RESUMEN
Increased levels and diversity of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) transcription characterize most cancer types and are linked with disease outcomes. However, the underlying processes are incompletely understood. Here, we show that elevated transcription of HERVH proviruses predicted survival of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and identified an isoform of CALB1, encoding calbindin, ectopically driven by an upstream HERVH provirus under the control of KLF5, as the mediator of this effect. HERVH-CALB1 expression was initiated in preinvasive lesions and associated with their progression. Calbindin loss in LUSC cell lines impaired in vitro and in vivo growth and triggered senescence, consistent with a protumor effect. However, calbindin also directly controlled the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), marked by secretion of CXCL8 and other neutrophil chemoattractants. In established carcinomas, CALB1-negative cancer cells became the dominant source of CXCL8, correlating with neutrophil infiltration and worse prognosis. Thus, HERVH-CALB1 expression in LUSC may display antagonistic pleiotropy, whereby the benefits of escaping senescence early during cancer initiation and clonal competition were offset by the prevention of SASP and protumor inflammation at later stages.
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Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas , Retrovirus Endógenos , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Humanos , Calbindinas/genética , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Senescencia Celular/genética , Retrovirus Endógenos/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Provirus/genéticaRESUMEN
B cells are frequently found in the margins of solid tumours as organized follicles in ectopic lymphoid organs called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS)1,2. Although TLS have been found to correlate with improved patient survival and response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), the underlying mechanisms of this association remain elusive1,2. Here we investigate lung-resident B cell responses in patients from the TRACERx 421 (Tracking Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Evolution Through Therapy) and other lung cancer cohorts, and in a recently established immunogenic mouse model for lung adenocarcinoma3. We find that both human and mouse lung adenocarcinomas elicit local germinal centre responses and tumour-binding antibodies, and further identify endogenous retrovirus (ERV) envelope glycoproteins as a dominant anti-tumour antibody target. ERV-targeting B cell responses are amplified by ICB in both humans and mice, and by targeted inhibition of KRAS(G12C) in the mouse model. ERV-reactive antibodies exert anti-tumour activity that extends survival in the mouse model, and ERV expression predicts the outcome of ICB in human lung adenocarcinoma. Finally, we find that effective immunotherapy in the mouse model requires CXCL13-dependent TLS formation. Conversely, therapeutic CXCL13 treatment potentiates anti-tumour immunity and synergizes with ICB. Our findings provide a possible mechanistic basis for the association of TLS with immunotherapy response.
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Retrovirus Endógenos , Inmunoterapia , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Animales , Humanos , Ratones , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/inmunología , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/terapia , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/virología , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/inmunología , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/terapia , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/virología , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Retrovirus Endógenos/inmunología , Inmunoterapia/métodos , Pulmón/inmunología , Neoplasias Pulmonares/inmunología , Neoplasias Pulmonares/terapia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/virología , Microambiente Tumoral , Linfocitos B/inmunología , Estudios de Cohortes , Anticuerpos/inmunología , Anticuerpos/uso terapéuticoRESUMEN
Most antibody produced by humans originates from mucosal B cell responses. The rules, mechanisms, and outcomes of this process are distinct from B cell responses to infection. Within the context of the intestine, we discuss the induction of follicular B cell responses by microbiota, the development and maintenance of mucosal antibody-secreting cells, and the unusual impacts of mucosal antibody on commensal bacteria. Much remains to be learned about the interplay between B cells and the microbiota, but past and present work hints at a complex, nuanced relationship that may be critical to the way the mammalian gut fosters a beneficial microbial ecosystem.
