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Tumor-associated inflammation drives cancer progression and therapy resistance, often linked to the infiltration of monocyte-derived tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which are associated with poor prognosis in various cancers. To advance immunotherapies, testing on immunocompetent pre-clinical models of human tissue is crucial. We have developed an in vitro model of microvascular networks with tumor spheroids or patient tissues to assess monocyte trafficking into tumors and evaluate immunotherapies targeting the human tumor microenvironment. Our findings demonstrate that macrophages in vascularized breast and lung tumor models can enhance monocyte recruitment via CCL7 and CCL2, mediated by CSF-1R. Additionally, a multispecific antibody targeting CSF-1R, CCR2, and neutralizing TGF-ß (CSF1R/CCR2/TGF-ß Ab) repolarizes TAMs towards an anti-tumoral M1-like phenotype, reduces monocyte chemoattractant protein secretion, and blocks monocyte migration. This antibody also inhibits monocyte recruitment in patient-specific vascularized tumor models. In summary, this vascularized tumor model recapitulates the monocyte recruitment cascade, enabling functional testing of innovative therapeutic antibodies targeting TAMs in the tumor microenvironment.
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Monocitos , Receptor de Factor Estimulante de Colonias de Macrófagos , Receptores CCR2 , Microambiente Tumoral , Humanos , Receptores CCR2/metabolismo , Receptores CCR2/antagonistas & inhibidores , Monocitos/metabolismo , Monocitos/inmunología , Receptor de Factor Estimulante de Colonias de Macrófagos/antagonistas & inhibidores , Receptor de Factor Estimulante de Colonias de Macrófagos/metabolismo , Microambiente Tumoral/inmunología , Animales , Línea Celular Tumoral , Femenino , Macrófagos Asociados a Tumores/inmunología , Macrófagos Asociados a Tumores/metabolismo , Ratones , Movimiento Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Neoplasias/inmunología , Neoplasias/patologíaRESUMEN
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone methyltransferase and emerging therapeutic target that is overexpressed in most castration-resistant prostate cancers and implicated as a driver of disease progression and resistance to hormonal therapies. Here we define the lineage-specific action and differential activity of EZH2 in both prostate adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) subtypes of advanced prostate cancer to better understand the role of EZH2 in modulating differentiation, lineage plasticity, and to identify mediators of response and resistance to EZH2 inhibitor therapy. Mechanistically, EZH2 modulates bivalent genes that results in upregulation of NEPC-associated transcriptional drivers (e.g., ASCL1) and neuronal gene programs in NEPC, and leads to forward differentiation after targeting EZH2 in NEPC. Subtype-specific downstream effects of EZH2 inhibition on cell cycle genes support the potential rationale for co-targeting cyclin/CDK to overcome resistance to EZH2 inhibition.
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Proteína Potenciadora del Homólogo Zeste 2 , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica , Neoplasias de la Próstata , Proteína Potenciadora del Homólogo Zeste 2/metabolismo , Proteína Potenciadora del Homólogo Zeste 2/genética , Masculino , Humanos , Línea Celular Tumoral , Neoplasias de la Próstata/genética , Neoplasias de la Próstata/metabolismo , Neoplasias de la Próstata/patología , Animales , Adenocarcinoma/genética , Adenocarcinoma/metabolismo , Adenocarcinoma/patología , Resistencia a Antineoplásicos/genética , Diferenciación Celular , Neoplasias de la Próstata Resistentes a la Castración/genética , Neoplasias de la Próstata Resistentes a la Castración/metabolismo , Neoplasias de la Próstata Resistentes a la Castración/patología , Neoplasias de la Próstata Resistentes a la Castración/tratamiento farmacológico , Ratones , Linaje de la CélulaRESUMEN
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most lethal type of lung cancer. Paradoxically, this tumor displays an initial exquisite response to chemotherapy; however, at relapse, the tumor is highly resistant to subsequent available therapies. Here, we report that the expression of three prime repair exonuclease 1 (TREX1) is strongly induced in chemoresistant SCLCs. Assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing revealed a significant increase in chromatin accessibility and transcriptional activity of TREX1 gene locus in chemoresistant SCLCs. Analyses of human SCLC tumors and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) also showed an increase in TREX1 expression in postchemotherapy samples. TREX1 depletion caused the activation of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase stimulator of interferon gene pathway due to cytoplasmic accumulation of damage-associated double-stranded DNA, inducing immunogenicity and enhancing the sensitivity of drug-resistant cells to chemotherapy. These findings suggest TREX1 upregulation may partially contribute to the survival of resistant cells, and its inhibition may represent a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance antitumor immunity and potentiate the efficacy of chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy in chemoresistant SCLCs. Significance: In this study, we show that targeting TREX1 induces an innate immune response and resensitizes SCLC cells to chemotherapy, representing a promising novel target for "immunologically" cold tumors, such as SCLC.
