Senescent cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic adenocarcinoma impair CD8+ T cell activation and responsiveness to immunotherapy in mice
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE235246 | GEO | 2024/06/06
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Senescent cells within tumors and their stroma exert complex pro- and anti-tumorigenic functions, yet the potential for targeting such senescent cells for improved therapy remains largely unknown. Here, we uncover the presence of a senescent subset of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) and in premalignant lesions in mice and humans. Senescent CAFs represented different previously-defined CAF subtypes. Senescent CAFs isolated from mouse and humans expressed elevated levels of immunoregulatory genes. Depletion of senescent CAFs, either genetically or using the Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-199 (venetoclax), increased the proportion of activated CD8+ T cells in mouse pancreatic carcinomas, whereas induction of CAF senescence had the opposite effect. Combining ABT-199 with an immune checkpoint therapy regimen significantly reduced mouse tumor burden. These results indicate that senescent CAFs in PDAC stroma limit the numbers of activated cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, and suggest that their targeted elimination through senolytic treatment may enhance immunotherapy.
2024-06-24 | PXD053144 | Pride
Project description:Senescent cells appear within tumors and their stroma, exerting complex pro- and anti-tumorigenic functions. The effects of senescent tumor stromal cells are mostly unknown, as is the potential for targeting such senescent cells for improved therapy. Here we uncover the presence of a senescent subset of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within pancreatic adenocarcinomas and in premalignant pancreatic lesions. Senescent CAFs show reduced proliferation, and are often associated with the inflammatory CAF (iCAF) subtype. We isolated and characterized senescent CAFs from mouse models and directly from human patients, and found that they express elevated levels of immune-regulatory genes. In a panel of mouse PDACs, high levels of senescent CAFs correlated with low T cell infiltration. Removal of senescent CAFs from PDAC stroma, either genetically or through treatment with the senolytic drug ABT-199 (venetoclax), a Bcl2 inhibitor, increased rates of activated cytotoxic CD8+ T cells within tumors. Conversely, activation of CAF senescence within PDACs led to reduced CD8+ T cell numbers. Media from senescent PDAC CAFs inhibited T cell proliferation and activation. We show that implanted PDAC tumors show improved response to immune checkpoint therapy when co-treated with the senolytic drug. These results reveal that the presence of senescent CAFs in PDAC stroma acts to repress cytotoxic T cell activity, and suggest that their targeted elimination through senolytic treatment may enhance immunotherapy.
2024-06-06 | GSE235244 | GEO
Project description:Senescent cells appear within tumors and their stroma, exerting complex pro- and anti-tumorigenic functions. The effects of senescent tumor stromal cells are mostly unknown, as is the potential for targeting such senescent cells for improved therapy. Here we uncover the presence of a senescent subset of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within pancreatic adenocarcinomas and in premalignant pancreatic lesions. Senescent CAFs show reduced proliferation, and are often associated with the inflammatory CAF (iCAF) subtype. We isolated and characterized senescent CAFs from mouse models and directly from human patients, and found that they express elevated levels of immune-regulatory genes. In a panel of mouse PDACs, high levels of senescent CAFs correlated with low T cell infiltration. Removal of senescent CAFs from PDAC stroma, either genetically or through treatment with the senolytic drug ABT-199 (venetoclax), a Bcl2 inhibitor, increased rates of activated cytotoxic CD8+ T cells within tumors. Conversely, activation of CAF senescence within PDACs led to reduced CD8+ T cell numbers. Media from senescent PDAC CAFs inhibited T cell proliferation and activation. We show that implanted PDAC tumors show improved response to immune checkpoint therapy when co-treated with the senolytic drug. These results reveal that the presence of senescent CAFs in PDAC stroma acts to repress cytotoxic T cell activity, and suggest that their targeted elimination through senolytic treatment may enhance immunotherapy.
