scholarly journals Bistability in a model of tumor-immune system interactions with an oncolytic viral therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 1559-1587
Author(s):  
G. V. R. K. Vithanage ◽  
◽  
Hsiu-Chuan Wei ◽  
Sophia R-J Jang ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Coat Proteins ◽  
Killing Rate ◽  
Viral Therapy ◽  
Tumor Killing ◽  
Viral Coat ◽  
Numerical Bifurcation ◽  
Large Parameter Space

<abstract><p>A mathematical model of tumor-immune system interactions with an oncolytic virus therapy for which the immune system plays a twofold role against cancer cells is derived. The immune cells can kill cancer cells but can also eliminate viruses from the therapy. In addition, immune cells can either be stimulated to proliferate or be impaired to reduce their growth by tumor cells. It is shown that if the tumor killing rate by immune cells is above a critical value, the tumor can be eradicated for all sizes, where the critical killing rate depends on whether the immune system is immunosuppressive or proliferative. For a reduced tumor killing rate with an immunosuppressive immune system, that bistability exists in a large parameter space follows from our numerical bifurcation study. Depending on the tumor size, the tumor can either be eradicated or be reduced to a size less than its carrying capacity. However, reducing the viral killing rate by immune cells always increases the effectiveness of the viral therapy. This reduction may be achieved by manipulating certain genes of viruses via genetic engineering or by chemical modification of viral coat proteins to avoid detection by the immune cells.</p></abstract>

scholarly journals Why Target Innate Immune Cells in Cancers?

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 690
Author(s):  
Mary Poupot
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Innate Immune Cells

The immune system is a smart way to fight cancer, with its precise targeting of cancer cells sparing healthy cells [...]

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 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.

scholarly journals Recognition of tumor cells by Dectin-1 orchestrates innate immune cells for anti-tumor responses

eLife ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiho Chiba ◽  
Hiroaki Ikushima ◽  
Hiroshi Ueki ◽  
Hideyuki Yanai ◽  
Yoshitaka Kimura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Tumoricidal Activity ◽  
Effector Cells ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
Tumor Killing

The eradication of tumor cells requires communication to and signaling by cells of the immune system. Natural killer (NK) cells are essential tumor-killing effector cells of the innate immune system; however, little is known about whether or how other immune cells recognize tumor cells to assist NK cells. Here, we show that the innate immune receptor Dectin-1 expressed on dendritic cells and macrophages is critical to NK-mediated killing of tumor cells that express N-glycan structures at high levels. Receptor recognition of these tumor cells causes the activation of the IRF5 transcription factor and downstream gene induction for the full-blown tumoricidal activity of NK cells. Consistent with this, we show exacerbated in vivo tumor growth in mice genetically deficient in either Dectin-1 or IRF5. The critical contribution of Dectin-1 in the recognition of and signaling by tumor cells may offer new insight into the anti-tumor immune system with therapeutic implications.

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.

scholarly journals The Evolution and Recent Progress in the Field of Synthetic Immunology

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amaan Rather ◽  
Pavithran Ravindran
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
The Body ◽  
Synthetic Receptors ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Way

Synthetic immunology is a field in which researchers design constructs that will help immune cells battle pathogens, most commonly cancer cells. This is particularly crucial for human health due to the considerable number of ways that invaders (to the body) possess to minimize the effectiveness of the immune system. Frequently, these changes take place in the form of developing more advanced synthetic receptors for better recognition of pathogens so that T-cells can execute more precise functions in the body. Other changes are also made to give researchers more control over the advancements that have been inserted into the body, heightening the level of safety for the patients who receive them. Considering the newfound research that has been conducted, this paper focuses on the significance of upgrading various parts of the immune system in terms of the way that they can help protect the body. It also highlights the extensive potential this field has in the future considering the adaptability and functionality of the current, newly-designed systems in place.

scholarly journals An exploration of immunohistochemistry-based prognostic markers in patients undergoing curative resections for colon cancer

BMC Cancer ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Louise Bjørn Bennedsen ◽  
Luyi Cai ◽  
Rune Petring Hasselager ◽  
Aysun Avci Özcan ◽  
Khadra Bashir Mohamed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colon Cancer ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Cancer Recurrence ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Recurrence Rates ◽  
Cell Surface Proteins ◽  
Cdx2 Expression

