Type I interferon (IFN) is a class of proinflammatory cytokines with a dual role on malignant transformation, tumor progression, and response to therapy. On the one hand, robust, acute, and resolving type I IFN responses have been shown to mediate prominent anticancer effects, reflecting not only their direct cytostatic/cytotoxic activity on (at least some) malignant cells, but also their pronounced immunostimulatory functions. In line with this notion, type I IFN signaling has been implicated in the antineoplastic effects of various immunogenic therapeutics, including (but not limited to) immunogenic cell death (ICD)-inducing agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). On the other hand, weak, indolent, and non-resolving type I IFN responses have been demonstrated to support tumor progression and resistance to therapy, reflecting the ability of suboptimal type I IFN signaling to mediate cytoprotective activity, promote stemness, favor tolerance to chromosomal instability, and facilitate the establishment of an immunologically exhausted tumor microenvironment. Here, we review fundamental aspects of type I IFN signaling and their context-dependent impact on malignant transformation, tumor progression, and response to therapy.
- MeSH
- antitumorózní látky * farmakologie terapeutické užití MeSH
- cytokiny MeSH
- interferon typ I * MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nádorové mikroprostředí MeSH
- nádory * farmakoterapie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is among the top five causes of cancer-related death in women, largely reflecting early, prediagnosis dissemination of malignant cells to the peritoneum. Despite improvements in medical therapies, particularly with the implementation of novel drugs targeting homologous recombination deficiency, the survival rates of patients with EOC remain low. Unlike other neoplasms, EOC remains relatively insensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors, which is correlated with a tumor microenvironment (TME) characterized by poor infiltration by immune cells and active immunosuppression dominated by immune components with tumor-promoting properties, especially tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). In recent years, TAMs have attracted interest as potential therapeutic targets by seeking to reverse the immunosuppression in the TME and enhance the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy. Here, we review the key biological features of TAMs that affect tumor progression and their relevance as potential targets for treating EOC. We especially focus on the therapies that might modulate the recruitment, polarization, survival, and functional properties of TAMs in the TME of EOC that can be harnessed to develop superior combinatorial regimens with immunotherapy for the clinical care of patients with EOC.
- MeSH
- epiteliální ovariální karcinom terapie patologie MeSH
- imunoterapie MeSH
- karcinom * patologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- makrofágy spojené s nádory patologie MeSH
- makrofágy MeSH
- nádorové mikroprostředí MeSH
- nádory vaječníků * MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
While type I interferon (IFN) is best known for its key role against viral infection, accumulating preclinical and clinical data indicate that robust type I IFN production in the tumor microenvironment promotes cancer immunosurveillance and contributes to the efficacy of various antineoplastic agents, notably immunogenic cell death inducers. Here, we report that malignant blasts from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) release type I IFN via a Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)-dependent mechanism that is not driven by treatment. While in these patients the ability of type I IFN to stimulate anticancer immune responses was abolished by immunosuppressive mechanisms elicited by malignant blasts, type I IFN turned out to exert direct cytostatic, cytotoxic and chemosensitizing activity in primary AML blasts, leukemic stem cells from AML patients and AML xenograft models. Finally, a genetic signature of type I IFN signaling was found to have independent prognostic value on relapse-free survival and overall survival in a cohort of 132 AML patients. These findings delineate a clinically relevant, therapeutically actionable and prognostically informative mechanism through which type I IFN mediates beneficial effects in patients with AML.
- MeSH
- akutní myeloidní leukemie * patologie MeSH
- antitumorózní látky * terapeutické užití MeSH
- interferon typ I * MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nádorové mikroprostředí MeSH
- signální transdukce MeSH
- výsledek terapie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
- Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
Accumulating evidence indicates that immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can restore CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) functions in preclinical models of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, ICIs targeting programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1, best known as PD-1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) have limited clinical efficacy in patients with AML. Natural killer (NK) cells are central players in AML-targeting immune responses. However, little is known on the relationship between co-inhibitory receptors expressed by NK cells and the ability of the latter to control AML. Here, we show that hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 2 (HAVCR2, best known as TIM-3) is highly expressed by NK cells from AML patients, correlating with improved functional licensing and superior effector functions. Altogether, our data indicate that NK cell frequency as well as TIM-3 expression levels constitute prognostically relevant biomarkers of active immunity against AML.
