1
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Guo W, Jia L, Xie L, Kiang JG, Wang Y, Sun F, Lin Z, Wang E, Zhang Y, Huang P, Sun T, Zhang X, Bian Z, Tang T, Guo J, Ferrone S, Wang X. Turning anecdotal irradiation-induced anticancer immune responses into reproducible in situ cancer vaccines via disulfiram/copper-mediated enhanced immunogenic cell death of breast cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:298. [PMID: 38678042 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06644-3] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Irradiation (IR) induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumors, but it rarely leads to the abscopal effect (AE); even combining IR with immune checkpoint inhibitors has shown only anecdotal success in inducing AEs. In this study, we aimed to enhance the IR-induced immune response and generate reproducible AEs using the anti-alcoholism drug, disulfiram (DSF), complexed with copper (DSF/Cu) to induce tumor ICD. We measured ICD in vitro and in vivo. In mouse tumor models, DSF/Cu was injected intratumorally followed by localized tumor IR, creating an in situ cancer vaccine. We determined the anticancer response by primary tumor rejection and assessed systemic immune responses by tumor rechallenge and the occurrence of AEs relative to spontaneous lung metastasis. In addition, we analyzed immune cell subsets and quantified proinflammatory and immunosuppressive chemokines/cytokines in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and blood of the vaccinated mice. Immune cell depletion was investigated for its effects on the vaccine-induced anticancer response. The results showed that DSF/Cu and IR induced more potent ICD under hypoxia than normoxia in vitro. Low-dose intratumoral (i.t.) injection of DSF/Cu and IR(12Gy) demonstrated strong anti-primary and -rechallenged tumor effects and robust AEs in mouse models. These vaccinations also increased CD8+ and CD4+ cell numbers while decreasing Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the 4T1 model, and increased CD8+, dendritic cells (DC), and decreased Treg cell numbers in the MCa-M3C model. Depleting both CD8+ and CD4+ cells abolished the vaccine's anticancer response. Moreover, vaccinated tumor-bearing mice exhibited increased TNFα levels and reduced levels of immunosuppressive chemokines/cytokines. In conclusion, our novel approach generated an anticancer immune response that results in a lack of or low tumor incidence post-rechallenge and robust AEs, i.e., absence of or decreased spontaneous lung metastasis in tumor-bearing mice. This approach is readily translatable to clinical settings and may increase IR-induced AEs in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Jia
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ling Xie
- Division of Pathology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Juliann G Kiang
- Radiation Combined Injury Program, AFRRI USU F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yangyang Wang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fengfei Sun
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zunwen Lin
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Enwen Wang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yida Zhang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peigen Huang
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ting Sun
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Tiejun Tang
- China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Soldano Ferrone
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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2
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Cattaneo G, Ventin M, Arya S, Kontos F, Michelakos T, Sekigami Y, Cai L, Villani V, Sabbatino F, Chen F, Sadagopan A, Deshpande V, Moore PA, Ting DT, Bardeesy N, Wang X, Ferrone S, Ferrone CR. Interplay between B7-H3 and HLA class I in the clinical course of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 587:216713. [PMID: 38364961 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216713] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I defects are associated with cancer progression. However, their prognostic significance is controversial and may be modulated by immune checkpoints. Here, we investigated whether the checkpoint B7-H3 modulates the relationship between HLA class I and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) prognosis. PDAC tumors were analyzed for the expression of B7-H3, HLA class I, HLA class II molecules, and for the presence of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. We observed defective HLA class I and HLA class II expressions in 75% and 59% of PDAC samples, respectively. HLA class I and B7-H3 expression were positively related at mRNA and protein level, potentially because of shared regulation by RELA, a sub-unit of NF-kB. High B7-H3 expression and low CD8+ T cell density were indicators of poor survival, while HLA class I was not. Defective HLA class I expression was associated with unfavorable survival only in patients with low B7-H3 expression. Favorable survival was observed only when HLA class I expression was high and B7-H3 expression low. Our results provide the rationale for targeting B7-H3 in patients with PDAC tumors displaying high HLA class I levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cattaneo
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States. https://twitter.com/GCattaneoPhD
| | - Marco Ventin
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shahrzad Arya
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Filippos Kontos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Theodoros Michelakos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yurie Sekigami
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lei Cai
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Vincenzo Villani
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Francesco Sabbatino
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Ananthan Sadagopan
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Vikram Deshpande
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - David T Ting
- MassGeneral Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nabeel Bardeesy
- MassGeneral Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Cristina R Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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Ugolini F, Szumera-Ciećkiewicz A, Baroni G, Nesi G, Mandalà M, Ferrone S, Massi D. Correction to: Differential HLA class I subunit (A, B, C heavy chain and β2-microglobulin) expression levels in normal tissues. Virchows Arch 2024:10.1007/s00428-024-03750-7. [PMID: 38315233 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-024-03750-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Ugolini
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Pathological Anatomy, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Anna Szumera-Ciećkiewicz
- Department of Pathology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
- Diagnostic Hematology Department, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Gianna Baroni
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Pathological Anatomy, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Gabriella Nesi
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Pathological Anatomy, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Mario Mandalà
- Unit of Medical Oncology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniela Massi
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Pathological Anatomy, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy.
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4
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Wei X, Michelakos T, He Q, Wang X, Chen Y, Kontos F, Wang H, Liu X, Liu H, Zheng W, Ferrone S, Zhang Y, Ferrone CR, Li X, Cai L. Association of Tumor Cell Metabolic Subtype and Immune Response With the Clinical Course of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Oncologist 2023; 28:e1031-e1042. [PMID: 37159555 PMCID: PMC10628596 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyad113] [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: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Tumor metabolism plays an important role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. This study evaluated the potential association of tumor cell metabolism and immune cell tumor infiltration with the clinical course of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS Gene-wise normalization and principal component analysis were performed to evaluate the metabolic system. A tumor microenvironment score system of tumor immune cell infiltration was constructed to evaluate its association with metabolic subtypes. Finally, we analyzed the impact of metabolism and immune cell infiltration on the clinical course of HCC. RESULTS A total of 673 HCC patients were categorized into cholesterogenic (25.3%), glycolytic (14.6%), mixed (10.4%), and quiescent (49.8%) types based on glycolysis and cholesterol biosynthesis gene expression. The subgroups including the glycolytic genotyping expression (glycolytic and mixed types) showed a higher mortality rate. The glycolytic, cholesterogenic, and mixed types were positively correlated with M0 macrophage, resting mast cell, and naïve B-cell infiltration (P = .013, P = .019, and P = .006, respectively). In TCGA database, high CD8+ T cell and low M0 macrophage infiltration were associated with prolonged overall survival (OS, P = .0017 and P < .0001, respectively). Furthermore, in glycolytic and mixed types, patients with high M0 macrophage infiltration had a shorter OS (P = .03 and P = .013, respectively), and in quiescent type, patients with low naïve B-cell infiltration had a longer OS (P = .007). CONCLUSIONS Tumor metabolism plays a prognostic role and correlates with immune cell infiltration in HCC. M0 macrophage and CD8+ T cell appear to be promising prognostic biomarker for HCC. Finally, M0 macrophages may represent a useful immunotherapeutic target in patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases and Carson International Cancer Shenzhen University General Hospital and Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Theodoros Michelakos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Qian He
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases and Carson International Cancer Shenzhen University General Hospital and Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xianxing Wang
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Digestive Diseases, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Filippos Kontos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Huaizhi Wang
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiangde Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases and Carson International Cancer Shenzhen University General Hospital and Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases and Carson International Cancer Shenzhen University General Hospital and Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenjing Zheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases and Carson International Cancer Shenzhen University General Hospital and Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yun Zhang
- Department of Foreign Languages, Army Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cristina R Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Surgery, Cedar-Sinai Health System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiaowu Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases and Carson International Cancer Shenzhen University General Hospital and Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Cai
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
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5
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Wang Y, Drum DL, Sun R, Zhang Y, Chen F, Sun F, Dal E, Yu L, Jia J, Arya S, Jia L, Fan S, Isakoff SJ, Kehlmann AM, Dotti G, Liu F, Zheng H, Ferrone CR, Taghian AG, DeLeo AB, Ventin M, Cattaneo G, Li Y, Jounaidi Y, Huang P, Maccalli C, Zhang H, Wang C, Yang J, Boland GM, Sadreyev RI, Wong L, Ferrone S, Wang X. Stressed target cancer cells drive nongenetic reprogramming of CAR T cells and solid tumor microenvironment. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5727. [PMID: 37714830 PMCID: PMC10504259 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41282-x] [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: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The poor efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR T) for solid tumors is due to insufficient CAR T cell tumor infiltration, in vivo expansion, persistence, and effector function, as well as exhaustion, intrinsic target antigen heterogeneity or antigen loss of target cancer cells, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Here we describe a broadly applicable nongenetic approach that simultaneously addresses the multiple challenges of CAR T as a therapy for solid tumors. The approach reprograms CAR T cells by exposing them to stressed target cancer cells which have been exposed to the cell stress inducer disulfiram (DSF) and copper (Cu)(DSF/Cu) plus ionizing irradiation (IR). The reprogrammed CAR T cells acquire early memory-like characteristics, potent cytotoxicity, enhanced in vivo expansion, persistence, and decreased exhaustion. Tumors stressed by DSF/Cu and IR also reprogram and reverse the immunosuppressive TME in humanized mice. The reprogrammed CAR T cells, derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors or metastatic female breast cancer patients, induce robust, sustained memory and curative anti-solid tumor responses in multiple xenograft mouse models, establishing proof of concept for empowering CAR T by stressing tumor as a promising therapy for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Wang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of General Surgery, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - David L Drum
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ruochuan Sun
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yida Zhang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Feng Chen
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fengfei Sun
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emre Dal
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ling Yu
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jingyu Jia
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shahrzad Arya
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lin Jia
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Song Fan
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven J Isakoff
- Termeer Center for Targeted Therapies, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Allison M Kehlmann
- Termeer Center for Targeted Therapies, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gianpietro Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Fubao Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hui Zheng
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cristina R Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alphonse G Taghian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Albert B DeLeo
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marco Ventin
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giulia Cattaneo
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yongxiang Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Youssef Jounaidi
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peigen Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Hanyu Zhang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cheng Wang
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Vincent Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jibing Yang
- Center for Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Genevieve M Boland
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ruslan I Sadreyev
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - LaiPing Wong
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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6
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Wang X, Guo W, Jia L, Xie L, Kiang J, Wang Y, Wang F, Lin Z, Wang E, Zhang Y, Huang P, Sun T, Zhang X, Bian Z, Tang T, Guo J, Ferrone S. Turning anecdotal irradiation-induced anti-cancer immune responses into reproducible in situ cancer vaccines via disulfiram/copper-mediated enhanced immunogenic cell death of breast cancer cells. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-3195392. [PMID: 37645899 PMCID: PMC10462241 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3195392/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
Irradiation (IR) induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumors, but it rarely leads to the abscopal effect (AE). However, combining IR with immune checkpoint inhibitors has shown anecdotal success in inducing AEs. In this study, we aimed to enhance the IR-induced immune response and generate reproducible AEs using the anti-alcoholism drug disulfiram (DSF) and copper complex (DSF/Cu) via induction of tumor ICD. We measured ICD in vitro and in vivo. In mouse tumor models, DSF/Cu was injected intratumorally followed by localized tumor IR, creating an in situ cancer vaccine. We determined the anti-cancer response by primary tumor rejection and assessed systemic immune responses by tumor rechallenge and the occurrence of AEs, i.e., spontaneous lung metastasis. Additionally, we analyzed immune cell subsets and quantified proinflammatory and immunosuppressive chemokines/cytokines in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and blood of the vaccinated mice. Immune cell depletion was investigated for its effects on the vaccine-induced anti-cancer response. The results showed that DSF/Cu and IR induced more potent ICD under hypoxia than normoxia in vitro. Low-dose intratumoral injection of DSF/Cu and IR demonstrated strong anti-primary and -rechallenged tumor effects and robust AEs in mouse models. These vaccinations also increased CD8 + and CD4 + cell numbers while decreasing Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the 4T1 model, and increased CD8+, DC, and decreased Treg cell numbers in the MCa-M3C model. Depleting both CD8 + and CD4 + cells abolished the vaccine's anticancer response. Moreover, vaccinated tumor-bearing mice exhibited increased TNFα levels and reduced levels of immunosuppressive chemokines/cytokines. In conclusion, our novel approach generated an anti-cancer immune response, resulting in a lack of or low tumor incidence post-rechallenge and robust AEs, i.e., the absence of or decreased spontaneous lung metastasis in tumor-bearing mice. This approach is readily translatable to clinical settings and may increase IR-induced AEs in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhui Wang
- Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School
| | - Wei Guo
- Masschusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Lin Jia
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Ling Xie
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
| | | | - Yangyang Wang
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Fuyou Wang
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Zunwen Lin
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Enwen Wang
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Yida Zhang
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Peigen Huang
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Ting Sun
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School
| | | | | | | | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
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7
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Ventin M, Cattaneo G, Maggs L, Jia J, Arya S, Ferrone S, Wang X, Ferrone CR. B7-H3-targeted CAR T cell activity is enhanced by radiotherapy in solid cancers. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1193963. [PMID: 37483496 PMCID: PMC10361748 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1193963] [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: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy utilizing T cells genetically modified to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) has demonstrated promising clinical results in hematological malignancies. However, solid cancers have not seen a similar success due to multiple obstacles. Investigating these escape mechanisms and designing strategies to counteract such limitations is crucial and timely. Growing evidence in the literature supports the hypothesis that radiotherapy has the potential to enhance the susceptibility of solid tumors to CAR T cell therapy, by overcoming mechanisms of resistance. Radiation treatment can increase the susceptibility of different types of solid cancers (TNBC, HNSCC, PDAC) to B7-H3 CAR T cell-mediated eradication. Multiple mechanisms, including reduced cancer cell proliferation, upregulation of the targeted antigen, modulation of apoptotic molecules may contribute to this signal. The information in the literature and the results we describesupport the ability of radiotherapy to improve the efficacy of CAR T cell therapy in solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Ventin
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Giulia Cattaneo
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Luke Maggs
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jingyu Jia
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shahrzad Arya
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Cristina R. Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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8
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Stupia S, Heeke C, Brüggemann A, Zaremba A, Thier B, Kretz J, Sucker A, Philip M, Zelinskyy G, Ferrone S, Roesch A, Horn S, Hadaschik E, Schadendorf D, Trilling M, Dittmer U, Griewank K, Zhao F, Paschen A. HLA class II loss and JAK1/2 deficiency coevolve in melanoma leading to CD4 T cell and IFNγ cross-resistance. Clin Cancer Res 2023:726500. [PMID: 37199727 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Recent studies have demonstrated HLA class II (HLA-II)-dependent killing of melanoma cells by cytotoxic CD4 T cells. We investigated evolution of HLA-II-loss tumors that escape cytotoxic CD4 T cell activity and contribute to immunotherapy resistance. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Melanoma cells from longitudinal metastases were studied for constitutive and interferon-inducible HLA-II expression, sensitivity towards autologous CD4 T cells, and immune evasion by HLA-II loss. Clinical significance of HLA-II-low tumors was determined by analysis of transcriptomic data sets from patients with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). RESULTS Analysis of longitudinal samples revealed strong inter-metastatic heterogeneity in melanoma cell-intrinsic HLA-II expression and subclonal HLA-II loss. Tumor cells from early lesions either constitutively expressed HLA-II, sensitizing to cytotoxic CD4 T cells, or induced HLA-II and gained CD4 T cell sensitivity in the presence of IFNγ. In contrast, late outgrowing subclones displayed a stable CD4 T cell-resistant HLA-II-loss phenotype. These cells lacked not only constitutive but also IFNγ-inducible HLA-II due to JAK1/2-STAT1 pathway inactivation. Coevolution of JAK1/2 deficiency and HLA-II loss established melanoma cross-resistance to IFNγ and CD4 T cells, as detected in distinct stage IV metastases. In line with their immune-evasive phenotype, HLA-II-low melanomas showed reduced CD4 T cell infiltrates and correlated with disease progression under ICB. CONCLUSIONS Our study links melanoma resistance to CD4 T cells, IFNγ, and ICB at the level of HLA-II, highlighting the significance of tumor cell-intrinsic HLA-II antigen presentation in disease control and calling for strategies to overcome its downregulation for improvement of patient outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Julia Kretz
- University Hospital of Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Fang Zhao
- University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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9
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Wang Y, Drum DL, Sun R, Zhang Y, Yu L, Jia L, Isakoff SJ, Kehlmann AM, Dal AE, Dotti G, Zheng H, Ferrone CR, Taghian AG, DeLeo AB, Zhang H, Jounaidi Y, Fan S, Huang P, Wang C, Yang J, Boland GM, Sadreyev RI, Wong L, Ferrone S, Wang X. Stressed target cancer cells drive nongenetic reprogramming of CAR T cells and tumor microenvironment, overcoming multiple obstacles of CAR T therapy for solid tumors. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-2595410. [PMID: 36865255 PMCID: PMC9980213 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2595410/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
The poor efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR T) for solid tumor is due to insufficient CAR T cell tumor infiltration, in vivo expansion, persistence, and effector function, as well as exhaustion, intrinsic target antigen heterogeneity or antigen loss of target cancer cells, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Here we describe a broadly applicable nongenetic approach that simultaneously addresses the multiple challenges of CAR T as a therapy for solid tumors. The approach massively reprograms CAR T cells by exposing them to stressed target cancer cells which have been exposed to the cell stress inducer disulfiram (DSF) and copper (Cu)(DSF/Cu) plus ionizing irradiation (IR). The reprogrammed CAR T cells acquired early memory-like characteristics, potent cytotoxicity, enhanced in vivo expansion, persistence, and decreased exhaustion. Tumors stressed by DSF/Cu and IR also reprogrammed and reversed immunosuppressive TME in humanized mice. The reprogrammed CAR T cells, derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of healthy or metastatic breast cancer patients, induced robust, sustained memory and curative anti-solid tumor responses in multiple xenograft mouse models, establishing proof of concept for empowering CAR T by stressing tumor as a novel therapy for solid tumor.
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10
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Ugolini F, Szumera-Ciećkiewicz A, Baroni G, Nesi G, Mandalà M, Ferrone S, Massi D. Differential HLA class I subunit (A, B, C heavy chain and β 2-microglobulin) expression levels in normal tissues. Virchows Arch 2023; 482:359-368. [PMID: 36437414 PMCID: PMC9931818 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-022-03459-5] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I subunit expression level in primary and metastatic lesions has been characterized in many cancer types utilizing formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections as substrates in immunohistochemical reactions. The evaluation of the results of these studies has been hampered by the scant information about HLA class I subunit expression level in normal tissues. To address this unmet need, we have analyzed the HLA class I subunit expression level in FFPE sections of normal tissues.Two tissue microarray (TMA) blocks were constructed from archived FFPE tissue samples of a wide number of human normal tissues. The expression level of HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C heavy chains and β2-microglobulin (β2-M) was evaluated by IHC staining, with mAb HC-A2, mAb HC-10, and mAb NAMB1, respectively. The staining was scored according to its intensity.According to their staining patterns with the three mAbs tested, normal tissues can be divided into four groups: (i) tissues displaying moderate/strong staining patterns, (ii) tissues displaying barely detectable staining patterns, (iii) tissues displaying differential staining patterns, and (iv) tissues with no detectable staining. The ubiquitous expression pattern for HLA-A, B, C heavy chain and β2-M was found only at the endothelial level; the stroma was negative except for fibroblasts in all the tissues analyzed. Our data suggest that, contrary to the general postulate, HLA class I subunit expression is not detectable in all nucleated cells. This information provides a useful background to evaluate changes in HLA class I subunit expression associated with the malignant transformation of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Ugolini
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Pathological Anatomy, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Anna Szumera-Ciećkiewicz
- Department of Pathology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
- Diagnostic Hematology Department, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Gianna Baroni
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Pathological Anatomy, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Gabriella Nesi
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Pathological Anatomy, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Mario Mandalà
- Unit of Medical Oncology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniela Massi
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Pathological Anatomy, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy.
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11
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Tcyganov EN, Sanseviero E, Marvel D, Beer T, Tang HY, Hembach P, Speicher DW, Zhang Q, Donthireddy LR, Mostafa A, Tsyganova S, Pisarev V, Laufer T, Ignatov D, Ferrone S, Meyer C, Maby-El Hajjami H, Speiser DE, Altiok S, Antonia S, Xu X, Xu W, Zheng C, Schuchter LM, Amaravadi RK, Mitchell TC, Karakousis GC, Yuan Z, Montaner LJ, Celis E, Gabrilovich DI. Peroxynitrite in the tumor microenvironment changes the profile of antigens allowing escape from cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Cell 2022; 40:1173-1189.e6. [PMID: 36220073 PMCID: PMC9566605 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy often depends on recognition of peptide epitopes by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). The tumor microenvironment (TME) is enriched for peroxynitrite (PNT), a potent oxidant produced by infiltrating myeloid cells and some tumor cells. We demonstrate that PNT alters the profile of MHC class I bound peptides presented on tumor cells. Only CTLs specific for PNT-resistant peptides have a strong antitumor effect in vivo, whereas CTLs specific for PNT-sensitive peptides are not effective. Therapeutic targeting of PNT in mice reduces resistance of tumor cells to CTLs. Melanoma patients with low PNT activity in their tumors demonstrate a better clinical response to immunotherapy than patients with high PNT activity. Our data suggest that intratumoral PNT activity should be considered for the design of neoantigen-based therapy and also may be an important immunotherapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenii N Tcyganov
- Immunology, Microenvironment, and Metastasis Program, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Douglas Marvel
- Immunology, Microenvironment, and Metastasis Program, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Thomas Beer
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hsin-Yao Tang
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Peter Hembach
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David W Speicher
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Qianfei Zhang
- AstraZeneca, ICC, Early Oncology, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | | | - Ali Mostafa
- AstraZeneca, ICC, Early Oncology, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Sabina Tsyganova
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Vladimir Pisarev
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Moscow 107031, Russia; Central Institute of Epidemiology, 111123 Moscow, Russia
| | - Terri Laufer
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dmitriy Ignatov
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Christiane Meyer
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Daniel E Speiser
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Xiaowei Xu
- Abramson Cancer Center, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
| | - Wei Xu
- Abramson Cancer Center, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
| | - Cathy Zheng
- Abramson Cancer Center, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
| | - Lynn M Schuchter
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ravi K Amaravadi
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tara C Mitchell
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
| | - Giorgos C Karakousis
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhe Yuan
- Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Luis J Montaner
- Immunology, Microenvironment, and Metastasis Program, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Esteban Celis
- Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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12
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Ascierto PA, Agarwala SS, Blank C, Caracò C, Carvajal RD, Ernstoff MS, Ferrone S, Fox BA, Gajewski TF, Garbe C, Grob JJ, Hamid O, Krogsgaard M, Lo RS, Lund AW, Madonna G, Michielin O, Neyns B, Osman I, Peters S, Poulikakos PI, Quezada SA, Reinfeld B, Zitvogel L, Puzanov I, Thurin M. Perspectives in Melanoma: meeting report from the Melanoma Bridge (December 2nd - 4th, 2021, Italy). J Transl Med 2022; 20:391. [PMID: 36058945 PMCID: PMC9440864 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03592-4] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in immune checkpoint and combination therapy have led to improvement in overall survival for patients with advanced melanoma. Improved understanding of the tumor, tumor microenvironment and tumor immune-evasion mechanisms has resulted in new approaches to targeting and harnessing the host immune response. Combination modalities with other immunotherapy agents, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, electrochemotherapy are also being explored to overcome resistance and to potentiate the immune response. In addition, novel approaches such as adoptive cell therapy, oncogenic viruses, vaccines and different strategies of drug administration including sequential, or combination treatment are being tested. Despite the progress in diagnosis of melanocytic lesions, correct classification of patients, selection of appropriate adjuvant and systemic theràapies, and prediction of response to therapy remain real challenges in melanoma. Improved understanding of the tumor microenvironment, tumor immunity and response to therapy has prompted extensive translational and clinical research in melanoma. There is a growing evidence that genomic and immune features of pre-treatment tumor biopsies may correlate with response in patients with melanoma and other cancers, but they have yet to be fully characterized and implemented clinically. Development of novel biomarker platforms may help to improve diagnostics and predictive accuracy for selection of patients for specific treatment. Overall, the future research efforts in melanoma therapeutics and translational research should focus on several aspects including: (a) developing robust biomarkers to predict efficacy of therapeutic modalities to guide clinical decision-making and optimize treatment regimens, (b) identifying mechanisms of therapeutic resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors that are potentially actionable, (c) identifying biomarkers to predict therapy-induced adverse events, and (d) studying mechanism of actions of therapeutic agents and developing algorithms to optimize combination treatments. During the Melanoma Bridge meeting (December 2nd-4th, 2021, Naples, Italy) discussions focused on the currently approved systemic and local therapies for advanced melanoma and discussed novel biomarker strategies and advances in precision medicine as well as the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on management of melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo A Ascierto
- Department of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, Istituto Nazionale Tumor IRCCS "Fondazione G. Pascale", Naples, Italy.