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Microbioma Gastrointestinal , Humanos , Animales , Mucosa Intestinal , Inmunoglobulina A , Ecosistema , Linfocitos B , Inmunidad Mucosa , MamíferosRESUMEN
Mutations in oncogenes such as KRAS and EGFR cause a high proportion of lung cancers. Drugs targeting these proteins cause tumor regression but ultimately fail to elicit cures. As a result, there is an intense interest in how to best combine targeted therapies with other treatments, such as immunotherapies. However, preclinical systems for studying the interaction of lung tumors with the host immune system are inadequate, in part due to the low tumor mutational burden in genetically engineered mouse models. Here we set out to develop mouse models of mutant KRAS-driven lung cancer with an elevated tumor mutational burden by expressing the human DNA cytosine deaminase, APOBEC3B, to mimic the mutational signature seen in human lung cancer. This failed to substantially increase clonal tumor mutational burden and autochthonous tumors remained refractory to immunotherapy. However, establishing clonal cell lines from these tumors enabled the generation of an immunogenic syngeneic transplantation model of KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma that was sensitive to immunotherapy. Unexpectedly, antitumor immune responses were not directed against neoantigens but instead targeted derepressed endogenous retroviral antigens. The ability of KRASG12C inhibitors to cause regression of KRASG12C -expressing tumors was markedly potentiated by the adaptive immune system, highlighting the importance of using immunocompetent models for evaluating targeted therapies. Overall, this model provides a unique opportunity for the study of combinations of targeted and immunotherapies in immune-hot lung cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: This study develops a mouse model of immunogenic KRAS-mutant lung cancer to facilitate the investigation of optimal combinations of targeted therapies with immunotherapies.
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Neoplasias Pulmonares , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas p21(ras) , Animales , Citidina Desaminasa/genética , Citosina Desaminasa/genética , Citosina Desaminasa/uso terapéutico , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Receptores ErbB/genética , Humanos , Inmunoterapia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/terapia , Ratones , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidad Menor , Mutación , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas p21(ras)/genéticaRESUMEN
Several variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although antibody cross-reactivity with the spike glycoproteins (S) of diverse coronaviruses, including endemic common cold coronaviruses (HCoVs), has been documented, it remains unclear whether such antibody responses, typically targeting the conserved S2 subunit, contribute to protection when induced by infection or through vaccination. Using a mouse model, we found that prior HCoV-OC43 S-targeted immunity primes neutralizing antibody responses to otherwise subimmunogenic SARS-CoV-2 S exposure and promotes S2-targeting antibody responses. Moreover, vaccination with SARS-CoV-2 S2 elicited antibodies in mice that neutralized diverse animal and human alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses in vitro and provided a degree of protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in vivo. Last, in mice with a history of SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan-based S vaccination, further S2 vaccination induced broader neutralizing antibody response than booster Wuhan S vaccination, suggesting that it may prevent repertoire focusing caused by repeated homologous vaccination. These data establish the protective value of an S2-targeting vaccine and support the notion that S2 vaccination may better prepare the immune system to respond to the changing nature of the S1 subunit in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, as well as to future coronavirus zoonoses.
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Vacunas contra la COVID-19 , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Humano OC43 , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus , Animales , Anticuerpos Neutralizantes , Anticuerpos Antivirales , Anticuerpos ampliamente neutralizantes , COVID-19/prevención & control , Vacunas contra la COVID-19/inmunología , Coronavirus Humano OC43/inmunología , Humanos , Ratones , SARS-CoV-2 , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/inmunología , VacunaciónRESUMEN
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) shows pronounced epithelial and mesenchymal cancer cell populations1-4. Cellular heterogeneity in PDAC is an important feature in disease subtype specification3-5, but how distinct PDAC subpopulations interact, and the molecular mechanisms that underlie PDAC cell fate decisions, are incompletely understood. Here we identify the BMP inhibitor GREM16,7 as a key regulator of cellular heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer in human and mouse. Grem1 inactivation in established PDAC in mice resulted in a direct conversion of epithelial into mesenchymal PDAC cells within days, suggesting that persistent GREM1 activity is required to maintain the epithelial PDAC subpopulations. By contrast, Grem1 overexpression caused an almost complete 'epithelialization' of highly mesenchymal PDAC, indicating that high GREM1 activity is sufficient to revert the mesenchymal fate of PDAC cells. Mechanistically, Grem1 was highly expressed in mesenchymal PDAC cells and inhibited the expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition transcription factors Snai1 (also known as Snail) and Snai2 (also known as Slug) in the epithelial cell compartment, therefore restricting epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Thus, constant suppression of BMP activity is essential to maintain epithelial PDAC cells, indicating that the maintenance of the cellular heterogeneity of pancreatic cancer requires continuous paracrine signalling elicited by a single soluble factor.
