| 1. |
- Berglund, U. W., et al.
(författare)
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Validation and development of MTH1 inhibitors for treatment of cancer
- 2016
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Ingår i: Annals of Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0923-7534 .- 1569-8041. ; 27:12, s. 2275-2283
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Previously, we showed cancer cells rely on the MTH1 protein to prevent incorporation of otherwise deadly oxidised nucleotides into DNA and we developed MTH1 inhibitors which selectively kill cancer cells. Recently, several new and potent inhibitors of MTH1 were demonstrated to be non-toxic to cancer cells, challenging the utility of MTH1 inhibition as a target for cancer treatment. Material and methods: Human cancer cell lines were exposed in vitro to MTH1 inhibitors or depleted of MTH1 by siRNA or shRNA. 8-oxodG was measured by immunostaining and modified comet assay. Thermal Proteome profiling, proteomics, cellular thermal shift assays, kinase and CEREP panel were used for target engagement, mode of action and selectivity investigations of MTH1 inhibitors. Effect of MTH1 inhibition on tumour growth was explored in BRAF V600E-mutated malignant melanoma patient derived xenograft and human colon cancer SW480 and HCT116 xenograft models. Results: Here, we demonstrate that recently described MTH1 inhibitors, which fail to kill cancer cells, also fail to introduce the toxic oxidized nucleotides into DNA. We also describe a new MTH1 inhibitor TH1579, (Karonudib), an analogue of TH588, which is a potent, selective MTH1 inhibitor with good oral availability and demonstrates excellent pharmacokinetic and anti-cancer properties in vivo. Conclusion: We demonstrate that in order to kill cancer cells MTH1 inhibitors must also introduce oxidized nucleotides into DNA. Furthermore, we describe TH1579 as a best-in-class MTH1 inhibitor, which we expect to be useful in order to further validate the MTH1 inhibitor concept.
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| 2. |
- Biederstädt, A., et al.
(författare)
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SUMO pathway inhibition targets an aggressive pancreatic cancer subtype
- 2020
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Ingår i: Gut. - : BMJ. - 0017-5749 .- 1468-3288. ; 69, s. 1472-1482
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) still carries a dismal prognosis with an overall 5-year survival rate of 9%. Conventional combination chemotherapies are a clear advance in the treatment of PDAC; however, subtypes of the disease exist, which exhibit extensive resistance to such therapies. Genomic MYC amplifications represent a distinct subset of PDAC with an aggressive tumour biology. It is clear that hyperactivation of MYC generates dependencies that can be exploited therapeutically. The aim of the study was to find and to target MYC-associated dependencies. Design: We analysed human PDAC gene expression datasets. Results were corroborated by the analysis of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) pathway in a large PDAC cohort using immunohistochemistry. A SUMO inhibitor was used and characterised using human and murine two-dimensional, organoid and in vivo models of PDAC. Results: We observed that MYC is connected to the SUMOylation machinery in PDAC. Components of the SUMO pathway characterise a PDAC subtype with a dismal prognosis and we provide evidence that hyperactivation of MYC is connected to an increased sensitivity to pharmacological SUMO inhibition. Conclusion: SUMO inhibitor-based therapies should be further developed for an aggressive PDAC subtype. © 2020 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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| 3. |
- Gad, Helge, et al.
(författare)
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MTH1 inhibition eradicates cancer by preventing sanitation of the dNTP pool
- 2014
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 508:7495, s. 215-221
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cancers have dysfunctional redox regulation resulting in reactive oxygen species production, damaging both DNA and free dNTPs. The MTH1 protein sanitizes oxidized dNTP pools to prevent incorporation of damaged bases during DNA replication. Although MTH1 is non-essential in normal cells, we show that cancer cells require MTH1 activity to avoid incorporation of oxidized dNTPs, resulting in DNA damage and cell death. We validate MTH1 as an anticancer target in vivo and describe small molecules TH287 and TH588 as first-in-class nudix hydrolase family inhibitors that potently and selectively engage and inhibit the MTH1 protein in cells. Protein co-crystal structures demonstrate that the inhibitors bindin the active site of MTH1. The inhibitors cause incorporation of oxidized dNTPs in cancer cells, leading to DNA damage, cytotoxicity and therapeutic responses in patient-derived mouse xenografts. This study exemplifies the non-oncogene addiction concept for anticancer treatment and validates MTH1 as being cancer phenotypic lethal.