Abstract Background The immune system recognizes and destroys cancer cells. However, cancer cells develop mechanisms to avoid detection by expressing cell surface proteins. Specific tumour cell surface proteins (e.g. HLA-G, PD-L1, CDX2) either alone or in combination with the relative presence of immune cells (CD3 and CD8 positive T-cells) in the tumour tissue may describe the cancer cells’ ability to escape eradication by the immune system. The aim was to investigate the prognostic value of immunohistochemical markers in patients with colon cancer. Methods We conducted a retrospective study including patients diagnosed with pT3 and pT4 colon cancers. Immunohistochemical staining with HLA-G, PD-L1, CDX2, CD3, and CD8 was performed on tissue samples with representation of the invasive margin. PD-L1 expression in tumour cells and immune cells was reported conjointly. The expression of CD3 and CD8 was reported as a merged score based on the expression of both markers in the invasive margin and the tumour centre. Subsequently, a combined marker score was established based on all of the markers. Each marker added one point to the score when unfavourable immunohistochemical features was present, and the score was categorized as low, intermediate or high depending on the number of unfavourable stains. Hazard ratios for recurrence, disease-free survival and mortality were calculated. Results We included 188 patients undergoing colon cancer resections in 2011–2012. The median follow-up was 41.7 months, during which 41 (21.8%) patients had recurrence and 74 (39.4%) died. In multivariable regression analysis positive HLA-G expression (HR = 3.37, 95%CI [1.64–6.93]) was associated with higher recurrence rates, while a preserved CDX2 expression (HR = 0.23, 95%CI [0.06–0.85]) was associated with a lower risk of recurrence. An intermediate or high combined marker score was associated with increased recurrence rates (HR = 20.53, 95%CI [2.68–157.32] and HR = 7.56, 95%CI [1.06–54.16], respectively). Neither high expression of PD-L1 nor high CD3-CD8 score was significantly associated with recurrence rates. Patients with a high CD3-CD8 score had a significantly longer DFS and OS. Conclusions In tumour cells, expression of HLA-G and loss of CDX2 expression were associated with cancer recurrence. In addition, a combination of certain tumour tissue biomarkers was associated with colorectal cancer recurrence.

scholarly journals A contribution to the mathematical modeling of immune-cancer competition

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-90
Author(s):  
Najat M. Omar Dabnoun ◽  
Maria Stella Mongiovì
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Modeling ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Kinetic Theory ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Cell Populations ◽  
Spatial Homogeneity ◽  
Active Particles ◽  
Free Parameters ◽  
Discrete Values

Abstract This paper deals with the modeling of interactions between the immune system and cancer cells, in the framework of the mathematical kinetic theory for active particles. The work deepens a previous paper of Belloquid et al. that assumes spatial homogeneity and discrete values of the activity of cancer and immune cells. A number of simulations are made with the aim to investigate how the state of the various cell populations evolves in time depending on the choice of the free parameters.

scholarly journals The Role of the Innate Immune System in Cancer Dormancy and Relapse

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 5621
Author(s):  
Noah M. Chernosky ◽  
Ilaria Tamagno
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Innate Immune System ◽  
Immune Escape ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Cancer Dormancy

Metastatic spread and recurrence are intimately linked to therapy failure, which remains an overarching clinical challenge for patients with cancer. Cancer cells often disseminate early in the disease process and can remain dormant for years or decades before re-emerging as metastatic disease, often after successful treatment. The interactions of dormant cancer cells and their metastatic niche, comprised of various stromal and immune cells, can determine the length of time that cancer cells remain dormant, as well as when they reactivate. New studies are defining how innate immune cells in the primary tumor may be corrupted to help facilitate many aspects of dissemination and re-emergence from a dormant state. Although the scientific literature has partially shed light on the drivers of immune escape in cancer, the specific mechanisms regulating metastasis and dormancy in the context of anti-tumor immunity are still mostly unknown. This review follows the journey of metastatic cells from dissemination to dormancy and the onset of metastatic outgrowth and recurrent tumor development, with emphasis on the role of the innate immune system. To this end, further research identifying how immune cells interact with cancer cells at each step of cancer progression will pave the way for new therapies that target the reactivation of dormant cancer cells into recurrent, metastatic cancers.

scholarly journals The cross talk between gastric cancer stem cells and the immune microenvironment: a tumor-promoting factor

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jared Becerril-Rico ◽  
Eduardo Alvarado-Ortiz ◽  
Mariel E. Toledo-Guzmán ◽  
Rosana Pelayo ◽  
Elizabeth Ortiz-Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Immune Evasion ◽  
Cross Talk ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Microenvironment ◽  
Gastric Cancer Stem Cells

AbstractCross talk between cancer cells and the immune system is determinant for cancer progression. Emerging evidence demonstrates that GC characteristics such as metastasis, treatment resistance, and disease recurrence are associated with a tumor subpopulation called gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs). However, the specific interaction between GCSCs and the immune microenvironment is still under investigation. Although immune evasion has been well described for cancer stem cells (CSCs), recent studies show that GCSCs can also regulate the immune system and even benefit from it. This review will provide an overview of bidirectional interactions between CSCs and immune cells in GC, compiling relevant data about how CSCs can induce leukocyte reprogramming, resulting in pro-tumoral immune cells that orchestrate promotion of metastasis, chemoresistance, tumorigenicity, and even increase in number of cancer cells with stem properties. Some immune cells studied are tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), neutrophils, Th17 and T regulatory (Treg) cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as well as the signaling pathways involved in these pro-tumoral activities. Conversely, although there are cytotoxic leukocytes that can potentially eliminate GCSCs, we describe mechanisms for immune evasion in GCSCs and their clinical implications. Furthermore, we describe current available immunotherapy targeting GCSC-related markers as possible treatment for GC, discussing how the CSC-modified immune microenvironment can mitigate or inactivate these immunotherapies, limiting their effectiveness. Finally, we summarize key concepts and relevant evidence to understand the cross talk between GCSCs and the immune microenvironment as an important process for effective design of therapies against GCSCs that improve the outcome of patients with GC.

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