| | - Sanjiv S Agarwala
- Hematology & Oncology, Temple University and Cancer Expert Now, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | | | - Corrado Caracò
- Division of Surgery of Melanoma and Skin Cancer, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione Pascale" IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Richard D Carvajal
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marc S Ernstoff
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Therapy & Diagnosis, NCI, Bethesda, NIHMD, USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bernard A Fox
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Thomas F Gajewski
- Department of Pathology and Department of Medicine (Section of Hematology/Oncology), University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Claus Garbe
- Center for Dermato-Oncology, University-Department of Dermatology, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Jean-Jacques Grob
- Dermatology Department, Hopital de La Timone, Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Omid Hamid
- Medical Oncology, The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, a Cedar-Sinai Affiliate, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Krogsgaard
- New York Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Langone, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roger S Lo
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amanda W Lund
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gabriele Madonna
- Department of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS "Fondazione G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Olivier Michielin
- Precision Oncology Center and Melanoma Clinic, Oncology Department, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bart Neyns
- Medical Oncology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Iman Osman
- New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Solange Peters
- UNIL, Medical Oncology Department European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP), Specialized Thoracic Tumor Consultation, Oncology Department UNIL CHUV Thoracic Tumor Center, Lausanne University ESMO President, Scientific Coordinator, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Poulikos I Poulikakos
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Department of Dermatology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, The Tisch Cancer Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sergio A Quezada
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Bradley Reinfeld
- Department of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Laurence Zitvogel
- Tumour Immunology and Immunotherapy of Cancer, European Academy of Tumor Immunology, Gustave Roussy, University Paris Saclay, INSERM, Villejuif Grand-Paris, France
| | - Igor Puzanov
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Magdalena Thurin
- Cancer Diagnosis Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Rockville, NIHMD, USA
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13
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Nota SPFT, Osei-Hwedieh DO, Drum DL, Wang X, Sabbatino F, Ferrone S, Schwab JH. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 expression in chondrosarcoma: A potential target for antibody-based immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2022; 12:939166. [PMID: 36110930 PMCID: PMC9468862 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.939166] [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: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chondrosarcoma is a common primary bone malignancy whose phenotype increases with its histologic grade. They are relatively resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy limiting curative options for disseminated disease. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4) is a cell surface proteoglycan that is highly expressed across various human cancers, including chondrosarcoma, and has restricted distribution in healthy tissues, making it an attractive target for the antibody-based therapy. CSPG4 specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies have been shown to be effective in treating other cancers such as melanoma and triple negative breast cancer. The goal of this study was to assess the prevalence of CSPG4 in human chondrosarcoma and to assess the efficacy of CSPG4 specific CAR T cells in lysing chondrosarcoma cells in vitro. Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), we stained a tissue microarray containing primary conventional and dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma from 76 patients with CSPG4 specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). In addition, we incubated 2 chondrosarcoma cell lines with CSPG4-targeting CAR T cells and subsequently evaluated cell survival. Our results showed medium to high expression of CSPG4 in 29 of 41 (71%) conventional chondrosarcoma tumors and in 3 of 20 (15%) dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma tumors. CSPG4 expression showed a positive association with time to metastasis and survival in both subtypes. CSPG4 CAR T treated cell lines showed a lysis of respectively >80% and 70% demonstrating CSPG4-targeted CAR T cells effective in killing CSPG4-positive chondrosarcoma tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoerd P. F. T. Nota
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - David O. Osei-Hwedieh
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - David L. Drum
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Francesco Sabbatino
- Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Joseph H. Schwab
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Joseph H. Schwab,
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14
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Cattaneo G, Giraudo L, Gammaitoni L, Iaia I, Carnevale-Schianca F, Pisacane A, Berrino E, Marchiò C, Paruzzo L, Biolato AM, Donini C, Basiricò M, Landoni E, Ferrone S, Leuci V, Aglietta M, Dotti G, Sangiolo D. Abstract 2812: CSPG4-specific CAR.CIK lymphocyte-based immunotherapy to eliminate HLA class I-defective melanoma tumors. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-2812] [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
Purpose of this study is to explore the preclinical efficacy of Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4)-specific CAR-engineered Cytokine-Induced Killer lymphocytes (CIK) to eradicate melanoma cells with defective HLA class I (HLA-I). The latter abnormality plays a major role in clinical resistance to Checkpoint Inhibitors (CI). CSPG4 was selected as the target because of its high expression on melanoma and its restricted distribution in normal tissues. Our approach is based on CAR.CIK redirected against CSPG4. CIK, ex vivo expanded T-NK lymphocytes endowed with intrinsic HLA-independent antitumor activity, were used as effectors.
Experimental procedure. CAR.CIK were generated by retroviral transduction of patient derived PBMC with a vector encoding a 2nd generation CSPG4-CAR with 4-1BB co-stimulation. Surface HLA-I expression was evaluated by flow cytometry on melanoma cell lines (Mel), derived by surgical biopsies. These cells also served as targets for CSPG4 CAR.CIK. The activity of CSPG4 CAR.CIK was analyzed in vitro and in immunodeficient mice grafted with a patient-derived HLA-defective melanoma. Mice were treated intravenously with 3x106 CAR.CIK (5 cells infusions in total).
Results. CAR.CIK were efficiently generated from 4 melanoma patients. Mean expression of CSPG4-CAR was 48±8%, the rate of ex vivo expansion (84 fold) and phenotypic characteristics (CD3+CD8+=71±13%, CD3+ CD56+=22.5±13%, NKG2D+= 68±32.3%) were comparable with unmodified controls. Membrane HLA-I molecules were detected in 23/24 Mel samples, with a variable membrane density per cell (median 21232, range 787-49871). Sample Mel17 did not express HLA-I because of a start lost mutation (p.Met1Ile) in β2microglobulin. CSPG4 was intensely expressed by all Mel (78±5%), with no correlation to HLA-I levels. CSPG4 CAR.CIK efficiently killed 10 Mel samples in vitro, including Mel17 (HLA-I negative) and 2 Mel with the lowest HLA-I density (Mel71, Mel72). Mean Mel-specific killing by CSPG4 CAR.CIK was significantly higher compared with unmodified CIK especially at low effector/target (E/T) ratios (85% vs 40% at E/T=1:1; 46% vs 9% at E/T=1:8, p<0.0001). In vivo, CSPG4 CAR.CIK caused a significant inhibition of the HLA-negative Mel17 tumor growth (p<0.0001) as compared to controls. Antitumor activity was confirmed by the reduction of tumor weight and metabolic activity (by fluorescent glucose uptake) measured on the residual explanted tumors. Antitumor response persisted up to 2 weeks after end of the treatment.
Conclusions. We reported the activity of CSPG4 CAR.CIK against melanoma, including those with low or defective HLA-I expression. CIK may provide a valid platform for CAR-based strategies against melanoma and solid tumors in general. Our data provide the rationale to implement clinical studies exploring the proposed strategy in melanoma patients not responding or relapsing after immunotherapy with CI.
Citation Format: Giulia Cattaneo, Lidia Giraudo, Loretta Gammaitoni, Ilenia Iaia, Fabrizio Carnevale-Schianca, Alberto Pisacane, Enrico Berrino, Caterina Marchiò, Luca Paruzzo, Andrea Michela Biolato, Chiara Donini, Marco Basiricò, Elisa Landoni, Soldano Ferrone, Valeria Leuci, Massimo Aglietta, Gianpietro Dotti, Dario Sangiolo. CSPG4-specific CAR.CIK lymphocyte-based immunotherapy to eliminate HLA class I-defective melanoma tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2812.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cattaneo
- 1University of Turin, Dept. Oncology. Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (Torino), Italy
| | - Lidia Giraudo
- 2Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
| | | | - Ilenia Iaia
- 1University of Turin, Dept. Oncology. Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (Torino), Italy
| | | | | | - Enrico Berrino
- 1University of Turin, Dept. Oncology. Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (Torino), Italy
| | - Caterina Marchiò
- 1University of Turin, Dept. Oncology. Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (Torino), Italy
| | - Luca Paruzzo
- 1University of Turin, Dept. Oncology. Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (Torino), Italy
| | - Andrea Michela Biolato
- 3University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette. Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Chiara Donini
- 1University of Turin, Dept. Oncology. Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (Torino), Italy
| | | | - Elisa Landoni
- 4Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- 5Division of Surgical Oncology, Dept. of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Valeria Leuci
- 2Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Massimo Aglietta
- 1University of Turin, Dept. Oncology. Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (Torino), Italy
| | - Gianpietro Dotti
- 4Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Dario Sangiolo
- 1University of Turin, Dept. Oncology. Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (Torino), Italy
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Ladányi A, Hegyi B, Balatoni T, Liszkay G, Rohregger R, Waldnig C, Dudás J, Ferrone S. HLA Class I Downregulation in Progressing Metastases of Melanoma Patients Treated With Ipilimumab. Pathol Oncol Res 2022; 28:1610297. [PMID: 35531074 PMCID: PMC9073691 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2022.1610297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying antitumor immune responses and immune escape mechanisms has resulted in the development of more effective immunotherapeutic strategies, including immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. ICIs can induce durable responses in patients with advanced cancer in a wide range of cancer types, however, the majority of the patients fail to respond to this therapy or develop resistance in the course of the treatment. Information about the molecular mechanisms underlying primary and acquired resistance is limited. Although HLA class I molecules are crucial in the recognition of tumor antigens by cytotoxic T lymphocytes, only a few studies have investigated the role of their expression level on malignant cells in ICI resistance. To address this topic, utilizing immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) we analyzed HLA class I expression level in pre-treatment and post-treatment tumor samples from melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab. Twenty-nine metastases removed from six patients were available for the study, including 18 pre-treatment and 11 post-treatment lesions. Compared to metastases excised before ipilimumab therapy, post-treatment lesions displayed a significantly lower HLA class I expression level on melanoma cells; HLA class I downregulation was most marked in progressing metastases from nonresponding patients. We also evaluated the level of infiltration by CD8+ T cells and NK cells but did not find consistent changes between pre- and post-treatment samples. Our results indicate the potential role of HLA class I downregulation as a mechanism of ICI resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ladányi
- Department of Surgical and Molecular Pathology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Barbara Hegyi
- Department of Thoracic and Abdominal Tumors and Clinical Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Pathological Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tímea Balatoni
- Department of Oncodermatology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Liszkay
- Department of Oncodermatology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Raphael Rohregger
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christoph Waldnig
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - József Dudás
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Riccardo F, Tarone L, Camerino M, Giacobino D, Iussich S, Barutello G, Arigoni M, Conti L, Bolli E, Quaglino E, Merighi IF, Morello E, Dentini A, Ferrone S, Buracco P, Cavallo F. Antigen mimicry as an effective strategy to induce CSPG4-targeted immunity in dogs with oral melanoma: a veterinary trial. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:e004007. [PMID: 35580930 PMCID: PMC9114861 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004007] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer in humans. Conventional therapies have limited efficacy, and overall response is still unsatisfactory considering that immune checkpoint inhibitors induce lasting clinical responses only in a low percentage of patients. This has prompted us to develop a vaccination strategy employing the tumor antigen chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG)4 as a target. METHODS To overcome the host's unresponsiveness to the self-antigen CSPG4, we have taken advantage of the conservation of CSPG4 sequence through phylogenetic evolution, so we have used a vaccine, based on a chimeric DNA molecule encompassing both human (Hu) and dog (Do) portions of CSPG4 (HuDo-CSPG4). We have tested its safety and immunogenicity (primary objectives), along with its therapeutic efficacy (secondary outcome), in a prospective, non-randomized, veterinary clinical trial enrolling 80 client-owned dogs with surgically resected, CSPG4-positive, stage II-IV oral melanoma. RESULTS Vaccinated dogs developed anti-Do-CSPG4 and Hu-CSPG4 immune response. Interestingly, the antibody titer in vaccinated dogs was significantly associated with the overall survival. Our data suggest that there may be a contribution of the HuDo-CSPG4 vaccination to the improvement of survival of vaccinated dogs as compared with controls treated with conventional therapies alone. CONCLUSIONS HuDo-CSPG4 adjuvant vaccination was safe and immunogenic in dogs with oral melanoma, with potential beneficial effects on the course of the disease. Thanks to the power of naturally occurring canine tumors as predictive models for cancer immunotherapy response, these data may represent a basis for the translation of this approach to the treatment of human patients with CSPG4-positive melanoma subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Riccardo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Lidia Tarone
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Davide Giacobino
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Selina Iussich
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Barutello
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Maddalena Arigoni
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Laura Conti
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Bolli
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Quaglino
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Irene Fiore Merighi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Emanuela Morello
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paolo Buracco
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Federica Cavallo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Michelakos T, Kontos F, Kurokawa T, Cai L, Sadagopan A, Krijgsman D, Weichert W, Durrant LG, Kuppen PJK, R Ferrone C, Ferrone S. Differential role of HLA-A and HLA-B, C expression levels as prognostic markers in colon and rectal cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-004115. [PMID: 35277460 PMCID: PMC8919449 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The association of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I expression levels with the clinical course of many malignancies reflects their crucial role in the recognition and elimination of malignant cells by cognate T cells and NK cells. In colorectal cancer, results regarding this association are conflicting. The potential pathogenetic and therapeutic implications of this association prompted us to perform a large patient-level pooled analysis assessing the role of the expression level of HLA class I loci gene products in colon and rectal cancer. Experimental design Included studies provided patient-level data on HLA class I expression levels determined by immunohistochemistry on surgical specimens. Expression levels of the HLA class I loci gene products (HLA-A, HLA-B/C) were correlated with common genetic events and survival. Results Data from 5 studies including 2863 patients were used. In the 1620 colon cancer patients, lower HLA-A, HLA-B/C and total HLA class I expression levels were associated with microsatellite instability (p=0.044, p=0.008 and p=0.022, respectively), higher frequency of BRAF mutations (p<0.001, p=0.021 and p<0.001, respectively) and lower frequency of KRAS mutations (p=0.001, ns and p=0.002, respectively). In the 1243 rectal cancer patients, HLA-A expression was higher in tumors treated with neoadjuvant radiation (p=0.024). High HLA-B/C, but not HLA-A, expression level was an independent predictor of favorable overall survival in colon (p=0.006) and rectal (p<0.001) cancer. Conclusions T-cells and HLA-B/C antigens, rather than NK cells and HLA-A antigens, likely play an important role in controlling colon/rectal cancer growth. Colon/rectal cancer patients may benefit from strategies that upregulate HLA-B/C and trigger or enhance T cell immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Michelakos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Filippos Kontos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tomohiro Kurokawa
