Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tamara Verkerk, Sofie J. Koomen, Kyra J. Fuchs, Marieke Griffioen, Robbert M. Spaapen
Summary: In the era of T cell-based immunotherapies, understanding the types of MHC-presented T cell antigens produced by tumor cells is crucial. This Perspective highlights the significance of knowing the contribution of chimeric peptides generated through proteasome-catalyzed peptide splicing (PCPS) and reviews methodologies for identifying MHC-presented spliced peptide antigens. The analysis shows that spliced peptides make only a marginal contribution to the pool of immunogenic tumor antigens, suggesting that they may not be a comprehensive source for expanding the number of targetable antigens in immunotherapies.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Marigoula Vlassopoulou, Nikolaos Paschalidis, Alexandros L. Savvides, Georgia Saxami, Evdokia K. Mitsou, Evangelia N. Kerezoudi, Georgios Koutrotsios, Georgios Zervakis, Panagiotis Georgiadis, Adamantini Kyriacou, Vasiliki Pletsa
Summary: Recent studies have shown the important role of edible mushrooms and fungal compounds, especially polysaccharides, in human health and disease. This research focuses on the immunomodulatory effects of mushroom polysaccharides, particularly beta-glucans, and their potential prebiotic activity on gut micro-organisms, as well as their link to anticancer properties. This study investigates the immunomodulating effects of Pleurotus eryngii mushrooms, known for their high beta-glucan content, lactogenic effect, and geno-protective properties, on human macrophages and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using in vitro fermentation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fereshteh Mohamadhasani, Mehdi Rahimi
Summary: Heavy metal contamination in water and soil is a serious issue caused by industrial and mining activities, and mycoremediation using fungi has been shown to be efficient in removing toxic contaminants. Pleurotus species have been found to be more tolerant to cobalt and copper compared to nickel, with nickel concentrations inhibiting fungal growth even at low levels. The study also showed that heavy metals increased the activity of antioxidative enzymes in fungi but resulted in decreased growth and increased metal accumulation at higher concentrations.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Flavia Zisi Tegou, Diana Velluto, Aaron A. Stock, Samantha N. Fitzgerald, Samuel Stealey, Silviya P. Zustiak, Allison L. Bayer, Alice A. Tomei
Summary: This study developed a polyethylene glycol hydrogel platform for sustained release of beta cell antigens and CCL21 immunomodulatory molecule, enabling the development of antigen-specific tolerance therapies for Type-I Diabetes.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Byung-Seok Kim, Da-Sol Kuen, Choong-Hyun Koh, Hyung-Don Kim, Seon Hee Chang, Sehui Kim, Yoon Kyung Jeon, Young-Jun Park, Garam Choi, Jiyeon Kim, Keon Wook Kang, Hye Young Kim, Suk-Jo Kang, Shin Hwang, Eui-Cheol Shin, Chang-Yuil Kang, Chen Dong, Yeonseok Chung
Summary: IL-17-producing cells promote terminal exhaustion of CD8(+) T cells and tumor progression in vivo, which can be reversed by blockade of IL-17 or ROR gamma t pathway. Human TCGA analyses reveal a strong positive correlation between type 17 and CD8(+) T cell exhaustion signature gene sets in multiple cancers, suggesting type 17 immunity as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Francesca Motta, M. Eric Gershwin, Carlo Selmi
Summary: Mushrooms have been believed to have effects on immunity, cancer, and autoimmunity for centuries, with glucans and specific proteins being the key to their biological activity. Despite various influencing factors, rigorous research is needed to determine the potential of mushroom compounds for human health.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maria Virginia Ruiz Cuevas, Marie-Pierre Hardy, Jean-David Larouche, Anca Apavaloaei, Eralda Kina, Krystel Vincent, Patrick Gendron, Jean-Philippe Laverdure, Chantal Durette, Pierre Thibault, Sebastien Lemieux, Claude Perreault, Gregory Ehx
Summary: A tool called BamQuery has been developed to determine the expression of MHC-I-associated peptides deriving from non-coding genomic regions and mutations from RNA sequencing data. It can also predict their immunogenicity and identify specific tumor antigens.
