What We're Reading
Cancer Immunol Res March 1 2021 9 (3) 253-253;
Lenalidomide treatment for multiple myeloma skews M2-like macrophages to an M1 phenotype because lenalidomide triggers IKZF1 degradation, increasing IRF5 expression and decreasing IRF4. Modulating IKZF1 levels might provide a way to control macrophage polarization for cancer treatment.
CAR T cells targeting the EDB splice variant of fibronectin, a pan-cancer solid tumor target, have potent antitumor activity in preclinical solid tumor models. They can target not only tumor cells but also the tumor vasculature.
ONCR-177 is a next-generation oncolytic virus being tested in the clinic. Preclinical efficacy and safety are reported and highlight the treatment's use as a single-agent, as well as in combination with immune checkpoint blockade.
IL1β is implicated in cancer progression. The authors show that IL1β promotes neutrophil accumulation in tumors and suppresses antitumor immunity independently of the inflammasome, suggesting that therapeutic inflammasome inhibition will not limit IL1β production in certain cancer types.
TGFβ in the tumor microenvironment induces alternative splicing of the transcription factor IRF1, giving rise to a shortened isoform (IRF1Δ7) specifically in CD4+ Th1 cells. IRF1Δ7 inhibits Th1 IFNγ production, highlighting a potential target to boost antitumor responses.
Using a machine learning–based strategy, a multiparametric prognostic model was developed. The constructed 20-feature gradient-boosting survival classifier reproducibly identifies patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that are at the greatest risk of HCC-related death.
Conventional dendritic cells (DC) play a key role in the anti-tumor immune response. The data show that Notch2 deletion in all cells or in only DCs promotes inflammation-associated colorectal carcinogenesis; targeting Notch2-controlled DCs could restrain colon cancer.