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Shields NJ, Peyroux EM, Ferguson AL, Steain M, Neumann S, Young SL. Late-stage MC38 tumours recapitulate features of human colorectal cancer - implications for appropriate timepoint selection in preclinical studies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1152035. [PMID: 37153625 PMCID: PMC10160415 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1152035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Anti-tumour T cell responses play a crucial role in controlling the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), making this disease a promising candidate for immunotherapy. However, responses to immune-targeted therapies are currently limited to subpopulations of patients and specific types of cancer. Clinical studies have therefore focussed on identifying biomarkers that predict immunotherapy responses and elucidating the immunological landscapes of different cancers. Meanwhile, our understanding of how preclinical tumour models resemble human disease has fallen behind, despite their crucial role in immune-targeted drug development. A deeper understanding of these models is therefore needed to improve the development of immunotherapies and the translation of findings made in these systems. MC38 colon adenocarcinoma is a widely used preclinical model, yet how it recapitulates human colorectal cancer remains poorly defined. This study investigated the tumour-T cell immune landscape of MC38 tumours using histology, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry. We demonstrate that early-stage tumours exhibit a nascent TME, lacking important immune-resistance mechanisms of clinical interest, while late-stage tumours exhibit a mature TME resembling human tumours, with desmoplasia, T cell exhaustion, and T cell exclusion. Consequently, these findings clarify appropriate timepoint selection in the MC38 model when investigating both immunotherapies and mechanisms that contribute to immunotherapy resistance. Overall, this study provides a valuable resource that will enable appropriate application of the MC38 model and expedite the development and clinical translation of new immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Shields
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- *Correspondence: Nicholas J. Shields,
| | - Estelle M. Peyroux
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Angela L. Ferguson
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Liver Injury and Cancer Program, Centenary Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Megan Steain
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Silke Neumann
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sarah L. Young
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Science, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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