State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Cell Oncol (Dordr). 2024 Oct;47(5):1779-1796. doi: 10.1007/s13402-024-00959-1. Epub 2024 May 29.
PURPOSE: Leukaemia remains a major contributor to global mortality, representing a significant health risk for a substantial number of cancer patients. Despite notable advancements in the field, existing treatments frequently exhibit limited efficacy or recurrence. Here, we explored the potential of abolishing HVEM (herpes virus entry mediator, TNFRSF14) expression in tumours as an effective approach to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and prevent its recurrence. METHODS: The clinical correlations between HVEM and leukaemia were revealed by public data analysis. HVEM knockout (KO) murine T cell lymphoblastic leukaemia cell line EL4 were generated using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, and syngeneic subcutaneous tumour models were established to investigate the in vivo function of HVEM. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), RNA-seq and flow cytometry were used to analyse the tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) and tumour draining lymph nodes (dLNs). Immune functions were investigated by depletion of immune subsets in vivo and T cell functional assays in vitro. The HVEM mutant EL4 cell lines were constructed to investigate the functional domain responsible for immune escape. RESULTS: According to public databases, HVEM is highly expressed in patients with ALL and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is negatively correlated with patient prognosis. Genetic deletion of HVEM in EL4 cells markedly inhibited tumour progression and prolonged the survival of tumour-bearing mice. Our experiments proved that HVEM exerted its immunosuppressive effect by inhibiting antitumour function of CD8 T cell through CRD1 domain both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, we identified a combination therapy capable of completely eradicating ALL tumours, which induces immune memory toward tumour protection. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals the potential mechanisms by which HVEM facilitates ALL progression, and highlights HVEM as a promising target for clinical applications in relapsed ALL therapy.
目的:白血病仍是全球死亡率的主要原因,对大量癌症患者构成重大健康风险。尽管该领域取得了显著进展,但现有治疗方法常常疗效有限或易复发。在这里,我们探讨了通过敲除肿瘤中的 HVEM(疱疹病毒进入介体,TNFRSF14)表达来治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病(ALL)并预防其复发的可能性。
方法:通过公共数据分析揭示 HVEM 与白血病之间的临床相关性。使用 CRISPR-Cas9 技术生成 HVEM 敲除(KO)鼠 T 细胞淋巴母细胞白血病细胞系 EL4,并建立同源皮下肿瘤模型以研究 HVEM 的体内功能。使用免疫组织化学(IHC)、RNA-seq 和流式细胞术分析肿瘤免疫微环境(TIME)和肿瘤引流淋巴结(dLNs)。通过体内免疫细胞亚群耗竭和体外 T 细胞功能测定研究免疫功能。构建 HVEM 突变的 EL4 细胞系,以研究负责免疫逃逸的功能结构域。
结果:根据公共数据库,HVEM 在 ALL 和急性髓细胞白血病(AML)患者中高度表达,与患者预后呈负相关。EL4 细胞中 HVEM 的基因缺失显著抑制了肿瘤的进展,并延长了荷瘤小鼠的存活时间。我们的实验证明,HVEM 通过 CRD1 结构域在体内和体外抑制 CD8 T 细胞的抗肿瘤功能发挥其免疫抑制作用。此外,我们确定了一种联合治疗方案,能够彻底消除 ALL 肿瘤,诱导针对肿瘤保护的免疫记忆。
结论:本研究揭示了 HVEM 促进 ALL 进展的潜在机制,并强调 HVEM 作为复发 ALL 治疗中临床应用的有前途的靶点。
Cell Oncol (Dordr). 2024-10
Eur J Cancer. 2014-11-25
Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2011-8-30
Nat Rev Cancer. 2021-7
Blood Cancer J. 2021-4-6
Cell Oncol (Dordr). 2021-6
N Engl J Med. 2021-2-25