scholarly journals Targeting HPV in gynaecological cancers – Current status, ongoing challenges and future directions

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 174550652096170
Author(s):  
Shanthini M Crusz ◽  
Karim El-Shakankery ◽  
Rowan E Miller
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Human Papilloma Virus ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Human Papilloma Virus Infection ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Curative Intent ◽  
Papilloma Virus ◽  
Cell Therapies ◽  
Cell Immunity

Despite the success of preventive vaccination, the Human Papilloma Virus still accounts for 266,000 deaths annually, as the main causative factor of cervical, vaginal, anal, penile and oropharyngeal cancers. Human Papilloma Virus infects epithelial cells, driving tumourigenesis primarily from incorporation of DNA into the host cellular genome. Translation of two particular Human Papilloma Virus–specific oncoproteins, E6 and E7, are the key drivers of malignancy. If diagnosed early cervical, vaginal and vulval cancers have good prognosis and are treated with curative intent. However, metastatic disease carries a poor prognosis, with first-line systemic treatment providing only modest increase in outcome. Having shown promise in other solid malignancies, immune checkpoint inhibition and therapeutic cancer vaccines have been directed towards Human Papilloma Virus–associated gynaecological cancers, mindful that persistent Human Papilloma Virus infection drives malignancy and is associated with immunosuppression and lack of T-cell immunity. In this review, we discuss novel therapeutic approaches for targeting Human Papilloma Virus–driven gynaecological malignancies including vaccination strategies, use of immunomodulation, immune checkpoint inhibitors and agents targeting Human Papilloma Virus–specific oncoproteins. We also highlight the evolving focus on exciting new treatments including adoptive T-cell therapies.

scholarly journals Current Immunotherapeutic Approaches in T Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas

Cancers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Poggio ◽  
Justus Duyster ◽  
Anna Illert
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Monoclonal Antibodies ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Tumor Antigens ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Cell Physiology ◽  
Cell Therapies ◽  
Car T

T cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (T-NHL) is a rare and heterogeneous group of neoplasms of the lymphoid system. With the exception of a few relatively indolent entities, T-NHL is typically aggressive, treatment resistant, and associated with poor prognosis. Relatively few options with proven clinical benefit are available for patients with relapsed or refractory disease. Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment for the management of patients with hematological malignancies. The identification of tumor antigens has provided a large number of potential targets. Therefore, several monoclonal antibodies (alemtuzumab, SGN-30, brentuximab vedotin, and mogamulizumab), directed against tumor antigens, have been investigated in different subtypes of T-NHL. In addition to targeting antigens involved in cancer cell physiology, antibodies can stimulate immune effector functions or counteract immunosuppressive mechanisms. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells directed against CD30 and immune checkpoint inhibitors are currently being investigated in clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the currently available clinical evidence for immunotherapy in T-NHL, focusing on the results of clinical trials using first generation monoclonal antibodies, new immunotherapeutic agents, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and CAR-T cell therapies.

scholarly journals Prospects and Challenges for T Cell-Based Therapies of HCC

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1651
Author(s):  
Norman Woller ◽  
Sophie Anna Engelskircher ◽  
Thomas Wirth ◽  
Heiner Wedemeyer
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Therapy Resistance ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Viral Origin ◽  
Cell Therapies ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Cell Immunity ◽  
Tumor Progress

The scope of therapeutic options for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has recently been expanded by immunotherapeutic regimens. T cell-based therapies, especially in combination with other treatments have achieved far better outcomes compared to conventional treatments alone. However, there is an emerging body of evidence that eliciting T cell responses in immunotherapeutic approaches is insufficient for favorable outcomes. Immune responses in HCC are frequently attenuated in the tumor microenvironment (TME) or may even support tumor progress. Hence, therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors or adoptive cell therapies appear to necessitate additional modification of the TME to unlock their full potential. In this review, we focus on immunotherapeutic strategies, underlying molecular mechanisms of CD8 T cell immunity, and causes of treatment failure in HCC of viral and non-viral origin. Furthermore, we provide an overview of TME features in underlying etiologies of HCC patients that mediate therapy resistance to checkpoint inhibition and discuss strategies from the literature concerning current approaches to these challenges.

scholarly journals Poly-IC enhances the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy by promoting T cell tumor infiltration

