scholarly journals 250 Spatial-transcriptomic analysis of tumor-immune microenvironment in AML patients receiving pembrolizumab and decitabine

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A270-A270
Author(s):  
Chen Zhao ◽  
Abigail Wong-Rolle ◽  
Prajan Divakar ◽  
Katherine Calvo ◽  
Christopher Hourigan
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Transcriptomic Analysis ◽  
Inadequate Response ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Clinical Center ◽  
Tumor Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

BackgroundRelapsed or refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia (R-AML) is a deadly disease with an inadequate response rate to current treatments. Recent advances in immunotherapy shed light on R-AML, and several clinical trials have shown promising potential for combining immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with hypomethylating agents. A deeper understanding of the tumor-immune microenvironment in R-AML during combination ICI treatment is urgently needed for developing better therapeutics and stratifying treatment strategies.MethodsTo dissect the tumor-immune interactions in the bone marrow microenvironment, we employed nanoString GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) and performed a spatial-transcriptomic analysis of patients with R-AML who received pembrolizumab and decitabine. We compared the transcriptomic profiles and TCR clonalities of tumor-interacting T cells, bystander T cells, and other cells at baseline, post-pembrolizumab treatment, and post-decitabine, which enable us to identify R-AML’s suppressive immune microenvironment and immune cells’ responses to ICI and hypomethylating agent.ResultsWe obtained the spatial-transcriptomic profiles of T cells, stromal cells, and leukemia cells in patients with R-AML at different treatment points. Our TCR-specific probes were able to track T cell clonal changes during treatments.ConclusionsR-AML harbored a complex tumor immune microenvironment and diverse T cell clonality.AcknowledgementsThis research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the NCI (the Center for Cancer Research), NHLBI, and NIH Clinical Center.Ethics ApprovalThis study is approved by NHLBI IRB.

scholarly journals Exhausted CD8+T Cells in the Tumor Immune Microenvironment: New Pathways to Therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiqin Jiang ◽  
Yinjun He ◽  
Wenguang He ◽  
Guosheng Wu ◽  
Xile Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Tumor Burden ◽  
Effector Function ◽  
T Cell Exhaustion ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Cell Exhaustion ◽  
Combination Strategies ◽  
Cell Pool ◽  
Tumor Immune Microenvironment

Tumor-specific CD8+T cells are exposed to persistent antigenic stimulation which induces a dysfunctional state called “exhaustion.” Though functioning to limit damage caused by immune response, T cell exhaustion leads to attenuated effector function whereby cytotoxic CD8+T cells fail to control tumor progression in the late stage. This pathway is a dynamic process from activation to “progenitor exhaustion” through to “terminally exhaustion” with distinct properties. With the rapid development of immunotherapy via enhancing T cell function, new studies are dissecting the mechanisms and identifying specific biomarkers of dynamic differentiation during the process of exhaustion. Further, although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have achieved great success in clinical practice, most patients still show limited efficacy to ICIs. The expansion and differentiation of progenitor exhausted T cells explained the success of ICIs while the depletion of the progenitor T cell pool and the transient effector function of terminally exhausted T cells accounted for the failure of immune monotherapy in the context of exorbitant tumor burden. Thus, combination strategies are urgent to be utilized based on the reduction of tumor burden or the expansion of the progenitor T cell pool. In this review, we aim to introduce the concept of homeostasis of the activated and exhausted status of CD8+T cells in the tumor immune microenvironment, and present recent findings on dynamic differentiation process during T cell exhaustion and the implications for combination strategies in immune therapy.

scholarly journals ATR inhibitor AZD6738 enhances the antitumor activity of radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors by potentiating the tumor immune microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailong Sheng ◽  
Yan Huang ◽  
Yazhi Xiao ◽  
Zhenru Zhu ◽  
Mengying Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Triple Therapy ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Tumor Recurrence ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Antitumor Effect ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Tumor Immune Microenvironment

