• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.5.1-5.22
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• 2022

The approval of immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), adoptive cell therapies and cancer vaccines has revolutionized the way cancer treatment is approached. While immunotherapies have improved clinical outcome in a variety of tumor types, some cancers have proven harder to combat using single agents, underscoring the need for multi-targeted immunotherapy approaches. Efficacy of CPIs and cancer vaccines requires patients to have a competent immune system with adequate cell numbers while the efficacy of adoptive cellular therapy is limited by the expansion and persistence of cells after infusion. A promising strategy to overcome these challenges is combination treatment with common gamma-chain cytokines. Gamma-chain cytokines play a critical role in the survival, proliferation, differentiation and function of multiple immune cell types, including CD8 T-cells and NK cells, which are at the center of the anti-tumor response. While the short halflife of recombinant cytokines initially limited their application in the clinic, advancements in protein engineering have led to the development of several next-generation drug candidates with dramatically increased half-life and bioactivity. When combining these cytokines with other immunotherapies, strong evidence of synergy has been observed in preclinical and clinical cancer settings. This promising data has led to the initiation of 70 ongoing clinical trials including IL-2, IL-7, IL-15 and IL-21. This review summarizes the recent advancements of common gamma-chain cytokines and their potential as a cancer immunotherapy.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.7.1-7.11
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• 2020

Cancer immunotherapy, in the form of vaccination, adoptive cellular transfer, or immune checkpoint inhibitors, has emerged as a promising practice within the field of oncology. However, despite the developing field's potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, the presence of immunotherapeutic-resistant tumor cells in many patients present a challenge and limitation to these immunotherapies. These cells not only indicate immunotherapeutic resistance, but also show multi-modal resistance to conventional therapies, abnormal metabolism, stemness, and metastasis. How can immunotherapeutic-resistant tumor cells render multi-malignant phenotypes? We reasoned that the immune-refractory phenotype could be associated with multi-malignant phenotypes and that these phenotypes are linked together by a factor that acts as the master regulator. In this review, we discussed the role of the embryonic transcription factor NANOG as a crucial master regulator we named "common factor" in multi-malignant phenotypes and presented strategies to overcome multi-malignancy in immunotherapeutic-resistant cancer by restraining the NANOG-mediated multi-malignant signaling axis. Strategies that blunt the NANOG axis could improve the clinical management of therapy-refractory cancer.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.366-375
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the radiological tumor response patterns and compare the response assessments based on immune-based therapeutics Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (iRECIST) and RECIST 1.1 in metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) patients treated with programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors. Materials and Methods: All mccRCC patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors at Henan Cancer Hospital, China, between January 2018 and April 2019, were retrospectively studied. A total of 30 mccRCC patients (20 males and 10 females; mean age, 55.6 years; age range, 37-79 years) were analyzed. The target lesions were quantified on consecutive CT scans during therapy using iRECIST and RECIST 1.1. The tumor growth rate was calculated before and after therapy initiation. The response patterns were analyzed, and the differences in tumor response assessments of the two criteria were compared. The intra- and inter-observer variabilities of iRECIST and RECIST 1.1 were also analyzed. Results: The objective response rate throughout therapy was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32.1-67.9) based on iRECIST and 30% (95% CI: 13.6-46.4) based on RECIST 1.1. The time-to-progression (TTP) based on iRECIST was longer than that based on RECIST 1.1 (median TTP: not reached vs. 170 days, p = 0.04). iRECIST and RECIST 1.1 were discordant in 8 cases, which were evaluated as immune-unconfirmed PD based on iRECIST and PD based on RECIST 1.1. Six patients (20%, 6/30) had pseudoprogression based on iRECIST, of which four demonstrated early pseudoprogression and two had delayed pseudoprogression. Significant differences in the tumor response assessments based on the two criteria were observed (p < 0.001). No patients demonstrated hyperprogression during the study period. Conclusion: Our study confirmed that the iRECIST criteria are more capable of capturing immune-related atypical responses during immunotherapy, whereas conventional RECIST 1.1 may underestimate the benefit of PD-1 inhibitors. Pseudoprogression is not rare in mccRCC patients during PD-1 inhibitor therapy, and it may last for more than the recommended maximum of 8 weeks, indicating a limitation of the current strategy for immune response monitoring.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.63-70
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• 2019