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Transición Epitelial-Mesenquimal , Péptidos y Proteínas de Señalización Intercelular , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Animales , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/patología , Línea Celular Tumoral , Células Epiteliales/patología , Transición Epitelial-Mesenquimal/genética , Humanos , Péptidos y Proteínas de Señalización Intercelular/deficiencia , Péptidos y Proteínas de Señalización Intercelular/genética , Péptidos y Proteínas de Señalización Intercelular/metabolismo , Mesodermo/patología , Ratones , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patología , Factores de Transcripción de la Familia SnailRESUMEN
RATIONALE: Peripheral airway obstruction is a key feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the mechanisms of airway loss are unknown. This study aims to identify the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with peripheral airway obstruction in COPD. METHODS: Ten explanted lung specimens donated by patients with very severe COPD treated by lung transplantation and five unused donor control lungs were sampled using systematic uniform random sampling (SURS), resulting in 240 samples. These samples were further examined by micro-computed tomography (CT), quantitative histology and gene expression profiling. RESULTS: Micro-CT analysis showed that the loss of terminal bronchioles in COPD occurs in regions of microscopic emphysematous destruction with an average airspace size of ≥500 and <1000â µm, which we have termed a "hot spot". Based on microarray gene expression profiling, the hot spot was associated with an 11-gene signature, with upregulation of pro-inflammatory genes and downregulation of inhibitory immune checkpoint genes, indicating immune response activation. Results from both quantitative histology and the bioinformatics computational tool CIBERSORT, which predicts the percentage of immune cells in tissues from transcriptomic data, showed that the hot spot regions were associated with increased infiltration of CD4 and CD8 T-cell and B-cell lymphocytes. INTERPRETATION: The reduction in terminal bronchioles observed in lungs from patients with COPD occurs in a hot spot of microscopic emphysema, where there is upregulation of IFNG signalling, co-stimulatory immune checkpoint genes and genes related to the inflammasome pathway, and increased infiltration of immune cells. These could be potential targets for therapeutic interventions in COPD.
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Obstrucción de las Vías Aéreas , Enfisema , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica , Enfisema Pulmonar , Bronquiolos/patología , Enfisema/complicaciones , Humanos , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/complicaciones , Microtomografía por Rayos XRESUMEN
Coronaviruses are evolutionarily successful RNA viruses, common to multiple avian, amphibian and mammalian hosts. Despite their ubiquity and potential impact, knowledge of host immunity to coronaviruses remains incomplete, partly owing to the lack of overt pathogenicity of endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs), which typically cause common colds. However, the need for deeper understanding became pressing with the zoonotic introduction of three novel coronaviruses in the past two decades, causing severe acute respiratory syndromes in humans, and the unfolding pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This renewed interest not only triggered the discovery of two of the four HCoVs, but also uncovered substantial cellular and humoral cross-reactivity with shared or related coronaviral antigens. Here, we review the evidence for cross-reactive B cell memory elicited by HCoVs and its potential impact on the puzzlingly variable outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The available data indicate targeting of highly conserved regions primarily in the S2 subunits of the spike glycoproteins of HCoVs and SARS-CoV-2 by cross-reactive B cells and antibodies. Rare monoclonal antibodies reactive with conserved S2 epitopes and with potent virus neutralising activity have been cloned, underscoring the potential functional relevance of cross-reactivity. We discuss B cell and antibody cross-reactivity in the broader context of heterologous humoral immunity to coronaviruses, as well as the limits of protective immune memory against homologous re-infection. Given the bidirectional nature of cross-reactivity, the unprecedented current vaccination campaign against SARS-CoV-2 is expected to impact HCoVs, as well as future zoonotic coronaviruses attempting to cross the species barrier. However, emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants with resistance to neutralisation by vaccine-induced antibodies highlight a need for targeting more constrained, less mutable parts of the spike. The delineation of such cross-reactive areas, which humoral immunity can be trained to attack, may offer the key to permanently shifting the balance of our interaction with current and future coronaviruses in our favour.