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e001224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussein Sultan ◽  
Juan Wu ◽  
Valentyna I Fesenkova ◽  
Aaron E Fan ◽  
Diane Addis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Cell Infiltration ◽  
Mouse Tumor ◽  
Type I ◽  
Antitumor Effects ◽  
Cell Therapies ◽  
T Cell Infiltration

BackgroundImmunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapies, have revolutionized cancer treatment and resulted in complete and durable responses in some patients. Unfortunately, most immunotherapy treated patients still fail to respond. Absence of T cell infiltration to the tumor site is one of the major obstacles limiting immunotherapy efficacy against solid tumors. Thus, the development of strategies that enhance T cell infiltration and broaden the antitumor efficacy of immunotherapies is greatly needed.MethodsWe used mouse tumor models, genetically deficient mice and vascular endothelial cells (VECs) to study the requirements for T cell infiltration into tumors.ResultsA specific formulation of poly-IC, containing poly-lysine and carboxymethylcellulose (PICLC) facilitated the traffic and infiltration of effector CD8 T cells into the tumors that reduced tumor growth. Surprisingly, intratumoral injection of PICLC was significantly less effective in inducing tumor T cell infiltration and controlling growth of tumors as compared with systemic (intravenous or intramuscular) administration. Systemically administered PICLC, but not poly-IC stimulated tumor VECs via the double-stranded RNA cytoplasmic sensor MDA5, resulting in enhanced adhesion molecule expression and the production of type I interferon (IFN-I) and T cell recruiting chemokines. Expression of IFNαβ receptor in VECs was necessary to obtain the antitumor effects by PICLC and IFN-I was found to directly stimulate the secretion of T cell recruiting chemokines by VECs indicating that this cytokine-chemokine regulatory axis is crucial for recruiting effector T cells into the tumor parenchyma. Unexpectedly, these effects of PICLC were mostly observed in tumors and not in normal tissues.ConclusionsThese findings have strong implications for the improvement of all types of T cell-based immunotherapies for solid cancers. We predict that systemic administration of PICLC will improve immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, adoptive cell therapies and therapeutic cancer vaccines.

scholarly journals Invasive Fungal Diseases in Children with Hematological Malignancies Treated with Therapies That Target Cell Surface Antigens: Monoclonal Antibodies, Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and CAR T-Cell Therapies

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Ioannis Kyriakidis ◽  
Eleni Vasileiou ◽  
Claudia Rossig ◽  
Emmanuel Roilides ◽  
Andreas H. Groll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin ◽  
Brentuximab Vedotin ◽  
Inotuzumab Ozogamicin ◽  
Cell Therapies ◽  
Invasive Fungal Diseases ◽  
Car T

Since 1985 when the first agent targeting antigens on the surface of lymphocytes was approved (muromonab-CD3), a multitude of such therapies have been used in children with hematologic malignancies. A detailed literature review until January 2021 was conducted regarding pediatric patient populations treated with agents that target CD2 (alefacept), CD3 (bispecific T-cell engager [BiTE] blinatumomab), CD19 (denintuzumab mafodotin, B43, BiTEs blinatumomab and DT2219ARL, the immunotoxin combotox, and chimeric antigen receptor [CAR] T-cell therapies tisagenlecleucel and axicabtagene ciloleucel), CD20 (rituximab and biosimilars, 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan, ofatumumab, and obinutuzumab), CD22 (epratuzumab, inotuzumab ozogamicin, moxetumomab pasudotox, BiTE DT2219ARL, and the immunotoxin combotox), CD25 (basiliximab and inolimomab), CD30 (brentuximab vedotin and iratumumab), CD33 (gemtuzumab ozogamicin), CD38 (daratumumab and isatuximab), CD52 (alemtuzumab), CD66b (90Y-labelled BW 250/183), CD248 (ontuxizumab) and immune checkpoint inhibitors against CTLA-4 (CD152; abatacept, ipilimumab and tremelimumab) or with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade (CD279/CD274; atezolizumab, avelumab, camrelizumab, durvalumab, nivolumab and pembrolizumab). The aim of this narrative review is to describe treatment-related invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) of each category of agents. IFDs are very common in patients under blinatumomab, inotuzumab ozogamicin, basiliximab, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, alemtuzumab, and tisagenlecleucel and uncommon in patients treated with moxetumomab pasudotox, brentuximab vedotin, abatacept, ipilimumab, pembrolizumab and avelumab. Although this new era of precision medicine shows promising outcomes of targeted therapies in children with leukemia or lymphoma, the results of this review stress the necessity for ongoing surveillance and suggest the need for antifungal prophylaxis in cases where IFDs are very common complications.

