Table of Contents

Research Articles

• Research Articles

  A Four-Factor Immunoscore System That Predicts Clinical Outcome for Stage II/III Gastric Cancer

  Ti Wen, Zhenning Wang, Yi Li, Zhi Li, Xiaofang Che, Yibo Fan, Shuo Wang, Jinglei Qu, Xianghong Yang, Kezuo Hou, Wenyang Zhou, Ling Xu, Ce Li, Jin Wang, Jing Liu, Liqun Chen, Jingdong Zhang, Xiujuan Qu and Yunpeng Liu

  Cancer Immunol Res July 1 2017 5 (7) 524-534; DOI:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-16-0381

  
  

  The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for gastric cancer is insufficiently prognostic. An immunoscore system based on PD-L1 expression on tumor or immune cells, PD-1 expression, and infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells was more prognostic and complements the AJCC system.

• Research Articles

  Depletion of Tumor-Associated Macrophages with a CSF-1R Kinase Inhibitor Enhances Antitumor Immunity and Survival Induced by DC Immunotherapy

  Floris Dammeijer, Lysanne A. Lievense, Margaretha E. Kaijen-Lambers, Menno van Nimwegen, Koen Bezemer, Joost P. Hegmans, Thorbald van Hall, Rudi W. Hendriks and Joachim G. Aerts

  Cancer Immunol Res July 1 2017 5 (7) 535-546; DOI:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-16-0309

  
  

  Mesothelioma has a poor prognosis and resists conventional therapies. Although tumor-associated macrophage depletion alone cannot restore antitumor immunity, its combination with dendritic cell–based therapy enhanced immune activation and survival in mesothelioma tumor models.

• Research Articles

  All-Trans Retinoic Acid Prevents Osteosarcoma Metastasis by Inhibiting M2 Polarization of Tumor-Associated Macrophages

  Qian Zhou, Miao Xian, Senfeng Xiang, Danyan Xiang, Xuejing Shao, Jincheng Wang, Ji Cao, Xiaochun Yang, Bo Yang, Meidan Ying and Qiaojun He

  Cancer Immunol Res July 1 2017 5 (7) 547-559; DOI:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-16-0259

  
  

  Metastasis of osteosarcoma to lung depends on tumor-associated macrophages. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) inhibited this metastasis in mice. ATRA downregulated secretion of MMP12, a macrophage-secreted elastase. The results identify ATRA as a possible antimetastasis therapeutic.

• Research Articles

  Converting Lymphoma Cells into Potent Antigen-Presenting Cells for Interferon-Induced Tumor Regression

  Jing Liao, Yan Luan, Zhenhua Ren, Xiaojuan Liu, Diyuan Xue, Hairong Xu, Zhichen Sun, Kaiting Yang, Hua Peng and Yang-Xin Fu

  Cancer Immunol Res July 1 2017 5 (7) 560-570; DOI:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-16-0221

  
  

  Although mAbs to hCD20 are used therapeutically for B-cell lymphoma, some lymphomas are resistant. In mice, interferon-α (IFNα) abolished resistance. Treatment with an anti-CD20–IFNα fusion protein eradicated B-cell lymphoma by co-opting tumor cells to present antigen.

• Research Articles

  Transgenic Expression of IL15 Improves Antiglioma Activity of IL13Rα2-CAR T Cells but Results in Antigen Loss Variants

  Giedre Krenciute, Brooke L. Prinzing, Zhongzhen Yi, Meng-Fen Wu, Hao Liu, Gianpietro Dotti, Irina V. Balyasnikova and Stephen Gottschalk

  Cancer Immunol Res July 1 2017 5 (7) 571-581; DOI:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-16-0376

  
  

  Glioblastoma responds imperfectly to immunotherapy. Transgenic expression of IL15 in T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors improved their proliferative capacity, persistence, and cytokine production. The emergence of antigen-loss variants highlights the need to target multiple tumor antigens.

• Research Articles

  Shifting the Balance of Activating and Inhibitory Natural Killer Receptor Ligands on BRAF^V600E Melanoma Lines with Vemurafenib

  Alexandra Frazao, Marina Colombo, Emmanuelle Fourmentraux-Neves, Meriem Messaoudene, Sylvie Rusakiewicz, Laurence Zitvogel, Eric Vivier, Frédéric Vély, Florence Faure, Brigitte Dréno, Houssem Benlalam, Fanny Bouquet, Ariel Savina, Eric Pasmant, Antoine Toubert, Marie-Françoise Avril and Anne Caignard

  Cancer Immunol Res July 1 2017 5 (7) 582-593; DOI:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-16-0380

  
  

  Vemurafenib-treated melanomas of most patients whose tumors harbor BRAF mutations regress, but not durably. Vemurafenib, a Raf kinase-inhibitor, was found to alter expression of natural killer cell–recognized stress-induced ligands, which in turn affected natural killer cell cytotoxicity.

• Research Articles

  Intravesical BCG Induces CD4⁺ T-Cell Expansion in an Immune Competent Model of Bladder Cancer

  Max Kates, Thomas Nirschl, Nikolai A. Sopko, Hotaka Matsui, Christina M. Kochel, Leonardo O. Reis, George J. Netto, Mohammad O. Hoque, Noah M. Hahn, David J. McConkey, Alex S. Baras, Charles G. Drake and Trinity J. Bivalacqua

  Cancer Immunol Res July 1 2017 5 (7) 594-603; DOI:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-16-0267

  
  

  Intravesical bacillus Calmette–Guéerin (BCG) instillations are standard of care for early stage bladder cancer. BCG was found to recruit T cells to the bladder, but their phenotype was unchanged, implying that combining T cell–activating agents with BCG might improve clinical activity.

• Research Articles

  Antitumor Effects of Epidrug/IFNα Combination Driven by Modulated Gene Signatures in Both Colorectal Cancer and Dendritic Cells

  Alessandra Fragale, Giulia Romagnoli, Valerio Licursi, Maria Buoncervello, Giorgia Del Vecchio, Caterina Giuliani, Stefania Parlato, Celeste Leone, Marta De Angelis, Irene Canini, Elena Toschi, Filippo Belardelli, Rodolfo Negri, Imerio Capone, Carlo Presutti and Lucia Gabriele

  Cancer Immunol Res July 1 2017 5 (7) 604-616; DOI:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-17-0080

  
  

  A combination of two epidrugs plus IFN has antitumor effects in colorectal cancer. Epigenetic changes driven by IRF8 in both metastatic colorectal cancer cells and dendritic cells led to increased tumor cell death and increased activity of DCs.