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COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Animales , Anticuerpos Antivirales , Humanos , Inmunidad HumoralRESUMEN
Patients with cancer have higher COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Here we present the prospective CAPTURE study (NCT03226886) integrating longitudinal immune profiling with clinical annotation. Of 357 patients with cancer, 118 were SARS-CoV-2-positive, 94 were symptomatic and 2 patients died of COVID-19. In this cohort, 83% patients had S1-reactive antibodies, 82% had neutralizing antibodies against WT, whereas neutralizing antibody titers (NAbT) against the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants were substantially reduced. Whereas S1-reactive antibody levels decreased in 13% of patients, NAbT remained stable up to 329 days. Patients also had detectable SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells and CD4+ responses correlating with S1-reactive antibody levels, although patients with hematological malignancies had impaired immune responses that were disease and treatment-specific, but presented compensatory cellular responses, further supported by clinical. Overall, these findings advance the understanding of the nature and duration of immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with cancer.
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BACKGROUND: Differences in humoral immunity to coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), between children and adults remain unexplained, and the effect of underlying immune dysfunction or suppression is unknown. Here, we sought to examine the antibody immune competence of children and adolescents with prevalent inflammatory rheumatic diseases, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) against the seasonal human coronavirus (HCoV)-OC43 that frequently infects this age group. METHODS: Sera were collected from JIA (n = 118), JDM (n = 49), and JSLE (n = 30) patients and from healthy control (n = 54) children and adolescents prior to the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. We used sensitive flow-cytometry-based assays to determine titers of antibodies that reacted with the spike and nucleoprotein of HCoV-OC43 and cross-reacted with the spike and nucleoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, and we compared them with respective titers in sera from patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and adolescents (MIS-C). FINDINGS: Despite immune dysfunction and immunosuppressive treatment, JIA, JDM, and JSLE patients maintained comparable or stronger humoral responses than healthier peers, which was dominated by immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to HCoV-OC43 spike, and harbored IgG antibodies that cross-reacted with SARS-CoV-2 spike. In contrast, responses to HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 nucleoproteins exhibited delayed age-dependent class-switching and were not elevated in JIA, JDM, and JSLE patients, which argues against increased exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Consequently, autoimmune rheumatic diseases and their treatment were associated with a favorable ratio of spike to nucleoprotein antibodies. FUNDING: This work was supported by a Centre of Excellence Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis grant, 21593, UKRI funding reference MR/R013926/1, the Great Ormond Street Children's Charity, Cure JM Foundation, Myositis UK, Lupus UK, and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres at GOSH and UCLH. This work was supported by the Francis Crick Institute, which receives its core funding from Cancer Research UK, the UK Medical Research Council, and the Wellcome Trust.
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Enfermedades Autoinmunes , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Humano OC43 , Enfermedades Reumáticas , Adolescente , Adulto , Anticuerpos Antivirales , Formación de Anticuerpos , COVID-19/complicaciones , Niño , Humanos , Inmunoglobulina G , Nucleoproteínas , SARS-CoV-2 , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus , Síndrome de Respuesta Inflamatoria SistémicaRESUMEN
Background: The degree of heterotypic immunity induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains is a major determinant of the spread of emerging variants and the success of vaccination campaigns, but remains incompletely understood. Methods: We examined the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 (Alpha) that arose in the United Kingdom and spread globally. We determined titres of spike glycoprotein-binding antibodies and authentic virus neutralising antibodies induced by B.1.1.7 infection to infer homotypic and heterotypic immunity. Results: Antibodies elicited by B.1.1.7 infection exhibited significantly reduced recognition and neutralisation of parental strains or of the South Africa variant B.1.351 (Beta) than of the infecting variant. The drop in cross-reactivity was significantly more pronounced following B.1.1.7 than parental strain infection. Conclusions: The results indicate that heterotypic immunity induced by SARS-CoV-2 variants is asymmetric. Funding: This work was supported by the Francis Crick Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Magdeburg.
