Effect of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4,TNF-alpha polymorphisms on osteosarcoma: evidences from a meta-analysis

Objective： Previous studies have investigated the role of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 （CTLA-4） and tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-a） in carcinogenesis of osteosarcoma, but their results were inconsistent. We aimed to clarify the associations between CTLA-4, TNF-a polymorphism and osteosarcoma risk by using meta-analysis. Methods： We searched relevant studies without language restriction in PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar databases, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） and conference literature in humans published prior to March 2013. The strengths of the associations between genetic variants and osteosarcoma risk were estimated by odds ratio （OR） with 95% confidence interval （95% CI）. Results： A total of seven studies with 1,198 osteosarcoma patients and 1,493 controls were selected. Four studies were eligible for CTLA-4 （1,003 osteosarcoma and 1,162 controls）, and three studies for TNF-a （195 osteosarcoma and 331 controls）. Pooled results showed that rs231775 polymorphism of CTLA-4 was associated with osteosarcoma risk （GG vs. AA： OR=1.63, 95% CI=1.24-2.13; GG ＋ GA vs. AA： OR=1.56, 95% CI=1.21-2.01; AA ＋ GA vs. GG： OR=0.83, 95% CI=0.71-0.97; G vs. A： OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.08-1.36）. No significant heterogeneity was observed across the studies. No significant associations were found between rs5742909 polymorphism of CTLA-4 or rs1800629 polymorphism of TNF-a and osteosarcoma risk. Conclusions： These results suggest that the rs231775 polymorphism of CTLA-4 may play an important role in carcinogenesis of osteosarcoma.

CD28/CTLA-4/B7 and CD40/CD40L costimulation and activation of regulatory T cells

Costimulatory signals are crucial for T cell activation. Attempts to block costimulatory pathways have been effective in preventing unwanted immune reactions. In particular, blocking the CD28/cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen(CTLA)-4/B7 interaction(using CTLA-4Ig) and the CD40/CD40 L interaction(using anti-CD40 L antibodies) prevents T cell mediated autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection and graft vs host disease in experimental models. Moreover, CTLA-4Ig is in clinical use to treat rheumatoid arthritis(abatacept) and to prevent rejection of renal transplants(belatacept). Under certain experimental conditions, this treatment can even result in tolerance. Surprisingly, the underlying mechanisms of immune modulation are still not completely understood. We here discuss the evidence that costimulation blockade differentially affects effector T cells(Teff) and regulatory T cells(Treg). The latter are required to control inappropriate and unwanted immune responses, and their activity often contributes to tolerance induction and maintenance. Unfortunately, our knowledge on the costimulatory requirements of Treg cells is very limited. We therefore summarize the current understanding ofthe costimulatory requirements of Treg cells, and elaborate on the effect of anti-CD40 L antibody and CTLA-4Ig treatment on Treg cell activity. In this context, we point out that the outcome of a treatment aiming at blocking the CD28/CTLA-4/B7 costimulatory interaction can vary with dosing, timing and underlying immunopathology.

Association between the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 polymorphisms and breast cancer risk and prognosis

Aim:The aim was to evaluate the potential infl uences of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4(CTLA-4)gene polymorphisms on breast cancer risk,the distribution of CTLA-4 single nucleotide polymorphisms(1661AG)in breast cancer patients and control subjects was investigated.Methods:In this case-control study,100 patients with breast cancer as case group and 100 healthy participants as a control group were compared.Genotypes were determined by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.Demographic characteristics of the study population,as well as tumor size,tumor grade and stage were collected in a questionnaire designed for this study.The collected data were statistically analyzed by SPSS-16.0(SPSS Inc.,Chicago,USA)predictive analytic software using the Chi-square test.Results:The mean age of women was 43.42±13.1 years.The AA genotype was frequent in case group(43%)whereas the AG genotype was found more in the control group(69%).There was no signifi cant relationship between the studied polymorphisms and the grade,stage and size of the tumor,nor between the studied polymorphisms and estrogen receptor,progesterone receptor and lymph node involvement(P>0.05).Signifi cant association between the studied polymorphisms and breast cancer metastases was found(P=0.02).Conclusion:According to the results of the study,the AA genotype is associated with breast cancer,but none of the studied gene polymorphisms is associated with prognostic factors such as tumor stage,grade or size.

