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- Bernson, Elin, 1987, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of Tissue-Resident Natural Killer and T Lymphocytes with Anti-Tumor Properties in Ascites of Ovarian Cancer Patients
- 2023
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Ingår i: Cancers. - 2072-6694. ; 15:13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple Summary Ovarian cancer is the deadliest among gynecological cancers, and there is a huge demand for new treatments for these patients. Immunotherapy holds great potential in cancer treatment, but has not yet proven successful for the majority of ovarian cancer patients. To better understand the immunological landscape of the disease, we have characterized lymphocytes in patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Natural killer cells and T cells are present in both primary tumors and in the metastasizing environment of ascites, a fluid in the abdominal cavity that is developed in many patients with ovarian cancer. Our data reveal that a large fraction of these natural killer cells and T cells express tissue-resident markers and the inhibitory receptor, NKG2A, and are able to kill ovarian cancer cells. In summary, we report a functional subset of lymphocytes that may be targeted in future immunotherapeutic approaches. Women with ovarian cancer have limited therapy options, with immunotherapy being unsatisfactory for a large group of patients. Tumor cells spread from the ovary or the fallopian tube into the abdominal cavity, which is commonly accompanied with massive ascites production. The ascites represents a unique peritoneal liquid tumor microenvironment with the presence of both tumor and immune cells, including cytotoxic lymphocytes. We characterized lymphocytes in ascites from patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Our data reveal the presence of NK and CD8(+) T lymphocytes expressing CD103 and CD49a, which are markers of tissue residency. Moreover, these cells express high levels of the inhibitory NKG2A receptor, with the highest expression level detected on tissue-resident NK cells. Lymphocytes with these features were also present at the primary tumor site. Functional assays showed that tissue-resident NK cells in ascites are highly responsive towards ovarian tumor cells. Similar results were observed in an in vivo mouse model, in which tissue-resident NK and CD8(+) T cells were detected in the peritoneal fluid upon tumor growth. Together, our data reveal the presence of highly functional lymphocyte populations that may be targeted to improve immunotherapy for patients with ovarian cancer.
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| 4. |
- Pesce, S., et al.
(författare)
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Different Features of Tumor-Associated NK Cells in Patients With Low-Grade or High-Grade Peritoneal Carcinomatosis
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is a rare disease defined as diffused implantation of neoplastic cells in the peritoneal cavity. This clinical picture occurs during the evolution of peritoneal tumors, and it is the main cause of morbidity and mortality of patients affected by these pathologies, though cytoreductive surgery with heated intra-peritoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is yielding promising results. In the present study, we evaluated whether the tumor microenvironment of low-grade and high-grade PC could affect the phenotypic and functional features and thus the anti-tumor potential of NK cells. We show that while in the peritoneal fluid (PF) of low-grade PC most CD56dim NK cells show a relatively immature phenotype (NKG2A+KIR-CD57-CD16dim), in the PF of high-grade PC NK cells are, in large majority, mature (CD56dimKIR+CD57+CD16bright). Furthermore, in low-grade PC, PF-NK cells are characterized by a sharp down-regulation of some activating receptors, primarily NKp30 and DNAM-1, while, in high-grade PC, PF-NK cells display a higher expression of the PD-1 inhibitory checkpoint. The compromised phenotype observed in low-grade PC patients corresponds to a functional impairment. On the other hand, in the high-grade PC patients PF-NK cells show much more important defects that only partially reflect the compromised phenotype detected. These data suggest that the PC microenvironment may contribute to tumor escape from immune surveillance by inducing different NK cell impaired features leading to altered anti-tumor activity. Notably, after CRS/HIPEC treatment, the altered NK cell phenotype of a patient with a low-grade disease and favorable prognosis was reverted to a normal one. Our present data offer a clue for the development of new immunotherapeutic strategies capable of restoring the NK-mediated anti-tumor responses in association with the CRS/HIPEC treatment to increase the effectiveness of the current therapy.
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