Metabolism in the Tumor Microenvironment: What is Known about Stromal and Immune Cells?

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mª Carmen Ocana ◽  
Beatriz Martinez-Poveda ◽  
Ana R. Quesada ◽  
Miguel Angel Medina
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Cells

ROS-responsive nanomedicine: Towards targeting the breast tumor microenvironment

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
RamaRao Malla ◽  
Mohammad Amjad Kamal
Keyword(s):  
Reactive Oxygen Species ◽  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Molecular Imaging ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Breast Tumor ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Massive Accumulation

: The breast tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes drug resistance through an elaborated interaction of TME components mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Despite a massive accumulation of data concerning the targeting the ROS, but little is known about the ROS-responsive nanomedicine for targeting breast TME. This review submits the ROS landscape in breast TME, including ROS biology, ROS mediated carcinogenesis, reprogramming of stromal and immune cells of TME. We also discussed ROS-based precision strategies for imaging TME, including molecular imaging techniques with advanced probes, multiplexed methods, and multi-omic profiling strategies. ROS-responsive nanomedicine also describes various therapies, such as chemo-dynamic, photodynamic, photothermal, sono-dynamic, immune, and gene therapy for BC. We expound ROS-responsive primary delivery systems for chemotherapeutics, phytochemicals, and immunotherapeutics. This review also presents recent updates on nano-theranostics for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of BCs. We assume that review on this advancing field will be beneficial to the development of ROS-based nanotheranostics for BC.

scholarly journals Estrogen/ER in anti-tumor immunity regulation to tumor cell and tumor microenvironment

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiecheng Wang ◽  
Jiakang Jin ◽  
Chao Qian ◽  
Jianan Lou ◽  
Jinti Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Cancer Immunotherapy ◽  
Tumor Immunity ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Target Therapy ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathway ◽  
Pathway Activation ◽  
Immune System Regulation

AbstractAs the essential sexual hormone, estrogen and its receptor has been proved to participate in the regulation of autoimmunity diseases and anti-tumor immunity. The adjustment of tumor immunity is related to the interaction between cancer cells, immune cells and tumor microenvironment, all of which is considered as the potential target in estrogen-induced immune system regulation. However, the specific mechanism of estrogen-induced immunity is poorly understood. Typically, estrogen causes the nuclear localization of estrogen/estrogen receptor complex and alternates the transcription pattern of target genes, leading to the reprogramming of tumor cells and differentiation of immune cells. However, the estrogen-induced non-canonical signal pathway activation is also crucial to the rapid function of estrogen, such as NF-κB, MAPK-ERK, and β-catenin pathway activation, which has not been totally illuminated. So, the investigation of estrogen modulatory mechanisms in these two manners is vital for the tumor immunity and can provide the potential for endocrine hormone targeted cancer immunotherapy. Here, this review summarized the estrogen-induced canonical and non-canonical signal transduction pathway and aimed to focus on the relationship among estrogen and cancer immunity as well as immune-related tumor microenvironment regulation. Results from these preclinical researches elucidated that the estrogen-target therapy has the application prospect of cancer immunotherapy, which requires the further translational research of these treatment strategies.

scholarly journals A TLR4 agonist improves immune checkpoint blockade treatment by increasing the ratio of effector to regulatory cells within the tumor microenvironment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Farias ◽  
A. Soto ◽  
F. Puttur ◽  
C. J. Goldin ◽  
S. Sosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Therapeutic Effect ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Blockade ◽  
Checkpoint Blockade ◽  
Regulatory Cells ◽  
Ifn Γ

AbstractBrucella lumazine synthase (BLS) is a homodecameric protein that activates dendritic cells via toll like receptor 4, inducing the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. We have previously shown that BLS has a therapeutic effect in B16 melanoma-bearing mice only when administered at early stages of tumor growth. In this work, we study the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of BLS, by analyzing the tumor microenvironment. Administration of BLS at early stages of tumor growth induces high levels of serum IFN-γ, as well as an increment of hematopoietic immune cells within the tumor. Moreover, BLS-treatment increases the ratio of effector to regulatory cells. However, all treated mice eventually succumb to the tumors. Therefore, we combined BLS administration with anti-PD-1 treatment. Combined treatment increases the outcome of both monotherapies. In conclusion, we show that the absence of the therapeutic effect at late stages of tumor growth correlates with low levels of serum IFN-γ and lower infiltration of immune cells in the tumor, both of which are essential to delay tumor growth. Furthermore, the combined treatment of BLS and PD-1 blockade shows that BLS could be exploited as an essential immunomodulator in combination therapy with an immune checkpoint blockade to treat skin cancer.

scholarly journals 492 Integration of high dimensional datasets in an immunocompetent mammary mouse model reveals pathways of tolerance and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A528-A528
Author(s):  
Lin Ma ◽  
Jian-Hua Mao ◽  
Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff ◽  
Jade Moore
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Systemic Disease ◽  
Ct Imaging ◽  
High Dimensional ◽  
Cytokine Signaling ◽  
Immune Infiltrate ◽  
Pet Ct

