Project description:Blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 immunosuppressive pathway has shown promise in the treatment of certain cancers including melanoma. This study investigates differences in the gene expression profiles of human melanomas that do or do not display the immunosuppressive protein PD-L1. Further understanding of genes expressed within the tumor microenvironment of PD-L1+ tumors may lead to improved rationally designed treatments. Gene expression profiling was performed on total RNA extracted by laser capture microdissection from 11 archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) melanoma specimens, 5 of which were PD-L1 positive and 6 PD-L1 negative. Details of the design, and the gene signatures found are given in the paper associated with this GEO Series: Janis M. Taube, Geoffrey D. Young, Tracee L. McMiller, Shuming Chen, January T. Salas, Theresa S. Pritchard, Haiying Xu, Alan K. Meeker, Jinshui Fan, Chris Cheadle, Alan E. Berger, Drew M. Pardoll, and Suzanne L. Topalian, Differential expression of immune-regulatory genes associated with PD-L1 display in melanoma: implications for PD-1 pathway blockade, Clin Cancer Res 2015, in press.
Project description:Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) is known to suppress immune system and to be an unfavorable prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the function of PD-L1 in peritoneal dissemination. Tumor cell lysis by CTLs was attenuated when PD-L1 on tumor cells was overexpressed and promoted when it was silenced. PD-L1 overexpression also inhibited gathering and degranulation of CTLs. Gene expression profile of mouse CTLs caused by PD-L1-overexpressing ovarian cancer was related to human CTLs exhaustion. In mouse ovarian cancer dissemination models, depleting PD-L1 expression on tumor cells resulted in inhibited tumor growth in the peritoneal cavity and prolonged survival. Restoring immune function by inhibiting immune-suppressive factors such as PD-L1 may be a promising therapeutic strategy for peritoneal dissemination. Genome-wide transcriptional changes in OT-1 mouse CD8+ T cells that were co-incubated with OVA peptide-loaded ID8 mouse ovarian cancer cell lines. CTLs from 4 mice were devided into 2 groups, and co-incubated with PD-L1-overexpressed ID8 or PD-L1-depleted ID8.
Project description:To identify which E3 ligases ubiquitinate PD-L1, we overexpressed PD-L1-Flag in HEK293 cells and used anti-Flag magnetic beads to pull down PD-L1 from cell lysates. The interacting proteins were then analyzed by mass spectrometry, revealing that three E3 ligases interact with PD-L1.
Project description:Immune-checkpoint inhibition affecting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway is a robust clinical approach to treat cancer. Unfortunately, antibody-binding-caused PD-L1 internalization and recycling can lead to resistance and reduced clinical efficacy. Inhibiting lysosome-mediated PD-L1 degradation is necessary to preserve the PD-L1 level that recycles back to the cell membrane. It remains unclear whether there exists a specific mechanism that regulates the trafficking of PD-L1 into endosomes or lysosomes. We identified transmembrane-9 superfamily members 1-4 (TM9SF1-4) through a targeted CRISPR screen, with TM9SF2 emerging as a critical regulator. Mechanistically, TM9SF2 interacts with phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), facilitating the endosomal recycling of PD-L1 back to the plasma membrane. Simultaneously, this interaction complex inhibits the pathway of lysosomal PD-L1 degradation via eliminating lysosome carrier HIP1R. Genetic or chemical inhibition of TM9SF2 or PGK1 reduced PD-L1 levels, enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy. Furthermore, metabolomics-guided screening revealed that treatment with Cer(d18:1/26:0) or the overexpression of its synthase CERS3 disrupted the TM9SF2-PGK1 complex, shifting the process from endosomal recycling to lysosomal degradation. This transition led to a reduction in PD-L1 expression and increased immune responses in murine tumors. Our findings establish the TM9SF2-PGK1 complex as a signaling hub responsive to ceramide, regulating PD-L1 sorting in the endosomal system and contributing to cancer immune evasion. These insights highlight potential therapeutic strategies to augment immune responses by controlling PD-L1 trafficking.
Project description:PD-L1 Inhibitor Regulates the miR-33a-5p/PTEN Signaling Pathway and Can Be Targeted to Sensitize Glioblastomas to Radiation. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal brain tumor in adults. Ionizing radiation (IR) is a standard treatment for GBM patients and results in DNA damage. However, the clinical efficacy of IR is limited due to therapeutic resistance. The programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade has a shown the potential to increase the efficacy of radiotherapy by inhibiting DNA damage and repair responses. The miR-33a-5p is an essential microRNA that promotes GBM growth and self-renewal. In this study, we investigated whether a PD-L1 inhibitor (a small molecule inhibitor) exerted radio-sensitive effects to impart an anti-tumor function in GBM cells by modulating miR-33a-5p. U87 MG cells and U251 cells were pretreated with PD-L1 inhibitor. The PD-L1 inhibitor-induced radio-sensitivity in these cells was assessed by assaying cellular apoptosis, clonogenic survival assays, and migration. TargetScan and luciferase assay showed that miR-33a-5p targeted the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) 3' untranslated region. The expression level of PTEN was measured by western blotting, and was also silenced using small interfering RNAs. The levels of DNA damage following radiation was measured by the presence of γ-H2AX foci, cell cycle, and the mRNA of the DNA damage-related genes, BRCA1, NBS1, RAD50, and MRE11. Our results demonstrated that the PD-L1 inhibitor significantly decreased the expression of the target gene, miR-33a-5p. In addition, pretreatment of U87 MG and U251 cells with the PD-L1 inhibitor increased radio-sensitivity, as indicated by increased apoptosis, while decreased survival and migration of GBM cells. Mir-33a-5p overexpression or silencing PTEN in U87 MG and U251 cells significantly attenuated PD-L1 radiosensitive effect. Additionally, PD-L1 inhibitor treatment suppressed the expression of the DNA damage response-related genes, BRCA1, NBS1, RAD50, and MRE11. Our results demonstrated a novel role for the PD-L1 inhibitor in inducing radio- sensitivity in GBM cells, where inhibiting miR-33a-5p, leading to PTEN activated, and inducing DNA damage was crucial for antitumor immunotherapies to treat GBM.
Project description:Blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 immunosuppressive pathway has shown promise in the treatment of certain cancers including melanoma. This study investigates differences in the gene expression profiles of human melanomas that do or do not display the immunosuppressive protein PD-L1. Further understanding of genes expressed within the tumor microenvironment of PD-L1+ tumors may lead to improved rationally designed treatments.
Project description:Although membrane-anchored Pd-l1 has been well-studied for its engagement with PD-1 on T cells to evade anti-tumor immunity, whether Pd-l1 regulate oncogenic signaling pathways in tumor cells remains elusive. In this experiment, to further dissect roles of the K262 residue acetylation for Pd-l1 nuclear function, we profiled RNA expression of WT or K262Q mutant mouse Pd-l1 re-expressed in CT26 KO Pd-l1 cells. Methods: Total RNA fromCT26/Vector, CT26/WT or CT26 Pd-l1 KO cells was purified using Qiagen RNeasy mini kit (Qiagen) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Library preparation and sequenceing analysis were performed by BGI-Hong Kong Co. Ltd. Conclusions: Our study indicates that Pd-l1 acetylation modification may affect its function in nuclear.