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that are able to suppress T cell function are a heterogeneous cell population frequently observed in cancer, infection, and autoimmune disease. Immune checkpoint molecules, such as programmed death 1 (PD-1) expressed on T cells and its ligand (PD-L1) expressed on tumor cells or antigen-presenting cells, have received extensive attention in the past decade due to the dramatic effects of their inhibitors in patients with various types of cancer. In the present study, we investigated the expression of PD-1 on MDSCs in bone marrow, spleen, and tumor tissue derived from breast tumor-bearing mice. Our studies demonstrate that PD-1 expression is markedly increased in tumor-infiltrating MDSCs compared to expression in bone marrow and spleens and that it can be induced by LPS that is able to mediate $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling. Moreover, expression of PD-L1 and CD80 on $PD-1^+$ MDSCs was higher than on $PD-1^-$ MDSCs and proliferation of MDSCs in a tumor microenvironment was more strongly induced in $PD-1^+$ MDSCs than in $PD-1^-$ MDSCs. Although we could not characterize the inducer of PD-1 expression derived from cancer cells, our findings indicate that the study on the mechanism of PD-1 induction in MDSCs is important and necessary for the control of MDSC activity; our results suggest that $PD-1^+$ MDSCs in a tumor microenvironment may induce tumor development and relapse through the modulation of their proliferation and suppressive molecules.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제46권10호
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• pp.579-588
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• 2023

Sarcomas are rare and heterogeneous mesenchymal neoplasms originating from the bone or soft tissues, which pose significant treatment challenges. The current standard treatment for sarcomas consists of surgical resection, often combined with chemo- and radiotherapy; however, local recurrence and metastasis remain significant concerns. Although immunotherapy has demonstrated promise in improving long-term survival rates for certain cancers, sarcomas are generally considered to be relatively less immunogenic than other tumors, presenting substantial challenges for effective immunotherapy. In this review, we examine the possible opportunities for sarcoma immunotherapy, noting cancer testis antigens expressed in sarcomas. We then cover the current status of immunotherapies in sarcomas, including progress in cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and adoptive cellular therapy and their potential in combating these tumors. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations of immunotherapies in sarcomas, including a low tumor mutation burden and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and explore potential strategies to tackle the immunosuppressive barriers in therapeutic interventions, shedding light on the development of effective and personalized treatments for sarcomas. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the current status and potential of immunotherapies in sarcoma treatment, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for developing effective therapies to improve the outcomes of patients with these rare malignancies.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제23권11호
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• pp.1089-1101
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• 2022

Immunotherapy has revolutionized and opened a new paradigm for cancer treatment. In the era of immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy, precision medicine has gained emphasis, and an early response assessment is a key element of this approach. Treatment response assessment for immunotherapy is challenging for radiologists because of the rapid development of immunotherapeutic agents, from immune checkpoint inhibitors to chimeric antigen receptor-T cells, with which many radiologists may not be familiar, and the atypical responses to therapy, such as pseudoprogression and hyperprogression. Therefore, new response assessment methods such as immune response assessment, functional/molecular imaging biomarkers, and artificial intelligence (including radiomics and machine learning approaches) have been developed and investigated. Radiologists should be aware of recent trends in immunotherapy development and new response assessment methods.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.3.1-3.21
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• 2022

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and the number of cancer patients is expected to continuously increase in the future. Traditional cancer therapies focus on inhibiting cancer growth while largely ignoring the contribution of the immune system in eliminating cancer cells. Recently, better understanding of immunological mechanisms pertaining to cancer progress has led to development of several immunotherapies, which revolutionized cancer treatment. Nonetheless, only a small proportion of cancer patients respond to immunotherapy and maintain a durable response. Among multiple factors contributing to the variability of immunotherapy response rates, commensal microbiota inhabiting patients have been identified as one of the most critical factors determining the success of immunotherapy. The functional diversity of microbiota differentially affects the host immune system and controls the efficacy of immunotherapy in individual cancer patients. Moreover, clinical studies have demonstrated that changing the gut microbiota composition by fecal microbiota transplantation in patients who failed a previous immunotherapy converts them to responders of the same therapy. Consequently, both academic and industrial researchers are putting extensive efforts to identify and develop specific bacteria or bacteria mixtures for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we will summarize the immunological roles of commensal microbiota in cancer treatment and give specific examples of bacteria that show anticancer effect when administered as a monotherapy or as an adjuvant agent for immunotherapy. We will also list ongoing clinical trials testing the anticancer effect of commensal bacteria.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.105-111
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• 2019

