Project description:USP2 inhibition by ML364 treatment significantlly suppressed tumor growth. We aim to investigate the impact of ML364 treatment on the immune microenvironment of tumor-bearing mice by single-cell sequencing.
Project description:In melanoma, immune cell infiltration into the tumor is associated with better patient outcomes and response to immunotherapy. T cell non-inflamed tumors (‘cold tumors’) are associated with tumor cell intrinsic Wnt/β-catenin activation, and are resistant to anti-PD-1 alone or in combination with anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Reversal of the ‘cold tumor’ phenotype and identifying new effective immunotherapies are challenges in melanoma. In a well-established preclinical melanoma model driven by β-catenin, we found that immune checkpoint molecule B7-H3 confers a suppressive tumor microenvironment by modulating antiviral signals and matricellular proteins. Its inhibition primes the microenvironment, and together with blockade of the macrophage checkpoint CD47, but not with anti-PD-1, results in synergistic anti-tumor responses. This study brings B7-H3 to the forefront as inducing a suppressive microenvironment when overexpressed, and co-targeting with CD47 as a novel combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma that calls for testing in clinical trials.
Project description:In melanoma, immune cell infiltration into the tumor is associated with better patient outcomes and response to immunotherapy. T cell non-inflamed tumors (‘cold tumors’) are associated with tumor cell intrinsic Wnt/β-catenin activation, and are resistant to anti-PD-1 alone or in combination with anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Reversal of the ‘cold tumor’ phenotype and identifying new effective immunotherapies are challenges in melanoma. In a well-established preclinical melanoma model driven by β-catenin, we found that immune checkpoint molecule B7-H3 confers a suppressive tumor microenvironment by modulating antiviral signals and matricellular proteins. Its inhibition primes the microenvironment, and together with blockade of the macrophage checkpoint CD47, but not with anti-PD-1, results in synergistic anti-tumor responses. This study brings B7-H3 to the forefront as inducing a suppressive microenvironment when overexpressed, and co-targeting with CD47 as a novel combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma that calls for testing in clinical trials.
Project description:In melanoma, immune cell infiltration into the tumor is associated with better patient outcomes and response to immunotherapy. T cell non-inflamed tumors (‘cold tumors’) are associated with tumor cell intrinsic Wnt/β-catenin activation, and are resistant to anti-PD-1 alone or in combination with anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Reversal of the ‘cold tumor’ phenotype and identifying new effective immunotherapies are challenges in melanoma. In a well-established preclinical melanoma model driven by β-catenin, we found that immune checkpoint molecule B7-H3 confers a suppressive tumor microenvironment by modulating antiviral signals and matricellular proteins. Its inhibition primes the microenvironment, and together with blockade of the macrophage checkpoint CD47, but not with anti-PD-1, results in synergistic anti-tumor responses. This study brings B7-H3 to the forefront as inducing a suppressive microenvironment when overexpressed, and it’s co-targeting with CD47 as a novel combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma that calls for testing in clinical trials.
Project description:In melanoma, immune cell infiltration into the tumor is associated with better patient outcomes and response to immunotherapy. T cell non-inflamed tumors (‘cold tumors’) are associated with tumor cell intrinsic Wnt/β-catenin activation, and are resistant to anti-PD-1 alone or in combination with anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Reversal of the ‘cold tumor’ phenotype and identifying new effective immunotherapies are challenges in melanoma. In a well-established preclinical melanoma model driven by β-catenin, we found that immune checkpoint molecule B7-H3 confers a suppressive tumor microenvironment by modulating antiviral signals and matricellular proteins. Its inhibition primes the microenvironment, and together with blockade of the macrophage checkpoint CD47, but not with anti-PD-1, results in synergistic anti-tumor responses. This study brings B7-H3 to the forefront as inducing a suppressive microenvironment when overexpressed, and it’s co-targeting with CD47 as a novel combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma that calls for testing in clinical trials.
Project description:In melanoma, immune cell infiltration into the tumor is associated with better patient outcomes and response to immunotherapy. T cell non-inflamed tumors (‘cold tumors’) are associated with tumor cell intrinsic Wnt/β-catenin activation, and are resistant to anti-PD-1 alone or in combination with anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Reversal of the ‘cold tumor’ phenotype and identifying new effective immunotherapies are challenges in melanoma. In a well-established preclinical melanoma model driven by β-catenin, we found that immune checkpoint molecule B7-H3 confers a suppressive tumor microenvironment by modulating antiviral signals and matricellular proteins. Its inhibition primes the microenvironment, and together with blockade of the macrophage checkpoint CD47, but not with anti-PD-1, results in synergistic anti-tumor responses. This study brings B7-H3 to the forefront as inducing a suppressive microenvironment when overexpressed, and it’s co-targeting with CD47 as a novel combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma that calls for testing in clinical trials.
Project description:Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment over the past decade. However, in most solid tumors, its effectiveness is often impaired owing to immune-resistance mediated through the tumor microenvironment (TME). In fibrotic cancers such as cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) create a dense, rigid stroma that hinders immune cell infiltration and fosters immunosuppression. Overcoming these physical and biological barriers is critical to fully unleash the potential of immunotherapeutic approaches. Here, the combination of photothermal therapy (PTT) with gold-iron oxide nanoflowers (GIONFs) effectively reshapes the TME by reducing ECM stiffness and facilitating immune cell infiltration. The GIONF-mediated TME mechanical reprogramming in combination with PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade leads to T-cell activation and reduces the immunosuppressive CAF subset. In preclinical models, this combination approach significantly supported anti-tumor immune responses and improved tumor control. Our findings emphasize the therapeutic potential of reshaping the TME to overcome immunotherapy resistance in fibrotic tumors like CCA. Targeting both the ECM and immune checkpoints may therefore represent a promising strategy to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy against desmoplastic cancers.
Project description:The Aurora-A inhibitor alisertib shows encouraging activities in clinical trials against multiple malignances including advanced breast cancer. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear, especially regarding how the inflammatory microenvironment is involved in the efficacy of alisertib. Here, we demonstrated that Aurora-A inhibition directly reshapes the immune microenvironment through removal of tumor-promoting myeloid cells and enrichment of anti-cancer T lymphocytes, which restores a tumor-suppressive microenvironment and significantly contributes to the regression of murine mammary tumors. Mechanistically, the Aurora-A inhibitor effectively eliminated myeloid cells including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and macrophages in tumors by triggering apoptosis of these cells. Further, Aurora-A inhibition could disrupt the immunosuppressive functions of MDSCs through inhibiting Stat3 mediated ROS production. These alterations led to significant increases in the proportion and the number of CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes, which efficiently inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells. In summary, these data revealed that in addition to suppressing the proliferation of tumor cells, Aurora-A inhibitor directly modulates and restores an anti-tumor immune-microenvironment in breast cancer. Intriguingly, Aurora-A inactivation combined with PD-L1 blockade showed synergistic efficacy in the treatment of mammary tumors, providing an effective strategy for clinical trials of chemo-immunotherapy in breast cancer.