Can Immunogenic Chemotherapies Relieve Cancer Cell Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors?

The unprecedented clinical activity of checkpoint blockade in several types of cancers has formally demonstrated that anti-tumor immune responses are crucial in cancer therapy. Durable responses seen in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) show that they can trigger the establishment of long-lasting immunologic memory. This beneficial outcome is however achieved for a limited number of patients. In addition, late relapses are emerging suggesting the development of acquired resistances that compromise the anticancer efficacy of ICI. How can this be prevented through combination therapies? We here review the functions of immune checkpoints, the successes of ICI in treating cancer and their therapeutic limits. We discuss how conventional cancer therapies can be properly selected to set up combinatorial approaches with ICI leading to treatment improvement. We finally summarize clinical data showing the ongoing progress in cancer treatment involving ICI and chemotherapy combination strategies

Post-transcriptional regulation of cyclins D1, D3 and G1 and proliferation of human cancer cells depend on IMP-3 nuclear localization

La famille des protéines IMPs (IGF2 mRNA binding proteins) compte trois membres IMP1, 2 et 3. Les IMPs participent au développement embryonnaire. IMP1 et IMP3 sont considérées comme des protéines oncofoetales. En effet, malgré leur faible expression dans les tissus adultes, elles se retrouvent fortement surexprimées dans des cellules tumorales. Malgré la forte homologie entre les membres de la famille, les IMPs présentent des différences fonctionnelles qui restent très mal comprises jusqu’à présent. De nombreuses études montrent que la protéine IMP3 est très abondante dans de nombreux cancers tels que les carcinomes utérin, rénal, pulmonaire, les hépatocarcinomes et les rhabdomyosarcomes. Ces dernières années, IMP3 est devenu un marqueur de mauvais pronostique pour les patients atteins de cancer. Au cours de ma thèse j’ai principalement travaillé sur une lignée cellulaire de rhabdomyosarcomes (RMS). Les RMS sont des tumeurs principalement pédiatriques mais qui peuvent survenir à tout âge. En outre, la moitié des patients atteints des RMS meurent dans l'année suivant leur rechute et 90% des patients meurent dans les cinq ans suivant leur rechute. De nouvelles approches thérapeutiques sont absolument nécessaires. Mon sujet de thèse consiste à comprendre par quels mécanismes moléculaires les IMPs participent au processus oncogénique des RMS embryonnaires (eRMS). Pour cela, je me suis intéressée à la régulation des cyclines par les IMPs. Dans le cadre de mon projet, j’ai étudié l’effet des IMPs sur trois cyclines différentes : D1, D3 et G1. J’ai montré qu’IMP3, à la différence des deux autres, est capable de contrôler l’expression des cyclines D1, D3 et G1 dans les eRMS, ainsi que dans huit autres lignées de cancer humain différentes. Cette régulation a également des effets sur le cycle cellulaire des eRMS, expliquant l’importance d’IMP3 dans les cancers. Par diverses approches biochimiques, j’ai démontré que, sur les trois IMPs, seule IMP3 est très enrichie dans le noyau des eRMS, dans lequel elle forme des complexes avec les ARNm des CCND1, D3 et G1. Les différents résultats obtenus suggèrent un modèle selon lequel ces interactions au sein du noyau semblent indispensables à la régulation de la traduction des trois cyclines en protégeant leurs ARNm du complexe de silencing RISC (RNA induced silencing complex) et constituent donc la clé du mécanisme par lequel IMP3 contrôle la prolifération des cellules cancéreuses.RNA-binding proteins of the IMP family (IGF2 mRNA-binding proteins 1-3) are key post-transcriptional regulatory factors of gene expression. They are known to control cell motility, adhesion, and proliferation. In our previous work, we show that all three IMP proteins can directly bind the mRNAs of cyclins D1, D3, and G1 (CCND1, D3, and G1) in vitro. Nevertheless, only IMP-3 regulates their expression in a significant manner in vivo, thus controlling proliferation of a number of human cancer cell lines. Importantly, the nuclear localization of IMP-3 is essential for the post-transcriptional regulation of the expression of CCND1, CCND3, and CCNG1 (CCNs). To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of IMP-3- specific regulation, we have identified its protein partners in human embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cells. We now show that in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm, IMP-3 interacts with a number or RNA-binding nucleocytoplasmic proteins, including DHX9, PTBP1, NF90, NF110, HNRNPA1, HNRNPA2/B1 and HuR. These IMP-3 partners have a dramatic impact on the protein levels of the cyclins. Interestingly, the decrease of CCNs protein synthesis in IMP-3 depleted cells can be fully reversed by down-regulating the key proteins of RNAi machinery, such as AGO2 and GW182. These findings suggest that IMP-3- dependent RNP complexes pre-assembled in the nucleus can protect their target mRNAs from cytoplasmic RNAi-dependent repression in human cancer cells