Correlation between gene polymorphism ofcytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 andGraves disease in Qinghai Tibetan

Objective To investigate the correlation between gene polymorphism of cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4(CTLA-4)and Graves disease(GD)in Qinghai Tibetan.Methods Using retrospective analysis methods,totally 130 cases of GD were selected randomly from June 2012 to November 2016 in the People's Hospital of Qinghai Province;meanwhile,110 normal control cases were selected randomly from Qinghai Tibetan.Then the genotype and allele of CTLA-4 were detected by the method of polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP-PCR).Results The distribution of CTLA-4 genotype frequencies(AA,AG,GG)was different between the normal control cases and GD in Qinghai Tibetan [6.2%(8/130)vs 26.4%(29/110),50.0%(65/130)vs 58.2%(64/110),43.8%(57/130)vs 15.4%(17/110),X^2=32.105,P<0.05].Allele(A,G)frequencies were compared between GD and control,the differences were statistically significant [31.2%(81/260)vs 55.5%(122/220),68.8%(179/260)vs 44.5%(98/220),X^2=28.834,P<0.05].Conclusion Polymorphisms of CTLA-4 exon 1(49A/G)genotype and allele are closely correlated with GD in Qinghai Tibetan.

Advanced cervix cancer patient with chemotherapy-induced grade IV myelosuppression achieved complete remission with cadonilimab:A case report

BACKGROUND The prognosis for patients with advanced metastatic cervix cancer(MCC)is poor,and this disease continues to pose a considerable therapeutic challenge.Despite the administration of first-line regimens consisting of cisplatin,paclitaxel,and bevacizumab,survival rates for patients with metastasis remain poor.The emergence of bispecific antibodies(BsAbs)offers a novel treatment option for patients diagnosed with MCC.CASE SUMMARY In this report,we present a patient with MCC who was treated with cadonilimab monotherapy at a dose of 6 mg/kg every two weeks after chemotherapy was proven to be intolerable.The patient exhibited a sustained complete response for a duration of 6 months,demonstrating an optimistic outlook.CONCLUSION This case illustrates the considerable efficacy of cadonilimab for treating advanced MCC.Therefore,BsAb therapy is a promising strategy for effectively treating patients with advanced MCC and should be considered as an option when patients are intolerant to standard chemotherapy.

初发1型糖尿病患儿外周血单个核细胞FOXP3和CTLA-4表达的研究

目的：研究初发1型糖尿病患儿外周血叉状头转录因子（ FOXP3）和细胞毒性T细胞相关抗原-4（CTLA-4）表达水平,探讨它们在1型糖尿病发病中的作用。方法选取50例初发1型糖尿病患儿和30例健康儿童,采用real-time PCR法研究FOXP3和CTLA-4 mRNA表达；ELISA方法检测血清中可溶性FOXP3（ sFOXP3）和CTLA-4（ sCTLA-4）蛋白水平；分别应用免疫印记法、高效液相离子层析法和电化学发光法测量糖尿病抗体、HbA1C及C肽。结果1型糖尿病患儿FOXP3 mRNA及蛋白表达低于对照组[0.95±0.48 vs.2.11±0.79,（6.27±1.49） ng/ml vs.（9.02±2.37） ng/ml,均P〈0.01],而CTLA-4 mRNA及蛋白表达高于对照组[2.43±0.83 vs.1.94±0.84,（77.88±22.34） ng/ml vs.（65.97±12.11） ng/ml,P〈0.01]；1型糖尿病患儿FOXP3和CTLA-4基因与蛋白表达均呈正相关（r＝0.758、0.396,均P〈0.05）；FOXP3与CTLA-4蛋白表达具有相关性（r＝－0.624,P〈0.05）。结论初发1型糖尿病患儿外周血FOXP3和CTLA-4的基因及蛋白表达异常,FOXP3调控CTLA-4在调节性T 细胞的表达,提示免疫机制参与1型糖尿病的发生。

Emergence of immunotherapy as a novel way to treat hepatocellular carcinoma

Tumor immunity proceeds through multiple processes, which consist of antigen presentation by antigen presenting cells(APCs) to educate effector cells and destruction by the effector cytotoxic cells. However, tumor immunity is frequently repressed at tumor sites. Malignantly transformed cells rarely survive the attack by the immune system, but cells that do survive change their phenotypes to reduce their immunogenicity. The resultant cells evade the attack by the immune system and form clinically discernible tumors. Tumor microenvironments simultaneously contain a wide variety of immune suppressive molecules and cells to dampen tumor immunity. Moreover, the liver microenvironment exhibits immune tolerance to reduce aberrant immune responses to massively-exposed antigens via the portal vein, and immune dysfunction is frequently associated with liver cirrhosis, which is widespread in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) patients. Immune therapy aims to reduce tumor burden, but it is also expected to prevent non-cancerous liver lesions from progressing to HCC, because HCC develops or recurs from noncancerous liver lesions with chronic inflammatory states and/or cirrhosis and these lesions cannot be cured and/or eradicated by local and/or systemic therapies. Nevertheless, cancer immune therapy should augment specific tumor immunity by using two distinct measures: enhancing the effector cell functions such as antigen presentation capacity of APCs and tumor cell killing capacity of cytotoxic cells, and reactivating the immune system in immune-suppressive tumor microenvironments. Here, we will summarize the current status and discuss the future perspective on immune therapy for HCC.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-mediated colitis in gastrointestinal malignancies and inflammatory bowel disease

Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICI)have markedly changed the landscape of cancer therapy.By re-invigorating the immune system against tumors,ICI provide novel therapeutic options for a broad variety of malignancies,including many gastrointestinal(GI)cancers.However,these therapies can also induce autoimmune-like side effects in healthy tissue across the body.One of the most common of these side effects is ICI-mediated colitis and diarrhea(IMC).Here,we review the incidence and risk of IMC in ICI therapy,with a focus on what is known regarding IMC in patients with GI malignancies.We also discuss data available on the use of ICI and risk of IMC in patients with pre-existing inflammatory bowel disease,as these patients may have increased risk of IMC due to their underlying intestinal pathology.

Progress in immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer

Small-cell lung cancer(SCLC)is a special type of lung cancer that belongs to highly aggressive neuroendocrine tumors.At present,radiotherapy and chemotherapy remain the mainstay of treatment for SCLC.Progress in targeted therapies for SCLC with driver mutations has been slow,and these therapies are still under investigation in preclinical or early-phase clinical trials,and research on antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors(e.g.,anlotinib)has achieved some success.Immunotherapy is becoming an important treatment strategy for SCLC after radiotherapy and chemotherapy.In this article we review the recent advances in immunotherapy for SCLC.

Targeted immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer

Targeted therapies that deliver the expected anti-tumor effects while mitigating the adverse effects are taking the cancer world by storm. The need for such therapies in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC), where systemic cytotoxic chemotherapies still remain the backbone of management, is felt more than ever before. Runway success of immunotherapies such as Ipilimumab for melanoma has brought excitement among oncologists. Immune-based treatments are in various stages of evaluation for NSCLC as well. Immunotherapies using strategies of antigen based or cell based vaccines, and blocking immune checkpoints are of substantial interest. Meaningful clinical responses are yet to be reaped from these new treatment modalities.

Clinical characteristics of gastrointestinal immune-related adverse events of immune checkpoint inhibitors and their association with survival

BACKGROUND Despite the popularity of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)in the treatment of advanced cancer,patients often develop gastrointestinal(GI)and non-GI immune-related adverse events(irAEs).The clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of GI-irAEs have not been fully elucidated in previous reports.This necessitates the evaluation of the impact of GI-irAEs on patients receiving ICI treatment.AIM To evaluate the clinical characteristics of GI-irAEs and their impact on survival in patients treated with ICIs.METHODS In this single-center,retrospective,observational study,we reviewed the records of 661 patients who received ICIs for various cancers at Nagoya University Hospital from September 2014 to August 2020.We analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients who received ICI treatment.We also evaluated the correlation between GI-irAE development and prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer(LC)and malignant melanoma(MM).Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the median overall survival(OS).Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify prognostic factors.A P value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS GI-irAEs occurred in 34 of 605 patients(5.6%)treated with an anti-programmed cell death-1/programmed death-ligand 1(anti-PD-1/PD-L1)antibody alone and in nine of 56 patients(16.1%)treated with an anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4(CTLA-4)antibody alone or a combination of anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies.The cumulative incidence and median daily diarrhea frequency were significantly higher in patients receiving anti-CTLA-4 antibodies(P<0.05).In 130 patients with MM,OS was significantly prolonged in the group that continued ICI treatment despite the development of GI-irAEs compared to the group that did not experience GI-irAEs(P=0.035).In contrast,in 209 patients with non-small cell LC,there was no significant difference in OS between the groups.The multivariate analyses showed that a performance status of 2-3(hazard ratio:2.406;95%confidence interval:1.125–5.147;P=0.024)was an independent predictive factor for OS in patients with MM.CONCLUSION Patients receiving anti-CTLA-4 antibodies develop GI-irAEs more frequently and with higher severity than those receiving anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies.Continuing ICI treatment in patients with MM with GI-irAEs have better OS.

Costimulatory blockade:A novel approach to the treatment of glomerular disease?

