Publications by authors named "Jean-Christophe Marine"

Article Synopsis
  • Transitioning from a proliferative to an invasive melanoma phenotype increases vulnerability to ferroptosis, but the regulatory circuits behind this susceptibility are unclear.
  • Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) was identified as a key lipid-metabolism gene that helps differentiate between ferroptosis-resistant and sensitive melanoma states by protecting invasive cells from ferroptosis-inducing agents.
  • The study suggests that ApoE secretion and its expression may serve as potential biomarkers for poor response to ferroptosis in melanoma patients.
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  • Drug resistance poses a major obstacle to cancer treatments, with drug-tolerant 'persister' (DTP) cells playing a key role in this resistance.
  • DTP cells exhibit high plasticity and can shift between different states, leading to various phenotypes in tumors, but their specific biological characteristics are still not fully understood.
  • The study aims to review existing knowledge about DTPs while suggesting future research directions and potential strategies to target and eliminate these cells in order to improve treatment outcomes.
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  • Transfer RNA (tRNA) dynamics play a significant role in cancer by influencing how messenger RNA (mRNA) translates into proteins, specifically through aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases that can either encourage or inhibit tumor growth.
  • Research indicates that valine aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (VARS) is crucial for the changes in protein translation related to resistance against MAPK therapy in melanoma patients, as there is an increased use of valine in their proteomes.
  • Additionally, reducing VARS levels can make MAPK-resistant melanoma cells more sensitive to treatment, as VARS is linked to the translation of key mRNAs that support cell survival via fatty acid oxidation.
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Metastasis is a multistep process by which cancer cells break away from their original location and spread to distant organs, and is responsible for the vast majority of cancer-related deaths. Preventing early metastatic dissemination would revolutionize the ability to fight cancer. Unfortunately, the relatively poor understanding of the molecular underpinnings of metastasis has hampered the development of effective anti-metastatic drugs.

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Summary: Cancer is traditionally perceived through a genetic lens, with therapeutic strategies targeting oncogenic driver mutations. We advocate an overarching framework recognizing tumors as comprising driver, passenger, and trailer cell states: Tailoring therapies to simultaneously target driver genetics and cell states may enhance effectiveness and durability.

Significance: We redefine cancer progression by introducing a model that categorizes tumor cells into "driver," "passenger," and "trailer" phenotypes, expanding the focus on genetic aberrations to cellular behavior.

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Genes limiting T cell antitumor activity may serve as therapeutic targets. It has not been systematically studied whether there are regulators that uniquely or broadly contribute to T cell fitness. We perform genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens in primary CD8 T cells to uncover genes negatively impacting fitness upon three modes of stimulation: (1) intense, triggering activation-induced cell death (AICD); (2) acute, triggering expansion; (3) chronic, causing dysfunction.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers studied the cellular structure of melanoma tumors and their changes when treated with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) to understand why some patients resist this therapy.
  • They found that a specific cell type with a mesenchymal-like (MES) state, which is associated with resistance to treatment, was more common in patients who did not respond to ICB.
  • The study identified TCF4 as a key regulator that controls this resistance by suppressing other important immune functions, and targeting TCF4 could enhance the effectiveness of both ICB and other therapies in melanoma treatment.
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Targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) is crucial for effective cancer treatment . However, the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to LGR5 CSCs depletion in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain largely elusive. Here, we unveil the existence of a primitive cell state dubbed the oncofetal (OnF) state, which works in tandem with the LGR5 stem cells (SCs) to fuel tumor evolution in CRC.

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Unlabelled: Cancer cells adapt and survive through the acquisition and selection of molecular modifications. This process defines cancer evolution. Building on a theoretical framework based on heritable genetic changes has provided insights into the mechanisms supporting cancer evolution.

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Tumor endothelial cells (TECs) actively repress inflammatory responses and maintain an immune-excluded tumor phenotype. However, the molecular mechanisms that sustain TEC-mediated immunosuppression remain largely elusive. Here, we show that autophagy ablation in TECs boosts antitumor immunity by supporting infiltration and effector function of T-cells, thereby restricting melanoma growth.

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Tumors are heterogeneous ecosystems in which cancer cells coexist within a complex tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). The malignant, stromal, and immune cell compartments establish a plethora of bidirectional cell-cell communication crosstalks that influence tumor growth and metastatic dissemination, which we are only beginning to understand. Cancer cells either co-opt or promote the formation of new blood and lymphatic vessels to cope with their need for nutrients and oxygen.

