Project description:The generation of highly-reactive T lymphocytes against tumor-associated antigens remains an obstacle for effective adoptive immunotherapy of cancer. Recently, we found that microRNA-181a (miR-181a) acts as an intrinsic modulator of T cell antigen sensitivity in a transgenic T cell line in vitro. This molecule is part of a growing family of evolutionarily selected small interfering RNA that control gene expression at the posttranscriptional level by targeting messenger RNA (mRNA) for degradation or translational repression. Here, we explored the use of miR-181a to improve anti-tumor T cell responsiveness against weakly immunogenic tumor-associated antigens. We found that genetic engineering of T lymphocytes with miR-181a dramatically augmented the function of poorly responsive human tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and TCR-engineered peripheral blood lymphocytes, resulting in potent anti-tumor reactivity. Furthermore, in a mouse model, miR-181a increased the function of self/tumor-specific CD8+ T cells enabling effective tumor destruction in the absence of vaccination or exogenous cytokines that were otherwise essential requirements and thus represents a significant advance over previous approaches. Although miRNAs have been previously shown to play critical functional roles in the development and function of vertebrate immune systems and pathogenesis of cancer, this report comprises the first use of a miRNA gene as tool in the treatment of disease. Keywords: cellular modification design For the 6 mouse samples the Operon Array-Ready Oligo Set (AROSâ¢) V 4.0 contains 35,852 longmer probes representing 25,000 genes and about 38,000 gene transcripts and also includes 380 controls platform was used and each sample was hybridized in duplicate. For the 6 human samples, the human cDNA microarray platform was used which consist of 17 k cDNA array included a combination from a RG_HsKG_031901 7 k clone set and 10,000 clones from the RG_Hs_seq_ver_070700 40 k clone set (Research Genetics, Huntsville, AL). The cDNA clones include 12,072 uniquely named genes, 875 duplicates of named genes.

Project description:Genomic instability predisposes cells to malignant transformation, however the molecular mechanisms that allow for the propagation of cells with a high-degree of genomic instability remains unclear. Here we report that miR-181a is able to transform fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells- the precursor cell type for the majority of high-grade serous ovarian cancers- through the inhibition of RB1 and simultaneously drives a cell protective inhibition of the stimulator-of-interferon-genes (STING) in order to maintain a microenvironment conducive to the propagation of cells with a high-degree of genomic instability. We found that miR-181a inhibition of RB1 leads to profound nuclear defects, genomic instability, and nuclear rupture resulting in a persistence of genomic material in the cytoplasm. While normally, this persistence of genomic material in the cytoplasm induces interferon response through STING to drive cell death, miR-181a directly downregulates STING and prevents apoptosis. The most common mechanism by which oncogenic miRNAs promote tumorigenesis is through the direct inhibition of tumor suppressor genes, however our studies highlight a new mechanism of oncomiR transformation through the combination of tumor suppressor gene inhibition and abrogation of immune surveillance that initiates and propagates tumor cell survival. Importantly, we found that miR-181a induction in ovarian patient tumors is tightly associated with decreased IFNg response and downregulation of lymphocyte infiltration amd leukocyte fraction. To date, DNA oncoviruses are the only known inhibitors of STING that allow for cellular transformation thus, our findings are the first to identify a genetic factor, miR-181a, that can downregulate STING expression, suppress activation of the immunosurveillance machinery, and impair signaling in cancer cells creating a survival advantage. Our studies support the notion that the induction of STING-mediated signaling in cancer cells could lead directly to cancer cell death however these effects are abrogated by miR-181a. Given the recent interest in the development of STING agonists as a strategy to harness the immune system to treat cancer, this study introduces novel patient selective biomarker as well as potent therapeutic target for development of the most effective combination treatments.

Project description:Genomic instability predisposes cells to malignant transformation, however the molecular mechanisms that allow for the propagation of cells with a high-degree of genomic instability remains unclear. Here we report that miR-181a is able to transform fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells- the precursor cell type for the majority of high-grade serous ovarian cancers- through the inhibition of RB1 and simultaneously drives a cell protective inhibition of the stimulator-of-interferon-genes (STING) in order to maintain a microenvironment conducive to the propagation of cells with a high-degree of genomic instability. We found that miR-181a inhibition of RB1 leads to profound nuclear defects, genomic instability, and nuclear rupture resulting in a persistence of genomic material in the cytoplasm. While normally, this persistence of genomic material in the cytoplasm induces interferon response through STING to drive cell death, miR-181a directly downregulates STING and prevents apoptosis. The most common mechanism by which oncogenic miRNAs promote tumorigenesis is through the direct inhibition of tumor suppressor genes, however our studies highlight a new mechanism of oncomiR transformation through the combination of tumor suppressor gene inhibition and abrogation of immune surveillance that initiates and propagates tumor cell survival. Importantly, we found that miR-181a induction in ovarian patient tumors is tightly associated with decreased IFNg response and downregulation of lymphocyte infiltration amd leukocyte fraction. To date, DNA oncoviruses are the only known inhibitors of STING that allow for cellular transformation thus, our findings are the first to identify a genetic factor, miR-181a, that can downregulate STING expression, suppress activation of the immunosurveillance machinery, and impair signaling in cancer cells creating a survival advantage. Our studies support the notion that the induction of STING-mediated signaling in cancer cells could lead directly to cancer cell death however these effects are abrogated by miR-181a. Given the recent interest in the development of STING agonists as a strategy to harness the immune system to treat cancer, this study introduces novel patient selective biomarker as well as potent therapeutic target for development of the most effective combination treatments. Infinium CytoSNP-850K v1.2 BeadChip (Illumina) was performed to assess genomic variation

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Therapeutic use of microRNA-181a in the adoptive immunotherapy of cancer

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