BACKGROUND: The immunological microenvironment of primary high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) has a major impact on disease outcome. Conversely, little is known on the microenvironment of metastatic HGSCs and its potential influence on patient survival. Here, we explore the clinical relevance of the immunological configuration of HGSC metastases. METHODS: RNA sequencing was employed on 24 paired primary tumor microenvironment (P-TME) and metastatic tumor microenvironment (M-TME) chemotherapy-naive HGSC samples. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate infiltration by CD8+ T cells, CD20+ B cells, DC-LAMP+ (lysosomal-associated membrane protein 3) dendritic cells (DCs), NKp46+ (natural killer) cells and CD68+CD163+ M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), abundance of PD-1+ (programmed cell death 1), LAG-3+ (lymphocyte-activating gene 3) cells, and PD-L1 (programmed death ligand 1) expression in 80 samples. Flow cytometry was used for functional assessments on freshly resected HGSC samples. RESULTS: 1468 genes were differentially expressed in the P-TME versus M-TME of HGSCs, the latter displaying signatures of extracellular matrix remodeling and immune infiltration. M-TME infiltration by immune effector cells had little impact on patient survival. Accordingly, M-TME-infiltrating T cells were functionally impaired, but not upon checkpoint activation. Conversely, cytokine signaling in favor of M2-like TAMs activity appeared to underlie inhibited immunity in the M-TME and poor disease outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Immunosuppressive M2-like TAM infiltrating metastatic sites limit clinically relevant immune responses against HGSCs.
- MeSH
- imunosupresivní léčba metody MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- makrofágy imunologie MeSH
- metastázy nádorů MeSH
- nádorové biomarkery metabolismus MeSH
- nádorové mikroprostředí MeSH
- nádory vaječníků imunologie MeSH
- retrospektivní studie MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
In some settings, cancer cells responding to treatment undergo an immunogenic form of cell death that is associated with the abundant emission of danger signals in the form of damage-associated molecular patterns. Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence indicates that danger signals play a crucial role in the (re-)activation of antitumor immune responses in vivo, thus having a major impact on patient prognosis. We have previously demonstrated that the presence of calreticulin on the surface of malignant blasts is a positive prognostic biomarker for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Calreticulin exposure not only correlated with enhanced T-cell-dependent antitumor immunity in this setting but also affected the number of circulating natural killer (NK) cells upon restoration of normal hematopoiesis. Here, we report that calreticulin exposure on malignant blasts is associated with enhanced NK cell cytotoxic and secretory functions, both in AML patients and in vivo in mice. The ability of calreticulin to stimulate NK-cells relies on CD11c+CD14high cells that, upon exposure to CRT, express higher levels of IL-15Rα, maturation markers (CD86 and HLA-DR) and CCR7. CRT exposure on malignant blasts also correlates with the upregulation of genes coding for type I interferon. This suggests that CD11c+CD14high cells have increased capacity to migrate to secondary lymphoid organs, where can efficiently deliver stimulatory signals (IL-15Rα/IL-15) to NK cells. These findings delineate a multipronged, clinically relevant mechanism whereby surface-exposed calreticulin favors NK-cell activation in AML patients.
- MeSH
- aktivace lymfocytů MeSH
- akutní myeloidní leukemie * terapie MeSH
- buňky NK MeSH
- cytotoxicita imunologická MeSH
- interleukin-15 MeSH
- kalretikulin * genetika metabolismus MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
Immunogenic cell death (ICD), a functionally peculiar type of apoptosis, represents a unique way to deliver danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) to the tumor microenvironment. Once emitted by dying cancer cells, DAMPs orchestrate antigen-specific immune responses by acting on both innate and adaptive components of the immune system. Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence indicates that one of these DAMPs, calreticulin (CALR) represents a novel powerful prognostic biomarker, reflecting the activation of a clinically relevant anticancer immune response in different cancer malignancies. Therefore, the assessment of CALR emission can provide a therapeutic tool for the stratification of cancer patients and the identification of individuals that are intrinsically capable to respond to a particular treatment. Here we describe methods for the quantification of CALR exposure in the tumor microenvironment of cancer patients by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry.
- MeSH
- imunogenní buněčná smrt * MeSH
- imunohistochemie metody MeSH
- kalretikulin analýza imunologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nádorové biomarkery analýza imunologie MeSH
- nádorové mikroprostředí MeSH
- nádory imunologie patologie MeSH
- průtoková cytometrie metody MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
Natural killer (NK) cells constitute the predominant innate lymphocyte subset that mediates the anti-viral and anti-tumor immune responses. NK cells use an array of innate receptors to sense their environment and to respond to infections, cellular stress and transformation. The resulting NK cell activation, including cytotoxicity and cytokine production, is a fundamental component of the early immune response. The most recent discoveries in NK cell biology have stimulated the translational research that has led to remarkable results for the treatment of human malignancies. Therefore, the rapid isolation of NK cells from the peripheral blood or tumor microenvironment and the subsequent assessment of cytolytic function are crucial to the study of their potency and NK cell-mediated immunosurveillance. Here, we provide protocols for NK cell isolation and the assessment of NK cell cytotoxicity using flow cytometry.