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Anticuerpos Antivirales/inmunología , COVID-19/inmunología , COVID-19/virología , SARS-CoV-2/inmunología , Anticuerpos Neutralizantes/inmunología , COVID-19/epidemiología , Reacciones Cruzadas , Humanos , Padres , Sudáfrica/epidemiología , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus , Reino Unido/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The transition from normal lung anatomy to minimal and established fibrosis is an important feature of the pathology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The purpose of this report is to examine the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with this transition. METHODS: Pre-operative thoracic Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) scans of patients with severe IPF (n = 9) were used to identify regions of minimal(n = 27) and established fibrosis(n = 27). MDCT, Micro-CT, quantitative histology, and next-generation sequencing were used to compare 24 samples from donor controls (n = 4) to minimal and established fibrosis samples. FINDINGS: The present results extended earlier reports about the transition from normal lung anatomy to minimal and established fibrosis by showing that there are activations of TGFBI, T cell co-stimulatory genes, and the down-regulation of inhibitory immune-checkpoint genes compared to controls. The expression patterns of these genes indicated activation of a field immune response, which is further supported by the increased infiltration of inflammatory immune cells dominated by lymphocytes that are capable of forming lymphoid follicles. Moreover, fibrosis pathways, mucin secretion, surfactant, TLRs, and cytokine storm-related genes also participate in the transitions from normal lung anatomy to minimal and established fibrosis. INTERPRETATION: The transition from normal lung anatomy to minimal and established fibrosis is associated with genes that are involved in the tissue repair processes, the activation of immune responses as well as the increased infiltration of CD4, CD8, B cell lymphocytes, and macrophages. These molecular and cellular events correlate with the development of structural abnormality of IPF and probably contribute to its pathogenesis.
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Fibrosis Pulmonar Idiopática/diagnóstico , Fibrosis Pulmonar Idiopática/etiología , Pulmón/metabolismo , Pulmón/patología , Anciano , Animales , Biomarcadores , Progresión de la Enfermedad , Susceptibilidad a Enfermedades , Femenino , Expresión Génica , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Humanos , Fibrosis Pulmonar Idiopática/metabolismo , Fibrosis Pulmonar Idiopática/cirugía , Inmunohistoquímica , Mediadores de Inflamación/metabolismo , Pulmón/diagnóstico por imagen , Masculino , Ratones , Persona de Mediana Edad , Modelos Biológicos , Periodo Preoperatorio , Tomografía Computarizada por Rayos XRESUMEN
The coronaviral spike is the dominant viral antigen and the target of neutralizing antibodies. We show that SARS-CoV-2 spike binds biliverdin and bilirubin, the tetrapyrrole products of heme metabolism, with nanomolar affinity. Using cryo-electron microscopy and x-ray crystallography, we mapped the tetrapyrrole interaction pocket to a deep cleft on the spike N-terminal domain (NTD). At physiological concentrations, biliverdin significantly dampened the reactivity of SARS-CoV-2 spike with immune sera and inhibited a subset of neutralizing antibodies. Access to the tetrapyrrole-sensitive epitope is gated by a flexible loop on the distal face of the NTD. Accompanied by profound conformational changes in the NTD, antibody binding requires relocation of the gating loop, which folds into the cleft vacated by the metabolite. Our results indicate that SARS-CoV-2 spike NTD harbors a dominant epitope, access to which can be controlled by an allosteric mechanism that is regulated through recruitment of a metabolite.
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COVID-19/inmunología , Hemo/metabolismo , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/química , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/inmunología , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/metabolismo , Anticuerpos Monoclonales/inmunología , Anticuerpos Monoclonales/metabolismo , Anticuerpos Neutralizantes/inmunología , Bilirrubina/metabolismo , Biliverdina/metabolismo , Microscopía por Crioelectrón , Cristalografía por Rayos X , Epítopos , Humanos , Sueros Inmunes , SARS-CoV-2/inmunología , SARS-CoV-2/patogenicidadRESUMEN
The coronaviral spike is the dominant viral antigen and the target of neutralizing antibodies. We show that SARS-CoV-2 spike binds biliverdin and bilirubin, the tetrapyrrole products of haem metabolism, with nanomolar affinity. Using cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography we mapped the tetrapyrrole interaction pocket to a deep cleft on the spike N-terminal domain (NTD). At physiological concentrations, biliverdin significantly dampened the reactivity of SARS-CoV-2 spike with immune sera and inhibited a subset of neutralizing antibodies. Access to the tetrapyrrole-sensitive epitope is gated by a flexible loop on the distal face of the NTD. Accompanied by profound conformational changes in the NTD, antibody binding requires relocation of the gating loop, which folds into the cleft vacated by the metabolite. Our results indicate that the virus co-opts the haem metabolite for the evasion of humoral immunity via allosteric shielding of a sensitive epitope and demonstrate the remarkable structural plasticity of the NTD.