Costimulatory pathways(Cluster of differentiation 28,tumor necrosis factor-related,adhesion and T Cell Ig-and mucin-domain molecules) regulating the interactions between receptors on the T cells andtheir ligands expressed on several cell types,have a key role in controlling many immunological and non immunological processes.Indeed,accumulating evidence indicate that these molecules are involved in the pathogenesis of numerous conditions,such as allograft rejection,atherosclerosis,rheumatoid arthritis,psoriasis and renal diseases,including glomerulonephritis.Primary or secondary(i.e.,associated with infections,drugs or systemic diseases,such as systemic lupus erythematosus,diabetes,etc.) glomerulonephritis represent a group of heterogeneous diseases with different pathogenic mechanisms.Since costimulatory molecules,in particular CD80 and CD40,have been found to be expressed on podocytes in the course of different experimental and clinical glomerulonephritis,costimulation has been thought as a new therapeutic target for patients with glomerular diseases.However,although experimental data suggested that the blockade of costimulatory pathways is effective and safe in the prevention and treatment of glomerular diseases,clinical trials reported contrasting results.So,at this moment,there is not a strong evidence for the general use of costimulatory blockade as an alternative treatment strategy in patients with primary or secondary glomerulonephritis.Here,we critically discuss the current data and the main issues regarding the development of this innovative therapeutic approach.

Immune blockade inhibitors and the radiation abscopal effect in gastrointestinal cancers

The field of tumor immunology has produced in the recent years a revolution in cancer therapeutics putting an end in the long lasting frustration of investigators in the area stemming from largely unsuccessful strides to develop cancer vaccines. This progress has come from the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies blocking ligand/receptor pairs with inhibitory effects for immune cells. Through this blockade immune checkpoint blockers are able to ac-tivate the immune system and create an anti-tumoral effect. A significant sub-set of patients with various types of cancers such as melanoma, lung carcinomas and urothelial cancers benefit from treatment with these drugs and survivals have improved in some ca-ses. However other cancers are primarily resistant to immune blockers and secondary resistance is also the norm. Radiation therapy is often used in the palliative treatment of patients with advanced cancers and, in addition to the local effect in the irradiated field, it may in rare cases produce a systemic antitumor effect, termed "abscopal". This effect has been suggested to be produced by immune mechanisms. Thus an opportunity presents for a synergistic effect of immune stimulation between radiation and immune blockade inhibitors. The therapeutic opportunities presented with the combination of radiation and these drugs for gastrointestinal cancers will be discussed in this editorial overview.

Diarrhoea in a patient with metastatic melanoma:Ipilimumab ileocolitis treated with infliximab

Administration of ipilimumab,a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen-4-blocking monoclonal antibody,leads to enhancement of the anti-tumor T-cell respons and as a result shows a significant survival benefit in metastatic melanoma patients.Therefore patients are currently receiving this promising therapy as a secondline strategy.Unfortunately,by activation of the T-cell immune reponse,ipilimumab therapy may lead to an unwanted induction of different autoimmune phenomena.Diarrhoea and colitis occur in up to one third of patients.Here we present a case of ipilimumab induced ileocolitis which was successfully treated with infliximab,an anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody,after corticosteroid therapy failure.Although formal trials are lacking,recently publicated series suggest that infusional therapy of infliximab is effective in ipilimumab induced ileocolitis.

Tsunami of immunotherapy reaches mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma(MPM) is the most common type of malignant mesothelioma. It is a rare tumor linked to asbestos exposure and is associated with a poor prognosis. Until very recently, patients with advanced or unresectable disease had limited treatment options, primarily based on doublet chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed. In 2020 and 2021, after more than a decade with no major advances or new drugs, two phase Ⅲ clinical trials published results positioning immunotherapy as a promising option for the first-and second-line treatment of MPM. Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of many cancers and is also showing encouraging results in malignant mesothelioma. Both immune checkpoint inhibition and dual cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated antigen 4 and programmed death-ligand 1 pathway blockade resulted in significantly improved overall survival in randomized phase Ⅲ trials. In the Check Mate 743 trial, first-line therapy with nivolumab plus ipilimumab outperformed standard chemotherapy, while in the CONFIRM trial, nivolumab outperformed placebo in patients previously treated with chemotherapy. These two trials represent a major milestone in the treatment of MPM and are set to position immunotherapy as a viable alternative for treatment-naive patients and patients with progressive disease after chemotherapy.