Histone deacetylase (HDAC)-6은 전사조절 및 세포질 내 다양한 단백질들과의 상호작용을 통하여 난소암의 유발에 관여한다. 최근, HDAC-6을 표적으로 하는 특이적 억제제를 활용하여 암세포의 신호전달경로를 차단함으로써 새로운 항암제로서의 개발을 모색하고 있다. 특히, 난소암 치료를 위한 화학요법에서는 생식세포에 미치는 영향이 하나의 중요한 난제가 될 수 있다. 그러나, HDAC-6 억제제가 난소암세포 이외의 생식세포에 미치는 영향에 대한 연구는 아직 미흡한 실정이다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 HDAC-6 억제제의 하나인 tubastatin A (TubA)가 생쥐의 난소 내 미성숙 난자에 미치는 영향을 RNA sequencing 분석을 통하여 검증하였다. 이러한 유전자 집합을 이용한 통계적 분석은 기존의 개별 유전자분석의 한계를 극복하여 대량의 생물학적 정보를 산출함으로써, 세포 내 신호전달경로와 같은 복잡한 생물학적 변화상태를 보다 더 광범위하고 민감하게 파악할 수 있을 뿐만 아니라 의미있는 결과의 도출에 도움을 줄 수 있다. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) 결과, 세포주기와 감수분열의 조절 및 진행에 관여하는 gene sets의 발현이 germinal vesicle (GV)과 비교하여 TubA 처리군에서 대부분 감소되었다. 또한, ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA)를 통하여 TubA가 난모세포 내 p53 및 pRB의 발현을 증가시키고 CDK4/6 및 cyclin D의 발현을 감소시킬 뿐만 아니라, G2/M 단계의 DNA checkpoint 조절에 관여하는 유전자들의 발현을 증가시킴을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과는 TubA가 난소 내 미성숙 난자의 DNA 손상과 세포주기 관련 신호전달경로 유전자들의 발현변화를 유도함으로써, 세포주기의 중지와 세포사멸을 초래할 수 있음을 제시한다. 따라서, 특히 생식주기 이전의 난소암을 표적으로 하는 HDAC-6 억제제를 이용한 항암제의 개발에 있어 난소 내 미성숙 난자의 정상적인 성장과 발달을 위한 대안적 고려가 필요할 것으로 사료된다.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.306-314
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• 2003

목적: K562 세포의 방사선에 의한 세포 사망은 mitotic catastrophe 현상이 위주로 나타나지만 herbimycin A (HMA)에 의하여 apoptosis 반응이 촉진되는 반면 genisteln에 의하여 두 가지 형태의 세포사망이 모두 억제된다. 본 연구에서는 HMA와 genistein에 의한 K562세포의 방사선 유도 세포주기 조절 변화와 세포 사망 양상의 연관성을 조사하였다. 대상 및 방법: 지수증식기의 KS62 세포에 6 MV 선형가속기(Clinac 1,m C, Varian)를 이용하여 200~300 cGy/min의 선량률로 10 Gy를 균일하게 조사하였다. HMA와 genistein은 각각 250 nM와 25$\mu$M농도로 방사선 조사 후 즉시 투여하였다. 실험에서는 세포주기, 오절인자의 발현 및 활성, 노화 및 분화정도 등에 있어서의 시간에 따른 변화를 조사하였다. 결과: 방사선 단독조사에서 KS62세포는 G2기의 정체를 보였으나 정상적인 053을 가지는 세포와는 달리 지속적인 세포주기의 정체를 보이지 않았다. G2정체가 유지되는 동안 cyclin Bl의 점진적인 증가를 관찰할 수 있었으며, 이는 염색체의 복제가 완료되지 않은 상태에서 M기로 진행하여 미성숙한 염색체 응축과 mitotic catastrophe 현상이 나타나는 것과 일치한다. 방사선 조사와 함께 HMA를 투여한 경우에는 G2정체가 빠르게 해소되었으며 동시에 Gl기에서 세포가 정체되는 양상을 보였다. 세포주기 조절인자 cdc2 kinase 활성 증가와 cyclln I와 A 발현 및 CDK2 활성의 감소 등의 현상으로 설명되며, 이는 apoptosis의 증가와 연관성을 갖는다. 반면 genistein의 경우에는 cyclin Bl과 떨cfsc 발현 및 cdc2활성이 모두 감소하는 등 G2정체를 계속 유지하였다. 이와 함께 방사선에 의한 노화와 megakaryocyte로의 분화도 지속되는 것을 관찰할 수 있었다. 결론: HMA와 genistein에 의한 KS62세포의 방사선 유도 세포사망의 변화는 세포주기 조절과 밀접하게 연관되어 있음을 확인하였다. 이는 다양한 방사선 유도 세포사망의 기전을 이해하는 데 독창적인 모델을 제공하며, 방사선을 이용한 암 치료법의 개발에 새로운 표적을 제공할 수 있을 것이다.