2024-06-06 | GSE235242 | GEO
Project description:Senescent cells appear within tumors and their stroma, exerting complex pro- and anti-tumorigenic functions. The effects of senescent tumor stromal cells are mostly unknown, as is the potential for targeting such senescent cells for improved therapy. Here we uncover the presence of a senescent subset of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within pancreatic adenocarcinomas and in premalignant pancreatic lesions. Senescent CAFs show reduced proliferation, and are often associated with the inflammatory CAF (iCAF) subtype. We isolated and characterized senescent CAFs from mouse models and directly from human patients, and found that they express elevated levels of immune-regulatory genes. In a panel of mouse PDACs, high levels of senescent CAFs correlated with low T cell infiltration. Removal of senescent CAFs from PDAC stroma, either genetically or through treatment with the senolytic drug ABT-199 (venetoclax), a Bcl2 inhibitor, increased rates of activated cytotoxic CD8+ T cells within tumors. Conversely, activation of CAF senescence within PDACs led to reduced CD8+ T cell numbers. Media from senescent PDAC CAFs inhibited T cell proliferation and activation. We show that implanted PDAC tumors show improved response to immune checkpoint therapy when co-treated with the senolytic drug. These results reveal that the presence of senescent CAFs in PDAC stroma acts to repress cytotoxic T cell activity, and suggest that their targeted elimination through senolytic treatment may enhance immunotherapy.
2024-06-06 | GSE235233 | GEO
Project description:Somatic cells senesce in culture after a finite number of divisions indefinitely arresting their proliferation. DNA damage and senescence increase the cellular number of centrosomes, the 2 microtubule organizing centers that ensure bipolar mitotic spindles. Centrosomes also provide the basal body from which primary cilia extend to sense and transduce various extracellular signals, notably Hedgehog. Primary cilium formation is facilitated by cellular quiescence a temporary cell cycle exit, but the impact of senescence on cilia is unknown. We found that senescent human fibroblasts have increased frequency and length of primary cilia. Levels of the negative ciliary regulator CP110 were reduced in senescent cells, as were levels of key elements of the Hedgehog pathway. Hedgehog inhibition reduced proliferation in young cells with increased cilium length accompanying cell cycle arrest suggesting a regulatory function for Hedgehog in primary ciliation. Depletion of CP110 in young cell populations increased ciliation frequencies and reduced cell proliferation. These data suggest that primary cilia are potentially novel determinants of the reduced cellular proliferation that initiates senescence.
| S-EPMC4613152 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an extensive desmoplastic stromal response. Fibroblast activation protein-? (FAP) is best known for its presence in stromal cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Our aim was to assess whether FAP expression was associated with the prognosis of patients with PDAC and to investigate how FAP expressing CAFs contribute to the progression of PDAC.FAP expression was immunohistochemically assessed in 48 PDAC specimens. We also generated a fibroblastic cell line stably expressing FAP, and examined the effect of FAP-expressing fibroblasts on invasiveness and the cell cycle in MiaPaCa-2 cells (a pancreatic cancer cell line).Stromal FAP expression was detected in 98% (47/48) of the specimens of PDAC, with the intensity being weak in 16, moderate in 19, and strong in 12 specimens, but was not detected in the 3 control noncancerous pancreatic specimens. Patients with moderate or strong FAP expression had significantly lower cumulative survival rates than those with negative or weak FAP expression (mean survival time; 352 vs. 497 days, P?=?0.006). Multivariate analysis identified moderate to strong expression of FAP as one of the factors associated with the prognosis in patients with PDAC. The intensity of stromal FAP expression was also positively correlated to the histological differentiation of PDAC (P?<?0.05). FAP-expressing fibroblasts promoted the invasiveness of MiaPaCa-2 cells more intensively than fibroblasts not expressing FAP. Coculture with FAP-expressing fibroblasts significantly activated cell cycle shift in MiaPaCa-2 cells compared to coculture with fibroblasts not expressing FAP. Furthermore, coculture with FAP expressing fibroblasts inactivated retinoblastoma (Rb) protein, an inhibitor of cell cycle progression, in MiaPaCa-2 cells by promoting phosphorylation of Rb.The present in vitro results and the association of FAP expression with clinical outcomes provide us with a better understanding of the effect of FAP-expressing CAFs on the progression of PDAC.
