scholarly journals A Combination of Glutaminase Inhibitor 968 and PD-L1 Blockade Boosts the Immune Response against Ovarian Cancer

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1749
Author(s):  
Jing-Jing Wang ◽  
Michelle Kwan-Yee Siu ◽  
Yu-Xin Jiang ◽  
Thomas Ho-Yin Leung ◽  
David Wai Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Granzyme B ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Immune Checkpoints ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells

Programmed cell death 1 ligand (PD-L1) blockade has been used therapeutically in the treatment of ovarian cancer, and potential combination treatment approaches are under investigation to improve the treatment response rate. The increased dependence on glutamine is widely observed in various type of tumors, including ovarian cancer. Kidney-type glutaminase (GLS), as one of the isotypes of glutaminase, is found to promote tumorigenesis. Here, we have demonstrated that the combined treatment with GLS inhibitor 968 and PD-L1 blockade enhances the immune response against ovarian cancer. Survival analysis using the Kaplan–Meier plotter dataset from ovarian cancer patients revealed that the expression level of GLS predicts poor survival and correlates with the immunosuppressive microenvironment of ovarian cancer. 968 inhibits the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells and enhances granzyme B secretion by CD8+ T cells as detected by XTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Furthermore, 968 enhances the apoptosis-inducing ability of CD8+ T cells toward cancer cells and improves the treatment effect of anti-PD-L1 in treating ovarian cancer as assessed by Annexin V apoptosis assay. In vivo studies demonstrated the prolonged overall survival upon combined treatment of 968 with anti-PD-L1 accompanied by increased granzyme B secretion by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells isolated from ovarian tumor xenografts. Additionally, 968 increases the infiltration of CD3+ T cells into tumors, possibly through enhancing the secretion of CXCL10 and CXCL11 by tumor cells. In conclusion, our findings provide a novel insight into ovarian cancer cells influence the immune system in the tumor microenvironment and highlight the potential clinical implication of combination of immune checkpoints with GLS inhibitor 968 in treating ovarian cancer.

scholarly journals 1-MT inhibits the invasion of CBP-resistant ovarian cancer cells via down-regulating IDO expression and re-activating immune cells function

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huihan Ma ◽  
Qian Qin ◽  
Jiaqing Mi ◽  
Qinmei Feng
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Skov3 Cell ◽  
Conceptual Foundation ◽  
Tumor Immune Escape

Abstract Background The indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) inhibitor 1-methyl-tryptophan (1-MT) is currently being used in clinical trials in patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors by inhibiting tumor immune escape. A greater understanding of IDO activity is required to begin to understand the molecular mechanism by which drugs work. This study was conducted to investigate of the clinical significance of 1-methyl-tryptophan (1-MT) in treating carboplatin-resistant (CBP-resistant) ovarian cancer and its mechanism of action. Methods Using a medium dose, intermittent treatment method, a clinically relevant CBP-resistant human ovarian cancer cell line (SKOV3/CBP) was established. SKOV3/CBP cells were treated with normal serum (control) or 1-MT (0.25 ng/mL) for 4 h (SKOV3/CBP + 1-MT). Cell proliferation, invasion and IDO expression in SKOV3, SKOV3/CBP and SKOV3/CBP + 1-MT cells were determined by MTT assays, Matrigel invasion chambers assays and ELISAs, respectively. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and resistance index (RI) were also calculated. The killing ability of the NK cells and CD8+ T cells co-cultured with SKOV3, SKOV3/CBP and SKOV3/CBP + 1-MT cells were determined by LDH activity assays and the INF-γcounting method. Results The SKOV3/CBP cell line displayed an increased IC50 compared to the SKOV3 cell line (P < 0.05) under CBP treatment. Treatment with 1-MT significantly decreased the IC50 and RI of SKOV3/CBP cells. Furthermore, 1-MT treatment not only reduced the invasion ability, but also suppressed IDO expression in the drug-resistant SKOV3/CBP + 1-MT cell line as compared to the SKOV3/CBP cell line. Furthermore, 1-MT enhanced the killing ability of NK cells and the amount of INF-γsecreted from CD8+ T cells which were co-cultured with the SKOV3/CBP cell line. Conclusion Our data suggested that 1-MT inhibits the invasion of CBP-resistant ovarian cancer cells via down-regulation of IDO expression which leads to re-activation of immune cell function. We provide a conceptual foundation for the clinical development of 1-MT as an anti-tumor immunomodulator for chemotherapy resistant ovarian cancer patients.

scholarly journals Niraparib exhibits a synergistic anti-tumor effect with PD-L1 blockade by inducing an immune response in ovarian cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinyu Meng ◽  
Jin Peng ◽  
Jie Feng ◽  
Jochen Maurer ◽  
Xiao Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Parp Inhibitors ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Human Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Sting Pathway

