Project description:Tumor metastasis and lack of NKG2D ligand (NKG2DL) expression are associated with poor prognosis in patients with colon cancer. Here we found that spironolactone (SPIR), an FDA-approved diuretic drug with a long-term safety profile, can upregulate NKG2DL expression in multiple colon cancer cell lines by activating the ATM-Chk2-mediated checkpoint pathway, which in turn enhances tumor elimination by natural killer cells. SPIR can also upregulate the expression of metastasis-suppressor genes TIMP2 and TIMP3, thereby reducing tumor cell invasiveness. Although SPIR is an aldosterone antagonist, its anti-tumor effects are independent of the mineralocorticoid receptor pathway. Instead, by screening the human nuclear hormone receptor siRNA library, we identify retinoid X receptor gamma (RXR gamma) as being indispensable for the anti-tumor functions of SPIR. Collectively, our results strongly support the use of SPIR or other RXR gamma-agonists with minimal side effects for colon cancer prevention and therapy. Two replicates of two cell types with and without drug
Project description:Tumor metastasis and lack of NKG2D ligand (NKG2DL) expression are associated with poor prognosis in patients with colon cancer. Here we found that spironolactone (SPIR), an FDA-approved diuretic drug with a long-term safety profile, can upregulate NKG2DL expression in multiple colon cancer cell lines by activating the ATM-Chk2-mediated checkpoint pathway, which in turn enhances tumor elimination by natural killer cells. SPIR can also upregulate the expression of metastasis-suppressor genes TIMP2 and TIMP3, thereby reducing tumor cell invasiveness. Although SPIR is an aldosterone antagonist, its anti-tumor effects are independent of the mineralocorticoid receptor pathway. Instead, by screening the human nuclear hormone receptor siRNA library, we identify retinoid X receptor gamma (RXR gamma) as being indispensable for the anti-tumor functions of SPIR. Collectively, our results strongly support the use of SPIR or other RXR gamma-agonists with minimal side effects for colon cancer prevention and therapy.
Project description:Genome-wide profiling of PPAR?:RXR and RNA polymerase II reveals temporal activation of distinct metabolic pathways in RXR dimer composition during adipogenesis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with deep sequencing was performed to generate genome-wide maps of peroxisome prolifelator-activated receptor gamma (PPARg) and retinoid X receptor (RXR) binding sites, and RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) occupancy at high resolution throughout adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. The data provides the first positional and temporal map PPAR? and RXR occupancy during adipocyte differentiation at a global scale. The number of PPAR?:RXR shared binding sites is steadily increasing from D0 to D6. At Day6 there are over 5000 high confidence shared PPARy:RXR binding sites. We show that at the early days of differentiation several of these sites bind not only PPAR?:RXR but also other RXR dimers. The data also provides a comprehensive temporal map of RNAPII occupancy at genes throughout 3T3-L1 adipogenesis thereby uncovering groups of similarly regulated genes belonging to glucose and lipid metabolic pathways. The majority of the upregulated but very few downregulated genes have assigned PPAR?:RXR target sites, thereby underscoring the importance of PPAR?:RXR in gene activation during adipogenesis and indicating that a hitherto unrecognized high number of adipocyte genes are directly activated by PPAR?:RXR Examination of PPARg and RXR bindingsites during adipocyte differentiation (day 0 to 6) and association with transcription via RNAPII occupancy.
Project description:Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the most abundant components of the breast tumor microenvironment (TME) and major contributors to immune modulation in the TME. CAFs are well known to regulate the activity of diverse types of immune cells including T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells, however little is known about their interaction with Natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells constitute an important arm of anti-tumor immunity, yet the regulation of NK cell activity by CAFs in solid tumors is poorly understood. Here we find, using mouse models of cancer and ex-vivo cocultures, that immunosuppressive CAF subsets severely inhibit NK cell cytotoxicity towards cancer cells. We unravel the mechanism by which this suppression occurs, through CAF-mediated downregulation of the NK-surface receptors, Natural Killer Group 2D (NKG2D) and DNAX Accessory Molecule-1 (DNAM-1). Ligands for these receptors are known to be expressed by cancer cells and minimally expressed in healthy tissue. Here we find that CAFs also upregulate ligands for NKG2D and DNAM-1. Ligand-receptor engagement between NK cells and CAFs leads to CAF cytolysis, which in turn diminishes the expression of NKG2D and DNAM-1 on NK cells via a negative feedback loop, and promotes cancer escape from NK cell surveillance. These results reveal a CAF-mediated immunosuppressive mechanism with implications for treatment of solid tumors.