scholarly journals Immune checkpoint inhibitors increase T cell immunity during SARS-CoV-2 infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (34) ◽  
pp. eabg4081
Author(s):  
Nader Yatim ◽  
Jeremy Boussier ◽  
Pauline Tetu ◽  
Nikaïa Smith ◽  
Timothée Bruel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Activation ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
T Cell Immunity ◽  
Immune Checkpoints ◽  
Effector Memory ◽  
Type I ◽  
Cell Immunity

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide, yet the role of antiviral T cell immunity during infection and the contribution of immune checkpoints remain unclear. By prospectively following a cohort of 292 patients with melanoma, half of which treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), we identified 15 patients with acute or convalescent COVID-19 and investigated their transcriptomic, proteomic, and cellular profiles. We found that ICI treatment was not associated with severe COVID-19 and did not alter the induction of inflammatory and type I interferon responses. In-depth phenotyping demonstrated expansion of CD8 effector memory T cells, enhanced T cell activation, and impaired plasmablast induction in ICI-treated COVID-19 patients. The evaluation of specific adaptive immunity in convalescent patients showed higher spike (S), nucleoprotein (N), and membrane (M) antigen-specific T cell responses and similar induction of spike-specific antibody responses. Our findings provide evidence that ICI during COVID-19 enhanced T cell immunity without exacerbating inflammation.

scholarly journals Natural Killer Cells and T Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Viral Hepatitis: Current Status and Perspectives for Future Immunotherapeutic Approaches

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1332
Author(s):  
Suresh Gopi Kalathil ◽  
Yasmin Thanavala
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Viral Hepatitis ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Current Status ◽  
First Line

Natural killer (NK) cells account for 25–50% of the total number of hepatic lymphocytes, which implicates that NK cells play an important role in liver immunity. The frequencies of both circulating and tumor infiltrating NK cells are positively correlated with survival benefit in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and have prognostic implications, which suggests that functional impairment in NK cells and HCC progression are strongly associated. In HCC, T cell exhaustion is accompanied by the interaction between immune checkpoint ligands and their receptors on tumor cells and antigen presenting cells (APC). Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been shown to interfere with this interaction and have altered the therapeutic landscape of multiple cancer types including HCC. Immunotherapy with check-point inhibitors, aimed at rescuing T-cells from exhaustion, has been applied as first-line therapy for HCC. NK cells are the first line effectors in viral hepatitis and play an important role by directly eliminating virus infected cells or by activating antigen specific T cells through IFN-γ production. Furthermore, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered NK cells and T cells offer unique opportunities to create CAR-NK with multiple specificities learning from the experience gained with CAR-T cells with potentially less adverse effects. This review focus on the abnormalities of NK cells, T cells, and their functional impairment in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, which contributes to progression to hepatic malignancy. Furthermore, we discuss and summarize recent advances in the NK cell and T cell based immunotherapeutic approaches in HCC.

scholarly journals Genetic and Epigenetic Biomarkers of Immune Checkpoint Blockade Response

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingyang Xiao ◽  
André Nobre ◽  
Pilar Piñeiro ◽  
Miguel-Ángel Berciano-Guerrero ◽  
Emilio Alba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Blockade ◽  
Checkpoint Blockade ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Immune Checkpoints ◽  
Current Response ◽  
Epigenetic Biomarkers

Checkpoint inhibitor therapy constitutes a promising cancer treatment strategy that targets the immune checkpoints to re-activate silenced T cell cytotoxicity. In recent pivotal trials, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) demonstrated durable responses and acceptable toxicity, resulting in the regulatory approval of 8 checkpoint inhibitors to date for 15 cancer indications. However, up to ~85% of patients present with innate or acquired resistance to ICB, limiting its clinical utility. Current response biomarker candidates, including DNA mutation and neoantigen load, immune profiles, as well as programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, are only weak predictors of ICB response. Thus, identification of novel, more predictive biomarkers that could identify patients who would benefit from ICB constitutes one of the most important areas of immunotherapy research. Aberrant DNA methylation (5mC) and hydroxymethylation (5hmC) were discovered in multiple cancers, and dynamic changes of the epigenomic landscape have been identified during T cell differentiation and activation. While their role in cancer immunosuppression remains to be elucidated, recent evidence suggests that 5mC and 5hmC may serve as prognostic and predictive biomarkers of ICB-sensitive cancers. In this review, we describe the role of epigenetic phenomena in tumor immunoediting and other immune evasion related processes, provide a comprehensive update of the current status of ICB-response biomarkers, and highlight promising epigenomic biomarker candidates.

