RESUMEN
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) therapeutic resistance is largely attributed to a unique tumor microenvironment embedded with an abundance of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). Distinct CAF populations were recently identified, but the phenotypic drivers and specific impact of CAF heterogeneity remain unclear. In this study, we identify a subpopulation of senescent myofibroblastic CAFs (SenCAF) in mouse and human PDAC. These SenCAFs are a phenotypically distinct subset of myofibroblastic CAFs that localize near tumor ducts and accumulate with PDAC progression. To assess the impact of endogenous SenCAFs in PDAC, we used an LSL-KRASG12D;p53flox;p48-CRE;INK-ATTAC (KPPC-IA) mouse model of spontaneous PDAC with inducible senescent cell depletion. Depletion of senescent stromal cells in genetic and pharmacologic PDAC models relieved immune suppression by macrophages, delayed tumor progression, and increased responsiveness to chemotherapy. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that SenCAFs promote PDAC progression and immune cell dysfunction. Significance: CAF heterogeneity in PDAC remains poorly understood. In this study, we identify a novel subpopulation of senescent CAFs that promotes PDAC progression and immunosuppression. Targeting CAF senescence in combination therapies could increase tumor vulnerability to chemo or immunotherapy. See related article by Ye et al., p. 1302.
Asunto(s)
Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático , Senescencia Celular , Miofibroblastos , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Animales , Ratones , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patología , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/inmunología , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/genética , Humanos , Miofibroblastos/metabolismo , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/patología , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/inmunología , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/tratamiento farmacológico , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/metabolismo , Microambiente Tumoral , Fibroblastos Asociados al Cáncer/metabolismo , Modelos Animales de EnfermedadRESUMEN
The tumor microenvironment (TME) profoundly influences tumorigenesis, with gene expression in the breast TME capable of predicting clinical outcomes. The TME is complex and includes distinct cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) subtypes whose contribution to tumorigenesis remains unclear. Here, we identify a subset of myofibroblast CAFs (myCAF) that are senescent (senCAF) in mouse and human breast tumors. Utilizing the MMTV-PyMT;INK-ATTAC (INK) mouse model, we found that senCAF-secreted extracellular matrix specifically limits natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity to promote tumor growth. Genetic or pharmacologic senCAF elimination unleashes NK cell killing, restricting tumor growth. Finally, we show that senCAFs are present in HER2+, ER+, and triple-negative breast cancer and in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) where they predict tumor recurrence. Together, these findings demonstrate that senCAFs are potently tumor promoting and raise the possibility that targeting them by senolytic therapy could restrain breast cancer development. Significance: senCAFs limit NK cell-mediated killing, thereby contributing to breast cancer progression. Thus, targeting senCAFs could be a clinically viable approach to limit tumor progression. See related article by Belle et al., p. 1324.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias de la Mama , Fibroblastos Asociados al Cáncer , Progresión de la Enfermedad , Microambiente Tumoral , Animales , Femenino , Ratones , Humanos , Neoplasias de la Mama/inmunología , Neoplasias de la Mama/patología , Neoplasias de la Mama/genética , Fibroblastos Asociados al Cáncer/metabolismo , Fibroblastos Asociados al Cáncer/inmunología , Microambiente Tumoral/inmunología , Células Asesinas Naturales/inmunología , Senescencia Celular/inmunologíaRESUMEN
Tissue-resident macrophages (TRMs) are long-lived cells that maintain locally and can be phenotypically distinct from monocyte-derived macrophages. Whether TRMs and monocyte-derived macrophages have district roles under differing pathologies is not understood. Here, we showed that a substantial portion of the macrophages that accumulated during pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer in mice had expanded from TRMs. Pancreas TRMs had an extracellular matrix remodeling phenotype that was important for maintaining tissue homeostasis during inflammation. Loss of TRMs led to exacerbation of severe pancreatitis and death, due to impaired acinar cell survival and recovery. During pancreatitis, TRMs elicited protective effects by triggering the accumulation and activation of fibroblasts, which was necessary for initiating fibrosis as a wound healing response. The same TRM-driven fibrosis, however, drove pancreas cancer pathogenesis and progression. Together, these findings indicate that TRMs play divergent roles in the pathogenesis of pancreatitis and cancer through regulation of stromagenesis.
