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Nguyen TT, Shin DH, Sohoni S, Singh SK, Rivera-Molina Y, Jiang H, Fan X, Gumin J, Lang FF, Alvarez-Breckenridge C, Godoy-Vitorino F, Zhu L, Zheng WJ, Zhai L, Ladomersky E, Lauing KL, Alonso MM, Wainwright DA, Gomez-Manzano C, Fueyo J. Reshaping the tumor microenvironment with oncolytic viruses, positive regulation of the immune synapse, and blockade of the immunosuppressive oncometabolic circuitry. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:e004935. [PMID: 35902132 PMCID: PMC9341188 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [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: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oncolytic viruses are considered part of immunotherapy and have shown promise in preclinical experiments and clinical trials. Results from these studies have suggested that tumor microenvironment remodeling is required to achieve an effective response in solid tumors. Here, we assess the extent to which targeting specific mechanisms underlying the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment optimizes viroimmunotherapy. METHODS We used RNA-seq analyses to analyze the transcriptome, and validated the results using Q-PCR, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence. Viral activity was analyzed by replication assays and viral titration. Kyn and Trp metabolite levels were quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation was analyzed by examination of promoter activity. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed by tumor histopathology and survival in syngeneic murine models of gliomas, including Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO)-/- mice. Flow cytometry was used for immunophenotyping and quantification of cell populations. Immune activation was examined in co-cultures of immune and cancer cells. T-cell depletion was used to identify the role played by specific cell populations. Rechallenge experiments were performed to identify the development of anti-tumor memory. RESULTS Bulk RNA-seq analyses showed the activation of the immunosuppressive IDO-kynurenine-AhR circuitry in response to Delta-24-RGDOX infection of tumors. To overcome the effect of this pivotal pathway, we combined Delta-24-RGDOX with clinically relevant IDO inhibitors. The combination therapy increased the frequency of CD8+ T cells and decreased the rate of myeloid-derived suppressor cell and immunosupressive Treg tumor populations in animal models of solid tumors. Functional studies demonstrated that IDO-blockade-dependent activation of immune cells against tumor antigens could be reversed by the oncometabolite kynurenine. The concurrent targeting of the effectors and suppressors of the tumor immune landscape significantly prolonged the survival in animal models of orthotopic gliomas. CONCLUSIONS Our data identified for the first time the in vivo role of IDO-dependent immunosuppressive pathways in the resistance of solid tumors to oncolytic adenoviruses. Specifically, the IDO-Kyn-AhR activity was responsible for the resurface of local immunosuppression and resistance to therapy, which was ablated through IDO inhibition. Our data indicate that combined molecular and immune therapy may improve outcomes in human gliomas and other cancers treated with virotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa T Nguyen
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Dong Ho Shin
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sagar Sohoni
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sanjay K Singh
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yisel Rivera-Molina
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Xuejun Fan
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Joy Gumin
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Frederick F Lang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Lisha Zhu
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Biomedical Informatics, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - W Jim Zheng
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Biomedical Informatics, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lijie Zhai
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Erik Ladomersky
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Kristen L Lauing
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Marta M Alonso
- Pediatrics, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Program of Solid Tumors, CIMA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Derek A Wainwright
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Medicine-Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Candelaria Gomez-Manzano
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Juan Fueyo
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
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