Project description:Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the most abundant components of the breast tumor microenvironment (TME) and major contributors to immune modulation in the TME. CAFs are well known to regulate the activity of diverse types of immune cells including T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells, however little is known about their interaction with Natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells constitute an important arm of anti-tumor immunity, yet the regulation of NK cell activity by CAFs in solid tumors is poorly understood. Here we find, using mouse models of cancer and ex-vivo cocultures, that immunosuppressive CAF subsets severely inhibit NK cell cytotoxicity towards cancer cells. We unravel the mechanism by which this suppression occurs, through CAF-mediated downregulation of the NK-surface receptors, Natural Killer Group 2D (NKG2D) and DNAX Accessory Molecule-1 (DNAM-1). Ligands for these receptors are known to be expressed by cancer cells and minimally expressed in healthy tissue. Here we find that CAFs also upregulate ligands for NKG2D and DNAM-1. Ligand-receptor engagement between NK cells and CAFs leads to CAF cytolysis, which in turn diminishes the expression of NKG2D and DNAM-1 on NK cells via a negative feedback loop, and promotes cancer escape from NK cell surveillance. These results reveal a CAF-mediated immunosuppressive mechanism with implications for treatment of solid tumors.
Project description:Retinoid X receptor (RXR) is an obligate heterodimeric partner of several nuclear receptors (NRs), and as such a central component of NR signaling regulating the immune and metabolic phenotype of macrophages. Importantly, the binding motifs of RXR heterodimers are enriched in the tissue-selective open chromatin regions of resident macrophages, suggesting specific roles in subtype specification. Recent genome-wide studies revealed that RXR binds to thousands of sites in the genome, but the mechanistic details how the cistrome is established and serves ligand-induced transcriptional activity remained elusive. Here we show that IL-4-mediated macrophage plasticity results in a greatly extended RXR cistrome via the direct and indirect actions of the transcription factor STAT6. Activation of STAT6 leads to chromatin remodeling and RXR recruitment to de novo enhancers. In addition, STAT6 triggers a secondary transcription factor wave, including PPARγ. PPARγ appears to be indispensable for the development of RXR-bound de novo enhancers, whose activities can be modulated in a very restricted manner by the ligands of the PPARγ:RXR heterodimer. Collectively, these data reveal the mechanisms leading to the dynamic extension of the RXR cistrome, identify the lipid-sensing enhancer set of alternatively polarized macrophages and suggest a pervasive ligand-independent mechanism of action of the receptors.
Project description:Retinoid X receptor (RXR) is an obligate heterodimeric partner of several nuclear receptors (NRs), and as such a central component of NR signaling regulating the immune and metabolic phenotype of macrophages. Importantly, the binding motifs of RXR heterodimers are enriched in the tissue-selective open chromatin regions of resident macrophages, suggesting specific roles in subtype specification. Recent genome-wide studies revealed that RXR binds to thousands of sites in the genome, but the mechanistic details how the cistrome is established and serves ligand-induced transcriptional activity remained elusive. Here we show that IL-4-mediated macrophage plasticity results in a greatly extended RXR cistrome via the direct and indirect actions of the transcription factor STAT6. Activation of STAT6 leads to chromatin remodeling and RXR recruitment to de novo enhancers. In addition, STAT6 triggers a secondary transcription factor wave, including PPARγ. PPARγ appears to be indispensable for the development of RXR-bound de novo enhancers, whose activities can be modulated in a very restricted manner by the ligands of the PPARγ:RXR heterodimer. Collectively, these data reveal the mechanisms leading to the dynamic extension of the RXR cistrome, identify the lipid-sensing enhancer set of alternatively polarized macrophages and suggest a pervasive ligand-independent mechanism of action of the receptors.