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lei Cai
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ananthan Sadagopan
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Danielle Krijgsman
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Molecular Cancer Research, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Wilko Weichert
- Institute of Pathology, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lindy G Durrant
- Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK
| | - Peter J K Kuppen
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Cristina R Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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18
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Sadagopan A, Michelakos T, Boyiadzis G, Ferrone C, Ferrone S. Human Leukocyte Antigen Class I Antigen-Processing Machinery Upregulation by Anticancer Therapies in the Era of Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Review. JAMA Oncol 2022; 8:462-473. [PMID: 34940799 PMCID: PMC8930447 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.5970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Although typically impressive, objective responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) occur in only 12.5% of patients with advanced cancer. The majority of patients do not respond due to cell-intrinsic resistance mechanisms, including human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I antigen-processing machinery (APM) defects. The APM defects, which have a negative effect on neoantigen presentation to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), are present in the majority of malignant tumors. These defects are caused by gene variations in less than 25% of cases and by dysregulated signaling and/or epigenetic changes in most of the remaining cases, making them frequently correctable. This narrative review summarizes the growing clinical evidence that chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and, to a lesser extent, radiotherapy can correct HLA class I APM defects in cancer cells and improve responses to ICIs. OBSERVATIONS Most chemotherapeutics enhance HLA class I APM component expression and function in cancer cells, tumor CTL infiltration, and responses to ICIs in preclinical and clinical models. Despite preclinical evidence, radiotherapy does not appear to upregulate HLA class I expression in patients and does not enhance the efficacy of ICIs in clinical settings. The latter findings underscore the need to optimize the dose and schedule of radiation and timing of ICI administration to maximize their immunogenic synergy. By increasing DNA and chromatin accessibility, epigenetic agents (histone deacetylase inhibitors, DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, and EZH2 inhibitors) enhance HLA class I APM component expression and function in many cancer types, a crucial contributor to their synergy with ICIs in patients. Furthermore, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors and BRAF/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitors are effective at upregulating HLA class I expression in EGFR- and BRAF-variant tumors, respectively; these changes may contribute to the clinical responses induced by these inhibitors in combination with ICIs. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This narrative review summarizes evidence indicating that chemotherapy and targeted therapies are effective at enhancing HLA class I APM component expression and function in cancer cells. The resulting increased immunogenicity and recognition and elimination of cancer cells by cognate CTLs contributes to the antitumor activity of these therapies as well as to their synergy with ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananthan Sadagopan
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Theodoros Michelakos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gabriella Boyiadzis
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cristina Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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19
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Golish DR, Simon AA, Reuter DC, Ferrone S, Clark BE, Li JY, DellaGiustina DN, Drouet d’Aubigny C, Rizk B, Lauretta DS. Cross-Instrument Comparison of MapCam and OVIRS on OSIRIS-REx. Space Sci Rev 2022; 218:5. [PMID: 35250103 PMCID: PMC8885487 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-022-00873-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Two of the instruments onboard the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, the MapCam color imager and the OVIRS visible and infrared spectrometer, observed the surface of asteroid (101955) Bennu in partially overlapping wavelengths. Significant scientific advances have been enabled by using data from these two instruments in tandem, but a robust statistical understanding of their relationship is needed for future analyses to cross-compare their data as accurately and sensitively as possible. Here we present a cross-instrument comparison of data acquired by MapCam and OVIRS, including methods and results for all global and site-specific observation campaigns in which both instruments were active. In our analysis, we consider both the absolute radiometric offset and the relative (normalized) variation between the two instruments; we find that both depend strongly on the photometric and instrumental conditions during the observation. The two instruments have a large absolute offset (>15%) due to their independent radiometric calibrations. However, they are very consistent (relative offset as low as 1%) when each instrument's response is normalized at a single wavelength, particularly at low phase angles where shadows on Bennu's rough surface are minimized. We recommend using the global datasets acquired at 12:30 pm local solar time for cross-comparisons; data acquired at higher phase angles have larger uncertainties.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. R. Golish
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ USA
| | - A. A. Simon
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA
| | - D. C. Reuter
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA
| | - S. Ferrone
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY USA
| | - B. E. Clark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY USA
| | - J.-Y. Li
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ USA
| | | | | | - B. Rizk
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ USA
| | - D. S. Lauretta
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ USA
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20
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Tarone L, Giacobino D, Camerino M, Ferrone S, Buracco P, Cavallo F, Riccardo F. Canine Melanoma Immunology and Immunotherapy: Relevance of Translational Research. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:803093. [PMID: 35224082 PMCID: PMC8873926 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.803093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In veterinary oncology, canine melanoma is still a fatal disease for which innovative and long-lasting curative treatments are urgently required. Considering the similarities between canine and human melanoma and the clinical revolution that immunotherapy has instigated in the treatment of human melanoma patients, special attention must be paid to advancements in tumor immunology research in the veterinary field. Herein, we aim to discuss the most relevant knowledge on the immune landscape of canine melanoma and the most promising immunotherapeutic approaches under investigation. Particular attention will be dedicated to anti-cancer vaccination, and, especially, to the encouraging clinical results that we have obtained with DNA vaccines directed against chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), which is an appealing tumor-associated antigen with a key oncogenic role in both canine and human melanoma. In parallel with advances in therapeutic options, progress in the identification of easily accessible biomarkers to improve the diagnosis and the prognosis of melanoma should be sought, with circulating small extracellular vesicles emerging as strategically relevant players. Translational advances in melanoma management, whether achieved in the human or veterinary fields, may drive improvements with mutual clinical benefits for both human and canine patients; this is where the strength of comparative oncology lies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Tarone
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Davide Giacobino
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Paolo Buracco
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Federica Cavallo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- *Correspondence: Federica Cavallo
| | - Federica Riccardo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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21
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Sabbatino F, Liguori L, Pepe S, Ferrone S. Immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of melanoma. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2022; 22:563-576. [PMID: 35130816 PMCID: PMC9038682 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2022.2038132] [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] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) based immunotherapy is dramatically changing the management of many types of cancers including melanoma. In this malignancy, ICIs have been shown to prolong disease and progression free survival as well as overall survival of a percentage of treated patients, becoming the cornerstone of melanoma treatment. AREAS COVERED : In this review, first, we will describe the mechanisms of immune checkpoint activation and inhibition, second, we will summarize the results obtained with ICIs in melanoma treatment in terms of efficacy as well as toxicity, third, we will discuss the potential mechanisms of immune escape from ICI, and lastly, we will review the potential predictive biomarkers of clinical efficacy of ICI-based immunotherapy in melanoma. EXPERT OPINION : ICIs represent one of the pillars of melanoma treatment. The success of ICI-based therapy is limited by the development of escape mechanisms which allow melanoma cells to avoid recognition and destruction by immune cells. These results emphasize the need of additional studies to confirm the efficacy of therapies which combine different classes of ICIs as well as ICIs with other types of therapies. Furthermore, novel and more effective predictive biomarkers are needed to better stratify melanoma patients in order to define more precisely the therapeutic algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Sabbatino
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry 'Scuola Medica Salernitana', University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy 84131
| | - Luigi Liguori
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy 80131
| | - Stefano Pepe
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry 'Scuola Medica Salernitana', University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy 84131
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
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22
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Maggs L, Sadagopan A, Moghaddam AS, Ferrone S. HLA class I antigen processing machinery defects in antitumor immunity and immunotherapy. Trends Cancer 2021; 7:1089-1101. [PMID: 34489208 PMCID: PMC8651070 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I antigen-processing machinery (APM) plays a crucial role in the synthesis and expression of HLA class I tumor antigen-derived peptide complexes; the latter mediate the recognition and elimination of malignant cells by cognate T cells. Defects in HLA class I APM component expression and/or function are frequently found in cancer cells, providing them with an immune escape mechanism that has relevance in the clinical course of the disease and in the response to T-cell-based immunotherapy. The majority of HLA class I APM defects (>75%) are caused by epigenetic mechanisms or dysregulated signaling and therefore can be corrected by strategies that counteract the underlying mechanisms. Their application in oncology is likely to improve responses to T-cell-based immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Maggs
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Ananthan Sadagopan
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ali Sanjari Moghaddam
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Michelakos T, Cai L, Ferrone S, Ferrone CR. Association of High Tapasin Expression with Poor Prognosis in Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms (IPMN). J Am Coll Surg 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2021.07.272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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24
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Sekigami Y, Arya S, Vallera D, Deshpande V, Ting DT, Ferrone CR, Ferrone S. Susceptibility to Immune Elimination of Epithelial and Quasi-mesenchymal Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells under Basal Conditions and Following Treatment with FOLFIRINOX. J Am Coll Surg 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2021.07.305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Michelakos T, Kontos F, Sadagopan A, Cai L, Villani V, Sabbatino F, Moore P, Chen F, Ferrone S, Ferrone CR. Interplay Between Checkpoint Molecule B7-H3 and Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) Class I Expression: Relevance to the Clinical Course of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC). J Am Coll Surg 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2021.07.274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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26
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Michelakos T, Kontos F, Cai L, Sadagopan A, Krijgsman D, Weichert W, Kuppen PJ, Ferrone S, Ferrone CR. Differential Role of Distinct Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Class I Subset Expression Levels as Prognostic Markers in Colon and Rectal Cancer: a Patient-level Pooled Analysis. J Am Coll Surg 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2021.07.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Ladányi A, Papp E, Mohos A, Balatoni T, Liszkay G, Oláh J, Varga A, Lengyel Z, Emri G, Ferrone S. Role of the anatomic site in the association of HLA class I antigen expression level in metastases with clinical response to ipilimumab therapy in patients with melanoma. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2019-000209. [PMID: 32554608 PMCID: PMC7304850 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2019-000209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The clinical response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in only part of the treated patients, in conjunction with the potentially serious side effects associated with this type of therapy, has emphasized the need to identify biomarkers to select patients who may benefit from ICI treatment. The aim of our study was to test human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II expression in melanoma metastases as potential biomarkers of response to ipilimumab and survival in patients with metastatic melanoma, since these molecules play a crucial role in the interactions of malignant cells with host’s immune system. Materials and methods HLA class I and II antigen expression level in pretreatment surgical tissue samples (50 lymph node and 35 cutaneous or subcutaneous metastases) from 30 patients was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies. Expression levels were correlated to intratumoral density of lymphocytes expressing cluster of differentiation (CD)8, CD45RO, CD4, forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and/or programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), to clinical response to treatment, and to patients’ survival. Results HLA class I antigen expression level in lymph node metastases, but not in cutaneous or subcutaneous metastases was significantly correlated to density of CD8+ and CD45RO+ T cells and of lymphocytes expressing PD-1, as well as to clinical response and to patients’ survival. Conclusions Our results corroborate the role of HLA class I expression level (alone or in combination with T-cell density values) as a predictive biomarker of response to ipilimumab in patients with melanoma. In addition, our results show that this association is influenced by the anatomic site of the metastasis used to measure the HLA class I antigen expression level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ladányi
- Department of Surgical and Molecular Pathology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Papp
- Department of Surgical and Molecular Pathology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anita Mohos
- 1st Institute of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tímea Balatoni
- Department of Oncodermatology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Liszkay
- Department of Oncodermatology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Judit Oláh
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Anita Varga
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Lengyel
- Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Oncodermatology, University of Pécs Clinical Center, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Emri