Review
Immunology
Yue Zhao, Alexey Baldin, Orkhan Isayev, Jens Werner, Andrey A. Zamyatnin, Alexandr Bazhin
Summary: Cancer vaccines utilize the host's immune system specificity to eliminate tumor cells, with antigen selection and application playing a critical role in efficacy. Tumor-associated antigens and tumor-specific antigens have different characteristics and applications in vaccine development.
Article
Oncology
Lisa Nadal, Frederik Peissert, Abdullah Elsayed, Tobias Weiss, Thomas Look, Michael Weller, Geny Piro, Carmine Carbone, Giampaolo Tortora, Mattia Matasci, Nicholas Favalli, Riccardo Corbellari, Cesare Di Nitto, Eleonora Prodi, Chiara Libbra, Simone Galeazzi, Claudiopietro Carotenuto, Cornelia Halin, Emanuele Puca, Dario Neri, Roberto De Luca
Summary: In this study, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting human fibroblast activation protein (FAP) was generated and shown to have tumor recognition properties. The antibody demonstrated potent antitumor activity in cancer mouse models and was well-tolerated in non-human primate safety evaluations. These results provide a rationale for future clinical translation of this fully human product.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Bing Zhang, Michal Bassani-Sternberg
Summary: Identification of tumor antigens presented by HLA molecules is crucial for cancer immunotherapies. MS-based immunopeptidomics enables high-throughput identification of HLA-bound peptides. Integrating DNA, RNA, and ribosome sequencing data allows identification of tumor antigens encoded within coding genes and non-coding regions. Computational challenges exist in immunopeptidomics data analysis and tumor antigen identification. Advancements in technology and computation are improving sensitivity and accuracy in tumor antigen identification.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Hugo de Jonge, Luisa Iamele, Maristella Maggi, Greta Pessino, Claudia Scotti
Summary: Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, making early detection crucial for effective treatment. Auto-antibodies, circulating antibodies specific for tumor cells, have the potential to impact tumor growth and may be utilized for cancer management. However, their significance and role in cancer progression still require further research.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vladimir N. Zhabinskii, Pavel Drasar, Vladimir A. Khripach
Summary: This study aims to review recent literature on the structures and bioactivities of fungal metabolites of ergosterol, with a focus on compounds that have shown potential pharmacological utility.
Article
Oncology
Gessa Sugiyarto, Doreen Lau, Samuel Luke Hill, David Arcia-Anaya, Denise S. M. Boulanger, Eileen Parkes, Edward James, Tim Elliott
Summary: This study shows that targeting subdominant T cell responses with lower avidity against pMHC affinity neoepitopes has potential for improving PD-1 immunotherapy. Low avidity CD8(+) T cells demonstrated precursor exhausted or progenitor T cell phenotypes and exhibited higher cytotoxicity compared to high avidity T cells. Future interventions may consider expanding low avidity populations via vaccination or adoptive transfer to enhance the efficacy of PD-1 immunotherapy.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Amy A. Lo, Andrew Wallace, Daniel Oreper, Nicolas Lounsbury, Charles Havnar, Ximo Pechuan-Jorge, Thomas D. Wu, Richard Bourgon, Ryan Jones, Katrina Krogh, Guang-Yu Yang, Oliver A. Zill
Summary: The distribution of clonal neoantigens varies across different cancer types, and factors influencing neoantigen targeting include tumor type, multilesion sampling, neoantigen expression, and HLA allele retention. Prioritizing mutations with higher purity-adjusted and ploidy-adjusted variant allele frequency enriches for globally clonal neoantigens.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Juan Xu, Dazhong Xu, Qiuhui Hu, Ning Ma, Fei Pei, Anxiang Su, Gaoxing Ma
Summary: This study analyzed the protein composition and assessed the immunomodulatory activity of thirteen precious edible mushrooms and nine common edible mushrooms. The results showed that all the edible mushroom proteins increased the proliferation and phagocytosis of mouse macrophages, and affected the secretion of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide. Furthermore, the immunomodulatory activity of the precious edible mushroom proteins was significantly higher than that of the common edible mushroom proteins. These findings have important implications for the processing and product development of edible mushroom proteins.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)