BackgroundCheckpoint inhibitors can induce robust and durable responses in a subset of patients. Extending this benefit to more patients could be facilitated by better understanding of how interacts with immune cells with the tumor microenvironment, which is a critical barrier to control both local and systemic disease. The composition and pattern of the immune infiltrate associates with the likelihood of response to immunotherapy. Inflamed tumors that exhibit a brisk immune cell infiltrate are responsive, while those in which immune cells are completely or partially excluded are not. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) is immunosuppressive and associated with the immune excluded phenotype.MethodsUsing an immune competent mammary tumor derived transplant (mTDT) model recently developed in our lab, exhibits inflamed, excluded or deserts immune infiltrate phenotypes based on localization of CD8 lymphocytes. Using whole transcriptome deep sequencing, cytof, and PET-CT imaging, we evaluated the tumor, microenvironment, and immune pathway activation among immune infiltrate phenotypes.ResultsThree distinct inflamed tumors phenotypes were identified: ‘classically’ inflamed characterized by pathway evidence of increased CD8+ T cells and decreased PD-L1 expression, inflamed tumors with pathways indicative of neovascularization and STAT3 signaling and reduced T cell mobilization, and an inflamed tumor with increased immunosuppressive myeloid phenotypes. Excluded tumors were characterized by TGFβ gene expression and pro-inflammatory cytokine signaling (e.g. TNFα, IL1β), associated with decreased leukocytes homing and increased immune cell death of cells. We visualized and quantified TGFβ activity using PET-CT imaging of 89Zr-fresolimumab, a TGFβ neutralizing antibody. TGFβ activity was significantly increased in excluded tumors compared to inflamed or desert tumors, which was supported by quantitative pathology (Perkin Elmer) of its canonical signaling target, phosphorylated SMAD2 (pSMAD2). pSMAD2 was positively correlated with PD-L1 expression in the stroma of excluded tumors. In contrast, in inflamed tumors, TGFβ activity positively correlated with increased F4/80 positive macrophages and negatively correlated with expression of PD-L1. CyTOF analysis of tumor and spleen immune phenotypes revealed increased trafficking of myeloid cells in mice bearing inflamed tumors compared to excluded and deserts.ConclusionsThe immunocompetent mTDT provides a model that bridges the gap between the immune landscape and tumor microenvironment. Integration of these high-dimensional data with further studies of response to immunotherapies will help to identify tumor features that favor response to treatment or the means to convert those that are unresponsive.

scholarly journals Metabolic Factors Affecting Tumor Immunogenicity: What Is Happening at the Cellular Level?

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 2142
Author(s):  
Rola El Sayed ◽  
Yolla Haibe ◽  
Ghid Amhaz ◽  
Youssef Bouferraa ◽  
Ali Shamseddine
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Modulation ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Effector Memory ◽  
Acid Oxidation ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibition ◽  
Inflammatory Phenotypes

Immunotherapy has changed the treatment paradigm in multiple solid and hematologic malignancies. However, response remains limited in a significant number of cases, with tumors developing innate or acquired resistance to checkpoint inhibition. Certain “hot” or “immune-sensitive” tumors become “cold” or “immune-resistant”, with resultant tumor growth and disease progression. Multiple factors are at play both at the cellular and host levels. The tumor microenvironment (TME) contributes the most to immune-resistance, with nutrient deficiency, hypoxia, acidity and different secreted inflammatory markers, all contributing to modulation of immune-metabolism and reprogramming of immune cells towards pro- or anti-inflammatory phenotypes. Both the tumor and surrounding immune cells require high amounts of glucose, amino acids and fatty acids to fulfill their energy demands. Thus, both compete over one pool of nutrients that falls short on needs, obliging cells to resort to alternative adaptive metabolic mechanisms that take part in shaping their inflammatory phenotypes. Aerobic or anaerobic glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, tryptophan catabolism, glutaminolysis, fatty acid synthesis or fatty acid oxidation, etc. are all mechanisms that contribute to immune modulation. Different pathways are triggered leading to genetic and epigenetic modulation with consequent reprogramming of immune cells such as T-cells (effector, memory or regulatory), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) (M1 or M2), natural killers (NK) cells (active or senescent), and dendritic cells (DC) (effector or tolerogenic), etc. Even host factors such as inflammatory conditions, obesity, caloric deficit, gender, infections, microbiota and smoking status, may be as well contributory to immune modulation, anti-tumor immunity and response to immune checkpoint inhibition. Given the complex and delicate metabolic networks within the tumor microenvironment controlling immune response, targeting key metabolic modulators may represent a valid therapeutic option to be combined with checkpoint inhibitors in an attempt to regain immune function.

scholarly journals The effect of PEGylation on the efficacy and uptake of an immunostimulatory nanoparticle in the tumor immune microenvironment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wyatt M. Becicka ◽  
Peter Bielecki ◽  
Morgan Lorkowski ◽  
Taylor J. Moon ◽  
Yahan Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Innate Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Tumor Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment

