Publications by authors named "Amber E de Groot"
Article Synopsis
- TIGIT is an inhibitory receptor that competes with CD226 on immune cells, and targeting it may improve anti-tumor immunity, especially in exhausted CD8+ T cells and regulatory T cells.
- Combining different types of anti-TIGIT antibodies (Fc-enabled and Fc-silent) with another treatment showed varied effects on tumors: Fc-enabled antibodies reduced regulatory T cell numbers, while Fc-silent antibodies did not deplete these cells but enhanced the activity of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells.
- The study highlights that Fc-silent anti-TIGIT antibodies can drive antitumor responses by activating exhausted T cells without affecting regulatory T cells, indicating their potential for cancer therapy.
Article Synopsis
- The prostate cancer tumor microenvironment (TME) contains various cell types, including macrophages that can be M1-like (anti-tumor) or M2-like (pro-tumor), with M2 macrophages playing a key role in efferocytosis, the process of engulfing dying cells.
- Research suggests that targeting MerTK, a receptor involved in efferocytosis, may hinder tumor growth and enhance anti-tumor immune responses.
- Initial findings from experiments show that M2 macrophages have a higher capacity for efferocytosis of prostate cancer cells and that inhibiting MerTK reduces this process, promoting a shift toward a more anti-tumor immune profile in a mouse model.
Article Synopsis
- Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are key components in the tumor microenvironment, often promoting tumor growth and metastasis through a pro-tumor M2-like phenotype.
- Treatment with Dupilumab, an IL-4 receptor alpha antagonist, reduces M2 macrophage characteristics in human ex vivo models by altering cell surface markers and gene expression.
- In animal studies, targeting IL-4R alpha significantly decreases M2-like markers on TAMs, suggesting it could be a promising therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment.
Article Synopsis
- Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are important in prostate cancer and common orthotopic models do not accurately represent the tumor microenvironment.
- Genetically engineered mouse models, specifically Hi-Myc and TRAMP, have been studied to understand TAM characteristics and their role in tumor progression.
- The Hi-Myc model shows a higher density of TAMs and is suggested to better reflect human prostate cancer, making it a more suitable option for developing novel therapies targeting the TME.
Sci Transl Med
February 2020
Article Synopsis
- Solid tumors trigger an immune response, but this response often aids tumor growth instead of fighting it, mainly due to the presence of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs).
- RP-182 is a synthetic compound that targets the mannose receptor on M2-like macrophages, reprogramming them from supporting tumors to an antitumor M1-like phenotype, which boosts immune activity.
- In various murine cancer models, RP-182 showed success in slowing tumor growth and enhancing survival, especially when used alongside traditional therapies, while also increasing the phagocytosis of cancer cells by the reprogrammed TAMs.
Article Synopsis
- The progression of cancer is influenced by both malignant cell growth and the behavior of the tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs).
- Depending on their polarization, TAMs can either promote (M2) or inhibit (M1) tumor growth, with epigenetic regulation playing a critical role in this process.
- The review discusses current knowledge on key epigenetic enzymes and their potential as pharmacologic modulators to selectively target M2 macrophages in cancer treatment.
Nat Rev Clin Oncol
June 2018
Article Synopsis
- Cancers are complex ecosystems made up of various cell types and noncellular components, including a crucial part called the tumour stroma.
- Most cancer treatments focus solely on killing cancer cells, but the tumour stroma can help cancer cells resist these therapies, complicating treatment outcomes.
- Combining treatments that target both cancer cells and the tumour stroma could lead to more effective therapies and better results for patients.
Mol Cancer Res
April 2017
Article Synopsis
- Metastasis occurs when cancer cells spread from the original tumor to other parts of the body, which can lead to severe complications.
- Current research primarily emphasizes the interaction between metastatic cells ("seeds") and their new environments ("soil"), but the conditions within the original tumor’s environment have received less attention.
- Understanding the selective pressures within the primary tumor that lead to the development of aggressive metastatic cells is crucial for advancing our knowledge of prostate cancer metastasis.
J Am Chem Soc
August 2016
Article Synopsis
- A new method called "Glyco-seek" allows for the non-destructive analysis of O-GlcNAcylated proteins using a combination of labeling, proximity ligation, and quantitative PCR.
- This technique offers extremely high sensitivity, enabling the detection of very low amounts (attomoles) of glycoproteins in cellular samples.
- Glyco-seek can operate alongside traditional assays to measure both O-GlcNAcylation levels and total protein amounts, providing a comprehensive view of protein modifications without the need for complex isolation processes.
J Am Chem Soc
August 2015
Article Synopsis
- Developing reagents to detect glycosylated proteins poses challenges, but cyclooctyne-aptamer conjugates offer a promising solution.
- These conjugates target and bind to specific glycans on a protein in live cells, allowing for precise detection.
- The study shows these aptamer conjugates can successfully identify different glycosylation forms using techniques like mass spectrometry and Western blotting, indicating their potential for broader research applications in cell biology.