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Resistencia a Antineoplásicos , Exodesoxirribonucleasas , Inmunidad Innata , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Fosfoproteínas , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células Pequeñas , Exodesoxirribonucleasas/genética , Exodesoxirribonucleasas/metabolismo , Humanos , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células Pequeñas/genética , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células Pequeñas/tratamiento farmacológico , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células Pequeñas/inmunología , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células Pequeñas/patología , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/inmunología , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patología , Inmunidad Innata/efectos de los fármacos , Inmunidad Innata/genética , Resistencia a Antineoplásicos/genética , Fosfoproteínas/genética , Fosfoproteínas/metabolismo , Ratones , Animales , Línea Celular Tumoral , Ensayos Antitumor por Modelo de Xenoinjerto , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica/efectos de los fármacosRESUMEN
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains one of the most lethal gynecological cancers. Cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML) natural killer (NK) cells have shown promising results in preclinical and early-phase clinical trials. In the current study, CIML NK cells demonstrated superior antitumor responses against a panel of EOC cell lines, increased expression of activation receptors, and up-regulation of genes involved in cell cycle/proliferation and down-regulation of inhibitory/suppressive genes. CIML NK cells transduced with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting the membrane-proximal domain of mesothelin (MSLN) further improved the antitumor responses against MSLN-expressing EOC cells and patient-derived xenograft tumor cells. CAR arming of the CIML NK cells subtanstially reduced their dysfunction in patient-derived ascites fluid with transcriptomic changes related to altered metabolism and tonic signaling as potential mechanisms. Lastly, the adoptive transfer of MSLN-CAR CIML NK cells demonstrated remarkable inhibition of tumor growth and prevented metastatic spread in xenograft mice, supporting their potential as an effective therapeutic strategy in EOC.
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Células Asesinas Naturales , Mesotelina , Neoplasias Ováricas , Receptores Quiméricos de Antígenos , Ensayos Antitumor por Modelo de Xenoinjerto , Humanos , Animales , Células Asesinas Naturales/inmunología , Células Asesinas Naturales/metabolismo , Femenino , Ratones , Neoplasias Ováricas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Ováricas/patología , Neoplasias Ováricas/inmunología , Neoplasias Ováricas/terapia , Línea Celular Tumoral , Receptores Quiméricos de Antígenos/metabolismo , Receptores Quiméricos de Antígenos/inmunología , Receptores Quiméricos de Antígenos/genética , Proteínas Ligadas a GPI/metabolismo , Proteínas Ligadas a GPI/genética , Inmunoterapia Adoptiva/métodos , Carcinoma Epitelial de Ovario/metabolismo , Carcinoma Epitelial de Ovario/patología , Carcinoma Epitelial de Ovario/inmunología , Carcinoma Epitelial de Ovario/terapia , Memoria Inmunológica , Dominios ProteicosRESUMEN
PURPOSE: Histologic transformation to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a mechanism of treatment resistance in patients with advanced oncogene-driven lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) that currently requires histologic review for diagnosis. Herein, we sought to develop an epigenomic cell-free DNA (cfDNA)-based approach to noninvasively detect small cell transformation in patients with EGFR mutant (EGFRm) LUAD. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: To characterize the epigenomic landscape of transformed (t)SCLC relative to LUAD and de novo SCLC, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) to profile the histone modifications H3K27ac, H3K4me3, and H3K27me3; methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-seq); assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing; and RNA sequencing on 26 lung cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors. We then generated and analyzed H3K27ac ChIP-seq, MeDIP-seq, and whole genome sequencing cfDNA data from 1 mL aliquots of plasma from patients with EGFRm LUAD with or without tSCLC. RESULTS: Analysis of 126 epigenomic libraries from the lung cancer PDXs revealed widespread epigenomic reprogramming between LUAD and tSCLC, with a large number of differential H3K27ac (n = 24,424), DNA methylation (n = 3,298), and chromatin accessibility (n = 16,352) sites between the two histologies. Tumor-informed analysis of each of these three epigenomic features in cfDNA resulted in accurate noninvasive discrimination between patients with EGFRm LUAD versus tSCLC [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) = 0.82-0.87]. A multianalyte cfDNA-based classifier integrating these three epigenomic features discriminated between EGFRm LUAD versus tSCLC with an AUROC of 0.94. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate the feasibility of detecting small cell transformation in patients with EGFRm LUAD through epigenomic cfDNA profiling of 1 mL of patient plasma.