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Patients with cancer have higher COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Here we present the prospective CAPTURE study, integrating longitudinal immune profiling with clinical annotation. Of 357 patients with cancer, 118 were SARS-CoV-2 positive, 94 were symptomatic and 2 died of COVID-19. In this cohort, 83% patients had S1-reactive antibodies and 82% had neutralizing antibodies against wild type SARS-CoV-2, whereas neutralizing antibody titers against the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants were substantially reduced. S1-reactive antibody levels decreased in 13% of patients, whereas neutralizing antibody titers remained stable for up to 329 days. Patients also had detectable SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells and CD4+ responses correlating with S1-reactive antibody levels, although patients with hematological malignancies had impaired immune responses that were disease and treatment specific, but presented compensatory cellular responses, further supported by clinical recovery in all but one patient. Overall, these findings advance the understanding of the nature and duration of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with cancer.
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Anticuerpos Neutralizantes/sangre , Anticuerpos Antivirales/sangre , COVID-19/inmunología , Neoplasias/complicaciones , Linfocitos T/inmunología , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Anticuerpos Neutralizantes/inmunología , Anticuerpos Antivirales/inmunología , COVID-19/sangre , COVID-19/mortalidad , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Inmunidad Celular , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Neoplasias/sangre , Neoplasias/inmunología , Estudios Prospectivos , SARS-CoV-2/inmunología , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/inmunología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Zoonotic introduction of novel coronaviruses may encounter preexisting immunity in humans. Using diverse assays for antibodies recognizing SARS-CoV-2 proteins, we detected preexisting humoral immunity. SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (S)-reactive antibodies were detectable using a flow cytometry-based method in SARS-CoV-2-uninfected individuals and were particularly prevalent in children and adolescents. They were predominantly of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) class and targeted the S2 subunit. By contrast, SARS-CoV-2 infection induced higher titers of SARS-CoV-2 S-reactive IgG antibodies targeting both the S1 and S2 subunits, and concomitant IgM and IgA antibodies, lasting throughout the observation period. SARS-CoV-2-uninfected donor sera exhibited specific neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 S pseudotypes. Distinguishing preexisting and de novo immunity will be critical for our understanding of susceptibility to and the natural course of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Anticuerpos Antivirales/sangre , COVID-19/inmunología , Inmunidad Humoral , SARS-CoV-2/inmunología , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/inmunología , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , COVID-19/sangre , Mapeo Epitopo , Femenino , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Inmunoglobulina A/sangre , Inmunoglobulina G/sangre , Inmunoglobulina M/sangre , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , SARS-CoV-2/química , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/química , Zoonosis Virales/sangre , Zoonosis Virales/inmunología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
The tumour immune microenvironment is a crucial mediator of lung tumourigenesis, and characterizing the immune landscape of patient tumours may guide immunotherapy treatment regimens and uncover novel intervention points. We sought to identify the landscape of tumour-infiltrating immune cells in the context of long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs), known regulators of gene expression. We examined the lncRNA profiles of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tumours by interrogating RNA sequencing data from microdissected and non-microdissected samples (BCCRC and TCGA). Subsequently, analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data from lung tumours and flow-sorted healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells identified lncRNAs in immune cells, highlighting their biological and prognostic relevance. We discovered lncRNA expression patterns indicative of regulatory relationships with immune-related protein-coding genes, including the relationship between AC008750.1 and NKG7 in NK cells. Activation of NK cells in vitro was sufficient to induce AC008750.1 expression. Finally, siRNA-mediated knockdown of AC008750.1 significantly impaired both the expression of NKG7 and the anti-tumour capacity of NK cells. We present an atlas of cancer-cell extrinsic immune cell-expressed lncRNAs, in vitro evidence for a functional role of lncRNAs in anti-tumour immune activity, which upon further exploration may reveal novel clinical utility as markers of immune infiltration.