BACKGROUND: Adjuvanticity, which is the ability of neoplastic cells to deliver danger signals, is critical for the host immune system to mount spontaneous and therapy-driven anticancer immune responses. One of such signals, i.e., the exposure of calreticulin (CALR) on the membrane of malignant cells experiencing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, is well known for its role in the activation of immune responses to dying cancer cells. However, the potential impact of CALR on the immune contexture of primary and metastatic high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) and its prognostic value for patients with HGSC remains unclear. METHOD: We harnessed a retrospective cohort of primary (no = 152) and metastatic (no = 74) tumor samples from HGSC patients to investigate the CALR expression in relation with prognosis and function orientation of the tumor microenvironment. IHC data were complemented with transcriptomic and functional studies on second prospective cohort of freshly resected HGSC samples. In silico analysis of publicly available RNA expression data from 302 HGSC samples was used as a confirmatory approach. RESULTS: We demonstrate that CALR exposure on the surface of primary and metastatic HGSC cells is driven by a chemotherapy-independent ER stress response and culminates with the establishment of a local immune contexture characterized by TH1 polarization and cytotoxic activity that enables superior clinical benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that CALR levels in primary and metastatic HGSC samples have robust prognostic value linked to the activation of clinically-relevant innate and adaptive anticancer immune responses.
- MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- kalretikulin imunologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nádorové mikroprostředí genetika imunologie MeSH
- nádory vaječníků genetika imunologie MeSH
- prognóza MeSH
- sekvenování transkriptomu MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- stres endoplazmatického retikula MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
Z imunologického hlediska lze apoptózu maligních buněk rozlišit na imunogenní a neimunogenní v závislosti na typu podnětu, který buněčnou smrt zahájí. Imunogenní buněčná smrt (ICD) je charakterizována uvolněním molekul, asociovaných s buněčným stresem a poškozením, tzv. DAMP (z angl. damage-associated molecular patterns). Kalretikulin (CRT), vystavený na povrchu maligních buněk, představuje klíčovou molekulu probíhající ICD, jak bylo dokázáno v řadě in vitro a in vivo studií. Translokace CRT z endoplazmatického retikula (ER) na buněčný povrch je výsledkem aktivace signalizační dráhy stresu ER. Současné poznatky ukazují, že přítomnost CRT v nádorovém mikroprostředí či na povrchu cirkulujících maligních buněk koreluje s prognózou onkologických pacientů. Tyto poznatky naznačují, že nádorové buňky určitého procenta pacientů prochází silným vnitrobuněčným stresem, spojeným s aktivací signalizačních drah stresu ER a expresí CRT. Cílem tohoto souhrnného článku je popsat prognostickou roli CRT a jeho vliv na aktivaci specifické imunitní odpovědi u jednotlivých nádorových malignit.
Cancer cell death can be perceived as nonimmmunogenic or immunogenic, depending on the initiating stimulus. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is characterized by emission of the so-called damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Calreticulin (CRT) exposure represents the major checkpoint determining the immunogenicity of cell death as documented by numerous preclinical in vitro and invivo mice studies. Preapoptotic translocation of CRT from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cell surface is a result of an ER stress response. Moreover, recent studies have identified CRT exposure on malignant cells not only as a marker of ICD and active anti-tumor immune response but also as a crucial predictor of prognosis in various cancer malignancies. This suggests that a subgroup of cancer patients is associated with a strong constitutive ER stress response that leads to CRT exposure. Here, we conclude the recent evidences demonstrating that CRT expression represents a novel prognostic biomarker in different cancer malignancies, facilitating the activation of tumor immunosurveillance.
- MeSH
- apoptóza imunologie MeSH
- buněčná imunita imunologie MeSH
- buněčná smrt * imunologie MeSH
- fotochemoterapie metody MeSH
- imunogenní buněčná smrt MeSH
- individualizovaná medicína MeSH
- kalretikulin * fyziologie metabolismus terapeutické užití MeSH
- kombinovaná terapie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nádory imunologie terapie MeSH
- prognóza MeSH
- signální transdukce imunologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- přehledy MeSH