Asunto(s)
Páncreas , Pancreatitis , Ratones , Animales , Páncreas/patología , Macrófagos , Pancreatitis/genética , Pancreatitis/patología , Fibrosis , Neoplasias PancreáticasRESUMEN
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Immune checkpoint blockade has improved survival for many patients with NSCLC, but most fail to obtain long-term benefit. Understanding the factors leading to reduced immune surveillance in NSCLC is critical in improving patient outcomes. Here, we show that human NSCLC harbors large amounts of fibrosis that correlates with reduced T cell infiltration. In murine NSCLC models, the induction of fibrosis led to increased lung cancer progression, impaired T cell immune surveillance, and failure of immune checkpoint blockade efficacy. Associated with these changes, we observed that fibrosis leads to numerically and functionally impaired dendritic cells and altered macrophage phenotypes that likely contribute to immunosuppression. Within cancer-associated fibroblasts, distinct changes within the Col13a1-expressing population suggest that these cells produce chemokines to recruit macrophages and regulatory T cells while limiting recruitment of dendritic cells and T cells. Targeting fibrosis through transforming growth factor-ß receptor signaling overcame the effects of fibrosis to enhance T cell responses and improved the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade but only in the context of chemotherapy. Together, these data suggest that fibrosis in NSCLC leads to reduced immune surveillance and poor responsiveness to checkpoint blockade and highlight antifibrotic therapies as a candidate strategy to overcome immunotherapeutic resistance.
Asunto(s)
Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Humanos , Animales , Ratones , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Inhibidores de Puntos de Control Inmunológico , Microambiente Tumoral , InmunoterapiaRESUMEN
Neoantigen burden and CD8 T cell infiltrate are associated with clinical outcome in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). A shortcoming of many genetic models of PDAC is the lack of neoantigen burden and limited T cell infiltrate. The goal of the present study was to develop clinically relevant models of PDAC by inducing cancer neoantigens in KP2, a cell line derived from the KPC model of PDAC. KP2 was treated with oxaliplatin and olaparib (OXPARPi), and a resistant cell line was subsequently cloned to generate multiple genetically distinct cell lines (KP2-OXPARPi clones). Clones A and E are sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI), exhibit relatively high T cell infiltration, and have significant upregulation of genes involved in antigen presentation, T cell differentiation, and chemokine signaling pathways. Clone B is resistant to ICI and is similar to the parental KP2 cell line in terms of relatively low T cell infiltration and no upregulation of genes involved in the pathways noted above. Tumor/normal exome sequencing and in silico neoantigen prediction confirms successful generation of cancer neoantigens in the KP2-OXPARPi clones and the relative lack of cancer neoantigens in the parental KP2 cell line. Neoantigen vaccine experiments demonstrate that a subset of candidate neoantigens are immunogenic and neoantigen synthetic long peptide vaccines can restrain Clone E tumor growth. Compared to existing models, the KP2-OXPARPi clones better capture the diverse immunobiology of human PDAC and may serve as models for future investigations in cancer immunotherapies and strategies targeting cancer neoantigens in PDAC.
Asunto(s)
Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Humanos , Antígenos de Neoplasias , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/terapia , Linfocitos T CD8-positivos , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/terapia , Inmunoterapia , Neoplasias PancreáticasRESUMEN
Chronic activation of inflammatory pathways and suppressed interferon are hallmarks of immunosuppressive tumors. Previous studies have shown that CD11b integrin agonists could enhance anti-tumor immunity through myeloid reprograming, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein we find that CD11b agonists alter tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) phenotypes by repressing NF-κB signaling and activating interferon gene expression simultaneously. Repression of NF-κB signaling involves degradation of p65 protein and is context independent. In contrast, CD11b agonism induces STING/STAT1 pathway-mediated interferon gene expression through FAK-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, with the magnitude of induction dependent on the tumor microenvironment and amplified by cytotoxic therapies. Using tissues from phase I clinical studies, we demonstrate that GB1275 treatment activates STING and STAT1 signaling in TAMs in human tumors. These findings suggest potential mechanism-based therapeutic strategies for CD11b agonists and identify patient populations more likely to benefit.