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Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón , Ácidos Nucleicos Libres de Células , Epigenómica , Receptores ErbB , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Mutación , Humanos , Receptores ErbB/genética , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/genética , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/patología , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/sangre , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patología , Neoplasias Pulmonares/sangre , Neoplasias Pulmonares/diagnóstico , Ácidos Nucleicos Libres de Células/genética , Ácidos Nucleicos Libres de Células/sangre , Epigenómica/métodos , Ratones , Animales , Biomarcadores de Tumor/genética , Femenino , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células Pequeñas/genética , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células Pequeñas/patología , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células Pequeñas/sangre , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células Pequeñas/diagnóstico , Metilación de ADN , Masculino , Transformación Celular Neoplásica/genética , Epigénesis GenéticaRESUMEN
Endothelial programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is higher in tumors than in normal tissues. Also, tumoral vasculatures tend to be leakier than normal vessels leading to a higher trans-endothelial or transmural fluid flow. However, it is not clear whether such elevated transmural flow can control endothelial PD-L1 expression. Here, a new microfluidic device is developed to investigate the relationship between transmural flow and PD-L1 expression in microvascular networks (MVNs). After treating the MVNs with transmural flow for 24 h, the expression of PD-L1 in endothelial cells is upregulated. Additionally, CD8 T cell activation by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) is suppressed when cultured in the MVNs pre-conditioned with transmural flow. Moreover, transmural flow is able to further increase PD-L1 expression in the vessels formed in the tumor microenvironment. Finally, by utilizing blocking antibodies and knock-out assays, it is found that transmural flow-driven PD-L1 upregulation is controlled by integrin αVß3. Overall, this study provides a new biophysical explanation for high PD-L1 expression in tumoral vasculatures.
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Antígeno B7-H1 , Microvasos , Regulación hacia Arriba , Antígeno B7-H1/metabolismo , Antígeno B7-H1/genética , Humanos , Microvasos/metabolismo , Microambiente Tumoral , Ratones , Animales , Células Endoteliales/metabolismoRESUMEN
Given the safety, tumor tropism, and ease of genetic manipulation in non-pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli), we designed a novel approach to deliver biologics to overcome poor trafficking and exhaustion of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, via the surface display of key immune-activating cytokines on the outer membrane of E. coli K-12 DH5α. Bacteria expressing murine decoy-resistant IL18 mutein (DR18) induced robust CD8+ T and NK cell-dependent immune responses leading to dramatic tumor control, extending survival, and curing a significant proportion of immune-competent mice with colorectal carcinoma and melanoma. The engineered bacteria demonstrated tumor tropism, while the abscopal and recall responses suggested epitope spreading and induction of immunologic memory. E. coli K-12 DH5α engineered to display human DR18 potently activated mesothelin-targeting CAR NK cells and safely enhanced their trafficking into the tumors, leading to improved control and survival in xenograft mice bearing mesothelioma tumor cells, otherwise resistant to NK cells. Gene expression analysis of the bacteria-primed CAR NK cells showed enhanced TNFα signaling via NFkB and upregulation of multiple activation markers. Our novel live bacteria-based immunotherapeutic platform safely and effectively induces potent anti-tumor responses in otherwise hard-to-treat solid tumors, motivating further evaluation of this approach in the clinic.