Project description:Retinoid X receptor (RXR) is an obligate heterodimeric partner of several nuclear receptors (NRs), and as such a central component of NR signaling regulating the immune and metabolic phenotype of macrophages. Importantly, the binding motifs of RXR heterodimers are enriched in the tissue-selective open chromatin regions of resident macrophages, suggesting specific roles in subtype specification. Recent genome-wide studies revealed that RXR binds to thousands of sites in the genome, but the mechanistic details how the cistrome is established and serves ligand-induced transcriptional activity remained elusive. Here we show that IL-4-mediated macrophage plasticity results in a greatly extended RXR cistrome via the direct and indirect actions of the transcription factor STAT6. Activation of STAT6 leads to chromatin remodeling and RXR recruitment to de novo enhancers. In addition, STAT6 triggers a secondary transcription factor wave, including PPARγ. PPARγ appears to be indispensable for the development of RXR-bound de novo enhancers, whose activities can be modulated in a very restricted manner by the ligands of the PPARγ:RXR heterodimer. Collectively, these data reveal the mechanisms leading to the dynamic extension of the RXR cistrome, identify the lipid-sensing enhancer set of alternatively polarized macrophages and suggest a pervasive ligand-independent mechanism of action of the receptors.
Project description:Retinoid X receptor (RXR) is an obligate heterodimeric partner of several nuclear receptors (NRs), and as such a central component of NR signaling regulating the immune and metabolic phenotype of macrophages. Importantly, the binding motifs of RXR heterodimers are enriched in the tissue-selective open chromatin regions of resident macrophages, suggesting specific roles in subtype specification. Recent genome-wide studies revealed that RXR binds to thousands of sites in the genome, but the mechanistic details how the cistrome is established and serves ligand-induced transcriptional activity remained elusive. Here we show that IL-4-mediated macrophage plasticity results in a greatly extended RXR cistrome via the direct and indirect actions of the transcription factor STAT6. Activation of STAT6 leads to chromatin remodeling and RXR recruitment to de novo enhancers. In addition, STAT6 triggers a secondary transcription factor wave, including PPARγ. PPARγ appears to be indispensable for the development of RXR-bound de novo enhancers, whose activities can be modulated in a very restricted manner by the ligands of the PPARγ:RXR heterodimer. Collectively, these data reveal the mechanisms leading to the dynamic extension of the RXR cistrome, identify the lipid-sensing enhancer set of alternatively polarized macrophages and suggest a pervasive ligand-independent mechanism of action of the receptors.
Project description:The development of approaches for inflaming cold tumors is critical for increasing response to immunotherapy. Here we report that low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) in mice promotes tumor T-cell inflammation and enables responsiveness to combinatorial immunotherapyin an interferon-dependent manner. Treatment efficacy relied upon mobilizing both adaptive and innate immunity, and depended on both cytotoxic CD4+and CD8+T cells. LDRTinduced predominantly CD4+cells which exhibited features of exhausted effector and cytotoxic cells, with a subset expressing NKG2D and exhibiting proliferative capacity, and a novel subset of dendritic cells with activated phenotype that expressed the NKG2D ligand Rae1. Finally, tumor immune rejection was critically dependent on the NKG2D pathway. We translated these findings toa phase I clinical trial. Like in mice, combinatorial treatmenttriggered peripheral T-cell mobilization and resulted in important tumor T-cell infiltration, predominantly of CD4+cells and with Th1 signatures, observed only in patients with immune desert tumors who responded to a novel combination of LDRT, low dose cyclophosphamide and immune checkpoint blockade therapy.These results suggest the novel possibility of rationally combining LDRT with immune checkpoint therapy for the treatment of cold tumors, based on the simultaneous activation of antitumoral innate and adaptive immunity