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Nuclear receptors (NRs) are implicated in the regulation of tumors and immune cells. We identify a tumor-intrinsic function of the orphan NR, NR2F6, regulating antitumor immunity. NR2F6 was selected from 48 candidate NRs based on an expression pattern in melanoma patient specimens (i.

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The cell-autonomous balance of immune-inhibitory and -stimulatory signals is a critical process in cancer immune evasion. Using patient-derived co-cultures, humanized mouse models, and single-cell RNA-sequencing of patient melanomas biopsied before and on immune checkpoint blockade, we find that intact cancer cell-intrinsic expression of CD58 and ligation to CD2 is required for anti-tumor immunity and is predictive of treatment response. Defects in this axis promote immune evasion through diminished T cell activation, impaired intratumoral T cell infiltration and proliferation, and concurrently increased PD-L1 protein stabilization.

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Article Synopsis
  • Current cancer immunotherapies primarily depend on CD8 T cells to kill tumor cells, but challenges arise from tumors with MHC deficiencies and immunosuppressive environments.* -
  • New research highlights that even a small number of CD4 T cells can effectively target MHC-deficient tumors by clustering at tumor edges and interacting with specific antigen-presenting cells.* -
  • The involvement of CD4 T cells leads to a shift in the immune response, enhancing the activation of tumor-killing myeloid cells and allowing for remote tumor destruction, suggesting a need for novel strategies that utilize CD4 T cells in cancer treatment.*
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Apoptosis is a form of regulated cell death (RCD) that involves proteases of the caspase family. Pharmacological and genetic strategies that experimentally inhibit or delay apoptosis in mammalian systems have elucidated the key contribution of this process not only to (post-)embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis, but also to the etiology of multiple human disorders. Consistent with this notion, while defects in the molecular machinery for apoptotic cell death impair organismal development and promote oncogenesis, the unwarranted activation of apoptosis promotes cell loss and tissue damage in the context of various neurological, cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, infectious, neoplastic and inflammatory conditions.

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Background: One of the key limitations of targeted cancer therapies is the rapid onset of therapy resistance. Taking BRAF-mutant melanoma as paradigm, we previously identified the lipogenic regulator SREBP-1 as a central mediator of resistance to MAPK-targeted therapy. Reasoning that lipogenesis-mediated alterations in membrane lipid poly-unsaturation lie at the basis of therapy resistance, we targeted fatty acid synthase (FASN) as key player in this pathway to evoke an exquisite vulnerability to clinical inducers of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby rationalizing a novel clinically actionable combination therapy to overcome therapy resistance.

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Background: Immune responses against tumors are subject to negative feedback regulation. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) blocking Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), a receptor expressed on T cells, or its ligand PD-L1 have significantly improved the treatment of cancer, in particular malignant melanoma. Nevertheless, responses and durability are variables, suggesting that additional critical negative feedback mechanisms exist and need to be targeted to improve therapeutic efficacy.

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By restoring tryptophan, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors aim to reactivate anti-tumor T cells. However, a phase III trial assessing their clinical benefit failed, prompting us to revisit the role of IDO1 in tumor cells under T cell attack. We show here that IDO1 inhibition leads to an adverse protection of melanoma cells to T cell-derived interferon-gamma (IFNγ).

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Metabolic rewiring is often considered an adaptive pressure limiting metastasis formation; however, some nutrients available at distant organs may inherently promote metastatic growth. We find that the lung and liver are lipid-rich environments. Moreover, we observe that pre-metastatic niche formation increases palmitate availability only in the lung, whereas a high-fat diet increases it in both organs.

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Immunotherapies, in particular immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), have improved the clinical outcome of cancer patients, although many fail to mount a durable response. Several resistance mechanisms have been identified, but our understanding of the requirements for a robust ICB response is incomplete. We have engineered an MHC I/antigen: TCR-matched panel of human NSCLC cancer and T cells to identify tumor cell-intrinsic T cell resistance mechanisms.

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Article Synopsis
  • The absence of T cell infiltration in tumors presents a challenge for successful cancer immunotherapy, while the presence of tumor-associated lymphoid structures (TA-TLLSs) indicates a better chance of patient recovery.
  • Recent research shows that antiangiogenic therapies can transform blood vessels in tumors into specialized structures (HEVs) that support immune cell activity through specific signaling pathways.
  • These tumor-derived HEVs promote the entry of immune cells, creating favorable conditions for CD8 T cell development, and their existence relies on ongoing signals from immune cells, highlighting a dynamic relationship between tumors and the immune system.
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