La régulation post-transcriptionnelle des Cyclines D1, D3 et G1 par le complexe nucléaire IMP-3 dans les cancers humains

La famille des protéines IMPs (IGF2 mRNA binding proteins) compte trois membres IMP1, 2 et 3. Les IMPs participent au développement embryonnaire. IMP1 et IMP3 sont considérées comme des protéines oncofoetales. En effet, malgré leur faible expression dans les tissus adultes, elles se retrouvent fortement surexprimées dans des cellules tumorales. Malgré la forte homologie entre les membres de la famille, les IMPs présentent des différences fonctionnelles qui restent très mal comprises jusqu à présent. De nombreuses études montrent que la protéine IMP3 est très abondante dans de nombreux cancers tels que les carcinomes utérin, rénal, pulmonaire, les hépatocarcinomes et les rhabdomyosarcomes. Ces dernières années, IMP3 est devenu un marqueur de mauvais pronostique pour les patients atteins de cancer. Au cours de ma thèse j ai principalement travaillé sur une lignée cellulaire de rhabdomyosarcomes (RMS). Les RMS sont des tumeurs principalement pédiatriques mais qui peuvent survenir à tout âge. En outre, la moitié des patients atteints des RMS meurent dans l'année suivant leur rechute et 90% des patients meurent dans les cinq ans suivant leur rechute. De nouvelles approches thérapeutiques sont absolument nécessaires. Mon sujet de thèse consiste à comprendre par quels mécanismes moléculaires les IMPs participent au processus oncogénique des RMS embryonnaires (eRMS). Pour cela, je me suis intéressée à la régulation des cyclines par les IMPs. Dans le cadre de mon projet, j ai étudié l effet des IMPs sur trois cyclines différentes : D1, D3 et G1. J ai montré qu IMP3, à la différence des deux autres, est capable de contrôler l expression des cyclines D1, D3 et G1 dans les eRMS, ainsi que dans huit autres lignées de cancer humain différentes. Cette régulation a également des effets sur le cycle cellulaire des eRMS, expliquant l importance d IMP3 dans les cancers. Par diverses approches biochimiques, j ai démontré que, sur les trois IMPs, seule IMP3 est très enrichie dans le noyau des eRMS, dans lequel elle forme des complexes avec les ARNm des CCND1, D3 et G1. Les différents résultats obtenus suggèrent un modèle selon lequel ces interactions au sein du noyau semblent indispensables à la régulation de la traduction des trois cyclines en protégeant leurs ARNm du complexe de silencing RISC (RNA induced silencing complex) et constituent donc la clé du mécanisme par lequel IMP3 contrôle la prolifération des cellules cancéreuses.RNA-binding proteins of the IMP family (IGF2 mRNA-binding proteins 1-3) are key post-transcriptional regulatory factors of gene expression. They are known to control cell motility, adhesion, and proliferation. In our previous work, we show that all three IMP proteins can directly bind the mRNAs of cyclins D1, D3, and G1 (CCND1, D3, and G1) in vitro. Nevertheless, only IMP-3 regulates their expression in a significant manner in vivo, thus controlling proliferation of a number of human cancer cell lines. Importantly, the nuclear localization of IMP-3 is essential for the post-transcriptional regulation of the expression of CCND1, CCND3, and CCNG1 (CCNs). To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of IMP-3- specific regulation, we have identified its protein partners in human embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cells. We now show that in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm, IMP-3 interacts with a number or RNA-binding nucleocytoplasmic proteins, including DHX9, PTBP1, NF90, NF110, HNRNPA1, HNRNPA2/B1 and HuR. These IMP-3 partners have a dramatic impact on the protein levels of the cyclins. Interestingly, the decrease of CCNs protein synthesis in IMP-3 depleted cells can be fully reversed by down-regulating the key proteins of RNAi machinery, such as AGO2 and GW182. These findings suggest that IMP-3- dependent RNP complexes pre-assembled in the nucleus can protect their target mRNAs from cytoplasmic RNAi-dependent repression in human cancer cells.PARIS11-SCD-Bib. électronique (914719901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Modulation of Determinant Factors to Improve Therapeutic Combinations with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPi) have shown their superiority over conventional therapies to treat some cancers. ICPi are effective against immunogenic tumors. However, patients with tumors poorly infiltrated with immune cells do not respond to ICPi. Combining ICPi with other anticancer therapies such as chemotherapy, radiation, or vaccines, which can stimulate the immune system and recruit antitumor T cells into the tumor bed, may be a relevant strategy to increase the proportion of responding patients. Such an approach still raises the following questions: What are the immunological features modulated by immunogenic therapies that can be critical to ensure not only immediate but also long-lasting tumor protection? How must the combined treatments be administered to the patients to harness their full potential while limiting adverse immunological events? Here, we address these points by reviewing how immunogenic anticancer therapies can provide novel therapeutic opportunities upon combination with ICPi. We discuss their ability to create a permissive tumor microenvironment through the generation of inflamed tumors and stimulation of memory T cells such as resident (TRM) and stem-cell like (TSCM) cells. We eventually underscore the importance of sequence, dose, and duration of the combined anticancer therapies to design optimal and successful cancer immunotherapy strategies