Present and future of immune checkpoint blockade: Monotherapy to adjuvant approaches

Immune regulation of aggressive tumor growth is often outpaced by tumor up-regulation of ligands that inhibit effector immune responses through the activation of immune checkpoints. A few of such checkpoints include programmed death-1(PD-1), cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4(CTLA-4), lymphocyte activation gene-3, T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin protein-3, Glucocorticoid-induced TNFR family-related receptor(GITR), and killer cell immunoglobulin like receptor. With the exception of GITR, after binding to their respective ligands these checkpoints induce down-modulation of immune responses to prevent autoimmunity. However, such immune mechanisms are co-opted by tumors to allow rapid tumor cell proliferation. Pre-clinical studies in antibody blockade of PD-1 and CTLA-4 have led to promising augmentation of effector immune responses in murine tumor models, and human antibodies against PD-1 and CTLA-4 alone or in combination have demonstrated tumor regression in clinical trials. The development of immune checkpoint blockade as a potential future immunotherapy has led to increasing interest in combining treatment modalities. Combination checkpoint blockade with chemotherapy and radiation therapy has shown synergistic effects in pre-clinical and clinical studies, and combination checkpoint blockade with bacterial vaccine vectors have produced increased effector immune responses in pre-clinical models. The future of immune checkpoint blockade may be as a powerful adjuvant alongside the current standard of care.

Advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy for esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer(EC)is one of the most common aggressive malignant tumors in the digestive system with a severe epidemiological situation and poor prognosis.The early diagnostic rate of EC is low,and most EC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage.Multiple multimodality treatments have gradually evolved into the main treatment for advanced EC,including surgery,chemotherapy,radiotherapy,targeted therapy,and immunotherapy.And the emergence of targeted therapy and immunotherapy has greatly improved the survival of EC patients.This review highlights the latest advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy for EC,discusses the efficacy and safety of relevant drugs,summarizes related important clinical trials,and tries to provide references for therapeutic strategy of EC.

Tumor immune checkpoints and their associated inhibitors

Immunological evasion is one of the defining characteristics of cancers,as the immune modification of an immune checkpoint(IC)confers immune evasion capabilities to tumor cells.Multiple ICs,such as programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1)and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4(CTLA-4),can bind to their respective receptors and reduce tumor immunity in a variety of ways,including blocking immune cell activation signals.IC blockade(ICB)therapies targeting these checkpoint molecules have demonstrated significant clinical benefits.This is because antibody-based IC inhibitors and a variety of specific small molecule inhibitors can inhibit key oncogenic signaling pathways and induce durable tumor remission in patients with a variety of cancers.Deciphering the roles and regulatory mechanisms of these IC molecules will provide crucial theoretical guidance for clinical treatment.In this review,we summarize the current knowledge on the functional and regulatory mechanisms of these IC molecules at multiple levels,including epigenetic regulation,transcriptional regulation,and post-translational modifications.In addition,we provide a summary of the medications targeting various nodes in the regulatory pathway,and highlight the potential of newly identified IC molecules,focusing on their potential implications for cancer diagnostics and immunotherapy.

Research progress in targeted therapy and immunotherapy for gastric cancer

Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide.Its incidence ranks the 5th among all malignant tumors globally,and it is the 3rd leading cause of death among patients with cancer.Surgical treatment is the first choice in clinical practice.However,targeted therapy,immunotherapy,and other treatment methods have also become research hotspots at home and abroad with the development of individualized precision therapy in recent years,besides traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy.At present,targeted therapy and immunotherapy are methods used for treating GC,and they have important clinical application value and prospects.This study aimed to review the research progress of targeted therapy and immunotherapy for GC,focusing on its mechanism of action and related important clinical trials,hoping to provide references for the clinical treatment of GC.

Cancer immunotherapy: a brief review of the history, possibilities, and challenges ahead

The knowledge that the body possesses natural defenses to combat cancer existed long before the modern period,with multiple anecdotal reports of tumors miraculously disappearing,sometimes spontaneously or after a febrile or infectious episode.Spontaneous tumor regression of untreated malignant tumors is currently a well-accepted albeit rare phenomenon,and it is recognized that immunosuppression is associated with a higher cancer risk.The treatment of bladder carcinoma by intravesical administration of live attenuated Bacillus Calmette-Guérin bacteria was shown to be very effective in 1976 and is now standard treatment.Effective immunity against cancer involves complex interactions between the tumor,the host,and the environment.Cancer immunotherapy uses various strategies to augment tumor immunity and represents a paradigm shift in treating cancer,since attention has become more focused on the“biologic passport”of the individual tumor rather than the site of origin of the tumor.The different types of cancer immunotherapies discussed here include biologic modifiers,such as cytokines and vaccines,adoptive cell therapies,oncolytic viruses,and antibodies against immune checkpoint inhibitors,such as the co-inhibitory T-cell receptor PD-1 and one of its ligands,programmed death-ligand 1.