The efficacy of immunotherapies is often limited by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which is populated with dysfunctional innate immune cells. To reprogram the tumor-resident innate immune cells, we developed an...

scholarly journals Epigenetic therapy activates type I interferon signaling in murine ovarian cancer to reduce immunosuppression and tumor burden

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (51) ◽  
pp. E10981-E10990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith L. Stone ◽  
Katherine B. Chiappinelli ◽  
Huili Li ◽  
Lauren M. Murphy ◽  
Meghan E. Travers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Tumor Burden ◽  
Epigenetic Therapy ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type I Ifn

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal of all gynecological cancers, and there is an urgent unmet need to develop new therapies. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is characterized by an immune suppressive microenvironment, and response of ovarian cancers to immune therapies has thus far been disappointing. We now find, in a mouse model of EOC, that clinically relevant doses of DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors (DNMTi and HDACi, respectively) reduce the immune suppressive microenvironment through type I IFN signaling and improve response to immune checkpoint therapy. These data indicate that the type I IFN response is required for effective in vivo antitumorigenic actions of the DNMTi 5-azacytidine (AZA). Through type I IFN signaling, AZA increases the numbers of CD45+ immune cells and the percentage of active CD8+ T and natural killer (NK) cells in the tumor microenvironment, while reducing tumor burden and extending survival. AZA also increases viral defense gene expression in both tumor and immune cells, and reduces the percentage of macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the tumor microenvironment. The addition of an HDACi to AZA enhances the modulation of the immune microenvironment, specifically increasing T and NK cell activation and reducing macrophages over AZA treatment alone, while further increasing the survival of the mice. Finally, a triple combination of DNMTi/HDACi plus the immune checkpoint inhibitor α-PD-1 provides the best antitumor effect and longest overall survival, and may be an attractive candidate for future clinical trials in ovarian cancer.

scholarly journals When Cells Suffocate: Autophagy in Cancer and Immune Cells under Low Oxygen

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Schlie ◽  
Jaeline E. Spowart ◽  
Luke R. K. Hughson ◽  
Katelin N. Townsend ◽  
Julian J. Lum
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Tumor Environment ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

Hypoxia is a signature feature of growing tumors. This cellular state creates an inhospitable condition that impedes the growth and function of all cells within the immediate and surrounding tumor microenvironment. To adapt to hypoxia, cells activate autophagy and undergo a metabolic shift increasing the cellular dependency on anaerobic metabolism. Autophagy upregulation in cancer cells liberates nutrients, decreases the buildup of reactive oxygen species, and aids in the clearance of misfolded proteins. Together, these features impart a survival advantage for cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment. This observation has led to intense research efforts focused on developing autophagy-modulating drugs for cancer patient treatment. However, other cells that infiltrate the tumor environment such as immune cells also encounter hypoxia likely resulting in hypoxia-induced autophagy. In light of the fact that autophagy is crucial for immune cell proliferation as well as their effector functions such as antigen presentation and T cell-mediated killing of tumor cells, anticancer treatment strategies based on autophagy modulation will need to consider the impact of autophagy on the immune system.

scholarly journals In Vitro Evaluation of CD276-CAR NK-92 Functionality, Migration and Invasion Potential in the Presence of Immune Inhibitory Factors of the Tumor Microenvironment

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1020
Author(s):  
Stefan Grote ◽  
Guillermo Ureña-Bailén ◽  
Kenneth Chun-Ho Chan ◽  
Caroline Baden ◽  
Markus Mezger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Solid Tumors ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Cellular Immunotherapy ◽  
Knock Out ◽  
Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment

Background: Melanoma is the most lethal of all skin-related cancers with incidences continuously rising. Novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed, especially for the treatment of metastasizing or therapy-resistant melanoma. CAR-modified immune cells have shown excellent results in treating hematological malignancies and might represent a new treatment strategy for refractory melanoma. However, solid tumors pose some obstacles for cellular immunotherapy, including the identification of tumor-specific target antigens, insufficient homing and infiltration of immune cells as well as immune cell dysfunction in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Methods: In order to investigate whether CAR NK cell-based immunotherapy can overcome the obstacles posed by the TME in melanoma, we generated CAR NK-92 cells targeting CD276 (B7-H3) which is abundantly expressed in solid tumors, including melanoma, and tested their effectivity in vitro in the presence of low pH, hypoxia and other known factors of the TME influencing anti-tumor responses. Moreover, the CRISPR/Cas9-induced disruption of the inhibitory receptor NKG2A was assessed for its potential enhancement of NK-92-mediated anti-tumor activity. Results: CD276-CAR NK-92 cells induced specific cytolysis of melanoma cell lines while being able to overcome a variety of the immunosuppressive effects normally exerted by the TME. NKG2A knock-out did not further improve CAR NK-92 cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Conclusions: The strong cytotoxic effect of a CD276-specific CAR in combination with an “off-the-shelf” NK-92 cell line not being impaired by some of the most prominent negative factors of the TME make CD276-CAR NK-92 cells a promising cellular product for the treatment of melanoma and beyond.

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