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Inmunidad/genética , Inmunidad/inmunología , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/inmunología , ARN Largo no Codificante/genética , ARN Largo no Codificante/inmunología , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/genética , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/inmunología , Anciano , Femenino , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica/métodos , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica/genética , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica/inmunología , Redes Reguladoras de Genes/genética , Redes Reguladoras de Genes/inmunología , Humanos , Células Asesinas Naturales/inmunología , Pulmón/inmunología , Masculino , Pronóstico , Transcriptoma/genética , Transcriptoma/inmunología , Microambiente Tumoral/genética , Microambiente Tumoral/inmunologíaRESUMEN
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an entry receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and a regulator of several physiological processes. ACE2 has recently been proposed to be interferon (IFN) inducible, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 may exploit this phenomenon to enhance viral spread and questioning the efficacy of IFN treatment in coronavirus disease 2019. Using a recent de novo transcript assembly that captured previously unannotated transcripts, we describe a new isoform of ACE2, generated by co-option of intronic retroelements as promoter and alternative exon. The new transcript, termed MIRb-ACE2, exhibits specific expression patterns across the aerodigestive and gastrointestinal tracts and is highly responsive to IFN stimulation. In contrast, canonical ACE2 expression is unresponsive to IFN stimulation. Moreover, the MIRb-ACE2 translation product is a truncated, unstable ACE2 form, lacking domains required for SARS-CoV-2 binding and is therefore unlikely to contribute to or enhance viral infection.
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Enzima Convertidora de Angiotensina 2/biosíntesis , Interferones/metabolismo , Retroelementos/genética , Enzima Convertidora de Angiotensina 2/genética , Animales , Línea Celular , Chlorocebus aethiops , Inducción Enzimática , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Regulación Enzimológica de la Expresión Génica , Regulación Viral de la Expresión Génica , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Isoenzimas/biosíntesis , Isoenzimas/genética , Estabilidad Proteica , RNA-Seq , Receptores de Coronavirus/metabolismo , SARS-CoV-2/metabolismo , Distribución Tisular , Células VeroRESUMEN
Immune regulation is a finely balanced process of positive and negative signals. PD-L1 and its receptor PD-1 are critical regulators of autoimmune, antiviral and antitumoural T cell responses. Although the function of its predominant membrane-bound form is well established, the source and biological activity of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that sPD-L1 in human healthy tissues and tumours is produced by exaptation of an intronic LINE-2A (L2A) endogenous retroelement in the CD274 gene, encoding PD-L1, which causes omission of the transmembrane domain and the regulatory sequence in the canonical 3' untranslated region. The alternatively spliced CD274-L2A transcript forms the major source of sPD-L1 and is highly conserved in hominids, but lost in mice and a few related species. Importantly, CD274-L2A-encoded sPD-L1 lacks measurable T cell inhibitory activity. Instead, it functions as a receptor antagonist, blocking the inhibitory activity of PD-L1 bound on cellular or exosomal membranes.
Asunto(s)
Antígeno B7-H1/antagonistas & inhibidores , Antígeno B7-H1/metabolismo , Retroelementos/genética , Empalme Alternativo/genética , Animales , Antígeno B7-H1/química , Antígeno B7-H1/genética , Proliferación Celular , Secuencia Conservada/genética , Evolución Molecular , Exones/genética , Células HEK293 , Hominidae/genética , Humanos , Terapia de Inmunosupresión , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Dominios Proteicos , SolubilidadRESUMEN
Gene function in cancer is often cell type-specific. The epithelial cell-specific transcription factor ELF3 is a documented tumor suppressor in many epithelial tumors yet displays oncogenic properties in others. Here, we show that ELF3 is an oncogene in the adenocarcinoma subtype of lung cancer (LUAD), providing genetic, functional, and clinical evidence of subtype specificity. We discover a region of focal amplification at chromosome 1q32.1 encompassing the ELF3 locus in LUAD which is absent in the squamous subtype. Gene dosage and promoter hypomethylation affect the locus in up to 80% of LUAD analyzed. ELF3 expression was required for tumor growth and a pan-cancer expression network analysis supports its subtype and tissue specificity. We further show that ELF3 displays strong prognostic value in LUAD but not LUSC. We conclude that, contrary to many other tumors of epithelial origin, ELF3 is an oncogene and putative therapeutic target in LUAD.