BackgroundRadioimmunotherapy has a promising antitumor effect in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), depending on the regulatory effect of radiotherapy on tumor immune microenvironment. Ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA damage repair (DDR) pathway activation leads to the inhibition of immune microenvironment, thus impairing the antitumor effect of radioimmunotherapy. However, it is unclear whether inhibition of the DDR pathway can enhance the effect of radioimmunotherapy. In this study, we aim to explore the role of DDR inhibitor AZD6738 on the combination of radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in HCC.MethodsC57BL/6 mouse subcutaneous tumor model was used to evaluate the ability of different treatment regimens in tumor growth control and tumor recurrence inhibition. Effects of each treatment regimen on the alterations of immunophenotypes including the quantification, activation, proliferating ability, exhaustion marker expression, and memory status were assessed by flow cytometry.ResultsAZD6738 further increased radiotherapy-stimulated CD8+T cell infiltration and activation and reverted the immunosuppressive effect of radiation on the number of Tregs in mice xenografts. Moreover, compared with radioimmunotherapy (radiotherapy plus anti-PD-L1 (Programmed death ligand 1)), the addition of AZD6738 boosted the infiltration, increased cell proliferation, enhanced interferon (IFN)-γ production ability of TIL (tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte) CD8+T cells, and caused a decreasing trend in the number of TIL Tregs and exhausted T cells in mice xenografts. Thus, the tumor immune microenvironment was significantly improved. Meanwhile, triple therapy (AZD6738 plus radiotherapy plus anti-PD-L1) also induced a better immunophenotype than radioimmunotherapy in mice spleens. As a consequence, triple therapy displayed greater benefit in antitumor efficacy and mice survival than radioimmunotherapy. Mechanism study revealed that the synergistic antitumor effect of AZD6738 with radioimmunotherapy relied on the activation of cyclic GMP–AMP synthase /stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS/STING) signaling pathway. Furthermore, triple therapy led to stronger immunologic memory and lasting antitumor immunity than radioimmunotherapy, thus preventing tumor recurrence in mouse models.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that AZD6738 might be a potential synergistic treatment for radioimmunotherapy to control the proliferation of HCC cells, prolong survival, and prevent tumor recurrence in patients with HCC by improving the immune microenvironment.

scholarly journals The Role of the Tumor Microenvironment and Treatment Strategies in Colorectal Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaping Chen ◽  
Xiao Zheng ◽  
Changping Wu
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Appropriate Treatment ◽  
Tumor Immune Microenvironment ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Selection Of

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has the second highest mortality rate among all cancers worldwide. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, molecular targeting and other treatment methods have significantly prolonged the survival of patients with CRC. Recently, the emergence of tumor immunotherapy represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has brought new immunotherapy options for the treatment of advanced CRC. As the efficacy of ICIs is closely related to the tumor immune microenvironment (TME), it is necessary to clarify the relationship between the immune microenvironment of CRC and the efficacy of immunotherapy to ensure that the appropriate drugs are selected. We herein review the latest research progress in the immune microenvironment and strategies related to immunotherapy for CRC. We hope that this review helps in the selection of appropriate treatment strategies for CRC patients.

scholarly journals CD200 Blockade Modulates Tumor Immune Microenvironment but Fails to Show Efficacy in Inhibiting Tumor Growth in a Murine Model of Melanoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Talebian ◽  
Jianyu Yu ◽  
Kimberly Lynch ◽  
Jin-Qing Liu ◽  
William E. Carson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Tumor Model ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Tumor Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Mouse Melanoma Model

CD200-CD200R pathway regulates immune responses and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of cancer types. CD200 blockade is considered a strategy for immunotherapy of CD200-positive cancers such as melanoma. Thus, it is critical to understand the potential impacts of CD200 blockade in a more human relevant tumor model. In this study, we evaluated these issues using the CD200+ Yumm1.7 mouse melanoma model. Yumm1.7 cells bear Braf/Pten mutations resembling human melanoma. We found that Yumm1.7 tumors grow significantly faster in CD200R–/– mice compared to wild type mice. Analysis of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) revealed that tumors from CD200R–/– or anti-CD200 treated mice had downregulated immune cell contents and reduced TCR clonality compared to tumors from untreated wild type mice. T cells also showed impaired effector functions, as reflected by reduced numbers of IFN-γ+ and TNF-α+ T cells. Mechanistically, we found upregulation of the CCL8 gene in CD200R–/– tumors. In vitro co-culture experiments using Yumm1.7 tumor cells with bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDM) from WT and CD200R–/– mice confirmed upregulation of macrophage CCL8 in the absence of CD200-CD200R interaction. Finally, we found that anti-CD200 therapy failed to show efficacy either alone or in combination with checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA4 in inhibiting Yumm1.7 tumor growth. Given that CD200R-deficiency or anti-CD200 treatment leads to reduced T cell responses in TME, using blockade of CD200 as an immunotherapy for cancers such as melanoma should be practiced with caution.

scholarly journals BCL9 regulates CD226 and CD96 checkpoints in CD8+ T cells to improve PD-1 response in cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Feng ◽  
Zhongen Wu ◽  
Yan Zhou ◽  
Zhuang Wei ◽  
Enming Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
B Cell Lymphoma ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Cell Interaction ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Tumor Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Apc Mutation

AbstractTo date, the overall response rate of PD-1 blockade remains unsatisfactory, partially due to limited understanding of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9), a key transcription co-activator of the Wnt pathway, is highly expressed in cancers. By genetic depletion and pharmacological inhibition of BCL9 in tumors, we found that BCL9 suppression reduced tumor growth, promoted CD8+ T cell tumor infiltration, and enhanced response to anti-PD-1 treatment in mouse colon cancer models. To determine the underlying mechanism of BCL9’s role in TIME regulation, single-cell RNA-seq was applied to reveal cellular landscape and transcription differences in the tumor immune microenvironment upon BCL9 inhibition. CD155-CD226 and CD155-CD96 checkpoints play key roles in cancer cell/CD8+ T cell interaction. BCL9 suppression induces phosphorylation of VAV1 in CD8+ T cells and increases GLI1 and PATCH expression to promote CD155 expression in cancer cells. In The Cancer Genome Atlas database analysis, we found that BCL9 expression is positively associated with CD155 and negatively associated with CD226 expression. BCL9 is also linked to adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutation involved in patient survival following anti-PD-1 treatment. This study points to cellular diversity within the tumor immune microenvironment affected by BCL9 inhibition and provides new insights into the role of BCL9 in regulating CD226 and CD96 checkpoints

scholarly journals Targeting Interleukin-2-Inducible T-Cell Kinase (ITK) Differentiates GVL and GVHD in Allo-HSCT

