Corrigendum to "MIF-CD74 axis facilitates MDSC infiltration in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma" [Cancer Lett. 645, (2026), 218348].
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Published Erratum↗
Biomedical subjects
Shigehisa Kitano
Publications and source records attributed to Shigehisa Kitano.
Sequential Immune Activation of Effector T Cells as Biomarkers of Response to Durvalumab in Patients with Locally Advanced NSCLC.
PURPOSE: Durvalumab therapy following concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) improves progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. In this prospective observational study, we evaluated the changes in peripheral blood immune cell counts to elucidate the immunologic mechanisms underlying cCRT and durvalumab therapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples were collected at four time points: before cCRT, after cCRT, at the start of durvalumab, and 8 weeks after the start of durvalumab, and analyzed by multicolor flow cytometry. RESULTS: Of the 149 enrolled patients, 115 received durvalumab consolidation therapy after cCRT. The median PFS in the overall population was 24.2 months, and the 3-year PFS rate was 38.9%. PBMC analysis showed an increased effector fraction of CD4+ T cells before and after cCRT but no change in CD8+ T cells. Following durvalumab therapy, the effector fraction ratio of CD8+ T cells (CD62Llow CD8+ T cells) increased and positively correlated with increased CD62Llow CD4+ T cells during cCRT. Patients whose proportion of CD62Llow CD4+ T cells exceeded the threshold for cCRT had better PFS than those below the threshold. Patients whose CD62Llow CD8+ T-cell proportion exceeded the threshold after durvalumab therapy showed prolonged PFS compared with those below the threshold. CONCLUSIONS: cCRT promotes an increase in effector CD4+ T cells, and the subsequent increase in CD8+ T cells following durvalumab therapy prolongs PFS. Peripheral blood effector-type CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are potential biomarkers for evaluating the immune status of patients and predicting treatment efficacy.
Humans↗
MIF-CD74 axis facilitates MDSC infiltration in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors show insufficient efficacy against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The tumor microenvironment (TME) has a remarkable influence on responsiveness to cancer immunotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate immunosuppressive characteristics of TME in PDAC tissues. The flow cytometry (FCM) of PDAC surgical specimens revealed that the profile of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes was classified into myeloid cell- and T-cell-dominant subtypes; the myeloid subtype was associated with poorer patient outcomes. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) showed the highest hazard ratio among various myeloid cell types. Single-cell RNA sequencing and FCM revealed that most MDSCs, but not lymphocytes, in PDAC tissues characteristically express CD74. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a CD74 ligand, was highly expressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer cells. Spatial transcriptomics demonstrated that the MIF-CD74+ myeloid cell interaction was recognized in CAF-dominant areas in PDAC tissue. CAFs expressing immune suppressor molecules such as MFAP5 and LRRC15 were consistent with MIF+ CAFs. Furthermore, MIF+ CAFs enhanced the migratory activity of MDSCs and promoted MDSC induction and activation. In the murine model, MDSCs were significantly increased in MIF-expressing PDAC tumors, as were CD74+ M-MDSCs per M-MDSC, confirming in vivo interaction between CD74 and MIF. MDSCs play a crucial role in creating an immunosuppressive TME in PDAC; the MIF-CD74 axis drives interactions between MDSCs and CAFs.
Humans↗
Immunological Features of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms and Adrenal Tumors.
Neuroendocrine neoplasms, which occur throughout the human body, as well as adrenocortical carcinoma and pheochromocytoma, which originate in the adrenal gland, are primarily classified as rare malignancies. Immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), is generally not incorporated into the standard care protocols for these tumors. The clinical efficacy of ICIs in these tumors has been modest. This may be due to the biological heterogeneity of these tumors. The tumor immune microenvironment profiles are heterogeneous among the molecular subtypes of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma, suggesting a potential benefit observed in selected subgroups. Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) exhibits spontaneous activation of adaptive immunity, unlike well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors. A delta-like ligand 3-directed T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody, tarlatamab, has recently demonstrated prolonged survival in small cell lung cancer, and investigations into its use in extrapulmonary NEC are underway. This review examines the immunological features of representative neuroendocrine and adrenal tumors (neuroendocrine tumor, neuroendocrine carcinoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, and pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma). In the future, elucidating the relationship between specific molecular subtypes and immunophenotypes may facilitate the development of personalized therapies and guide clinical investigations in promising patient subpopulations.
Humans↗