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| 4. |
- Hofving, Tobias, 1989, et al.
(författare)
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The Microenvironment of Small Intestinal Neuroendocrine Tumours Contains Lymphocytes Capable of Recognition and Activation after Expansion
- 2021
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Ingår i: Cancers. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-6694. ; 13:17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple Summary The body's immune system can recognize tumors because they often contain proteins that are either different from or more abundant than in normal cells. Here, we characterised the immune cells of a rare tumor type called small-intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (SINET). We find that so called tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can be grown in the laboratory and activated by challenging them with digested tumor. This study provides insights into the largely unknown SINET immune landscape and reveals the anti-tumour reactivity of TILs, which might merit adoptive T cell transfer as a feasible treatment option for patients with SINET. Traditionally, immune evasion and immunotherapy have been studied in cancers with a high mutational load such as melanoma or lung cancer. In contrast, small intestinal neuroendocrine tumours (SINETs) present a low frequency of somatic mutations and are described as genetically stable tumours, rendering immunotherapies largely unchartered waters for SINET patients. SINETs frequently metastasise to the regional lymph nodes and liver at the time of diagnosis, and no curative treatments are currently available for patients with disseminated disease. Here, we characterised the immune landscape of SINET and demonstrated that tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can be expanded and activated during autologous tumour challenge. The composition of lymphocyte subsets was determined by immunophenotyping of the SINET microenvironment in one hepatic and six lymph node metastases. TILs from these metastases were successfully grown out, enabling immunophenotyping and assessment of PD-1 expression. Expansion of the TILs and exposure to autologous tumour cells in vitro resulted in increased T lymphocyte degranulation. This study provides insights into the largely unknown SINET immune landscape and reveals the anti-tumour reactivity of TILs, which might merit adoptive T cell transfer as a feasible treatment option for patients with SINET.
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| 5. |
- Einarsdottir, Berglind Osk, 1979, et al.
(författare)
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Melanoma patient-derived xenografts accurately model the disease and develop fast enough to guide treatment decisions.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Oncotarget. - : Impact Journals, LLC. - 1949-2553. ; 5:20, s. 9609-18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The development of novel therapies against melanoma would benefit from individualized tumor models to ensure the rapid and accurate identification of biomarkers of therapy response. Previous studies have suggested that patient-derived xenografts (PDXes) could be useful. However, the utility of PDXes in guiding real-time treatment decisions has only been reported in anecdotal forms. Here tumor biopsies from patients with stage III and IV metastatic malignant melanoma were transplanted into immunocompromised mice to generate PDXes. 23/26 melanoma biopsies generated serially transplantable PDX models, and their histology, mutation status and expression profile resembled their corresponding patient biopsy. The potential treatment for one patient was revealed by an in vitro drug screen and treating PDXes with the MEK inhibitor trametinib. In another patient, the BRAF mutation predicted the response of both the patient and its corresponding PDXes to MAPK-targeted therapy. Importantly, in this unselected group of patients, the time from biopsy for generation of PDXes until death was significantly longer than the time required to reach the treatment phase of the PDXes. Thus, it could be clinically meaningful to use this type of platform for melanoma patients as a pre-selection tool in clinical trials.
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| 6. |
- Forsberg, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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HER2 CAR-T Cells Eradicate Uveal Melanoma and T-cell Therapy-Resistant Human Melanoma in IL2 Transgenic NOD/SCID IL2 Receptor Knockout Mice
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cancer Research. - 0008-5472. ; 79:5, s. 899-904
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) can transmit signals akin to those from activated T-cell receptors when bound to a cell surface target. CAR-expressing T cells against CD19 can cause curative effects in leukemia and lymphoma and is approved for clinical use. However, no CAR-T therapy is currently approved for use in solid tumors. We hypothesize that the resistance of solid tumors to CAR-T can be overcome by similar means as those used to reactivate tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TIL), for example, by cytokines or immune checkpoint blockade. Here we demonstrate that CAR-T cells directed against HER2 can kill uveal and cutaneous melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Curative effects in vivo were only observed in xenografts grown in a NOD/SCID IL2 receptor gamma (NOG) knockout mouse strain transgenic for human IL2. The effect was target-specific, as CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption of HER2 in the melanoma cells abrogated the killing effect of the CAR-T cells. The CAR-T cells were also able to kill melanoma cells from patients resistant to adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT) of autologous TILs. Thus, CAR-T therapy represents an option for patients that do not respond to immunotherapy with ACT of TIL or immune checkpoint blockade. In addition, our data highlight the use of IL2 transgenic NOG mice as models to prove efficacy of CAR-T-cell products, possibly even in a personalized manner. Significance: These findings demonstrate that a novel humanized mouse model can help clinical translation of CAR-T cells against uveal and cutaneous melanoma that do not respond to TIL therapy or immune checkpoint blockade.