Asunto(s)
Antígeno CD11b , Neoplasias , Humanos , Antígeno CD11b/agonistas , Inmunoterapia , Interferones , Neoplasias/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/inmunología , FN-kappa B/metabolismo , Transducción de Señal , Macrófagos Asociados a Tumores/inmunologíaRESUMEN
Intratumoral T-cell dysfunction is a hallmark of pancreatic tumors, and efforts to improve dendritic cell (DC)-mediated T-cell activation may be critical in treating these immune therapy unresponsive tumors. Recent evidence indicates that mechanisms that induce dysfunction of type 1 conventional DCs (cDC1) in pancreatic adenocarcinomas (PDAC) are drivers of the lack of responsiveness to checkpoint immunotherapy. However, the impact of PDAC on systemic type 2 cDC2 development and function has not been well studied. Herein, we report the analysis of 3 cohorts, totaling 106 samples, of human blood and bone marrow (BM) from patients with PDAC for changes in cDCs. We found that circulating cDC2s and their progenitors were significantly decreased in the blood of patients with PDAC, and repressed numbers of cDC2s were associated with poor prognosis. Serum cytokine analyses identified IL6 as significantly elevated in patients with PDAC and negatively correlated with cDC numbers. In vitro, IL6 impaired the differentiation of cDC1s and cDC2s from BM progenitors. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of human cDC progenitors in the BM and blood of patients with PDAC showed an upregulation of the IL6/STAT3 pathway and a corresponding impairment of antigen processing and presentation. These results suggested that cDC2s were systemically suppressed by inflammatory cytokines, which was linked to impaired antitumor immunity.
Asunto(s)
Interleucina-6 , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Humanos , Interleucina-6/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patología , Células Dendríticas , Citocinas/metabolismoRESUMEN
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are abundant in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs). While TAMs are known to proliferate in cancer tissues, the impact of this on macrophage phenotype and disease progression is poorly understood. We showed that in PDAC, proliferation of TAMs could be driven by colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF1) produced by cancer-associated fibroblasts. CSF1 induced high levels of p21 in macrophages, which regulated both TAM proliferation and phenotype. TAMs in human and mouse PDACs with high levels of p21 had more inflammatory and immunosuppressive phenotypes. p21 expression in TAMs was induced by both stromal interaction and/or chemotherapy treatment. Finally, by modeling p21 expression levels in TAMs, we found that p21-driven macrophage immunosuppression in vivo drove tumor progression. Serendipitously, the same p21-driven pathways that drive tumor progression also drove response to CD40 agonist. These data suggest that stromal or therapy-induced regulation of cell cycle machinery can regulate both macrophage-mediated immune suppression and susceptibility to innate immunotherapy.
Asunto(s)
Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Animales , Ratones , Humanos , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/metabolismo , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/metabolismo , Inmunoterapia , Proliferación Celular , Microambiente Tumoral , Línea Celular TumoralRESUMEN
Genetic tools to target microglia specifically and efficiently from the early stages of embryonic development are lacking. We generated a constitutive Cre line controlled by the microglia signature gene Crybb1 that produced nearly complete recombination in embryonic brain macrophages (microglia and border-associated macrophages [BAMs]) by the perinatal period, with limited recombination in peripheral myeloid cells. Using this tool in combination with Flt3-Cre lineage tracer, single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis, and confocal imaging, we resolved embryonic-derived versus monocyte-derived BAMs in the mouse cortex. Deletion of the transcription factor SMAD4 in microglia and embryonic-derived BAMs using Crybb1-Cre caused a developmental arrest of microglia, which instead acquired a BAM specification signature. By contrast, the development of genuine BAMs remained unaffected. Our results reveal that SMAD4 drives a transcriptional and epigenetic program that is indispensable for the commitment of brain macrophages to the microglia fate and highlight Crybb1-Cre as a tool for targeting embryonic brain macrophages.
Asunto(s)
Macrófagos , Microglía , Ratones , Animales , Microglía/metabolismo , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Integrasas/genética , Integrasas/metabolismo , Encéfalo/metabolismoRESUMEN
The effects of radiotherapy (RT) on tumor immunity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are not well understood. To better understand if RT can prime antigen-specific T-cell responses, we analyzed human PDAC tissues and mouse models. In both settings, there was little evidence of RT-induced T-cell priming. Using in vitro systems, we found that tumor-stromal components, including fibroblasts and collagen, cooperate to blunt RT efficacy and impair RT-induced interferon signaling. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibition rescued RT efficacy in vitro and in vivo, leading to tumor regression, T-cell priming, and enhanced long-term survival in PDAC mouse models. Based on these data, we initiated a clinical trial of defactinib in combination with stereotactic body RT in patients with PDAC (NCT04331041). Analysis of PDAC tissues from these patients showed stromal reprogramming mirroring our findings in genetically engineered mouse models. Finally, the addition of checkpoint immunotherapy to RT and FAK inhibition in animal models led to complete tumor regression and long-term survival. SIGNIFICANCE: Checkpoint immunotherapeutics have not been effective in PDAC, even when combined with RT. One possible explanation is that RT fails to prime T-cell responses in PDAC. Here, we show that FAK inhibition allows RT to prime tumor immunity and unlock responsiveness to checkpoint immunotherapy. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2711.
