Project description:Comparing two agonists of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-2wt and IL-2nα, differentially reshape the tumor microenvironment (TME). To more comprehensively explore the mechanisms by which the two different IL-2R agonists regulate the TME, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on immune cells isolated from tumors. We clustered the 18,455 tumor-infiltrating immune cells into 5 populations, and found marked expansion of T cell populations as well as contraction of mononuclear phagocyte populations in both IL-2wt and IL-2nα treated tumors compared with immunoglobulin G (IgG) controls.
Project description:Tumor endothelial cells (TECs) and corresponding normal endothelial cells (NECs) were isolated from 12 different human colocrectal carcinoma (CRC) patients with different prognostic tumor microenvironments (TME: Th1-TME vs Control-TME).
Project description:Recombinant cytokines have limited anti-cancer efficacy mostly due to narrow therapeutic window and systemic adverse effects. IL-18 is an inflammasome induced proinflammatory cytokine that enhances T and NK cell activity and stimulates IFNg production. The activity of IL-18 is naturally blocked by a high affinity endogenous binding protein (IL-18BP). IL-18BP is induced in the tumor microenvironment (TME) in response to IFNg upregulation in a negative feedback mechanism. In this study we found that IL-18 is upregulated in the TME compared to the periphery across multiple human tumors and most of it is bound to IL-18BP. Bound IL-18 levels were largely above the amount required for T cell activation in vitro, implying that releasing IL-18 in the TME could lead to potent T cell immune activation. To restore the activity of endogenous IL-18 we generated COM503, a high affinity anti-IL-18BP antibody (Ab), that blocks the IL-18BP:IL-18 interaction and displaces pre-complexed IL-18 to enhance T cell and NK cell activation. In vivo, administration of a surrogate anti-IL-18BP Ab, either alone or in combination with anti-PD-L1 Ab, resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition and increased survival across multiple mouse tumor models. Moreover, anti-IL-18BP Ab induced pronounced TME-localized immune modulation including an increase in polyfunctional non-exhausted T and NK cell numbers and activation. In contrast, no increase in inflammatory cytokines and lymphocyte numbers or activation state was observed in serum and spleen. Taken together, blocking IL-18BP using an Ab is a promising novel approach to harness cytokine biology for the treatment of cancer.
Project description:To find potential lncRNAs participating in the regulation of microglial polarization, we employed microarray screening to find differentially expressed lncRNAs between resting and IL-4 stimulated primary cultured microglia
Project description:The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex mixture of tumor cells, immune cells, endothelial cells and fibroblastic stroma cells (FSC). While cancer-associated fibroblasts are generally seen as a tumor-promoting entity, it is conceivable that distinct FSC populations within the TME contribute to immune-mediated tumor control. Here, we show that intra-tumoral injection of a recombinant LCMV-based vaccine vector (r3LCMV) expressing the melanocyte differentiation antigen TRP2 results in T cell-dependent eradication of melanomas. Analysis of the TME revealed that viral vector transduction precipitates activation of particular FSC subsets. Using single-cell RNA-seq analysis, we identified a Cxcl13-expressing FSC population with a pronounced immune-stimulatory signature and increased expression of the inflammatory cytokine IL-33. Genetic ablation of Il33 in Cxcl13-Cre+ FSC impeded functionality of intratumoral T cells and consequently tumor control. Thus, reprogramming of distinct FSC subsets in the TME through LCMV-based vectors efficiently promotes tumor eradication by locally sustaining the activity of tumor-specific T cells.
Project description:We hypothesized that IL-33 created Tc1-like condition in the modifying tumor microenvironment (TME). RNA-seq analysis of dendritic cells (DCs) showed the elevation of Il1rl1 and SEMA4A by IL-33, the latter of which was confirmed by qPCR, without significant upregulation of IL-12.
Project description:To goal of the experiment is to assess whether we can profile enough cells corresponding to the host TME. In this PDX model, most of the cells correspond to the xenograft material, with limited amounts of host TME cells. To this aim we loaded 16 times more cells hybridized with the mouse probe set compared to the human hybridization.
Project description:We designed a novel intratumoral (IT) IL-12 mRNA therapy to promote local IL-12 tumor production whilst mitigating systemic effects. A single IT dose of mouse (m)IL-12 mRNA induced IFNγ and CD8+ T cell-dependent tumor regression in multiple syngeneic mouse models including MC38-R, and animals with a complete response demonstrated immunity to re-challenge. In order to further investigate the impact of mIL-12 mRNA on the MC38-R TME, we performed tumor transcriptomic evaluation 24h and 7 days after a single IT dose of 0.5 micrograms IL-12 or control mRNA. mRNA was isolated from snap-frozen syngeneic tumors using an RNeasy mini kit (Qiagen) and quantified on the Affymetrix mouse 430 2.0 microarray.
Project description:Radical rectal cancer resection, namely total mesorectal excision (TME), is the cornerstone of the treatment of resectable rectal cancer. In combination with chemotherapy and radiation treatment (CRT), complete TME with negative resection margins is associated with sustained local and systemic control even in locally advanced disease. Over the last 2 decades, laparoscopic and robotic techniques have been increasingly adopted due to reduced surgical trauma and faster patient recovery. Yet, both approaches are associated with equivalent postoperative morbidity and disturbances in sexual, urinary and defecatory function relative to open TME. Furthermore, laparoscopic and robotic TME remain associated with substantial conversion rates and variable rates of TME completeness as a result of the procedural difficulties reaching the low rectum from the abdominal approach. Transanal TME (taTME) with laparoscopic assistance was developed to facilitate completion of TME using a primary transanal endoscopic approach. Transanal TME uses a "bottom-up approach" to overcome the technical difficulties of low pelvic dissection using an abdominal approach. Published results from single-center taTME series and an international registry suggest the short-term procedural and oncologic safety of this approach in resectable rectal cancer. No multicenter phase II study has yet been conducted to validate the procedural safety, functional outcomes or long-term oncologic outcomes of this approach.
Study Design: This is a 5-year phase II multicenter single-arm study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of low anterior resection (LAR) with taTME using laparoscopic or robotic assistance in 100 eligible subjects with resectable rectal cancer.
Hypothesis: taTME is non-inferior to standard LAR with respect to the quality of the TME achieved.