conclude that Tregs do not appear to be dependent on TRAIL exclusively as a mechanism of suppression in both the tumor and autoimmune microenvironments, although it remains possible that TRAIL may contribute in combination with other mechanisms and/or in different disease settings. Our Tnfsf10 conditional knockout mouse should prove to be a useful tool for the dissection of TRAIL function on different cell populations in multiple mouse models of human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah E Dadey
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
- Graduate Program of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Stephanie Grebinoski
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
- Graduate Program of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Qianxia Zhang
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
- Graduate Program of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Erin A Brunazzi
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
| | - Amanda Burton
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105; and
| | - Creg J Workman
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105; and
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
| | - Dario A A Vignali
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261;
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105; and
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
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Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are an immunosuppressive subpopulation of CD4+ T cells that are endowed with potent suppressive activity and function to limit immune activation and maintain homeostasis. These cells are identified by the hallmark transcription factor FOXP3 and the high-affinity interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor chain CD25. Tregs can be recruited to and persist within the tumor microenvironment (TME), acting as a potent barrier to effective antitumor immunity. This chapter will discuss [i] the history and hallmarks of Tregs; [ii] the recruitment, development, and persistence of Tregs within the TME; [iii] Treg function within TME; asnd [iv] the therapeutic targeting of Tregs in the clinic. This chapter will conclude with a discussion of likely trends and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah E Dadey
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Graduate Program of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Creg J Workman
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dario A A Vignali
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. .,Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. .,Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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5
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Overacre-Delgoffe AE, Chikina M, Dadey RE, Yano H, Brunazzi EA, Shayan G, Horne W, Moskovitz JM, Kolls JK, Sander C, Shuai Y, Normolle DP, Kirkwood JM, Ferris RL, Delgoffe GM, Bruno TC, Workman CJ, Vignali DAA. Interferon-γ Drives T reg Fragility to Promote Anti-tumor Immunity. Cell 2017; 169:1130-1141.e11. [PMID: 28552348 PMCID: PMC5509332 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 387] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a barrier to anti-tumor immunity. Neuropilin-1 (Nrp1) is required to maintain intratumoral Treg stability and function but is dispensable for peripheral immune tolerance. Treg-restricted Nrp1 deletion results in profound tumor resistance due to Treg functional fragility. Thus, identifying the basis for Nrp1 dependency and the key drivers of Treg fragility could help to improve immunotherapy for human cancer. We show that a high percentage of intratumoral NRP1+ Tregs correlates with poor prognosis in melanoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Using a mouse model of melanoma where Nrp1-deficient (Nrp1-/-) and wild-type (Nrp1+/+) Tregs can be assessed in a competitive environment, we find that a high proportion of intratumoral Nrp1-/- Tregs produce interferon-γ (IFNγ), which drives the fragility of surrounding wild-type Tregs, boosts anti-tumor immunity, and facilitates tumor clearance. We also show that IFNγ-induced Treg fragility is required for response to anti-PD1, suggesting that cancer therapies promoting Treg fragility may be efficacious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail E Overacre-Delgoffe
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Maria Chikina
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Rebekah E Dadey
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Hiroshi Yano
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Erin A Brunazzi
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Gulidanna Shayan
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - William Horne
- Richard King Mellon Foundation Institute for Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Jessica M Moskovitz
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jay K Kolls
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Richard King Mellon Foundation Institute for Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Cindy Sander
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Yongli Shuai
- UPCI Biostatistics Facility, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Daniel P Normolle
- UPCI Biostatistics Facility, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - John M Kirkwood
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Robert L Ferris
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Greg M Delgoffe
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Tullia C Bruno
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Creg J Workman
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Dario A A Vignali
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA.
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Scharping NE, Menk AV, Moreci RS, Whetstone RD, Dadey RE, Watkins SC, Ferris RL, Delgoffe GM. The Tumor Microenvironment Represses T Cell Mitochondrial Biogenesis to Drive Intratumoral T Cell Metabolic Insufficiency and Dysfunction. Immunity 2016; 45:701-703. [PMID: 27653602 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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7
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Scharping NE, Menk AV, Moreci RS, Whetstone RD, Dadey RE, Watkins SC, Ferris RL, Delgoffe GM. The Tumor Microenvironment Represses T Cell Mitochondrial Biogenesis to Drive Intratumoral T Cell Metabolic Insufficiency and Dysfunction. Immunity 2016; 45:374-88. [PMID: 27496732 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 453] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Although tumor-specific T cells recognize cancer cells, they are often rendered dysfunctional due to an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here we showed that T cells demonstrated persistent loss of mitochondrial function and mass when infiltrating murine and human tumors, an effect specific to the tumor microenvironment and not merely caused by activation. Tumor-infiltrating T cells showed a progressive loss of PPAR-gamma coactivator 1α (PGC1α), which programs mitochondrial biogenesis, induced by chronic Akt signaling in tumor-specific T cells. Reprogramming tumor-specific T cells through enforced expression of PGC1α resulted in superior intratumoral metabolic and effector function. Our data support a model in which signals in the tumor microenvironment repress T cell oxidative metabolism, resulting in effector cells with metabolic needs that cannot be met. Our studies also suggest that modulation or reprogramming of the altered metabolism of tumor-infiltrating T cells might represent a potential strategy to reinvigorate dysfunctional T cells for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Scharping
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ashley V Menk
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Rebecca S Moreci
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ryan D Whetstone
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Rebekah E Dadey
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Simon C Watkins
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Robert L Ferris
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Greg M Delgoffe
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
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