Immunotherapeutic properties of chemotherapy

IF 5.363International audienceImpressive remissions driven by immunological checkpoint blockade in cancer patients have prompted the scientific community to investigate afresh the crosstalk between cancer cells and the patient's immune system. Preclinical and clinical studies have highlighted that the anticancer efficacy of some conventional chemotherapeutics is based on their ability to restore anticancer immune responses. The current challenge is to understand and circumvent immune resistance mechanisms to chemo- and immunotherapies to design relevant immunotherapy and chemotherapy combinations. In this review, we will summarize which immunological processes are involved in the anticancer action of some cytotoxic agents and discuss the recently unraveled contribution of the gut microbiota into the immunogenicity of anticancer drugs. We will eventually introduce the scientific rationale for therapeutic strategies combining chemotherapeutic drugs and immune checkpoint blockers

Selective degradation of PU.1 during autophagy represses the differentiation and antitumour activity of TH9 cells

International audienceAutophagy, a catabolic mechanism that involves degradation of cellular components, is essential for cell homeostasis. Although autophagy favours the lineage stability of regulatory T cells, the contribution of autophagy to the differentiation of effector CD4 T cells remains unclear. Here we show that autophagy selectively represses T helper 9 (TH9) cell differentiation. CD4 T cells lacking Atg3 or Atg5 have increased interleukin-9 (IL-9) expression upon differentiation into TH9 cells relative to Atg3- or Atg5-expressing control cells. In addition, the TH9 cell transcription factor, PU.1, undergoes K63 ubiquitination and degradation through p62-dependent selective autophagy. Finally, the blockade of autophagy enhances TH9 cell anticancer functions in vivo, and mice with T cell-specific deletion of Atg5 have reduced tumour outgrowth in an IL-9-dependent manner. Overall, our findings reveal an unexpected function of autophagy in the modulation of TH9 cell differentiation and antitumour activity, and prompt potential autophagy-dependent modulations of TH9 activity for cancer immunotherapy.Autophagy is a cellular process for recycling cell constituents, and is essential for T cell activation, but its function in T cell polarization is still unclear. Here the authors show that autophagy induces the degradation of transcription factor PU.1 to negatively modulate TH9 homeostasis and antitumour immunity