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| 7. |
- Forsberg, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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Treatment with Anti-HER2 Chimeric Antigen Receptor Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (CAR-TILs) Is Safe and Associated with Antitumor Efficacy in Mice and Companion Dogs
- 2023
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Ingår i: Cancers. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-6694. ; 15:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple Summary CAR-T cells are immune cells equipped with a claw that enable them to bind cancer cells. Usually, CAR-T cells are made using immune cells from blood. Here, we tested the hypothesis that also immune cells that reside in the tumor, so called tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, can also be modified to carry the claw. This may mean that these cells, called CAR-TILs, will be able to attack cancer cells in two ways, using the claw or binding using its normal protein on the cell surface, the so-called T cell receptor. We show that CAR-TILs can be generated, and that they can kill melanoma cells in cell culture and in mice. Finally, to prepare for clinical trials, we also assess if CAR-TILs can be safe in a human cancer patient-like model, a companion dog suffering from cancer. Our data suggest that CAR-TILs may be a way to treat patients with melanoma but human clinical trials are needed. Patients with metastatic melanoma have a historically poor prognosis, but recent advances in treatment options, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy, have drastically improved the outcomes for some of these patients. However, not all patients respond to available treatments, and around 50% of patients with metastatic cutaneous melanoma and almost all patients with metastases of uveal melanoma die of their disease. Thus, there is a need for novel treatment strategies for patients with melanoma that do not benefit from the available therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor-expressing T (CAR-T) cells are largely unexplored in melanoma. Traditionally, CAR-T cells have been produced by transducing blood-derived T cells with a virus expressing CAR. However, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can also be engineered to express CAR, and such CAR-TILs could be dual-targeting. To this end, tumor samples and autologous TILs from metastasized human uveal and cutaneous melanoma were expanded in vitro and transduced with a lentiviral vector encoding an anti-HER2 CAR construct. When infused into patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models carrying autologous tumors, CAR-TILs were able to eradicate melanoma, even in the absence of antigen presentation by HLA. To advance this concept to the clinic and assess its safety in an immune-competent and human-patient-like setting, we treated four companion dogs with autologous anti-HER2 CAR-TILs. We found that these cells were tolerable and showed signs of anti-tumor activity. Taken together, CAR-TIL therapy is a promising avenue for broadening the tumor-targeting capacity of TILs in patients with checkpoint immunotherapy-resistant melanoma.
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| 8. |
- Liang, Frank, et al.
(författare)
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A Fraction of CD8+T Cells from Colorectal Liver Metastases Preferentially Repopulate Autologous Patient-Derived Xenograft Tumors as Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells
- 2022
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Ingår i: Cancers. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-6694. ; 14:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple Summary Treatment options for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with liver metastases are often limited to liver surgery with or without chemotherapy. However, not all patients present operable colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs). Thus, alternative therapies that exploit the anti-tumor potential of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are being evaluated. The establishment of markers connecting the phenotype to the function of tumor-reactive CD8+ TILs could aid diagnostic and therapeutic advances. In this regard, tissue-resident memory T cells (T-RM cells) could be a potential candidate for therapies targeting TILs. Putative tumor-reactive T-RM cells among CD8+ TILs likely co-express CD103 and CD39, since these markers indicate stable tumor residency and repeated response to antigens from the tumor environment, respectively. Our phenotypic and functional analyses of TILs in CRLM, with a specific focus on CD103+CD8+ T-RM cells, may guide the improvement of TIL-mediated CRC treatments. The diversity of T cells in the human liver may reflect the composition of TILs in CRLM. Our ex vivo characterization of CRLM vs. adjacent liver tissue detected CD103+CD39+CD8+ T-RM cells predominantly in CRLM, which prompted further assessments. These T-RM cells responded to cognate antigens in vitro. As functional activities of autologous TILs are central to the implementation of personalized cancer treatments, we applied a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model to monitor TILs' capacity to control CRLM-derived tumors in vivo. We established PDX mice with CRLMs from two patients, and in vitro expansion of their respective TILs resulted in opposing CD4+ vs. CD8+ TIL ratios. These CRLMs also displayed mutated KRAS, which enabled trametinib-mediated inhibition of MEK. Regardless of the TIL subset ratio, persistent or transient control of CRLM-derived tumors of limited size by the transferred TILs was observed only after trametinib treatment. Of note, a portion of transferred TILs was observed as CD103+CD8+ T-RM cells that strictly accumulated within the autologous CRLM-derived tumor rather than in the spleen or blood. Thus, the predominance of CD103+CD39+CD8+ T-RM cells in CRLM relative to the adjacent liver and the propensity of CD103+CD8+ T-RM cells to repopulate the autologous tumor may identify these TILs as strategic targets for therapies against advanced CRC.