| S-EPMC4556412 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is projected to rise to the second leading cause of U.S. cancer-related deaths by 2020. Novel therapeutic targets are desperately needed. MicroRNAs (miRs) are small noncoding RNAs that function by suppressing gene expression and are dysregulated in cancer. miR-21 is overexpressed in PDAC tumor cells (TC) and is associated with decreased survival, chemoresistance and invasion. Dysregulation of miR regulatory networks in PDAC tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAFs) have not been previously described. In this study, we show that miR-21 expression in TAFs promotes TC invasion.MethodsIn-situ hybridization for miR-21 was performed on the 153 PDAC patient UCLA tissue microarray and 23 patient-matched lymph node metastases. Stromal and TC histoscores were correlated with clinicopathologic parameters by univariate and multivariate Cox regression. miR-21 positive cells were further characterized by immunofluorescence for mesenchymal/epithelial markers. For in vitro studies, TAFs were isolated from freshly resected human PDAC tumors by the outgrowth method. miR-21 was overexpressed/inhibited in fibroblasts and then co-cultured with GFP-MiaPaCa TCs to assess TC invasion in modified Boyden chambers.ResultsmiR-21 was upregulated in TAFs of 78% of tumors, and high miR-21 significantly correlated with decreased overall survival (P = 0.04). Stromal miR-21 expression was also significantly associated with lymph node invasion (P = 0.004), suggesting that it is driving TC spread. Co-immunofluorescence revealed that miR-21 colocalized with peritumoral fibroblasts expressing ?-smooth muscle actin. Moreover, expression of miR-21 in primary TAFs correlated with miR-21 in TAFs from patient-matched LN metastases; evidence that PDAC tumor cells induce TAFs to express miR-21. miR-21 expression in TAFs and TCs promotes invasion of TCs and is inhibited with anti-miR-21.ConclusionsmiR-21 expression in PDAC TAFs is associated with decreased overall survival and promotes TC invasion. Anti-miR-21 may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for dual targeting of both tumor and stroma in PDAC.
| S-EPMC3750050 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most challenging malignancies. Desmoplasia and tumor-supporting inflammation are hallmarks of PDAC. The tumor microenvironment contributes significantly to tumor progression and spread. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) facilitate therapy resistance and metastasis. Recent reports emphasized the concurrence of multiple subtypes of CAFs with diverse roles, fibrogenic, and secretory. C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) is a chemokine receptor known for its role during inflammation and its adverse role in PDAC. Oncogenic Kras upregulates CXCR2 and its ligands and, thus, contribute to tumor proliferation and immunosuppression. CXCR2 deletion in a PDAC syngeneic mouse model produced increased fibrosis revealing a potential undescribed role of CXCR2 in CAFs. In this study, we demonstrate that the oncogenic Kras-CXCR2 axis regulates the CAFs function in PDAC and contributes to CAFs heterogeneity. We observed that oncogenic Kras and CXCR2 signaling alter CAFs, producing a secretory CAF phenotype with low fibrogenic features; and increased secretion of pro-tumor cytokines and CXCR2 ligands, utilizing the NF-κB activity. Finally, using syngeneic mouse models, we demonstrate that oncogenic Kras is associated with secretory CAFs and that CXCR2 inhibition promotes activation of fibrotic cells (myofibroblasts) and impact tumors in a mutation-dependent manner.
| S-EPMC7501205 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Immunotherapy has dramatically changed the cancer treatment landscape during the past decade, but very limited efficacy has been reported against pancreatic cancer. Several factors unique to pancreatic cancer may explain the resistance: the well-recognized suppressive elements in the tumor microenvironment, the functional and structural barrier imposed by the stroma components, T-cell exhaustion, the choice of perhaps the wrong immune targets, and microbial factors including gut dysbiosis and the unexpected presence of tumor microbes. Furthermore, we discuss various strategies to overcome these barriers.
| S-EPMC8639640 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study shows that melanoma-associated fibroblasts (MAFs) suppress cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity and reveals a pivotal role played by arginase in this phenomenon. MAFs and normal dermal fibroblasts (DFs) were isolated from surgically resected melanomas and identified as Melan-A-/gp100-/FAP+ cells. CTLs of healthy blood donors were activated in the presence of MAF- and DF-conditioned media (CM). Markers of successful CTL activation, cytotoxic degranulation, killing activity and immune checkpoint regulation were evaluated by flow cytometry, ELISPOT, and redirected killing assays. Soluble mediators responsible for MAF-mediated effects were identified by ELISA, flow cytometry, inhibitor assays, and knock-in experiments. In the presence of MAF-CM, activated/non-naïve CTLs displayed dysregulated ERK1/2 and NF-κB signaling, impeded CD69 and granzyme B production, impaired killing activity, and upregulated expression of the negative immune checkpoint receptors TIGIT and BTLA. Compared to DFs, MAFs displayed increased amounts of VISTA and HVEM, a known ligand of BTLA on T cells, increased L-arginase activity and CXCL12 release. Transgenic arginase over-expression further increased, while selective arginase inhibition neutralized MAF-induced TIGIT and BTLA expression on CTLs. Our data indicate that MAF interfere with intracellular CTL signaling via soluble mediators leading to CTL anergy and modify immune checkpoint receptor availability via L-arginine depletion.
| S-EPMC7581550 | biostudies-literature