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One of the major hurdles that has hindered the success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies against solid tumors is on-target off-tumor (OTOT) toxicity due to sharing of the same epitopes on normal tissues. To elevate the safety profile of CAR-T cells, an affinity/avidity fine-tuned CAR was designed enabling CAR-T cell activation only in the presence of a highly expressed tumor associated antigen (TAA) but not when recognizing the same antigen at a physiological level on healthy cells. Using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) which provides single-molecule resolution, and flow cytometry, we identified high carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) density on clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patient samples and low-density expression on healthy bile duct tissues. A Tet-On doxycycline-inducible CAIX expressing cell line was established to mimic various CAIX densities, providing coverage from CAIX-high skrc-59 tumor cells to CAIX-low MMNK-1 cholangiocytes. Assessing the killing of CAR-T cells, we demonstrated that low-affinity/high-avidity fine-tuned G9 CAR-T has a wider therapeutic window compared to high-affinity/high-avidity G250 that was used in the first anti-CAIX CAR-T clinical trial but displayed serious OTOT effects. To assess the therapeutic effect of G9 on patient samples, we generated ccRCC patient derived organotypic tumor spheroid (PDOTS) ex vivo cultures and demonstrated that G9 CAR-T cells exhibited superior efficacy, migration and cytokine release in these miniature tumors. Moreover, in an RCC orthotopic mouse model, G9 CAR-T cells showed enhanced tumor control compared to G250. In summary, G9 has successfully mitigated OTOT side effects and in doing so has made CAIX a druggable immunotherapeutic target.
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Anhidrasas Carbónicas , Carcinoma de Células Renales , Neoplasias Renales , Receptores Quiméricos de Antígenos , Animales , Ratones , Humanos , Anhidrasa Carbónica IX/genética , Carcinoma de Células Renales/metabolismo , Neoplasias Renales/patología , Receptores Quiméricos de Antígenos/genética , Anhidrasas Carbónicas/metabolismo , Anhidrasas Carbónicas/uso terapéutico , Antígenos de Neoplasias , Anticuerpos , Linfocitos T/metabolismoRESUMEN
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone methyltransferase and emerging therapeutic target that is overexpressed in most castration-resistant prostate cancers and implicated as a driver of disease progression and resistance to hormonal therapies. Here we define the lineage-specific action and differential activity of EZH2 in both prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) and neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) subtypes of advanced prostate cancer to better understand the role of EZH2 in modulating differentiation, lineage plasticity, and to identify mediators of response and resistance to EZH2 inhibitor therapy. Mechanistically, EZH2 modulates bivalent genes that results in upregulation of NEPC-associated transcriptional drivers (e.g., ASCL1) and neuronal gene programs, and leads to forward differentiation after targeting EZH2 in NEPC. Subtype-specific downstream effects of EZH2 inhibition on cell cycle genes support the potential rationale for co-targeting cyclin/CDK to overcome resistance to EZH2 inhibition.
