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Craig AJ, Garcia-Lezana T, Ruiz de Galarreta M, Villacorta-Martin C, Kozlova EG, Martins-Filho SN, von Felden J, Ahsen ME, Bresnahan E, Hernandez-Meza G, Labgaa I, D’Avola D, Schwartz M, Llovet JM, Sia D, Thung S, Losic B, Lujambio A, Villanueva A. Transcriptomic characterization of cancer-testis antigens identifies MAGEA3 as a driver of tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009589. [PMID: 34166362 PMCID: PMC8224860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are an extensive gene family with a unique expression pattern restricted to germ cells, but aberrantly reactivated in cancer tissues. Studies indicate that the expression (or re-expression) of CTAs within the MAGE-A family is common in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no systematic characterization has yet been reported. The aim of this study is to perform a comprehensive profile of CTA de-regulation in HCC and experimentally evaluate the role of MAGEA3 as a driver of HCC progression. The transcriptomic analysis of 44 multi-regionally sampled HCCs from 12 patients identified high intra-tumor heterogeneity of CTAs. In addition, a subset of CTAs was significantly overexpressed in histologically poorly differentiated regions. Further analysis of CTAs in larger patient cohorts revealed high CTA expression related to worse overall survival and several other markers of poor prognosis. Functional analysis of MAGEA3 was performed in human HCC cell lines by gene silencing and in a genetic mouse model by overexpression of MAGEA3 in the liver. Knockdown of MAGEA3 decreased cell proliferation, colony formation and increased apoptosis. MAGEA3 overexpression was associated with more aggressive tumors in vivo. In conclusion MAGEA3 enhances tumor progression and should be considered as a novel therapeutic target in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J. Craig
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Teresa Garcia-Lezana
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Marina Ruiz de Galarreta
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Department of Oncological Sciences, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Precision Immunology Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Carlos Villacorta-Martin
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Edgar G. Kozlova
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Cancer Immunology Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Sebastiao N. Martins-Filho
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Johann von Felden
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mehmet Eren Ahsen
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Cancer Immunology Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Erin Bresnahan
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Department of Oncological Sciences, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Precision Immunology Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Gabriela Hernandez-Meza
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Ismail Labgaa
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Delia D’Avola
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Liver Unit and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Myron Schwartz
- Department of Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Josep M. Llovet
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Translational Research Laboratory, BCLC Group, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Catalonia and Madrid, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Daniela Sia
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Swan Thung
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Bojan Losic
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Cancer Immunology Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Amaia Lujambio
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Department of Oncological Sciences, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Precision Immunology Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, United States of America
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Sivori S, Meazza R, Quintarelli C, Carlomagno S, Della Chiesa M, Falco M, Moretta L, Locatelli F, Pende D. NK Cell-Based Immunotherapy for Hematological Malignancies. J Clin Med 2019; 8:E1702. [PMID: 31623224 PMCID: PMC6832127 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8101702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) lymphocytes are an integral component of the innate immune system and represent important effector cells in cancer immunotherapy, particularly in the control of hematological malignancies. Refined knowledge of NK cellular and molecular biology has fueled the interest in NK cell-based antitumor therapies, and recent efforts have been made to exploit the high potential of these cells in clinical practice. Infusion of high numbers of mature NK cells through the novel graft manipulation based on the selective depletion of T cells and CD19+ B cells has resulted into an improved outcome in children with acute leukemia given human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-haploidentical hematopoietic transplantation. Likewise, adoptive transfer of purified third-party NK cells showed promising results in patients with myeloid malignancies. Strategies based on the use of cytokines or monoclonal antibodies able to induce and optimize NK cell activation, persistence, and expansion also represent a novel field of investigation with remarkable perspectives of favorably impacting on outcome of patients with hematological neoplasia. In addition, preliminary results suggest that engineering of mature NK cells through chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) constructs deserve further investigation, with the goal of obtaining an "off-the-shelf" NK cell bank that may serve many different recipients for granting an efficient antileukemia activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sivori
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy (S.C.); (M.D.C.)
- Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Raffaella Meazza
- Department of Integrated Oncological Therapies, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy;
| | - Concetta Quintarelli
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, 00165 Rome, Italy; (C.Q.); (F.L.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Carlomagno
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy (S.C.); (M.D.C.)
| | - Mariella Della Chiesa
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy (S.C.); (M.D.C.)
- Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Michela Falco
- Integrated Department of Services and Laboratories, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy;
| | - Lorenzo Moretta
- Department of Immunology, IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, 00146 Rome, Italy;
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, 00165 Rome, Italy; (C.Q.); (F.L.)
- Department of Gynecology/Obstetrics and Pediatrics, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pende
- Department of Integrated Oncological Therapies, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy;
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