scholarly journals Chemoradiation triggers antitumor Th1 and tissue resident memory-polarized immune responses to improve immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e002256
Author(s):  
Elodie Lauret Marie Joseph ◽  
Amos Kirilovsky ◽  
Benoît Lecoester ◽  
Carine El Sissy ◽  
Laura Boullerot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Intracellular Cytokine Staining ◽  
Death Receptor ◽  
Cell Mediated Immunity ◽  
Primary Resistance ◽  
Cell Immunity

BackgroundMultiple synergistic combination approaches with cancer drugs are developed to overcome primary resistance to immunotherapy; however, the mechanistic rationale to combine chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with immune checkpoint inhibitors remains elusive.MethodsThis study described the immunological landscape of tumor microenvironment (TME) exposed to CRT. Tumor samples from patients with rectal cancer (n=43) treated with neoadjuvant CRT or radiotherapy were analyzed by nanostring and immunohistochemistry. Studies in mice were performed using three syngeneic tumors (TC1, CT26 and MC38). Tumor-bearing mice were treated either with platinum-based CRT, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Anti-CTLA-4 and/or anti-Programmed Cell Death Receptor-1 (PD-1) therapy was used in combination with CRT. The therapy-exposed TME was screened by RNA sequencing and flow cytometry and tumor-infiltrating T lymphocyte functionality was evaluated by interferon (IFN)-γ ELIspot and intracellular cytokine staining.ResultsFront-to-front comparison analysis revealed the synergistic effect of CRT to establish a highly inflamed and Th1-polarized immune signature in the TME of patients and mice. In both settings, CRT-exposed TMEs were highly enriched in newly-infiltrated tumor-specific CD8+ T cells as well as tissue resident memory CD103+CD8+ T cells. In mice, CD8 T cells were involved in the antitumor response mediated by CRT and were primed by CRT-activated CD103+ dendritic cells. In the three tumor models, we showed that concurrent combination of CRT with a dual CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade was required to achieve an optimal antitumor effect and to establish a broad and long-lasting protective antitumor T cell immunity.ConclusionsOur results highlight the ability of CRT to stimulate strong antitumor T-cell-mediated immunity and tissue resident memory T activation in TME, to foster immune checkpoint inhibitors action. These findings have implications in clinic for the design clinical trials combining chemoradiation with immunotherapy.

scholarly journals A Case of Erythema Multiforme Major Developed after Sequential Use of Two Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Nivolumab and Ipilimumab, for Advanced Melanoma: Possible Implication of Synergistic and/or Complementary Immunomodulatory Effects

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Utsunomiya ◽  
Noritaka Oyama ◽  
Shiro Iino ◽  
Natsuki Baba ◽  
Takenao Chino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Erythema Multiforme ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Advanced Melanoma ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Cell Immunity ◽  
Erythema Multiforme Major

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as ipilimumab and nivolumab, reverse the imbalance of antitumor self-tolerance and enhance T-cell responses. Currently, ipilimumab and nivolumab have a reported therapeutic impact on unresectable or metastatic melanomas; however, they also induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Ipilimumab-induced cutaneous irAEs are mostly low grade and manageable, although all-grade rash may occur in approximately 45% of all patients. We here report the case of a young woman with erythema multiforme major, which developed after sequential use of these 2 immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced melanoma of the scalp. Initially, she received 12 cycles of nivolumab monotherapy followed by ipilimumab. A week later, multiple erythematous papulo-erythemas appeared on almost her entire body, with high-grade fever, mucosal involvements, and dyspnea. Immunohistochemistry using the lesioned skin revealed lymphocytic infiltration predominantly positive for CD8, contrasting with those for CD4 and Foxp3. Ipilimumab was stopped but she continued to receive empirical antibiotics; additionally, she was treated with intravenous steroid pulse therapy and immunoglobulin, followed by oral prednisolone. Her symptoms subsided rapidly, allowing a restart of nivolumab monotherapy alone. In our case, the long-standing preceding nivolumab monotherapy may synergistically and/or complementary have contributed to – in combination with the later administration of ipilimumab – recover antigen-responsive T-cell immunity, which is similar to the concept of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, resulting in the establishment of an underlying immunopathology of erythema multiforme and life-threatening airway obstruction.

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