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A substantial fraction of cancers evade immune detection by silencing Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING)-Interferon (IFN) signaling. Therapeutic reactivation of this program via STING agonists, epigenetic, or DNA-damaging therapies can restore antitumor immunity in multiple preclinical models. Here we show that adaptive induction of three prime exonuclease 1 (TREX1) restrains STING-dependent nucleic acid sensing in cancer cells via its catalytic function in degrading cytosolic DNA. Cancer cell TREX1 expression is coordinately induced with STING by autocrine IFN and downstream STAT1, preventing signal amplification. TREX1 inactivation in cancer cells thus unleashes STING-IFN signaling, recruiting T and natural killer (NK) cells, sensitizing to NK cell-derived IFNγ, and cooperating with programmed cell death protein 1 blockade in multiple mouse tumor models to enhance immunogenicity. Targeting TREX1 may represent a complementary strategy to induce cytosolic DNA and amplify cancer cell STING-IFN signaling as a means to sensitize tumors to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and/or cell therapies. SIGNIFICANCE: STING-IFN signaling in cancer cells promotes tumor cell immunogenicity. Inactivation of the DNA exonuclease TREX1, which is adaptively upregulated to limit pathway activation in cancer cells, recruits immune effector cells and primes NK cell-mediated killing. Targeting TREX1 has substantial therapeutic potential to amplify cancer cell immunogenicity and overcome ICB resistance. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 695.
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Exodesoxirribonucleasas , Proteínas de la Membrana , Fosfoproteínas , Transducción de Señal , Exodesoxirribonucleasas/genética , Ratones , Fosfoproteínas/metabolismo , Fosfoproteínas/genética , Humanos , Animales , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismo , Neoplasias/inmunología , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/tratamiento farmacológico , Interferones/metabolismo , Línea Celular Tumoral , Células Asesinas Naturales/inmunología , Células Asesinas Naturales/metabolismoRESUMEN
Cancer cells can evade natural killer (NK) cell activity, thereby limiting anti-tumor immunity. To reveal genetic determinants of susceptibility to NK cell activity, we examined interacting NK cells and blood cancer cells using single-cell and genome-scale functional genomics screens. Interaction of NK and cancer cells induced distinct activation and type I interferon (IFN) states in both cell types depending on the cancer cell lineage and molecular phenotype, ranging from more sensitive myeloid to less sensitive B-lymphoid cancers. CRISPR screens in cancer cells uncovered genes regulating sensitivity and resistance to NK cell-mediated killing, including adhesion-related glycoproteins, protein fucosylation genes, and transcriptional regulators, in addition to confirming the importance of antigen presentation and death receptor signaling pathways. CRISPR screens with a single-cell transcriptomic readout provided insight into underlying mechanisms, including regulation of IFN-γ signaling in cancer cells and NK cell activation states. Our findings highlight the diversity of mechanisms influencing NK cell susceptibility across different cancers and provide a resource for NK cell-based therapies.
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Neoplasias Hematológicas , Neoplasias , Humanos , Células Asesinas Naturales , Neoplasias/genética , Presentación de Antígeno , Genómica , Citotoxicidad Inmunológica/genética , Línea Celular TumoralRESUMEN
CD73 and adenosine have gained prominence in lung cancer research. The NT5E gene encodes CD73, known as an ectonucleotidase, which plays a crucial role within tumor cells, with immune-suppressive properties. Beyond cancer, CD73 exerts an influence on cardiac, neural, and renal functions, affecting cardiac, neural, and renal functions. CD73's significance lies in its production of extracellular adenosine. It is notably expressed across diverse cell types within the immune and stromal lung microenvironment. CD73 expression amplifies in lung tumors, especially non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), often aligned with key oncogenic drivers like mutant EGFR and KRAS. CD73/adenosine pathway seems to be involved in tumoral immunoevasion, hampering the use of the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and correlating with therapy resistance. Despite the partial success of current ICI therapies, the CD73/adenosine pathway offers promise in enhancing their effectiveness. This comprehensive review explores recent insights into lung cancer's CD73/adenosine pathway. It explores roles within tumor cells, the lung's stromal environment, and the immune system. Ranging from pre-clinical models to clinical trials, potential therapies targeting the adenosine pathway for lung cancer treatment are discussed below.