- Department of Dermatology, University of Debrecen Medical School and Health Science Center, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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De Pasquale C, Campana S, Barberi C, Sidoti Migliore G, Oliveri D, Lanza M, Musolino C, Raimondo G, Ferrone S, Pollicino T, Ferlazzo G. Human Hepatitis B Virus Negatively Impacts the Protective Immune Crosstalk Between Natural Killer and Dendritic Cells. Hepatology 2021; 74:550-565. [PMID: 33482027 PMCID: PMC8295401 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in the clearance of human viruses but their activity is significantly impaired in patients infected with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Cooperation with dendritic cells (DCs) is pivotal for obtaining optimal NK cell antiviral function; thus, we investigated whether HBV might impact the ability of DCs to sustain NK cell functions. APPROACH AND RESULTS Human DCs were poor stimulators of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production by NK cells when exposed to HBV, while maintaining the capability to trigger NK cell cytotoxicity. HBV prevented DC maturation but did not affect their expression of human leukocyte antigen class I, thus allowing DCs to evade NK cell lysis. Tolerogenic features of DCs exposed to HBV were further supported by their increased expression of IL-10 and the immunosuppressive enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, which contributed to the impairment of DC-mediated NK cell IFN-γ production and proliferation, respectively. HBV could also inhibit the expression of inducible immunoproteasome (iP) subunits on DCs. In fact, NK cells could induce iP subunit expression on DCs, but they failed in the presence of HBV. Remarkably, circulating blood DC antigen1 (BDCA1)+ DCs isolated from patients with CHB were functionally compromised, hence altering, in turn, NK cell responses. CONCLUSIONS The abnormal NK-DC interplay caused by HBV may significantly impair the efficacy of antiviral immune response in patients with CHB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia De Pasquale
- Laboratory of Immunology and BiotherapyUniversity of MessinaMessinaItaly.,Department of Human PathologyUniversity of MessinaMessinaItaly
| | - Stefania Campana
- Laboratory of Immunology and BiotherapyUniversity of MessinaMessinaItaly.,Department of Human PathologyUniversity of MessinaMessinaItaly
| | - Chiara Barberi
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES)University of GenoaGenoaItaly
| | | | - Daniela Oliveri
- Cell Factory Center and Division of Clinical PathologyUniversity Hospital G. MartinoMessinaItaly
| | - Marika Lanza
- Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity of MessinaMessinaItaly
| | - Cristina Musolino
- Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity of MessinaMessinaItaly.,Division of Clinical and Molecular HepatologyUniversity Hospital G. MartinoMessinaItaly
| | - Giovanni Raimondo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity of MessinaMessinaItaly.,Division of Clinical and Molecular HepatologyUniversity Hospital G. MartinoMessinaItaly
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of SurgeryMassachusetts General HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMA
| | - Teresa Pollicino
- Department of Human PathologyUniversity of MessinaMessinaItaly.,Division of Clinical and Molecular HepatologyUniversity Hospital G. MartinoMessinaItaly
| | - Guido Ferlazzo
- Laboratory of Immunology and BiotherapyUniversity of MessinaMessinaItaly.,Department of Human PathologyUniversity of MessinaMessinaItaly.,Cell Factory Center and Division of Clinical PathologyUniversity Hospital G. MartinoMessinaItaly
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Hauth F, Ho AY, Ferrone S, Duda DG. Radiotherapy to Enhance Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapeutic Efficacy in Solid Tumors: A Narrative Review. JAMA Oncol 2021; 7:1051-1059. [PMID: 33885725 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Importance Immunotherapy has emerged as a new pillar of cancer therapy over the past decade. Adoptive immunotherapy in particular has become a major area of research interest, with advances seen in the development of T-cell engineering. As a result, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has become a new and highly effective treatment option, especially for patients with refractory or resistant blood cell cancers. However, CAR T-cell therapy has shown limited efficacy for the treatment of solid tumors thus far. Observations Combinatorial treatment approaches, such as addition of radiotherapy to CAR T cells, may provide a strategy to prevent resistance to CAR T-cell therapy of solid tumors. These approaches need to overcome obstacles that include abnormal vessels and adhesion molecule expression on tumor vasculature, leading to reduced transmigration of effector immune cells, including CAR T cells, and immunosuppressive cues in the tumor microenvironment, including regional hypoxia. Conclusions and Relevance This review provides an overview of the current developments in CAR T-cell therapy and highlights the unique opportunities and challenges in combining CAR T-cell therapy with radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Hauth
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Radiation Oncology, University Clinic Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Alice Y Ho
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Dan G Duda
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Ascierto PA, Blank C, Dummer R, Ernstoff MS, Ferrone S, Fox BA, Gajewski TF, Garbe C, Hwu P, Kalinski P, Krogsgaard M, Lo RS, Luke JJ, Neyns B, Postow MA, Quezada SA, Teng MWL, Trinchieri G, Testori A, Caracò C, Osman I, Puzanov I, Thurin M. Perspectives in Melanoma: meeting report from the Melanoma Bridge (December 3rd-5th, 2020, Italy). J Transl Med 2021; 19:278. [PMID: 34193182 PMCID: PMC8243582 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-021-02951-x] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in immune checkpoint therapy and targeted therapy have led to improvement in overall survival for patients with advanced melanoma. Single agent checkpoint PD-1 blockade and combination with BRAF/MEK targeted therapy demonstrated benefit in overall survival (OS). Superior response rates have been demonstrated with combined PD-1/CTLA-4 blockade, with a significant OS benefit compared with single-agent PD-1 blockade. Despite the progress in diagnosis of melanocytic lesions, correct classification of patients, selection of appropriate adjuvant and systemic therapies, and prediction of response to therapy remain real challenges in melanoma. Improved understanding of the tumor microenvironment, tumor immunity and response to therapy has prompted extensive translational and clinical research in melanoma. Development of novel biomarker platforms may help to improve diagnostics and predictive accuracy for selection of patients for specific treatment. There is a growing evidence that genomic and immune features of pre-treatment tumor biopsies may correlate with response in patients with melanoma and other cancers but they have yet to be fully characterized and implemented clinically. Overall, the progress in melanoma therapeutics and translational research will help to optimize treatment regimens to overcome resistance and develop robust biomarkers to guide clinical decision-making. During the Melanoma Bridge meeting (December 3rd-5th, 2020, Italy) we reviewed the currently approved systemic and local therapies for advanced melanoma and discussed novel biomarker strategies and advances in precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo A Ascierto
- Department of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, Instituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS "Fondazione G. Pascale", Naples, Italy.
| | | | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marc S Ernstoff
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Therapy & Diagnosis, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bernard A Fox
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Robert W. Franz Cancer Center, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Thomas F Gajewski
- Department of Pathology and Department of Medicine (Section of Hematology/Oncology), University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Claus Garbe
- Center for Dermato-Oncology, University-Department of Dermatology, Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Pawel Kalinski
- Cancer Vaccine and Dendritic Cell Therapies, Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Developmental Therapeutics, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | | | - Roger S Lo
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason J Luke
- Cancer Immunotherapeutic Center of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bart Neyns
- Medical Oncology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Michael A Postow
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sergio A Quezada
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Michele W L Teng
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Giorgio Trinchieri
- Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology (LICI), Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alessandro Testori
- Image Rigenerative Clinic-Skin Oncology Division, Milan, Italy
- Chairman Surgical Subgroup EORTC Melanoma Group Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Corrado Caracò
- Division of Surgery of Melanoma and Skin Cancer, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione Pascale" IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Iman Osman
- New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Igor Puzanov
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Magdalena Thurin
- Cancer Diagnosis Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
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Michelakos T, Cai L, Villani V, Sabbatino F, Kontos F, Fernández-Del Castillo C, Yamada T, Neyaz A, Taylor MS, Deshpande V, Kurokawa T, Ting DT, Qadan M, Weekes CD, Allen JN, Clark JW, Hong TS, Ryan DP, Wo JY, Warshaw AL, Lillemoe KD, Ferrone S, Ferrone CR. Tumor Microenvironment Immune Response in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Patients Treated With Neoadjuvant Therapy. J Natl Cancer Inst 2021; 113:182-191. [PMID: 32497200 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djaa073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant folinic acid, fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) and chemoradiation have been used to downstage borderline and locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Whether neoadjuvant therapy-induced tumor immune response contributes to the improved survival is unknown. Therefore, we evaluated whether neoadjuvant therapy induces an immune response towards PDAC. METHODS Clinicopathological variables were collected for surgically resected PDACs at the Massachusetts General Hospital (1998-2016). Neoadjuvant regimens included FOLFIRINOX with or without chemoradiation, proton chemoradiation (25 Gy), photon chemoradiation (50.4 Gy), or no neoadjuvant therapy. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II expression and immune cell infiltration (CD4+, FoxP3+, CD8+, granzyme B+ cells, and M2 macrophages) were analyzed immunohistochemically and correlated with clinicopathologic variables. The antitumor immune response was compared among neoadjuvant therapy regimens. All statistical tests were 2-sided. RESULTS Two hundred forty-eight PDAC patients were included. The median age was 64 years and 50.0% were female. HLA-A defects were less frequent in the FOLFIRINOX cohort (P = .006). HLA class II expression was lowest in photon and highest in proton patients (P = .02). The FOLFIRINOX cohort exhibited the densest CD8+ cell infiltration (P < .001). FOLFIRINOX and proton patients had the highest CD4+ and lowest T regulatory (FoxP3+) cell density, respectively. M2 macrophage density was statistically significantly higher in the treatment-naïve group (P < .001) in which dense M2 macrophage infiltration was an independent predictor of poor overall survival. CONCLUSIONS Neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX with or without chemoradiation may induce immunologically relevant changes in the tumor microenvironment. It may reduce HLA-A defects, increase CD8+ cell density, and decrease T regulatory cell and M2 macrophage density. Therefore, neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX therapy may benefit from combinations with checkpoint inhibitors, which can enhance patients' antitumor immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Michelakos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lei Cai
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Vincenzo Villani
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francesco Sabbatino
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Filippos Kontos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Teppei Yamada
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Azfar Neyaz
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin S Taylor
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vikram Deshpande
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tomohiro Kurokawa
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David T Ting
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Motaz Qadan
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Colin D Weekes
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jill N Allen
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Clark
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Theodore S Hong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David P Ryan
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer Y Wo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew L Warshaw
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Keith D Lillemoe
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cristina R Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Patel SS, Nota SP, Sabbatino F, Nielsen GP, Deshpande V, Wang X, Ferrone S, Schwab JH. Defective HLA Class I Expression and Patterns of Lymphocyte Infiltration in Chordoma Tumors. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2021; 479:1373-1382. [PMID: 33273248 PMCID: PMC8133041 DOI: 10.1097/corr.0000000000001587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are no effective systemic therapies for chordoma. The recent successes of immunotherapeutic strategies in other cancers have resulted in a resurgence of interest in using immunotherapy in chordoma. These approaches rely on a functional interaction between the host's immune system and the expression of tumor peptides via the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Class I antigen. It is not known whether chordoma cells express the HLA Class I antigen. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES (1) Do chordoma tumors exhibit defects in HLA Class I antigen expression? (2) What is the pattern of lymphocyte infiltration in chordoma tumors? METHODS Patients with chordoma treated at Massachusetts General Hospital between 1989 and 2009 were identified with permission from the institutional review board. Of the 75 patients who were identified, 24 human chordoma tumors were selected from 24 distinct patients based on tissue availability. Histology slides from these 24 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded chordoma tissue samples were deparaffinized using xylene and ethanol and underwent heat-induced antigen retrieval in a citrate buffer. Samples were incubated with monoclonal antibodies directed against HLA Class I antigen processing machinery components. Antibody binding was detected via immunohistochemical staining. Staining intensity (negative, weakly positive, strongly positive) was assessed semiquantitatively and the percentage of chordoma cells stained for HLA Class I antigen subunits was assessed quantitatively. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained histology slides from the same 24 chordoma samples were assessed qualitatively for the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and histologic location of these lymphocytes. Immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies directed against CD4 and CD8 was performed in a quantitative manner to identify the lymphocyte subtype present in chordoma tumors. All results were scored independently by two investigators and were confirmed by a senior bone and soft tissue pathologist. RESULTS Seven of 24 chordoma samples exhibited no staining by the anti-HLA-A heavy chain monoclonal antibody HC-A2, two had weak staining intensity, and eight had a heterogeneous staining pattern, with fewer than 60% of chordoma cells exhibiting positive staining results. Four of 24 samples tested were not stained by the anti-HLA-B/C heavy chain monoclonal antibody HC-10, five had weak staining intensity, and 11 displayed a heterogeneous staining pattern. For the anti-β-2-microglobulin monoclonal antibody NAMB-1, staining was detected in all samples, but 11 had weak staining intensity and four displayed a heterogeneous staining pattern. Twenty-one of 24 samples tested had decreased expression in at least one subunit of HLA Class I antigens. No tumors were negative for all three subunits. Lymphocytic infiltration was found in 21 of 24 samples. Lymphocytes were primarily found in the fibrous septae between chordoma lobules but also within the tumor lobules and within the fibrous septae and tumor lobules. Twenty-one of 24 tumors had CD4+ T cells and 11 had CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSION In chordoma tissue samples, HLA Class I antigen defects commonly were present, suggesting a mechanism for escape from host immunosurveillance. Additionally, nearly half of the tested samples had cytotoxic CD8+ T cells present in chordoma tumors, suggesting that the host may be capable of mounting an immune response against chordoma tumors. The resulting selective pressure imposed on chordoma tumors may lead to the outgrowth of chordoma cell subpopulations that can evade the host's immune system. CLINICAL RELEVANCE These findings have implications in the design of immunotherapeutic strategies for chordoma treatment. T cell recognition of tumor cells requires HLA Class I antigen expression on the targeted tumor cells. Defects in HLA Class I expression may play a role in the clinical course of chordoma and may account for the limited or lack of efficacy of T cell-based immunity triggered by vaccines and/or checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalin S Patel
- S. S. Patel, Orthopaedic Spine Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- S. S. Patel, S. P. Nota, S. Ferrone, J. H. Schwab, Orthopaedic Oncology Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F. Sabbatino, X. Wang, S. Ferrone, Surgical Oncology Service, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- G. P. Nielsen, V. Deshpande, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sjoerd P Nota