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahinbanu Mammadli ◽  
Weishan Huang ◽  
Rebecca Harris ◽  
Aisha Sultana ◽  
Ying Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Target Organs ◽  
Donor T Cells ◽  
Inducible T Cell Kinase

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a potentially curative procedure for many malignant diseases. Donor T cells prevent disease recurrence via graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect. Donor T cells also contribute to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a debilitating and potentially fatal complication. Novel treatment strategies are needed which allow preservation of GVL effects without causing GVHD. Using murine models, we show that targeting IL-2-inducible T cell kinase (ITK) in donor T cells reduces GVHD while preserving GVL effects. Both CD8+ and CD4+ donor T cells from Itk-/- mice produce less inflammatory cytokines and show decrease migration to GVHD target organs such as the liver and small intestine, while maintaining GVL efficacy against primary B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Itk-/- T cells exhibit reduced expression of IRF4 and decreased JAK/STAT signaling activity but upregulating expression of Eomesodermin (Eomes) and preserve cytotoxicity, necessary for GVL effect. Transcriptome analysis indicates that ITK signaling controls chemokine receptor expression during alloactivation, which in turn affects the ability of donor T cells to migrate to GVHD target organs. Our data suggest that inhibiting ITK could be a therapeutic strategy to reduce GVHD while preserving the beneficial GVL effects following allo-HSCT treatment.

scholarly journals PTEN loss correlates with T cell exclusion across human cancers

BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziying Lin ◽  
Lixia Huang ◽  
Shao Li Li ◽  
Jincui Gu ◽  
Xiaoxian Cui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
T Helper Cells ◽  
Pi3k Pathway ◽  
T Helper ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Pten Loss ◽  
Pathway Activation ◽  
Tumor Types ◽  
T Cell Exclusion

Abstract Background Recent evidences had shown that loss in phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) was associated with immunotherapy resistance, which may be attributed to the non-T-cell-inflamed tumor microenvironment. The impact of PTEN loss on tumor microenvironment, especially regarding T cell infiltration across tumor types is not well understood. Methods Utilizing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and publicly available dataset of immunotherapy, we explored the correlation of PTEN expressing level or genomic loss with tumor immune microenvironment and response to immunotherapy. We further investigated the involvement of PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway activation, which is known to be the subsequent effect of PTEN loss, in the immune microenvironment modulation. Results We reveal that PTEN mRNA expression is significantly positively correlated with CD4/CD8A gene expression and T cells infiltration especially T helpers cells, central memory T cell and effector memory T cells in multiples tumor types. Genomic loss of PTEN is associated with reduced CD8+ T cells, type 1 T helper cells, and increased type 2 T helper cells, immunosuppressed genes (e.g. VEGFA) expression. Furthermore, T cell exclusive phenotype is also observed in tumor with PI3K pathway activation or genomic gain in PIK3CA or PIK3CB. PTEN loss and PI3K pathway activation correlate with immunosuppressive microenvironment, especially in terms of T cell exclusion. PTEN loss predict poor therapeutic response and worse survival outcome in patients receiving immunotherapy. Conclusion These data brings insight into the role of PTEN loss in T cell exclusion and immunotherapy resistance, and inspires further research on immune modulating strategy to augment immunotherapy.

scholarly journals The role of unconventional T cells in COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Orumaa ◽  
Margaret R. Dunne
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Γδ T Cells ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
T Cell Subsets ◽  
Viral Immunity ◽  
Mait Cells

AbstractCOVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first documented in late 2019, but within months, a worldwide pandemic was declared due to the easily transmissible nature of the virus. Research to date on the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 has focused largely on conventional B and T lymphocytes. This review examines the emerging role of unconventional T cell subsets, including γδ T cells, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells in human SARS-CoV-2 infection.Some of these T cell subsets have been shown to play protective roles in anti-viral immunity by suppressing viral replication and opsonising virions of SARS-CoV. Here, we explore whether unconventional T cells play a protective role in SARS-CoV-2 infection as well. Unconventional T cells are already under investigation as cell-based immunotherapies for cancer. We discuss the potential use of these cells as therapeutic agents in the COVID-19 setting. Due to the rapidly evolving situation presented by COVID-19, there is an urgent need to understand the pathogenesis of this disease and the mechanisms underlying its immune response. Through this, we may be able to better help those with severe cases and lower the mortality rate by devising more effective vaccines and novel treatment strategies.

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