Asunto(s)
Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Ratones , Animales , Humanos , Proteína-Tirosina Quinasas de Adhesión Focal , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/tratamiento farmacológico , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/radioterapia , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/radioterapia , Inmunoterapia , Microambiente Tumoral , Línea Celular Tumoral , Neoplasias PancreáticasRESUMEN
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a lethal disease with limited treatment options and poor survival. We studied 83 spatial samples from 31 patients (11 treatment-naïve and 20 treated) using single-cell/nucleus RNA sequencing, bulk-proteogenomics, spatial transcriptomics and cellular imaging. Subpopulations of tumor cells exhibited signatures of proliferation, KRAS signaling, cell stress and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Mapping mutations and copy number events distinguished tumor populations from normal and transitional cells, including acinar-to-ductal metaplasia and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Pathology-assisted deconvolution of spatial transcriptomic data identified tumor and transitional subpopulations with distinct histological features. We showed coordinated expression of TIGIT in exhausted and regulatory T cells and Nectin in tumor cells. Chemo-resistant samples contain a threefold enrichment of inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts that upregulate metallothioneins. Our study reveals a deeper understanding of the intricate substructure of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumors that could help improve therapy for patients with this disease.
Asunto(s)
Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/metabolismo , Transformación Celular Neoplásica/genética , Humanos , Páncreas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/metabolismo , Microambiente Tumoral/genética , Neoplasias PancreáticasRESUMEN
Here, we utilized spontaneous models of pancreatic and lung cancer to examine how neoantigenicity shapes tumor immunity and progression. As expected, neoantigen expression during lung adenocarcinoma development leads to T cell-mediated immunity and disease restraint. By contrast, neoantigen expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) results in exacerbation of a fibro-inflammatory microenvironment that drives disease progression and metastasis. Pathogenic TH17 responses are responsible for this neoantigen-induced tumor progression in PDAC. Underlying these divergent T cell responses in pancreas and lung cancer are differences in infiltrating conventional dendritic cells (cDCs). Overcoming cDC deficiency in early-stage PDAC leads to disease restraint, while restoration of cDC function in advanced PDAC restores tumor-restraining immunity and enhances responsiveness to radiation therapy.
Asunto(s)
Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/inmunología , Células Dendríticas/inmunología , Inmunoterapia/métodos , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/inmunología , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/inmunología , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/patología , Animales , Linfocitos T CD4-Positivos/inmunología , Linfocitos T CD4-Positivos/patología , Linfocitos T CD8-positivos/inmunología , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/patología , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/terapia , Línea Celular Tumoral , Células Dendríticas/patología , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/inmunología , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patología , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Mutantes , Ratones Transgénicos , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patología , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/terapiaRESUMEN
Tumors employ multiple mechanisms to evade immune surveillance. One mechanism is tumor-induced myelopoiesis, whereby the expansion of immunosuppressive myeloid cells can impair tumor immunity. As myeloid cells and conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are derived from the same progenitors, we postulated that myelopoiesis might impact cDC development. The cDC subset, cDC1, which includes human CD141+ DCs and mouse CD103+ DCs, supports anti-tumor immunity by stimulating CD8+ T-cell responses. Here, to understand how cDC1 development changes during tumor progression, we investigated cDC bone marrow progenitors. We found localized breast and pancreatic cancers induce systemic decreases in cDC1s and their progenitors. Mechanistically, tumor-produced granulocyte-stimulating factor downregulates interferon regulatory factor-8 in cDC progenitors, and thus results in reduced cDC1 development. Tumor-induced reductions in cDC1 development impair anti-tumor CD8+ T-cell responses and correlate with poor patient outcomes. These data suggest immune surveillance can be impaired by tumor-induced alterations in cDC development.