- S. S. Patel, Orthopaedic Spine Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- S. S. Patel, S. P. Nota, S. Ferrone, J. H. Schwab, Orthopaedic Oncology Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F. Sabbatino, X. Wang, S. Ferrone, Surgical Oncology Service, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- G. P. Nielsen, V. Deshpande, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francesco Sabbatino
- S. S. Patel, Orthopaedic Spine Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- S. S. Patel, S. P. Nota, S. Ferrone, J. H. Schwab, Orthopaedic Oncology Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F. Sabbatino, X. Wang, S. Ferrone, Surgical Oncology Service, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- G. P. Nielsen, V. Deshpande, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - G Petur Nielsen
- S. S. Patel, Orthopaedic Spine Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- S. S. Patel, S. P. Nota, S. Ferrone, J. H. Schwab, Orthopaedic Oncology Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F. Sabbatino, X. Wang, S. Ferrone, Surgical Oncology Service, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- G. P. Nielsen, V. Deshpande, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vikram Deshpande
- S. S. Patel, Orthopaedic Spine Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- S. S. Patel, S. P. Nota, S. Ferrone, J. H. Schwab, Orthopaedic Oncology Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F. Sabbatino, X. Wang, S. Ferrone, Surgical Oncology Service, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- G. P. Nielsen, V. Deshpande, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xinhui Wang
- S. S. Patel, Orthopaedic Spine Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- S. S. Patel, S. P. Nota, S. Ferrone, J. H. Schwab, Orthopaedic Oncology Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F. Sabbatino, X. Wang, S. Ferrone, Surgical Oncology Service, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- G. P. Nielsen, V. Deshpande, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- S. S. Patel, Orthopaedic Spine Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- S. S. Patel, S. P. Nota, S. Ferrone, J. H. Schwab, Orthopaedic Oncology Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F. Sabbatino, X. Wang, S. Ferrone, Surgical Oncology Service, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- G. P. Nielsen, V. Deshpande, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph H Schwab
- S. S. Patel, Orthopaedic Spine Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- S. S. Patel, S. P. Nota, S. Ferrone, J. H. Schwab, Orthopaedic Oncology Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F. Sabbatino, X. Wang, S. Ferrone, Surgical Oncology Service, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- G. P. Nielsen, V. Deshpande, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Maggs L, Cattaneo G, Dal AE, Moghaddam AS, Ferrone S. CAR T Cell-Based Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Glioblastoma. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:662064. [PMID: 34113233 PMCID: PMC8185049 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.662064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in adults. Current treatment options typically consist of surgery followed by chemotherapy or more frequently radiotherapy, however, median patient survival remains at just over 1 year. Therefore, the need for novel curative therapies for GBM is vital. Characterization of GBM cells has contributed to identify several molecules as targets for immunotherapy-based treatments such as EGFR/EGFRvIII, IL13Rα2, B7-H3, and CSPG4. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes collected from a patient can be genetically modified to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) specific for an identified tumor antigen (TA). These CAR T cells can then be re-administered to the patient to identify and eliminate cancer cells. The impressive clinical responses to TA-specific CAR T cell-based therapies in patients with hematological malignancies have generated a lot of interest in the application of this strategy with solid tumors including GBM. Several clinical trials are evaluating TA-specific CAR T cells to treat GBM. Unfortunately, the efficacy of CAR T cells against solid tumors has been limited due to several factors. These include the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, inadequate trafficking and infiltration of CAR T cells and their lack of persistence and activity. In particular, GBM has specific limitations to overcome including acquired resistance to therapy, limited diffusion across the blood brain barrier and risks of central nervous system toxicity. Here we review current CAR T cell-based approaches for the treatment of GBM and summarize the mechanisms being explored in pre-clinical, as well as clinical studies to improve their anti-tumor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Maggs
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Michelakos T, Kontos F, Barakat O, Maggs L, Schwab JH, Ferrone CR, Ferrone S. B7-H3 targeted antibody-based immunotherapy of malignant diseases. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2021; 21:587-602. [PMID: 33301369 PMCID: PMC8087627 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2021.1862791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Recent advances in immuno-oncology and bioengineering have rekindled the interest in monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based immunotherapies for malignancies. Crucial for their success is the identification of tumor antigens (TAs) that can serve as targets. B7-H3, a member of the B7 ligand family, represents such a TA. Although its exact functions and receptor(s) remain unclear, B7-H3 has predominantly a pro-tumorigenic effect mainly by suppressing the anti-tumor functions of T-cells.Areas covered: Initially we present a historical perspective on TA-specific antibodies for diagnosis and treatment of malignancies. Following a description of the TA requirements to be an attractive antibody-based immunotherapy target, we show that B7-H3 fulfills these criteria. We discuss its structure and functions. In a review and pooled analysis, we describe the limited B7-H3 expression in normal tissues and estimate B7-H3 expression frequency in tumors, tumor-associated vasculature and cancer initiating cells (CICs). Lastly, we discuss the association of B7-H3 expression in tumors with poor prognosis.Expert opinion: B7-H3 is an attractive target for mAb-based cancer immunotherapy. B7-H3-targeting strategies are expected to be highly effective and - importantly - safe. To fully exploit the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of B7-H3, its expression in pre-malignant lesions, serum, metastases, and CICs requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Michelakos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Filippos Kontos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Omar Barakat
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Luke Maggs
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph H Schwab
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cristina R Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Nota SPFT, Al-Sukaini A, Patel SS, Sabbatino F, Nielsen GP, Deshpande V, Yearley JH, Ferrone S, Wang X, Schwab JH. High TIL, HLA, and Immune Checkpoint Expression in Conventional High-Grade and Dedifferentiated Chondrosarcoma and Poor Clinical Course of the Disease. Front Oncol 2021; 11:598001. [PMID: 33912442 PMCID: PMC8071983 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.598001] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The aim of this study was to characterize chondrosarcoma tumor infiltration by immune cells and the expression of immunologically relevant molecules. This information may contribute to our understanding of the role of immunological events in the pathogenesis of chondrosarcoma and to the rational design of immunotherapeutic strategies. Patients and Methods A tissue microarray (TMA) containing 52 conventional and 24 dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma specimens was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining for the expression of parameters associated with tumor antigen-specific immune responses, namely, CD4+ and CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the expression of HLA class I heavy chain, beta-2 microglobulin (β2m), HLA class II and immune checkpoint molecules, B7-H3 and PD-1/PD-L1. The results were correlated with histopathological characteristics and the clinical course of the disease. Results CD8+ TILs were present in 21% of the conventional and 90% of the dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma tumors tested. B7-H3 was expressed in 69% of the conventional and 96% of the dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma tumors tested. PD-1 and PD-L1 were expressed 53% and 33% respectively of the dedifferentiated tumors tested. PD-L1 expression was associated with shorter time to metastasis. Conclusion The tumor infiltration by lymphocytes suggests that chondrosarcoma is immunogenic. Defects in HLA class I antigen and expression of the checkpoint molecules B7-H3 and PD-1/PD-L1 suggest that tumor cells utilize escape mechanisms to avoid immune recognition and destruction. This data implies that chondrosarcoma will benefit from strategies that enhance the immunogenicity of tumor antigens and/or counteract the escape mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoerd P F T Nota
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ahmad Al-Sukaini
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shalin S Patel
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Francesco Sabbatino
- Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - G Petur Nielsen
- Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Vikram Deshpande
- Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jennifer H Yearley
- Department of Translational Medicine, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, United States
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Joseph H Schwab
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Section of Orthopaedic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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36
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Lei X, Ou Z, Yang Z, Zhong J, Zhu Y, Tian J, Wu J, Deng H, Lin X, Peng Y, Li B, He L, Tu Z, Chen W, Li Q, Liu N, Zhang H, Wang Z, Fang Z, Yamada T, Lv X, Tian T, Pan G, Wu F, Xiao L, Zhang L, Cai T, Wang X, Tannous BA, Li J, Kontos F, Ferrone S, Fan S. A Pan-Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Enhances the Antitumor Activity of B7-H3-Specific CAR T Cells in Solid Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:3757-3771. [PMID: 33811153 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-2487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The limited efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies with solid malignancies prompted us to test whether epigenetic therapy could enhance the antitumor activity of B7-H3.CAR T cells with several solid cancer types. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We evaluated B7-H3 expression in many human solid cancer and normal tissue samples. The efficacy of the combinatorial therapy with B7-H3.CAR T cells and the deacetylase inhibitor SAHA with several solid cancer types and the potential underlying mechanisms were characterized with in vitro and ex vivo experiments. RESULTS B7-H3 is expressed in most of the human solid tumor samples tested, but exhibits a restricted expression in normal tissues. B7-H3.CAR T cells selectively killed B7-H3 expressing human cancer cell lines in vitro. A low dose of SAHA upregulated B7-H3 expression in several types of solid cancer cells at the transcriptional level and B7-H3.CAR expression on human transgenic T-cell membrane. In contrast, the expression of immunosuppressive molecules, such as CTLA-4 and TET2, by T cells was downregulated upon SAHA treatment. A low dose of SAHA significantly enhanced the antitumor activity of B7-H3.CAR T cells with solid cancers in vitro and ex vivo, including orthotopic patient-derived xenograft and metastatic models treated with autologous CAR T-cell infusions. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that our novel strategy which combines SAHA and B7-H3.CAR T cells enhances their therapeutic efficacy with solid cancers and justify its translation to a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Lei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China.,State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Zhanpeng Ou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhaohui Yang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianglong Zhong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanliang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Tian
- Department of Ultrasound, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiannan Wu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Heran Deng
- Department of Breast Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinyu Lin
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bowen Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lile He
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zhiming Tu
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Weixiong Chen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qunxing Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Niu Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanqing Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhangsong Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zezhen Fang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Teppei Yamada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Fukuoka University Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Xiaobin Lv
- Nanchang Key Laboratory of Cancer Pathogenesis and Translational Research, Center Laboratory, the Third Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Tian Tian
- Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory of Human Functional Genomics of Jiangsu, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guokai Pan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liping Xiao
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lizao Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Cai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Bakhos A Tannous
- Experimental Therapeutics and Molecular Imaging Lab, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jinsong Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Filippos Kontos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Song Fan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China. .,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Allison JP, Barker E, Becker JC, Bumol TF, Cheresh D, Church B, Ferrone S, Galloway DR, Giedlin M, Gillies S, Handgretinger R, Harper JR, Imai K, Kahan B, Ladenstein R, Liao D, Lode HN, Loibner H, Luo YP, Mueller BM, Ng A, Niethammer A, Pellegrino M, Pertl U, Quaranta V, Russo C, Sabzevari H, Schrappe M, Schulz G, Sondel P, Stahl A, Theophilopoulos A, Varki N, Walker L, Wilson B, Wrasidlo W, Wargalla-Plate U, Xiang R, Yu A, Zhou H. Ralph A. Reisfeld, PhD: In Memoriam (1926–2020). Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-0450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James P. Allison
- 1The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Jürgen C. Becker
- 3Deutsches Konsortium Für Translationale Krebsforschung (DKTK), Essen, Germany
| | | | - David Cheresh
- 5The University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Bill Church
- 6Green Mountain Antibodies, Burlington; Vermont
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Barry Kahan
- 14University of Texas Medical School, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Debbie Liao
- 16Bristol Myers Squibb, San Diego, California
| | | | | | - Yun-Ping Luo
- 19Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | | | - AhKau Ng
- 21University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine
| | | | | | - Ursula Pertl
- 24Children's Primary Care Medical Group, Oceanside, California
| | - Vito Quaranta
- 25Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | | | | | - Martin Schrappe
- 28University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Paul Sondel
- 30University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Andreas Stahl
- 31University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | | | - Nissi Varki
- 5The University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | | | | | | | | | - Rong Xiang
- 37Nankai University, Tianjin, P.R. China
| | - Alice Yu
- 5The University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- 38Chang Gung Memorial Hospital & Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - He Zhou
- 39HiFiBiO Therapeutics, Shanghai, P.R. China
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38
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Zhang Y, He L, Sadagopan A, Ma T, Dotti G, Wang Y, Zheng H, Gao X, Wang D, DeLeo AB, Fan S, Sun R, Yu L, Zhang L, Wang G, Ferrone S, Wang X. Targeting Radiation-Resistant Prostate Cancer Stem Cells by B7-H3 CAR T Cells. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:577-588. [PMID: 33653946 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Radiotherapy (RT) is a key treatment for prostate cancer. However, RT resistance can contribute to treatment failure. Prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs) are radioresistant. We recently found that fractionated irradiation (FIR) upregulates expression of the immune checkpoint B7-H3 (CD276) on PCSCs and bulk cells in each prostate cancer cell line tested. These findings prompted us to investigate whether B7-H3 targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, which may abrogate function of an immune checkpoint and mediate lysis of targeted cells, can target RT-resistant PCSCs in vitro and in vivo. B7-H3 expression is naturally higher on PCSCs than bulk prostate cancer cells and cytotoxicity of B7-H3 CAR T cells to PCSCs is more potent than to bulk prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, FIR significantly upregulates B7-H3 expression on PCSCs and bulk prostate cancer cells. The duration of FIR or single-dose irradiation-induced further upregulation of B7-H3 on bulk prostate cancer cells and PCSCs lasts for up to 3 days. B7-H3 CAR T-cell cytotoxicity against FIR-resistant PCSCs at a low effector to target ratio of 1:1 was assessed by flow cytometry and sphere formation assays. Further upregulation of B7-H3 expression by FIR made PCSCs even more sensitive to B7-H3 CAR T-cell-mediated killing. Consequently, the FIR and B7-H3 CAR T-cell therapy combination is much more effective than FIR or CAR T cells alone in growth inhibition of hormone-insensitive prostate cancer xenografts in immunodeficient mice. Our work provides a sound basis for further development of this unique combinatorial model of RT and B7-H3 CAR T-cell therapy for prostate cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: We demonstrate that FIR significantly upregulates B7-H3 expression by RT-resistant PCSCs and bulk cells; cytotoxicity of B7-H3 CAR T cells to FIR-treated PCSCs is potent and results in significantly improved antitumor efficacy in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yida Zhang
