scholarly journals Immunotherapy of Ovarian Cancer: The Role of Checkpoint Inhibitors

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca De Felice ◽  
Claudia Marchetti ◽  
Innocenza Palaia ◽  
Daniela Musio ◽  
Ludovico Muzii ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Gynecological Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoints ◽  
System Response ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Regulatory Pathways

Ovarian cancer is the most important cause of gynecological cancer-related mortality, with the majority of women presenting with advanced disease. Although surgery and chemotherapy can improve survival rates, it is necessary to integrate alternative strategies to improve the outcomes. Advances in understanding the role of immune system in the pathogenesis of cancer have led to the rapid evolvement of immunotherapy, which might establish a sustained immune system response against recurring cancer cells. Recently, it has emerged that powerful immunologic effector cells may be blocked by inhibitory regulatory pathways controlled by specific molecules often called “immune checkpoints,” which turn off the immune system. Similarly, cancer cells are able to use these checkpoints to avoid immune control and rejection. Inhibition of these inhibitory pathways represents a potent strategy in the fight against cancer and is currently under investigation with encouraging results in some cancers, such as melanoma. In ovarian cancer researches are still in an early phase, but with promising results. In this review we will explore the rationale of immunotherapy in ovarian cancer with a special focus on these emerging molecules.

scholarly journals Current Progress and Future Perspectives of Immune Checkpoint in Cancer and Infectious Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Cai ◽  
Huajie Zhan ◽  
Yuguang Ye ◽  
Jinjin Yang ◽  
Minghui Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Blockade ◽  
Immune Checkpoints ◽  
Microbial Infection ◽  
Antiviral Immune Response

The inhibitory regulators, known as immune checkpoints, prevent overreaction of the immune system, avoid normal tissue damage, and maintain immune homeostasis during the antimicrobial or antiviral immune response. Unfortunately, cancer cells can mimic the ligands of immune checkpoints to evade immune surveillance. Application of immune checkpoint blockade can help dampen the ligands expressed on cancer cells, reverse the exhaustion status of effector T cells, and reinvigorate the antitumor function. Here, we briefly introduce the structure, expression, signaling pathway, and targeted drugs of several inhibitory immune checkpoints (PD-1/PD-L1, CTLA-4, TIM-3, LAG-3, VISTA, and IDO1). And we summarize the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors in tumors, such as single agent and combination therapy and adverse reactions. At the same time, we further discussed the correlation between immune checkpoints and microorganisms and the role of immune checkpoints in microbial-infection diseases. This review focused on the current knowledge about the role of the immune checkpoints will help in applying immune checkpoints for clinical therapy of cancer and other diseases.

scholarly journals Immune Checkpoints in Viral Infections

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1051
Author(s):  
Huiming Cai ◽  
Ge Liu ◽  
Jianfeng Zhong ◽  
Kai Zheng ◽  
Haitao Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Antiviral Therapy ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Immune Checkpoints ◽  
Chronic Viral Infections ◽  
Infected Cells

As evidence has mounted that virus-infected cells, such as cancer cells, negatively regulate the function of T-cells via immune checkpoints, it has become increasingly clear that viral infections similarly exploit immune checkpoints as an immune system escape mechanism. Although immune checkpoint therapy has been successfully used in cancer treatment, numerous studies have suggested that such therapy may also be highly relevant for treating viral infection, especially chronic viral infections. However, it has not yet been applied in this manner. Here, we reviewed recent findings regarding immune checkpoints in viral infections, including COVID-19, and discussed the role of immune checkpoints in different viral infections, as well as the potential for applying immune checkpoint blockades as antiviral therapy.

scholarly journals Lung and Gut Microbiota as Potential Hidden Driver of Immunotherapy Efficacy in Lung Cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmine Carbone ◽  
Geny Piro ◽  
Vincenzo Di Noia ◽  
Ettore D’Argento ◽  
Emanuele Vita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Immune System ◽  
System Response ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Treatment Schedule ◽  
Advanced Malignancies ◽  
Immune System Response ◽  
Epithelial Barriers ◽  
And Function