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Tumor-associated inflammation drives cancer progression and therapy resistance, with the infiltration of monocyte-derived tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) associated with poor prognosis in diverse cancers. Targeting TAMs holds potential against solid tumors, but effective immunotherapies require testing on immunocompetent human models prior to clinical trials. Here, we develop an in vitro model of microvascular networks that incorporates tumor spheroids or patient tissues. By perfusing the vasculature with human monocytes, we investigate monocyte trafficking into the tumor and evaluate immunotherapies targeting the human tumor microenvironment. Our findings demonstrate that macrophages in vascularized breast and lung tumor models can enhance monocyte recruitment via TAM-produced CCL7 and CCL2, mediated by CSF-1R. Additionally, we assess a novel multispecific antibody targeting CCR2, CSF-1R, and neutralizing TGF-ß, referred to as CSF1R/CCR2/TGF-ß Ab, on monocytes and macrophages using our 3D models. This antibody repolarizes TAMs towards an anti-tumoral M1-like phenotype, reduces monocyte chemoattractant protein secretion, and effectively blocks monocyte migration. Finally, we show that the CSF1R/CCR2/TGF-ß Ab inhibits monocyte recruitment in patient-specific vascularized tumor models. Overall, this vascularized tumor model offers valuable insights into monocyte recruitment and enables functional testing of innovative therapeutic antibodies targeting TAMs in the tumor microenvironment (TME).
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Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has become the standard of care for several solid tumors. Multiple combinatorial approaches have been studied to improve therapeutic efficacy. The combination of antiangiogenic agents and ICB has demonstrated efficacy in several cancers. To improve the mechanistic understanding of synergies with these treatment modalities, we performed screens of sera from long-term responding patients treated with ipilimumab and bevacizumab. We discovered a high-titer antibody response against EGF-like repeats and discoidin I-like domains protein 3 (EDIL3) that correlated with favorable clinical outcomes. EDIL3 is an extracellular protein, previously identified as a marker of poor prognosis in various malignancies. Our Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion analysis predicted that EDIL3 was associated with immune exclusion signatures for cytotoxic immune cell infiltration and nonresponse to ICB. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) were predicted as the source of EDIL3 in immune exclusion-related cells. Furthermore, The Cancer Genome Atlas Skin Cutaneous Melanoma (TCGA-SKCM) and CheckMate 064 data analyses correlated high levels of EDIL3 with increased pan-fibroblast TGFß response, enrichment of angiogenic signatures, and induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Our in vitro studies validated EDIL3 overexpression and TGFß regulation in patient-derived CAFs. In pretreatment serum samples from patients, circulating levels of EDIL3 were associated with circulating levels of VEGF, and like VEGF, EDIL3 increased the angiogenic abilities of patient-derived tumor endothelial cells (TEC). Mechanistically, three-dimensional microfluidic cultures and two-dimensional transmigration assays with TEC endorsed EDIL3-mediated disruption of the lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1)-ICAM-1 interaction as a possible means of T-cell exclusion. We propose EDIL3 as a potential target for improving the transendothelial migration of immune cells and efficacy of ICB therapy.
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Melanoma , Neoplasias Cutáneas , Humanos , Proteínas de Unión al Calcio/genética , Moléculas de Adhesión Celular/genética , Moléculas de Adhesión Celular/metabolismo , Melanoma/tratamiento farmacológico , Células Endoteliales/metabolismo , Factor A de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular , Neoplasias Cutáneas/tratamiento farmacológico , Factor de Crecimiento Transformador beta/metabolismo , Melanoma Cutáneo MalignoRESUMEN
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is responsible for the majority of gynecology cancer-related deaths. Patients in remission often relapse with more aggressive forms of disease within 2 years post-treatment. Alternative immuno-oncology (IO) strategies, such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) targeting the PD-(L)1 signaling axis, have proven inefficient so far. Our aim is to utilize epigenetic modulators to maximize the benefit of personalized IO combinations in ex vivo 3D patient-derived platforms and in vivo syngeneic models. Using patient-derived tumor ascites, we optimized an ex vivo 3D screening platform (PDOTS), which employs autologous immune cells and circulating ascites-derived tumor cells, to rapidly test personalized IO combinations. Most importantly, patient responses to platinum chemotherapy and poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors in 3D platforms recapitulate clinical responses. Furthermore, similar to clinical trial results, responses to ICB in PDOTS tend to be low and positively correlated with the frequency of CD3+ immune cells and EPCAM+/PD-L1+ tumor cells. Thus, the greatest response observed with anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy alone is seen in patient-derived HGSOC ascites, which present with high levels of systemic CD3+ and PD-L1+ expression in immune and tumor cells, respectively. In addition, priming with epigenetic adjuvants greatly potentiates ICB in ex vivo 3D testing platforms and in vivo tumor models. We further find that epigenetic priming induces increased tumor secretion of several key cytokines known to augment T and NK cell activation and cytotoxicity, including IL-6, IP-10 (CXCL10), KC (CXCL1), and RANTES (CCL5). Moreover, epigenetic priming alone and in combination with ICB immunotherapy in patient-derived PDOTS induces rapid upregulation of CD69, a reliable early activation of immune markers in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Consequently, this functional precision medicine approach could rapidly identify personalized therapeutic combinations able to potentiate ICB, which is a great advantage, especially given the current clinical difficulty of testing a high number of potential combinations in patients.