Abstract Background Immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) therapy showed limited efficacy in ovarian cancer management. Increasing evidence indicated that conventional and targeted therapies could affect tumor-associated immune responses and increase the effectiveness of immunotherapy. However, the effects of Niraparib, one of the poly (ADP) ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, on the immune response remains unclear. Delineating the crosstalk between cytotoxic anticancer agents and cancer-associated immunity may lead to more efficient combinatorial strategies. Methods Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in human ovarian cancer cells after PARP inhibitors treatment was examined by western blotting (WB) and flow cytometry. The expression of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP1), PD-L1, and CD8 in human ovarian cancer tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry(IHC). The effect of Niraparib and PD-L1 blockade in ovarian cancer progression was investigated in vivo. The changes of immune cells and cytokines in vitro and in vivo were detected by flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Changes of cGAS/STING signal pathway after Niraparib treatment were determined by WB, ELISA. Results Niraparib upregulated membrane PD-L1 and total PD-L1 expression in ovarian cancer cells and had a synergistic effect with PD-L1 blockade in vivo. In clinical patient samples, Niraparib augmented cytotoxic CD8+T cell proportion and function. In vivo and vitro, Niraparib can also increase the proportion of T cells and combined with PD-L1 blockade could further enhance the effect. Besides, Niraparib activated the cGAS-STING pathway, increasing the levels of cytokines such as CCL5 and CXCL10, which played a vital role in augmenting the infiltration and activation of cytotoxic T cells. Conclusions Niraparib could modulate the immune response via the activation of the cGAS/STING pathway, and combination with PD-L1 blockade could further enhance the effect. These results provide a sound theoretical basis for clinical treatment.

scholarly journals The Inhibition of Platelets Restore Anti-Tumor Immune Response to Ovarian Cancer and Its Therapeutic Implication

Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 3698-3698
Author(s):  
Min Soon Cho ◽  
Omayra Gonzalez-Pagan ◽  
Karem Court Pinto ◽  
Anil Sood ◽  
Vahid Afshar-Kharghan
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Platelet Inhibition ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Tumor Bearing

Abstract The interactions between platelets and cancer cells activate platelets and enhance tumor growth. The ability of a cancer cell line to activate platelets in vitro, tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation (TCIPA), predicts the in vivo aggressiveness of that particular cancer cell line. We have found that platelets extravasate into tumor microenvironment. We also have shown that ovarian cancer cells secret ADP that activate platelets by binding to P2Y12 (an ADP receptor on platelets). In turn, activated platelets enhance proliferation of ovarian cancer cells and tumor growth. Activated platelets release TGFβ to the tumor microenvironment (TME) that enhances cancer cell proliferation in a TGFβ dose-dependent manner. Platelet TGFβ also functions as an immune modulator by enhancing differentiation of T cells toward T-reg. Platelets not only increase cancer cell proliferation but also alter the immune response to cancer by suppressing the function of tumor-infiltrating T cells. The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) is associated with a significant improvement in the progression-free survival (PFS) and the overall survival (OS) of patients with ovarian cancer. In the current study, we investigated the effect of platelet inhibition on promoting the immune response to tumors and the therapeutic benefit of combining anti-platelet reagents with checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) in murine models of ovarian cancer. We have shown before, P2Y12 deficient (P2Y12-/-) and platelet specific TGFβ knockout (TGFβfl/fl;PF4-cre) mice developed smaller tumors compared to control tumor-bearing mice in a murine ovarian cancer model. To determine the effect of anti-platelet reagent in platelet extravasation into the TME, we counted the number of platelets in the TME in four groups of tumor-bearing mice: control, aspirin-treated (ASA), platelet infused (Plt) and aspirin-treated + platelet-infused (Asp Plt) mice. Platelet extravasation increased after platelet infusion and reduced after aspirin treatment. The groups with a higher number of extravasated platelets developed larger tumors compared to those with less extravasated platelets. We investigated the role of platelet in regulation of immune response to tumor using mice with platelet specific defects in murine models of ovarian cancer. We immune profiled tumors induced in mice with platelet-specific TGFβ deficiency, P2Y12 deficient mice, and aspirin or Ticagrelor-treated mice. Overall platelet functional defects was associated with an increase in the number of T cells, DC, MØ and NK and a decrease in the number of MDSCs in tumors.. We investigated the effect of immune check point inhibitors (CPI) on growth of murine ovarian cancer. We administrated 200µg of combination of CPIs (anti-CTLA4/ anti-PD-L1) into tumor-bearing mice. Combined CPI therapy had a minimal effect on the tumor burden (control=0.53± 0.082g vs. CPIs=0.33± 0.04g, p=0.15). Although CPI-treatment increased the number of CD8 cells inside tumors, it also increased the expression of VISTA (a negative) with an overall non-significant effect on the tumor growth. To investigate the effect of platelet inhibition on expression of checkpoint regulatory proteins in the TME, the expression of VISTA was examined in the tumors resected from TGFβfl/fl; PF4-cre tumor-bearing mice by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), and was compared to that in tumors resected from WT tumor bearing mice. Tumors from TGFβfl/fl; PF4-cre mice expressed less VISTA mRNA (control= 1 vs. TGFβfl/fl; PF4-cre= 0.04 ± 0.01, p < 0.0001). Interestingly, P2Y12 deficiency and antiplatelet reagents (ticagrelor and aspirin) also reduced expression of VISTA in tumors. This is the first evidence for the effect of platelet inhibition on the expression of a checkpoint regulator in tumors. We hypothesize that platelet inhibition enhances anti-tumor immune response and can be used as an adjuvant to checkpoint inhibitors in immunotherapies for ovarian cancer. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals 281 Measuring immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy using primary patient-derived 3D spheroids