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| 9. |
- Lunavat, Taral R, et al.
(författare)
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BRAF(V600) inhibition alters the microRNA cargo in the vesicular secretome of malignant melanoma cells
- 2017
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424. ; 114:29
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The BRAF inhibitors vemurafenib and dabrafenib can be used to treat patients with metastatic melanomas harboring BRAF(V600) mutations. Initial antitumoral responses are often seen, but drug-resistant clones with reactivation of the MEK-ERK pathway soon appear. Recently, the secretome of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) has been ascribed important functions in cancers. To elucidate the possible functions of EVs in BRAF-mutant melanoma, we determined the RNA content of the EVs, including apoptotic bodies, microvesicles, and exosomes, released from such cancer cells after vemurafenib treatment. We found that vemurafenib significantly increased the total RNA and protein content of the released EVs and caused significant changes in the RNA profiles. RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR show that cells and EVs from vemurafenib-treated cell cultures and tumor tissues harvested from cell-derived and patient-derived xenografts harbor unique miRNAs, especially increased expression of miR-211-5p. Mechanistically, the expression of miR-211-5p as a result of BRAF inhibition was induced by increased expression of MITF that regulates the TRPM1 gene resulting in activation of the survival pathway. In addition, transfection of miR-211 in melanoma cells reduced the sensitivity to vemurafenib treatment, whereas miR-211-5p inhibition in a vemurafenib resistant cell line affected the proliferation negatively. Taken together, our results show that vemurafenib treatment induces miR-211-5p up-regulation in melanoma cells both in vitro and in vivo, as well as in subsets of EVs, suggesting that EVs may provide a tool to understand malignant melanoma progression.
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| 10. |
- Sah, Vasu R., et al.
(författare)
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Chemokine Analysis in Patients with Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Suggests a Role for CCL21 Signaling in Combined Epigenetic Therapy and Checkpoint Immunotherapy
- 2023
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Ingår i: Cancer Research Communications. ; 3:5, s. 884-895
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Patients with metastatic uveal melanoma have limited therapeutic options and high mortality rate so new treatment options are needed.Patients and Methods: We previously reported that patients treated with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab and the histone deacetylase inhibitor entinostat in the PEMDAC trial, experienced clinical benefits if their tu-mor originated from iris or was wildtype for BAP1 tumor suppressor gene. Here we present the 2-year follow-up of the patients in the PEMDAC trial and identify additional factors that correlate with response or survival.Results: Durable responses were observed in 4 patients, with additional 8 patients exhibiting a stable disease. The median overall survival was 13.7 months. Grade 3 adverse events were reported in 62% of the patients, but they were all manageable. No fatal toxicity was observed. Activity of thymidine kinase 1 in plasma was higher in patients with stable disease or who progressed on treatment, compared with those with partial response. Chemokines and cytokines were analyzed in plasma. Three chemokines were significantly different when comparing patients with and without response. One of the factors, CCL21, was higher in the plasma of respond-ing patients before treatment initiation but decreased in the same patients upon treatment. In tumors, CCL21 was expressed in areas resembling ter -tiar y lymphoid structures (TLS). High plasma levels of CCL21 and presence of TLS-like regions in the tumor correlated with longer survival.Conclusions: This study provides insight into durable responses in the PEMDAC trial, and describes dynamic changes of chemokines and cytokines in the blood of these patients.Significance: The most significant finding from the 2-year follow-up study of the PEMDAC trial was that high CCL21 levels in blood was associated with response and survival. CCL21 was also expressed in TLS-like regions and presence of these regions was associated with longer survival. These analyses of soluble and tumor markers can inform on predictive biomark-ers needing validation and become hypothesis generating for experimental research.
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