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Immunotherapies have yet to demonstrate significant efficacy in the treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. Given that endocrine therapy (ET) is the primary approach for treating HR+ breast cancer, we investigated the effects of ET on the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) in HR+ breast cancer. Spatial proteomics of primary HR+ breast cancer samples obtained at baseline and after ET from patients enrolled in a neoadjuvant clinical trial (NCT02764541) indicated that ET upregulated ß2-microglobulin and influenced the TME in a manner that promotes enhanced immunogenicity. To gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms, the intrinsic effects of ET on cancer cells were explored, which revealed that ET plays a crucial role in facilitating the chromatin binding of RelA, a key component of the NF-κB complex. Consequently, heightened NF-κB signaling enhanced the response to interferon-gamma, leading to the upregulation of ß2-microglobulin and other antigen presentation-related genes. Further, modulation of NF-κB signaling using a SMAC mimetic in conjunction with ET augmented T-cell migration and enhanced MHC-I-specific T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Remarkably, the combination of ET and SMAC mimetics, which also blocks prosurvival effects of NF-κB signaling through the degradation of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins, elicited tumor regression through cell autonomous mechanisms, providing additional support for their combined use in HR+ breast cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: Adding SMAC mimetics to endocrine therapy enhances tumor regression in a cell autonomous manner while increasing tumor immunogenicity, indicating that this combination could be an effective treatment for HR+ patients with breast cancer.
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Neoplasias de la Mama , FN-kappa B , Humanos , Femenino , FN-kappa B/metabolismo , Péptidos y Proteínas de Señalización Intracelular , Neoplasias de la Mama/patología , Presentación de Antígeno , Proteínas Reguladoras de la Apoptosis , Apoptosis , Línea Celular Tumoral , Proteínas Mitocondriales/metabolismo , Microambiente TumoralRESUMEN
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is treated with ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), but the lack of activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is poorly understood. Here, we identified immunogenic ALK peptides to show that ICIs induced rejection of ALK+ tumors in the flank but not in the lung. A single-peptide vaccination restored priming of ALK-specific CD8+ T cells, eradicated lung tumors in combination with ALK TKIs and prevented metastatic dissemination of tumors to the brain. The poor response of ALK+ NSCLC to ICIs was due to ineffective CD8+ T cell priming against ALK antigens and is circumvented through specific vaccination. Finally, we identified human ALK peptides displayed by HLA-A*02:01 and HLA-B*07:02 molecules. These peptides were immunogenic in HLA-transgenic mice and were recognized by CD8+ T cells from individuals with NSCLC, paving the way for the development of a clinical vaccine to treat ALK+ NSCLC.