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A305-A305
Author(s):  
Kathryn Appleton ◽  
Katy Lassahn ◽  
Ashley Elrod ◽  
Tessa DesRochers
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Clinical Success ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Granzyme B ◽  
Immune Checkpoints ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Luminex Technology

BackgroundCancerous cells can utilize immune checkpoints to escape T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Agents that target PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA4 are collectively deemed immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and many have been approved for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and melanoma. Unfortunately, many patients do not respond to these therapies and often experience disease progression. Immunohistochemistry assays to predict response to ICIs have been inconsistent in their readouts and often patients with low expression levels respond to ICIs. Understanding the determinants of ICI response in individual patients is critical for improving the clinical success of this drug class. Using patient-derived spheroids from NSCLC and melanoma primary tissue, we developed a multi-plexed assay for detecting ICI efficacy.MethodsNine NSCLC and 11 melanoma primary tumor samples were dissociated to single cells, classified for immune checkpoint expression and cell content by flow cytometry, and seeded for spheroid formation. Spheroids were treated with pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, ipilimumab or durvalumab across a range of concentrations and monitored for cytotoxicity at 24-hours and viability at 72-hours by multiplexing CellTox™ Green Cytotoxicity Assay and CellTiter-Glo® 3D Cell Viability Assay. IFNγ and granzyme B secretion was assessed using Luminex technology. ICI response was evaluated by determining the concentration-response relationship for all three read-outs.ResultsIncreased IFNγ and granzyme B were detected for every ICI in one or more patient samples. ICI-induced IFNγ secretion inversely correlated with PD-1+ immune cells. Durvalumab was significantly more cytotoxic for both NSCLC and melanoma spheroids compared to the other ICIs and significantly reduced spheroid viability with mean spheroid survival decreasing to 19.5% for NSCLC and 58.2% for melanoma. We evaluated if there was an association between durvalumab response and cell composition and found that percent spheroid survival significantly correlated with CD8+ T-cells for both NSCLC (r=-0.7920, p=0.0191) and melanoma (r=-0.6918, p=0.0390). Furthermore, CD8+ T-cells correlated with durvalumab-induced granzyme B secretion for NSCLC (r=-0.7645, p=0.0271) and melanoma (r=-0.7419, p=0.0221).ConclusionsIn this study we show ICI-specific increases in immune-related analytes in a concentration-dependent manner for NSCLC and melanoma patient-derived spheroids. We detected spheroid cytotoxicity following short term ICI treatment which closely mirrored decreased spheroid viability at a later timepoint. Finally, we can decipher response mechanisms as exemplified by durvalumab-induced granzyme B secretion correlating with the presence of CD8+ T-cells which results in reduced spheroid viability for both tested cancer indications.

scholarly journals PD-L1 regulates tumorigenesis and autophagy of ovarian cancer by activating mTORC signaling

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongmin Gao ◽  
Juan Zhang ◽  
Xiaohong Ren
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Clinical Significance ◽  
Tumour Cell ◽  
Normal Tissue ◽  
Ovarian Tumour ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Adjacent Normal Tissue ◽  
Novel Strategy

Abstract PD-L1 is a well-known immune co-stimulatory molecule that regulates tumour cell escape from immunity by suppressing the immune response. However, the clinical significance of PD-L1 in the progression of ovarian cancer is unclear. Our study demonstrated that PD-L1 is up-regulated in ovarian tumour tissue compared with its expression level in adjacent normal tissue. Furthermore, we confirmed that PD-L1 increases the proliferation of cancer cells by activating the AKT-mTORC signalling pathway, which is also enhanced by the expression of S6K, the substrate of mTORC. In addition, PD-L1 promotes the autophagy of ovarian cancer cells by up-regulating the expression of BECN1, a crucial molecule involved in the regulation of autophagy. In conclusion, PD-L1 may provide a target for the development of a novel strategy for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

scholarly journals STK3 Suppresses Ovarian Cancer Progression by Activating NF-κB Signaling to Recruit CD8+ T-Cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Xiangyu Wang ◽  
Fengmian Wang ◽  
Zhi-Gang Zhang ◽  
Xiao-Mei Yang ◽  
Rong Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
And Migration