Lung cancer is one of the deadliest and most common malignancies in the world, representing one of the greatest challenges in cancer treatment. Immunotherapy is rapidly changing standard treatment schedule and outcomes for patients with advanced malignancies. However, several ongoing studies are still attempting to elucidate the biomarkers that could predict treatment response as well as the new strategies to improve antitumor immune system response ameliorating immunotherapy efficacy. The complex of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, termed microbiota, that live on the epithelial barriers of the host, are involved in the initiation, progression, and dissemination of cancer. The functional role of microbiota has attracted an accumulating attention recently. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that commensal microorganisms are required for the maturation, education, and function of the immune system regulating the efficacy of immunotherapy in the anticancer response. In this review, we discuss some of the major findings depicting bacteria as crucial gatekeeper for the immune response against tumor and their role as driver of immunotherapy efficacy in lung cancer with a special focus on the distinctive role of gut and lung microbiota in the efficacy of immunotherapy treatment.

scholarly journals Rethinking immune checkpoint blockade: ‘Beyond the T cell’

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e001460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuting Liu ◽  
Graham D Hogg ◽  
David G DeNardo
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Antitumor Immunity ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Clinical Success ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Blockade ◽  
Checkpoint Blockade

The clinical success of immune checkpoint inhibitors has highlighted the central role of the immune system in cancer control. Immune checkpoint inhibitors can reinvigorate anti-cancer immunity and are now the standard of care in a number of malignancies. However, research on immune checkpoint blockade has largely been framed with the central dogma that checkpoint therapies intrinsically target the T cell, triggering the tumoricidal potential of the adaptive immune system. Although T cells undoubtedly remain a critical piece of the story, mounting evidence, reviewed herein, indicates that much of the efficacy of checkpoint therapies may be attributable to the innate immune system. Emerging research suggests that T cell-directed checkpoint antibodies such as anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) or programmed death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) can impact innate immunity by both direct and indirect pathways, which may ultimately shape clinical efficacy. However, the mechanisms and impacts of these activities have yet to be fully elucidated, and checkpoint therapies have potentially beneficial and detrimental effects on innate antitumor immunity. Further research into the role of innate subsets during checkpoint blockade may be critical for developing combination therapies to help overcome checkpoint resistance. The potential of checkpoint therapies to amplify innate antitumor immunity represents a promising new field that can be translated into innovative immunotherapies for patients fighting refractory malignancies.

scholarly journals The Role of Sphingolipids in Cancer Immunotherapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6492
Author(s):  
Paola Giussani ◽  
Alessandro Prinetti ◽  
Cristina Tringali
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Surface Receptors ◽  
Car T ◽  
Sphingosine 1 Phosphate ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Lymphocyte Egress

Immunotherapy is now considered an innovative and strong strategy to beat metastatic, drug-resistant, or relapsing tumours. It is based on the manipulation of several mechanisms involved in the complex interplay between cancer cells and immune system that culminates in a form of immune-tolerance of tumour cells, favouring their expansion. Current immunotherapies are devoted enforcing the immune response against cancer cells and are represented by approaches employing vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, interleukins, checkpoint inhibitors, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells. Despite the undoubted potency of these treatments in some malignancies, many issues are being investigated to amplify the potential of application and to avoid side effects. In this review, we discuss how sphingolipids are involved in interactions between cancer cells and the immune system and how knowledge in this topic could be employed to enhance the efficacy of different immunotherapy approaches. In particular, we explore the following aspects: how sphingolipids are pivotal components of plasma membranes and could modulate the functionality of surface receptors expressed also by immune cells and thus their functionality; how sphingolipids are related to the release of bioactive mediators, sphingosine 1-phosphate, and ceramide that could significantly affect lymphocyte egress and migration toward the tumour milieu, in addition regulating key pathways needed to activate immune cells; given the renowned capability of altering sphingolipid expression and metabolism shown by cancer cells, how it is possible to employ sphingolipids as antigen targets.

scholarly journals The role of Sox6 and Netrin-1 in ovarian cancer cell growth, invasiveness, and angiogenesis

Tumor Biology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 101042831770550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Li ◽  
Ming Xiao ◽  
Fangchun Guo
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Conditioned Medium ◽  
Umbilical Vein ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Human Umbilical Vein ◽  
Tumor Tissues