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Vacunas contra el Cáncer , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Ratones , Animales , Humanos , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/tratamiento farmacológico , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/genética , Quinasa de Linfoma Anaplásico/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patología , Vacunas contra el Cáncer/uso terapéutico , Proteínas Tirosina Quinasas Receptoras/uso terapéutico , Linfocitos T CD8-positivos/patología , Vacunas de Subunidad/uso terapéutico , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/farmacología , Proteínas Tirosina Quinasas/uso terapéutico , Ratones Transgénicos , VacunaciónRESUMEN
Despite the success of KRAS G12C inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), more effective treatments are needed. One preclinical strategy has been to cotarget RAS and mTOR pathways; however, toxicity due to broad mTOR inhibition has limited its utility. Therefore, we sought to develop a more refined means of targeting cap-dependent translation and identifying the most therapeutically important eukaryotic initiation factor 4F complex-translated (eIF4F-translated) targets. Here, we show that an eIF4A inhibitor, which targets a component of eIF4F, dramatically enhances the effects of KRAS G12C inhibitors in NSCLCs and together these agents induce potent tumor regression in vivo. By screening a broad panel of eIF4F targets, we show that this cooperativity is driven by effects on BCL-2 family proteins. Moreover, because multiple BCL-2 family members are concomitantly suppressed, these agents are broadly efficacious in NSCLCs, irrespective of their dependency on MCL1, BCL-xL, or BCL-2, which is known to be heterogeneous. Finally, we show that MYC overexpression confers sensitivity to this combination because it creates a dependency on eIF4A for BCL-2 family protein expression. Together, these studies identify a promising therapeutic strategy for KRAS-mutant NSCLCs, demonstrate that BCL-2 proteins are the key mediators of the therapeutic response in this tumor type, and uncover a predictive biomarker of sensitivity.
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Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/tratamiento farmacológico , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/genética , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/metabolismo , Factor 4F Eucariótico de Iniciación/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas p21(ras)/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas p21(ras)/metabolismo , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/farmacología , Línea Celular Tumoral , Serina-Treonina Quinasas TOR/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-bcl-2 , MutaciónRESUMEN
Targeting DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) has immunomodulatory and anti-neoplastic activity, especially when paired with cancer immunotherapies. Here we explore the immunoregulatory functions of DNMT1 in the tumor vasculature of female mice. Dnmt1 deletion in endothelial cells (ECs) impairs tumor growth while priming expression of cytokine-driven cell adhesion molecules and chemokines important for CD8+ T-cell trafficking across the vasculature; consequently, the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is enhanced. We find that the proangiogenic factor FGF2 promotes ERK-mediated DNMT1 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation to repress transcription of the chemokines Cxcl9/Cxcl10 in ECs. Targeting Dnmt1 in ECs reduces proliferation but augments Th1 chemokine production and extravasation of CD8+ T-cells, suggesting DNMT1 programs immunologically anergic tumor vasculature. Our study is in good accord with preclinical observations that pharmacologically disrupting DNMT1 enhances the activity of ICB but suggests an epigenetic pathway presumed to be targeted in cancer cells is also operative in the tumor vasculature.
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Linfocitos T CD8-positivos , Neoplasias , Femenino , Ratones , Animales , Citocinas/metabolismo , Células Endoteliales/metabolismo , Internalización del Virus , Neoplasias/terapia , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Quimiocina CXCL10/metabolismoRESUMEN
Human cancers often re-express germline factors, yet their mechanistic role in oncogenesis and cancer progression remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that DEAD-box helicase 4 (DDX4), a germline factor and RNA helicase conserved in all multicellular organisms, contributes to increased cell motility and cisplatin-mediated drug resistance in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells. Proteomic analysis suggests that DDX4 expression upregulates proteins related to DNA repair and immune/inflammatory response. Consistent with these trends in cell lines, DDX4 depletion compromised in vivo tumor development while its overexpression enhanced tumor growth even after cisplatin treatment in nude mice. Further, the relatively higher DDX4 expression in SCLC patients correlates with decreased survival and shows increased expression of immune/inflammatory response markers. Taken together, we propose that DDX4 increases SCLC cell survival, by increasing the DNA damage and immune response pathways, especially under challenging conditions such as cisplatin treatment.