Serine/threonine protein kinase-3 (STK3) is a critical molecule of the Hippo pathway but little is known about its biological functions in the ovarian cancer development. We demonstrated the roles of STK3 in ovarian cancer. Existing databases were used to study the expression profile of STK3. STK3 was significantly downregulated in OC patients, and the low STK3 expression was correlated with a poor prognosis. In vitro cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration assays, and in vivo subcutaneous xenograft tumor models were used to determine the roles of STK3. The overexpression of STK3 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of ovarian cancer cells in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Bisulfite sequencing PCR analysis was performed to validate the methylation of STK3 in ovarian cancer. RNA sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to compare the transcriptome changes in the STK3 overexpression ovarian cancer and control cells. The signaling pathway was analyzed by western blotting. STK3 promoted the migration of CD8+ T-cells by activating nuclear transcription factor κB (NF-κB) signaling. STK3 is a potential predictor of OC. It plays an important role in suppressing tumor growth of ovarian cancer and in chemotaxis of CD8+ T-cells.

scholarly journals MGMT-activated DUB3 stabilizes MCL1 and drives chemoresistance in ovarian cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (8) ◽  
pp. 2961-2966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaowei Wu ◽  
Qingyu Luo ◽  
Pengfei Zhao ◽  
Wan Chang ◽  
Yating Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Methylguanine Dna Methyltransferase

Chemoresistance is a severe outcome among patients with ovarian cancer that leads to a poor prognosis. MCL1 is an antiapoptotic member of the BCL-2 family that has been found to play an essential role in advancing chemoresistance and could be a promising target for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Here, we found that deubiquitinating enzyme 3 (DUB3) interacts with and deubiquitinates MCL1 in the cytoplasm of ovarian cancer cells, which protects MCL1 from degradation. Furthermore, we identified that O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a key activator of DUB3 transcription, and that the MGMT inhibitor PaTrin-2 effectively suppresses ovarian cancer cells with elevated MGMT-DUB3-MCL1 expression both in vitro and in vivo. Most interestingly, we found that histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) could significantly activate MGMT/DUB3 expression; the combined administration of HDACis and PaTrin-2 led to the ideal therapeutic effect. Altogether, our results revealed the essential role of the MGMT-DUB3-MCL1 axis in the chemoresistance of ovarian cancer and identified that a combined treatment with HDACis and PaTrin-2 is an effective method for overcoming chemoresistance in ovarian cancer.

scholarly journals Photodynamic Therapy Using a New Folate Receptor-Targeted Photosensitizer on Peritoneal Ovarian Cancer Cells Induces the Release of Extracellular Vesicles with Immunoactivating Properties

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Baydoun ◽  
Olivier Moralès ◽  
Céline Frochot ◽  
Colombeau Ludovic ◽  
Bertrand Leroux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Photodynamic Therapy ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
The Impact

Often discovered at an advanced stage, ovarian cancer progresses to peritoneal carcinoma, which corresponds to the invasion of the serosa by multiple tumor implants. The current treatment is based on the combination of chemotherapy and tumor cytoreduction surgery. Despite the progress and standardization of surgical techniques combined with effective chemotherapy, post-treatment recurrences affect more than 60% of women in remission. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been particularly indicated for the treatment of superficial lesions on large surfaces and appears to be a relevant candidate for the treatment of microscopic intraperitoneal lesions and non-visible lesions. However, the impact of this therapy on immune cells remains unclear. Hence, the objective of this study is to validate the efficacy of a new photosensitizer [pyropheophorbide a-polyethylene glycol-folic acid (PS)] on human ovarian cancer cells and to assess the impact of the secretome of PDT-treated cells on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We show that PS, upon illumination, can induce cell death of different ovarian tumor cells. Furthermore, PDT using this new PS seems to favor activation of the immune response by inducing the secretion of effective cytokines and inhibiting the pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive ones, as well as releasing extracellular vesicles (EVs) prone to activating immune cells. Finally, we show that PDT can activate CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, resulting in a potential immunostimulating process. The results of this pilot study therefore indicate that PS-PDT treatment may not only be effective in rapidly and directly destroying target tumor cells but also promote the activation of an effective immune response; notably, by EVs. These data thus open up good prospects for the treatment of micrometastases of intraperitoneal ovarian carcinosis which are currently inoperable.

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