ABSTRACT: Paclitaxel resistance in ovarian cancer increases oncolytic adenovirus efficacy via upregulated CAR expression and dysfunctional cell cycle control
Project description:The microtubule-stabilising drug paclitaxel has activity in relapsed ovarian cancer. However, resistance frequently develops. Oncolytic adenoviruses are a novel cancer therapy, and replicate selectively within and lyse malignant cells, leading to productive infection of neighbouring cells. We found increased efficacy of adenoviruses of multiple subtypes in paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer cells. There was increased expression of a key adenovirus receptor, CAR (coxsackie adenovirus receptor), due to increased transcription that resulted from histone modification. Moreover, CAR transcription increased in intraperitoneal xenografts with acquired paclitaxel resistance and in tumours from patients with paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer. Finally, we identified dysregulated cell cycle control as a second mechanism of increased adenovirus efficacy in paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer and that inhibition of CDK4/6 using PD-0332991 was able both to reverse paclitaxel resistance and reduce adenovirus efficacy. Thus, paclitaxel resistance increases oncolytic adenovirus efficacy via at least two separate mechanisms. Parental SKOV3 and paclitaxel-resistant SKOV3-TR cells were analysed in duplicate
Project description:The microtubule-stabilising drug paclitaxel has activity in relapsed ovarian cancer. However, resistance frequently develops. Oncolytic adenoviruses are a novel cancer therapy, and replicate selectively within and lyse malignant cells, leading to productive infection of neighbouring cells. We found increased efficacy of adenoviruses of multiple subtypes in paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer cells. There was increased expression of a key adenovirus receptor, CAR (coxsackie adenovirus receptor), due to increased transcription that resulted from histone modification. Moreover, CAR transcription increased in intraperitoneal xenografts with acquired paclitaxel resistance and in tumours from patients with paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer. Finally, we identified dysregulated cell cycle control as a second mechanism of increased adenovirus efficacy in paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer and that inhibition of CDK4/6 using PD-0332991 was able both to reverse paclitaxel resistance and reduce adenovirus efficacy. Thus, paclitaxel resistance increases oncolytic adenovirus efficacy via at least two separate mechanisms.
Project description:Although oncolytic adenoviruses have been widely studied for their direct oncolytic activity and immunomodulatory role in cancer immunotherapy, the immunosuppressive feedback loop induced by oncolytic adenoviruses remains poorly studied. Here, we showed that type V adenovirus (ADV) induces the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to the M2 phenotype and increases the infiltration of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). By selectively compensating for these deficiencies, Tα1 reprogrammed “M2-like” TAMs toward an antitumoral phenotype, thereby reprogramming the TME into a state more beneficial for antitumor immunity. Moreover, ADVTα1 was constructed by harnessing the merits of all the components for the aforementioned combinatorial therapy. Both in vitro and in vivo data showed that both exogenously supplied and adenovirus-produced Tα1 orchestrate TAM reprogramming and enhance the antitumor efficacy of ADV via CD8+ T cells, showing promising prospects for clinical translation. Our findings provide inspiration for improving oncolytic adenovirus combination therapy and designing new oncolytic engineered adenoviruses.
Project description:Although oncolytic adenoviruses have been widely studied for their direct oncolytic activity and immunomodulatory role in cancer immunotherapy, the immunosuppressive feedback loop induced by oncolytic adenoviruses remains poorly studied. Here, we showed that type V adenovirus (ADV) induces the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to the M2 phenotype and increases the infiltration of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). By selectively compensating for these deficiencies, Tα1 reprogrammed “M2-like” TAMs toward an antitumoral phenotype, thereby reprogramming the TME into a state more beneficial for antitumor immunity. Moreover, ADVTα1 was constructed by harnessing the merits of all the components for the aforementioned combinatorial therapy. Both in vitro and in vivo data showed that both exogenously supplied and adenovirus-produced Tα1 orchestrate TAM reprogramming and enhance the antitumor efficacy of ADV via CD8+ T cells, showing promising prospects for clinical translation. Our findings provide inspiration for improving oncolytic adenovirus combination therapy and designing new oncolytic engineered adenoviruses.