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Lile He
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ananthan Sadagopan
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Tao Ma
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gianpietro Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Yufeng Wang
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hui Zheng
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Xin Gao
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Dian Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Albert B DeLeo
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Song Fan
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ruochuan Sun
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ling Yu
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Liyuan Zhang
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gongxian Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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39
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Datar IJ, Hauc SC, Desai S, Gianino N, Henick B, Liu Y, Syrigos K, Rimm DL, Kavathas P, Ferrone S, Schalper KA. Spatial Analysis and Clinical Significance of HLA Class-I and Class-II Subunit Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:2837-2847. [PMID: 33602682 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-3655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To analyze the distribution, associated immune contexture, and clinical significance of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class-I and HLA class-II subunits in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Using spatially resolved and quantitative multiplexed immunofluorescence we studied the tumor/stromal tissue distribution, cancer cell-specific defects, and clinicopathologic/survival associations of β2 microglobulin (β2M), HLA-A, and HLA-B,-C heavy chains, as well as HLA class-II β chain in >700 immunotherapy-naïve NSCLCs from four independent cohorts. Genomic analysis of HLA genes in NSCLC was performed using two publicly available cohorts. RESULTS Cancer cell-specific downregulation of HLA markers was identified in 30.4% of cases. β2M was downregulated in 9.8% (70/714), HLA-A in 9% (65/722), HLA-B,-C in 12.1% (87/719), and HLA class-II in 17.7% (127/717) of evaluable samples. Concurrent downregulation of β2M, HLA-B,-C, and HLA class-II was commonly identified. Deleterious mutations in HLA genes were detected in <5% of lung malignancies. Tumors with cancer cell-specific β2M downregulation displayed reduced T cells and increased natural killer (NK)-cell infiltration. Samples with cancer cell HLA-A downregulation displayed modest increase in CD8+ T cells and NK-cell infiltration. Samples with cancer cell-selective HLA-B,-C or HLA class-II downregulation displayed reduced T cells and NK-cell infiltration. There was limited association of the markers with clinicopathologic variables and KRAS/EGFR mutations. Cancer cell-selective downregulation of the HLA subunits was associated with shorter overall survival. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal frequent and differential defects in HLA class-I and HLA class-II protein subunit expression in immunotherapy-naïve NSCLCs associated with distinct tumor microenvironment composition and patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ila J Datar
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sacha C Hauc
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Shruti Desai
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Nicole Gianino
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Brian Henick
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Medical Oncology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Yuting Liu
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kostas Syrigos
- Oncology Unit, Department of Medicine, Athens University, Athens, Greece
| | - David L Rimm
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Paula Kavathas
- Laboratory Medicine and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kurt A Schalper
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
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40
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Landoni E, Fucá G, Wang J, Chirasani VR, Yao Z, Dukhovlinova E, Ferrone S, Savoldo B, Hong LK, Shou P, Musio S, Padelli F, Finocchiaro G, Droste M, Kuhlman B, Shamshiev A, Pellegatta S, Dokholyan NV, Dotti G. Modifications to the Framework Regions Eliminate Chimeric Antigen Receptor Tonic Signaling. Cancer Immunol Res 2021; 9:441-453. [PMID: 33547226 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-20-0451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) tonic signaling, defined as spontaneous activation and release of proinflammatory cytokines by CAR-T cells, is considered a negative attribute because it leads to impaired antitumor effects. Here, we report that CAR tonic signaling is caused by the intrinsic instability of the mAb single-chain variable fragment (scFv) to promote self-aggregation and signaling via the CD3ζ chain incorporated into the CAR construct. This phenomenon was detected in a CAR encoding either CD28 or 4-1BB costimulatory endodomains. Instability of the scFv was caused by specific amino acids within the framework regions (FWR) that can be identified by computational modeling. Substitutions of the amino acids causing instability, or humanization of the FWRs, corrected tonic signaling of the CAR, without modifying antigen specificity, and enhanced the antitumor effects of CAR-T cells. Overall, we demonstrated that tonic signaling of CAR-T cells is determined by the molecular instability of the scFv and that computational analyses of the scFv can be implemented to correct the scFv instability in CAR-T cells with either CD28 or 4-1BB costimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Landoni
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Giovanni Fucá
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jian Wang
- Departments of Pharmacology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Venkat R Chirasani
- Departments of Pharmacology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Zhiyuan Yao
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Elena Dukhovlinova
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Barbara Savoldo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Lee K Hong
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Peishun Shou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Silvia Musio
- Laboratory of Immunotherapy of Brain Tumors, Unit of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Padelli
- Experimental Imaging and Neuro-Radiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaetano Finocchiaro
- Laboratory of Immunotherapy of Brain Tumors, Unit of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Miriam Droste
- Cell Medica Switzerland AG, Zurich-Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Brian Kuhlman
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | | | - Serena Pellegatta
- Laboratory of Immunotherapy of Brain Tumors, Unit of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Nikolay V Dokholyan
- Departments of Pharmacology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Gianpietro Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. .,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Lichtman EI, Du H, Shou P, Song F, Suzuki K, Ahn S, Li G, Ferrone S, Su L, Savoldo B, Dotti G. Preclinical Evaluation of B7-H3-specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:3141-3153. [PMID: 33531429 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-2540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The development of safe and effective chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has largely been limited by the concomitant expression of most AML-associated surface antigens on normal myeloid progenitors and by the potential prolonged disruption of normal hematopoiesis by the immunotargeting of these antigens. The purpose of this study was to evaluate B7-homolog 3 (B7-H3) as a potential target for AML-directed CAR T-cell therapy. B7-H3, a coreceptor belonging to the B7 family of immune checkpoint molecules, is overexpressed on the leukemic blasts of a significant subset of patients with AML and may overcome these limitations as a potential target antigen for AML-directed CAR-T therapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN B7-H3 expression was evaluated on AML cell lines, primary AML blasts, and normal bone marrow progenitor populations. The antileukemia efficacy of B7-H3-specific CAR-T cells (B7-H3.CAR-T) was evaluated using in vitro coculture models and xenograft models of disseminated AML, including patient-derived xenograft models. The potential hematopoietic toxicity of B7-H3.CAR-Ts was evaluated in vitro using colony formation assays and in vivo in a humanized mouse model. RESULTS B7-H3 is expressed on monocytic AML cell lines and on primary AML blasts from patients with monocytic AML, but is not significantly expressed on normal bone marrow progenitor populations. B7-H3.CAR-Ts exhibit efficient antigen-dependent cytotoxicity in vitro and in xenograft models of AML, and are unlikely to cause unacceptable hematopoietic toxicity. CONCLUSIONS B7-H3 is a promising target for AML-directed CAR-T therapy. B7-H3.CAR-Ts control AML and have a favorable safety profile in preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eben I Lichtman
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. .,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Hongwei Du
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Peishun Shou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Feifei Song
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Kyogo Suzuki
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Sarah Ahn
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Guangming Li
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lishan Su
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Barbara Savoldo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Gianpietro Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Pietrowska M, Zebrowska A, Gawin M, Marczak L, Sharma P, Mondal S, Mika J, Polańska J, Ferrone S, Kirkwood JM, Widlak P, Whiteside TL. Proteomic profile of melanoma cell-derived small extracellular vesicles in patients' plasma: a potential correlate of melanoma progression. J Extracell Vesicles 2021; 10:e12063. [PMID: 33613873 PMCID: PMC7876545 DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular profiling of small extracellular vesicles (sEV) isolated from plasma of cancer patients emerges as promising strategy for biomarkers discovery. We investigated the proteomic profiles of sEV immunoselected using anti-CSPG4 antibodies from 15 melanoma patients' plasma. The proteomes of sEV separated into melanoma cell-derived (MTEX) and non-malignant cell-derived (NMTEX) were compared using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Paired analysis identified the MTEX-associated profile of 16 proteins that discriminated MTEX from NMETEX. We also identified the MTEX profile that discriminated between seven patients with no evidence of melanoma (NED) after therapy and eight with progressive disease (PD). Among 75 MTEX proteins overexpressed in PD patients, PDCD6IP (ALIX) had the highest discriminating value, while CNTN1 (contactin-1) was upregulated only in MTEX of NED patients. This is the first report documenting that proteomes of tumour-derived sEV in patients' plasma discriminate cancer from non-cancer and identify proteins with potential to serve as prognostic biomarkers in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Pietrowska
- Maria Sklodowska‐Curie National Research Institute of OncologyGliwicePoland
| | - Aneta Zebrowska
- Maria Sklodowska‐Curie National Research Institute of OncologyGliwicePoland
| | - Marta Gawin
- Maria Sklodowska‐Curie National Research Institute of OncologyGliwicePoland
| | - Lukasz Marczak
- European Center for Bioinformatics and GenomicsInstitute of Bioorganic Chemistry PASPoznanPoland
| | - Priyanka Sharma
- UPMC Hillman Cancer CenterUniversity of Pittsburgh Cancer InstitutePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Sujan Mondal
- UPMC Hillman Cancer CenterUniversity of Pittsburgh Cancer InstitutePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Justyna Mika
- Department of Data Science and Engineering, Silesian University of TechnologyGliwicePoland
| | - Joanna Polańska
- Department of Data Science and Engineering, Silesian University of TechnologyGliwicePoland
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of SurgeryHarvard Medical School, Massachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - John M. Kirkwood
- UPMC Hillman Cancer CenterUniversity of Pittsburgh Cancer InstitutePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA,Department of MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Piotr Widlak
- Maria Sklodowska‐Curie National Research Institute of OncologyGliwicePoland
| | - Theresa L. Whiteside
- UPMC Hillman Cancer CenterUniversity of Pittsburgh Cancer InstitutePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA,Department of PathologyUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
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43
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Guerrouahen B, Elnaggar M, Al-Mohannadi A, Kizhakayil D, Bonini C, Benjamin R, Brentjens R, Buchholz CJ, Casorati G, Ferrone S, Locke FL, Martin F, Schambach A, Turtle C, Veys P, van der Vliet HJ, Maccalli C. Proceedings From the First International Workshop at Sidra Medicine: "Engineered Immune Cells in Cancer Immunotherapy (EICCI): From Discovery to Off-the-Shelf Development", 15 th-16 th February 2019, Doha, Qatar. Front Immunol 2021; 11:589381. [PMID: 33584653 PMCID: PMC7874217 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.589381] [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] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The progress in the isolation and characterization of tumor antigen (TA)-specific T lymphocytes and in the genetic modification of immune cells allowed the clinical development of adoptive cell therapy (ACT). Several clinical studies highlighted the striking clinical activity of T cells engineered to express either Chimeric Antigen (CAR) or T Cell (TCR) Receptors to target molecularly defined antigens expressed on tumor cells. The breakthrough of immunotherapy is represented by the approval of CAR-T cells specific for advanced or refractory CD19+ B cell malignancies by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicinal Agency (EMA). Moreover, advances in the manufacturing and gene editing of engineered immune cells contributed to the selection of drug products with desired phenotype, refined specificity and decreased toxicity. An important step toward the optimization of CAR-T cell therapy is the development of "off-the shelf" T cell products that allow to reduce the complexity and the costs of the manufacturing and to render these drugs available for a broad number of cancer patients. The Engineered Immune Cells in Cancer Immunotherapy (EICCI) workshop hosted in Doha, Qatar, renowned experts, from both academia and industry, to present and discuss the progress on both pre-clinical and clinical development of genetically modified immune cells, including advances in the "off-the-shelf" manufacturing. These experts have addressed also organizational needs and hurdles for the clinical grade production and application of these biological drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Chiara Bonini
- Experimental Hematology Unit, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele and Hospital San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Reuben Benjamin
- Division of Cancer Studies, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Renier Brentjens
- Cellular Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Christian J Buchholz
- Research Unit for Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Giulia Casorati
- Experimental Immunology Unit, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele and Hospital San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Frederick L Locke
- Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Francisco Martin
- Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, Genomic Medicine Department, Granada, Spain
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boson, MA, United States
| | - Cameron Turtle
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Paul Veys
- Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Great Ormond Street (GOS) Hospital, and University College London GOS Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hans J van der Vliet
- Hans van Der Vliet, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, VU University and Cancer Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Lava Therapeutics, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Jongsma MLM, de Waard AA, Raaben M, Zhang T, Cabukusta B, Platzer R, Blomen VA, Xagara A, Verkerk T, Bliss S, Kong X, Gerke C, Janssen L, Stickel E, Holst S, Plomp R, Mulder A, Ferrone S, Claas FHJ, Heemskerk MHM, Griffioen M, Halenius A, Overkleeft H, Huppa JB, Wuhrer M, Brummelkamp TR, Neefjes J, Spaapen RM. The SPPL3-Defined Glycosphingolipid Repertoire Orchestrates HLA Class I-Mediated Immune Responses. Immunity 2021; 54:132-150.e9. [PMID: 33271119 PMCID: PMC8722104 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [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: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