PD-1/PD-L1 pathway: an adaptive immune resistance mechanism to immunogenic chemotherapy in colorectal cancer

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CD4 T cell-intrinsic STING signaling controls the differentiation and effector functions of T_H1 and T_H9 cells

International audienceBackground While stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activation in innate immune cells of the tumor microenvironment can result in CD8 T cell-dependent antitumor immunity, whether STING signaling affects CD4 T-cell responses remains elusive. Methods Here, we tested whether STING activation modulated the effector functions of CD4 T cells in vivo by analyzing tumor-infiltrating CD4 T cells and evaluating the contribution of the CD4 T cell-derived cytokines in the antitumor activity of the STING ligand 2′3′-cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP) in two mouse tumor models. We performed ex vivo experiments to assess the impact of STING activation on CD4 T-cell differentiation and investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Finally, we tested whether STING activation enhances T H 9 cell antitumor activity against mouse melanoma upon adoptive transfer. Results We found that activation of STING signaling cell-intrinsically enhances the differentiation and antitumor functions of T H 1 and T H 9 cells by increasing their respective production of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-9. IRF3 and type I interferon receptors (IFNARs) are required for the STING-driven enhancement of T H 1 cell differentiation. However, STING activation favors T H 9 cell differentiation independently of the IFNARs/IRF3 pathway but through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, underscoring that STING activation differentially affects the fate of distinct CD4 T-cell subsets. The therapeutic effect of STING activation relies on T H 1 and T H 9-derived cytokines, and STING activation enhances the antitumor activity of T H 9 cells upon adoptive transfer. Conclusion Our results reveal the STING signaling pathway as a therapeutic target to boost CD4 T-cell effector functions and antitumor immunity

CD4 T cell-intrinsic STING signaling controls the differentiation and effector functions of T H 1 and T H 9 cells

BACKGROUND: While stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activation in innate immune cells of the tumor microenvironment can result in CD8 T cell-dependent antitumor immunity, whether STING signaling affects CD4 T-cell responses remains elusive. METHODS: Here, we tested whether STING activation modulated the effector functions of CD4 T cells in vivo by analyzing tumor-infiltrating CD4 T cells and evaluating the contribution of the CD4 T cell-derived cytokines in the antitumor activity of the STING ligand 2′3′-cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP) in two mouse tumor models. We performed ex vivo experiments to assess the impact of STING activation on CD4 T-cell differentiation and investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Finally, we tested whether STING activation enhances T(H)9 cell antitumor activity against mouse melanoma upon adoptive transfer. RESULTS: We found that activation of STING signaling cell-intrinsically enhances the differentiation and antitumor functions of T(H)1 and T(H)9 cells by increasing their respective production of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-9. IRF3 and type I interferon receptors (IFNARs) are required for the STING-driven enhancement of T(H)1 cell differentiation. However, STING activation favors T(H)9 cell differentiation independently of the IFNARs/IRF3 pathway but through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, underscoring that STING activation differentially affects the fate of distinct CD4 T-cell subsets. The therapeutic effect of STING activation relies on T(H)1 and T(H)9-derived cytokines, and STING activation enhances the antitumor activity of T(H)9 cells upon adoptive transfer. CONCLUSION: Our results reveal the STING signaling pathway as a therapeutic target to boost CD4 T-cell effector functions and antitumor immunity