Project description:Carboplatin and paclitaxel are the most widely prescribed chemotherapeutic agents for ovarian cancer. Not all patients respond to treatment, so there is a need for biomarkers that reliably predict resistance in ovarian tumors. Expression of such biomarkers may be dynamically controlled. Gene expression was assessed for a period of 14 days after treatment with carboplatin or combined carboplatin-paclitaxel in xenografts from two ovarian cancer models: chemosensitive serous adenocarcinoma derived OV1002 and slow growing, chemoresistant HOX424 of clear cell origin. Tumour volume reduction was observed in both cell lines post treatment, with a more prominent effect in OV1002, which subsided in late time points. In OV1002, hierarchical clustering classified differentially expressed genes into four time-related patterns, upregulated and downregulated groups for each early and late expressed genes. Upregulated genes were involved in DNA repair, cell cycle and apoptosis, while downregulated groups were involved in oxygen consuming metabolic processes and apoptosis control. Carboplatin-paclitaxel treatment triggered a more comprehensive response. HOX424 responded only to the combined treatment, while the observed reduction in tumour growth was limited. Several apoptosis and cell cycle genes were upregulated, while Wnt signaling was downregulated in the exclusively late expression pattern observed in this cell line. Late downregulated gene groups post carboplatin-taxane treatment were capable of predicting overall survival in two independent clinical datesets. Pathways overrepresented in these clusters were also predictive of outcome. This longitudinal gene expression study may help characterization of chemotherapy response, identification of resistance biomarkers and guiding timing of biopsies. 101 samples from 2 cell lines, untreated, carboplatin (Carbo) treated, carboplatin-paclitaxel (Carbotax) treated, over 5 time points (days 1,2,4,7,14)
Project description:We investigated the mechanisms by which inflammatory responses generated by tumor-specific T cells delivered to ovarian tumor-bearing mice alone or after oncolytic vaccinia virus-driven immunogenic cancer cell death affect antitumor efficacy using scRNA-seq.
Project description:We investigated the mechanisms by which inflammatory responses generated by tumor-specific T cells delivered to ovarian tumor-bearing mice alone or after oncolytic vaccinia virus-driven immunogenic cancer cell death affect antitumor efficacy using spatial transcriptomics.
Project description:Oncolytic vaccinia virus (OVV) has demonstrated appropriate safety profiles for clinical development. Although OVV was designed to kill cancer cells efficiently, sensitivity to OVV varies in individual cancers. Here, we found that OVV was much more efficient in KFTX paclitaxel (PTX)-resistant ovarian cancer cells, compared to that in KFlow PTX-sensitive cells. Microarray analysis showed that urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) upregulation contributed to both enhanced PTX resistance and OVV spread.
Project description:Metabolism of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells is emerging as an important area to improve CAR-T cell therapy in cancer treatment. Mitochondrial respiration is essential for survival and function of CAR-T cells, but developing strategies to specifically enhance mitochondrial respiration has been challenging. Here we identify MCJ/DnaJC15, an endogenous negative regulator of mitochondrial Complex I, as a metabolic target to enhance mitochondrial respiration in CD8 CAR-T cells. Loss of MCJ in CD8 CAR-T cells increases their in vitro and in vivo efficacy against mouse B cell leukemias. MCJ deficiency in TCR- specific CD8 cells also increases their efficacy against solid tumors in vivo. Furthermore, we reveal that human CD8 cells express MCJ and that silencing MCJ expression increases mitochondrial metabolism and anti-tumor activity of human CAR-T cells. Thus, we demonstrate the unique therapeutic potential of targeting MCJ to enhance the metabolism and efficacy of adoptive T cell therapies.
Project description:Carboplatin and paclitaxel are the most widely prescribed chemotherapeutic agents for ovarian cancer. Not all patients respond to treatment, so there is a need for biomarkers that reliably predict resistance in ovarian tumors. Expression of such biomarkers may be dynamically controlled. Gene expression was assessed for a period of 14 days after treatment with carboplatin or combined carboplatin-paclitaxel in xenografts from two ovarian cancer models: chemosensitive serous adenocarcinoma derived OV1002 and slow growing, chemoresistant HOX424 of clear cell origin. Tumour volume reduction was observed in both cell lines post treatment, with a more prominent effect in OV1002, which subsided in late time points. In OV1002, hierarchical clustering classified differentially expressed genes into four time-related patterns, upregulated and downregulated groups for each early and late expressed genes. Upregulated genes were involved in DNA repair, cell cycle and apoptosis, while downregulated groups were involved in oxygen consuming metabolic processes and apoptosis control. Carboplatin-paclitaxel treatment triggered a more comprehensive response. HOX424 responded only to the combined treatment, while the observed reduction in tumour growth was limited. Several apoptosis and cell cycle genes were upregulated, while Wnt signaling was downregulated in the exclusively late expression pattern observed in this cell line. Late downregulated gene groups post carboplatin-taxane treatment were capable of predicting overall survival in two independent clinical datesets. Pathways overrepresented in these clusters were also predictive of outcome. This longitudinal gene expression study may help characterization of chemotherapy response, identification of resistance biomarkers and guiding timing of biopsies.