HLA class I (HLA-I) glycoproteins drive immune responses by presenting antigens to cognate CD8+ T cells. This process is often hijacked by tumors and pathogens for immune evasion. Because options for restoring HLA-I antigen presentation are limited, we aimed to identify druggable HLA-I pathway targets. Using iterative genome-wide screens, we uncovered that the cell surface glycosphingolipid (GSL) repertoire determines effective HLA-I antigen presentation. We show that absence of the protease SPPL3 augmented B3GNT5 enzyme activity, resulting in upregulation of surface neolacto-series GSLs. These GSLs sterically impeded antibody and receptor interactions with HLA-I and diminished CD8+ T cell activation. Furthermore, a disturbed SPPL3-B3GNT5 pathway in glioma correlated with decreased patient survival. We show that the immunomodulatory effect could be reversed through GSL synthesis inhibition using clinically approved drugs. Overall, our study identifies a GSL signature that inhibits immune recognition and represents a potential therapeutic target in cancer, infection, and autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlieke L M Jongsma
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Antonius A de Waard
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Matthijs Raaben
- Oncode Institute, Division of Biochemistry, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tao Zhang
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolics, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Birol Cabukusta
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - René Platzer
- Institut für Hygiene und Angewandte Immunologie, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincent A Blomen
- Oncode Institute, Division of Biochemistry, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anastasia Xagara
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tamara Verkerk
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sophie Bliss
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Xiangrui Kong
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Carolin Gerke
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lennert Janssen
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Elmer Stickel
- Oncode Institute, Division of Biochemistry, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stephanie Holst
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolics, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Rosina Plomp
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolics, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Arend Mulder
- Department of Immunology, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Mirjam H M Heemskerk
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke Griffioen
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Anne Halenius
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hermen Overkleeft
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Johannes B Huppa
- Institut für Hygiene und Angewandte Immunologie, Vienna, Austria
| | - Manfred Wuhrer
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolics, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Thijn R Brummelkamp
- Oncode Institute, Division of Biochemistry, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria; Cancer Genomics Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jacques Neefjes
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Robbert M Spaapen
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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45
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Simeone E, Scognamiglio G, Capone M, Giannarelli D, Grimaldi AM, Mallardo D, Madonna G, Curvietto M, Esposito A, Sandomenico F, Sabbatino F, Bayless NL, Warren S, Ong S, Botti G, Flaherty KT, Ferrone S, Ascierto PA. A monocentric phase I study of vemurafenib plus cobimetinib plus PEG-interferon (VEMUPLINT) in advanced melanoma patients harboring the V600BRAF mutation. J Transl Med 2021; 19:17. [PMID: 33407577 PMCID: PMC7789377 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02680-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Studies carried out in vitro and in a mouse model have shown that BRAF inhibitors enhance the effects of IFN-α on BRAFV600E melanoma cells through the inhibition of ERK. Therefore, the combination of vemurafenib and IFN-α in patients with BRAFV600E melanoma may provide therapeutic benefits; MEK inhibition may prevent the reactivation of the MAPK pathway induced by BRAF inhibitor resistance. Patients and methods In a phase I study, adult patients with advanced BRAFV600-mutated melanoma were treated with vemurafenib + PEG-IFN-α-2b or vemurafenib + cobimetinib + PEG-IFN-α-2b, to assess the safety of the combination and the upregulation of IFN-α/β receptor-1 (IFNAR1). Results Eight patients were treated; 59 adverse events with four serious ones (three related to study treatments) were reported. Patients with a pre-treatment IFNAR1 expression on ≤ 35% melanoma cells had a median progression-free survival of 12.0 months (range: 5.6–18.4 months) and a median overall survival of 31.0 months (range: 19.8–42.2 months), while patients with a pre-treatment IFNAR1 expression on > 35% of melanoma cells had a median progression-free survival of 4.0 months (range: 0–8.8; p = 0.03), and a median overall survival of 5 months (p = 0.02). Following treatment, responders had higher levels of growth-suppressor genes, including GAS1 and DUSP1, and genes involved in a metabolically robust immune response, including FAP. Conclusion Our study supports the overall safety of the vemurafenib + PEG-IFN-α-2b + cobimetinib combination. IFNAR1 expression levels correlated with response to treatment, including survival. Vemurafenib + PEG-IFN-α-2b + cobimetinib would have difficulty finding a niche in the current treatment scenario for advanced melanoma, but we speculate that our findings may contribute to identify subjects particularly responsive to treatment. Trial registration: The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01959633). Registered 10 October 2013, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01959633
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Simeone
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Gabriele Madonna
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Assunta Esposito
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - SuFey Ong
- NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gerardo Botti
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Soldano Ferrone
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paolo A Ascierto
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G Pascale, Naples, Italy.
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46
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Kontos F, Michelakos T, Kurokawa T, Sadagopan A, Schwab JH, Ferrone CR, Ferrone S. B7-H3: An Attractive Target for Antibody-based Immunotherapy. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 27:1227-1235. [PMID: 33051306 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-2584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The recent impressive clinical responses to antibody-based immunotherapy have prompted the identification of clinically relevant tumor antigens that can serve as targets in solid tumors. Among them, B7-H3, a member of the B7 ligand family, represents an attractive target for antibody-based immunotherapy, it is overexpressed on differentiated malignant cells and cancer-initiating cells, with limited heterogeneity, and high frequency (60% of 25,000 tumor samples) in many different cancer types, but has a limited expression at low level in normal tissues. In nonmalignant tissues, B7-H3 has a predominantly inhibitory role in adaptive immunity, suppressing T-cell activation and proliferation. In malignant tissues, B7-H3 inhibits tumor antigen-specific immune responses, leading to a protumorigenic effect. B7-H3 also has nonimmunologic protumorigenic functions, such as promoting migration and invasion, angiogenesis, chemoresistance, and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, as well as affecting tumor cell metabolism. As a result, B7-H3 expression in tumors is associated with poor prognosis. Although experimental B7-H3 silencing reduces cancer cell malignant potential, there has been limited emphasis on the development of B7-H3-blocking antibodies, most likely because the B7-H3 receptor remains unknown. Instead, many antibody-based strategies utilizing distinct effector mechanisms to target B7-H3-expressing cancer cells have been developed. These strategies have demonstrated potent antitumor activity and acceptable safety profiles in preclinical models. Ongoing clinical trials are assessing their safety and efficacy in patients. Identification of the B7-H3 receptor will improve our understanding of its role in tumor immunity, and will suggest rational strategies to develop blocking antibodies, which may enhance the therapeutic efficacy of tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippos Kontos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Theodoros Michelakos
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Tomohiro Kurokawa
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ananthan Sadagopan
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joseph H Schwab
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Cristina R Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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47
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Kaplan HH, Lauretta DS, Simon AA, Hamilton VE, DellaGiustina DN, Golish DR, Reuter DC, Bennett CA, Burke KN, Campins H, Connolly HC, Dworkin JP, Emery JP, Glavin DP, Glotch TD, Hanna R, Ishimaru K, Jawin ER, McCoy TJ, Porter N, Sandford SA, Ferrone S, Clark BE, Li JY, Zou XD, Daly MG, Barnouin OS, Seabrook JA, Enos HL. Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) Bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history. Science 2020; 370:science.abc3557. [PMID: 33033155 DOI: 10.1126/science.abc3557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The composition of asteroids and their connection to meteorites provide insight into geologic processes that occurred in the early Solar System. We present spectra of the Nightingale crater region on near-Earth asteroid Bennu with a distinct infrared absorption around 3.4 micrometers. Corresponding images of boulders show centimeters-thick, roughly meter-long bright veins. We interpret the veins as being composed of carbonates, similar to those found in aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. If the veins on Bennu are carbonates, fluid flow and hydrothermal deposition on Bennu's parent body would have occurred on kilometer scales for thousands to millions of years. This suggests large-scale, open-system hydrothermal alteration of carbonaceous asteroids in the early Solar System.
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Affiliation(s)
- H H Kaplan
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA. .,Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - D S Lauretta
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - A A Simon
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | | | - D N DellaGiustina
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - D R Golish
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - D C Reuter
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - C A Bennett
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - K N Burke
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - H Campins
- Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - H C Connolly
- Department of Geology, School of Earth and Environment, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA.,Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - J P Dworkin
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - J P Emery
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - D P Glavin
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - T D Glotch
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - R Hanna
- Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - K Ishimaru
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - E R Jawin
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - T J McCoy
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - N Porter
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - S A Sandford
- NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA, USA
| | - S Ferrone
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - B E Clark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - J-Y Li
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - X-D Zou
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - M G Daly
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - O S Barnouin
- John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - J A Seabrook
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - H L Enos
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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48
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Michelakos T, Taylor MS, Sekigami Y, Kontos F, Warshaw AL, Lillemoe KD, Ferrone S, Deshpande V, Ferrone CR. Mutation Profile of Borderline/Locally Advanced Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Responding to Total Neoadjuvant Therapy with FOLFIRINOX. J Am Coll Surg 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.07.598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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49
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Sharma P, Diergaarde B, Ferrone S, Kirkwood JM, Whiteside TL. Abstract B19: Suppression of CD8+ T-cell functions by melanoma cell-derived exosomes captured from plasma of patients with melanoma. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.mel2019-b19] [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
Exosomes, virus-sized (30-150nm) vesicles, derived from the endocytic compartment of parent cells, are produced by all cells and are present in all body fluids. Melanoma patients’ plasma contains exosomes produced by normal and malignant cells. To study the impact of melanoma cell-derived exosomes (MTEX) on human immune cells and melanoma progression, we isolated MTEX from total exosomes in plasma by immune capture with anti-CSPG-4 mAbs on beads. 19 proteins carried by MTEX and by non-MTEX of 12 patients with metastatic melanoma were quantified by on-bead flowcytometry. Immunoregulatory functions of these exosomes were measured in co-incubation assays with human immune cell subsets. Plasma exosomes of 6 normal donors served as controls. Melanoma-associated antigens (MAA) were present on MTEX only. MTEX carried more inhibitory ligands than non-MTEX (FasL, p<0.007; TRAIL, p<0.02), inhibited CD69 expression (p<0.002) on CD8+ T cells, suppressed T-cell proliferation (p<0.0005), and induced apoptosis of CD8+ T cells (p< 0.0005). MTEX-mediated suppression accounted for suppressive activities of total plasma exosomes. Although non-MTEX were enriched in immunostimulatory proteins (p<0.002), they induced greater suppression of NKG2D on NK cells than MTEX (p<0.001). This is the first study to show that MTEX, a subset of circulating exosomes derived from melanoma cells, are largely responsible for immuno-suppressive effects that potentially translate into systemic immune suppression and tumor promotion in melanoma patients.
Citation Format: Priyanka Sharma, Brenda Diergaarde, Soldano Ferrone, John M Kirkwood, Theresa L. Whiteside. Suppression of CD8+ T-cell functions by melanoma cell-derived exosomes captured from plasma of patients with melanoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Melanoma: From Biology to Target; 2019 Jan 15-18; Houston, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(19 Suppl):Abstract nr B19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Sharma
- 1University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA,
| | - Brenda Diergaarde
- 2Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA,
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- 3Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,
| | - John M Kirkwood
- 1University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA,
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Sabbatino F, Scognamiglio G, Liguori L, Marra A, Anniciello AM, Polcaro G, Dal Col J, Caputo A, Peluso AL, Botti G, Zeppa P, Ferrone S, Pepe S. Peritumoral Immune Infiltrate as a Prognostic Biomarker in Thin Melanoma. Front Immunol 2020; 11:561390. [PMID: 33117345 PMCID: PMC7550791 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.561390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Thin melanomas are tumors less than 1 mm thick according to Breslow classification. Their prognosis is in most cases excellent. However, a small subset of these tumors relapses. These clinical findings emphasize the need of novel prognostic biomarkers to identify this subset of tumors. Characterization of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is currently investigated as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for cancer immunotherapy in several solid tumors including melanoma. Here, taking into account the limited availability of tumor tissues, by characterizing some of the characteristics of TIME such as number of infiltrating lymphocytes, HLA class I antigen and PD-L1 expression, we show that number of infiltrating CD8+ and FOXP3+ T cells as well as CD8+/FOXP3+ T cell ratio can represent a useful prognostic biomarker in thin melanoma. Although further investigations in a larger patient cohort are needed, these findings have potential clinical significance since they can be used to define subgroups of thin melanoma patients who have a worse prognosis and might need different treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Sabbatino
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy.,Oncology Unit, San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - Giosuè Scognamiglio
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCSS, "Fondazione G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Liguori
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Marra
- Division of Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Anniciello
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCSS, "Fondazione G. Pascale", Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna Polcaro
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Jessica Dal Col
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Alessandro Caputo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy.,Pathology Unit, San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - Anna Lucia Peluso
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy.,Pathology Unit, San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - Gerardo Botti
- Scientific Direction, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | - Pio Zeppa
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy.,Pathology Unit, San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - Soldano Ferrone
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Stefano Pepe
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy.,Oncology Unit, San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
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