SOX6 plays important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell fate determination. It has been confirmed that SOX6 is a tumor suppressor and downregulated in various cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and chronic myeloid leukemia. Netrin-1 is highly expressed in various human cancers and acts as an anti-apoptotic and proangiogenic factor to drive tumorigenesis. The role of SOX6 and netrin-1 in regulating the growth of ovarian tumor cells still remains unclear. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot were used to determine the SOX6 messenger RNA and protein levels, respectively, in ovarian cancer cells and tumor tissues. Stable transfection of SOX6 was conducted to overexpress SOX6 in PA-1 and SW626 cells. Cell viability was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Invasion of ovarian cancer cells and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were confirmed by Transwell assays. To overexpress netrin-1, ovarian cancer cells with SOX6 restoration was transduced with netrin-1 lentiviral particles. PA-1 xenografts in a nude mice model were used to conduct in vivo evaluation of the role of SOX6 and its relationship with netrin-1 in tumor growth and angiogenesis. In this study, we found significantly reduced SOX6 levels in PA-1, SW626, SK-OV-3, and CaoV-3 ovarian cancer cell lines and human tumor tissues in comparison with normal human ovarian epithelial cells or matched non-tumor tissues. SOX6 overexpression by stable transfection dramatically inhibited proliferation and invasion of PA-1 and SW626 cells. Also, conditioned medium from PA-1 and SW626 cells with SOX6 restoration exhibited reduced ability to induce human umbilical vein endothelial cells migration and tube formation compared with conditioned medium from the cells with transfection control. Furthermore, an inverse relationship between SOX6 and netrin-1 expression was observed in PA-1 and SW626 cells. Overexpression of netrin-1 in ovarian cancer cells with forced SOX6 expression remarkably abrogated the inhibitory effect of SOX6 on proliferation, invasion of the cells, and tumor xenograft growth and vascularity in vivo. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell migration and tube formation were enhanced in the conditioned medium from the ovarian cancer cells transduced with netrin-1 lentivirus particles. Our observations revealed that SOX6 is a tumor suppressor in ovarian cancer cells, and SOX6 exerts an inhibitory effect on the proliferation, invasion, and tumor cell-induced angiogenesis of ovarian cancer cells, whereas nerin-1 plays an opposite role and its expression is inversely correlated with SOX6. Moreover, our findings suggest a new role of SOX6 and netrin-1 for understanding the progression of ovarian cancer and have the potential for the development of new diagnosis and treatment strategies for ovarian cancer.

Role of Rb Family in Vitamin D Receptor-Mediated Anti-Tumor Effects in Ovarian Cancer Cells.

2010 ◽  
pp. P1-9-P1-9
Author(s):  
J Tang ◽  
P Li ◽  
AKW Tse ◽  
SV Nicosia ◽  
X Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Vitamin D Receptor ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells

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 Search for receptors in immune cells that bind cancer cell antigens and their activation in silent cases

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenfa Ng
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Immune Receptor

The immune checkpoint plays an important role in keeping immune cells in check for protecting tissues and organs from attack by the body’s own immune system. Similar concepts also apply in how cancer cells managed to fool immune cells through the surface display of particular antigens that mimic those exhibited by normal body cells. Specifically, cancer cells display antigens that bind to receptors on immune cells that subsequently prevent an attack on the cancer cells. Such binding between cancer antigens and immune cell receptors can be prevented through the use of checkpoint inhibitors antibodies specific for particular receptors on immune cells; thereby, unleashing immune cells to mount an immune response against cancer cells. While demonstrating good remissions in many patients where tumours shrunk substantially after administration of checkpoint inhibitors, cases exist where an overactivated immune system cause harm to organs and tissues culminating in multiple organ failure. Analysis of such toxicity effects of checkpoint inhibitors revealed that generic nature of targeted immune receptor plays a pivotal role in determining extent of side effects. Specifically, if the target immune receptor participates in checkpoints that prevent immune cells from attacking host cells, unleashing such receptors in cancer therapy may have untoward effects on patient’s health. Hence, the goal should be the selection of immune cell receptor specific to cancer cell antigens and which does not bind antigens or ligands displayed by the body’s cells. Such receptors would provide ideal targets for the development of checkpoint inhibitor antibodies for unleashing immune cells against cancer cells. To search for non-generic receptors that bind cancer cell antigens only, a combined computational and experimental approach could be used where ensemble of surface antigens on cancer cells and available receptors on immune cells could be profiled by biochemical assays. Downstream purification of ligands and receptors would provide for both structural elucidation and amino acid sequencing useful for bioinformatic search of homologous sequences. Knowledge of the antigens’ and receptors’ structures and amino acid sequence would subsequently serve as inputs to computational algorithms that models molecular docking events between receptor and antigen. This paves the way for heterologous expression of putative ligand and receptor in cell lines cultured in co-culture format for assessing binding between ligand and receptor, and more importantly, its physiological effects. Ability of immune receptor to bind to ligands on normal cells could also be assessed. Similar co-culture studies could be conducted with cancer cells and different immune cell types to check for reproducibility of observed effect in cell lines. Finally, antibodies could be raised for candidate receptors whose inhibition would not result in systemic attack of immune cells on host cells.

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