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Clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs) represent ∼75% of RCC cases and account for most RCC-associated deaths. Inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) results in varying prognosis and treatment outcomes. To obtain the most comprehensive profile of ccRCC, we perform integrative histopathologic, proteogenomic, and metabolomic analyses on 305 ccRCC tumor segments and 166 paired adjacent normal tissues from 213 cases. Combining histologic and molecular profiles reveals ITH in 90% of ccRCCs, with 50% demonstrating immune signature heterogeneity. High tumor grade, along with BAP1 mutation, genome instability, increased hypermethylation, and a specific protein glycosylation signature define a high-risk disease subset, where UCHL1 expression displays prognostic value. Single-nuclei RNA sequencing of the adverse sarcomatoid and rhabdoid phenotypes uncover gene signatures and potential insights into tumor evolution. In vitro cell line studies confirm the potential of inhibiting identified phosphoproteome targets. This study molecularly stratifies aggressive histopathologic subtypes that may inform more effective treatment strategies.

Current FDA-approved imaging modalities are inadequate for localizing prostate cancer biochemical recurrence (BCR).Men with rising PSA ≥0.2 ng/mL after prostatectomy or ≥2 ng/mL above nadir after radiotherapy were eligible. The primary endpoint was correct localization rate (CLR), defined as positive predictive value with an additional requirement of anatomic lesion colocalization betweenA total of 208 men with a median baseline PSA of 0.8 ng/mL (range: 0.2-98.4 ng/mL) underwentPerformance of

Background Chemokines and chemoattractants play critical roles in trafficking that help regulate leukocyte infiltrates in the tumor microenvironment. Chemokines/chemoattractants can also modulate tumor cell phenotype and function, as tumor cells express functional receptors for these agents. Chemerin (retinoic acid receptor responder 2, RARRES2) is an endogenous leukocyte chemoattractant that recruits innate immune cells through its receptor, CMKLR1. RARRES2 is widely expressed in nonhematopoietic tissues and often downregulated across multiple tumor types compared with normal tissue. We and others have shown that augmenting chemerin in the tumor microenvironment significantly suppresses tumor growth, in part, by immune effector cell recruitment. As chemerin has various roles outside of leukocyte trafficking (eg adipocyte differentiation and metabolic processes), we hypothesized that it may have additional, tumor-intrinsic effects. Methods We investigated the effect of exogenous chemerin on human prostate and sarcoma tumor lines. Key signaling pathway components were elucidated using qPCR, Western blotting, siRNA knockdown, and specific inhibitors. Functional consequences of chemerin treatment were evaluated using in vitro and in vivo studies. Results We show for the first time that human tumors exposed to exogenous chemerin significantly upregulate PTEN expression/activity, and concomitantly suppress programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression. CMKLR1 knockdown abrogated chemerin- induced PTEN and PD-L1 modulation, revealing a novel CMKLR1/PTEN/PD-L1 signaling cascade. Targeted inhibitors suggest that signaling occurs through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. We found that chemerin treatment significantly reduced tumor migration, while significantly increasing T-cell–mediated cytotoxicity. Chemerin treatment was as effective as both PD-L1 knockdown and the anti–PD-L1 antibody atezolizumab in augmenting T cell mediated tumor lysis. Forced expression of chemerin in human DU145 prostate tumors significantly suppressed in vivo tumor growth, significantly increasing PTEN and decreasing PD-L1 expression. Primary prostate tumor cultures that were treated with recombinant chemerin showed significant increases in PTEN and decreases in PD-L1 expression compared to controls. Lastly, analyses of clinical trial data from human metastatic prostate cancer patients receiving treatment with ipilimumab (NCT02113657) showed higher tumoral levels of RARRES2 expression correlated with higher levels of PTEN, higher effector immune cell (eg cytotoxic T cells, NK cells) signatures, and improved clinical outcomes, suggesting a strategy to augment chemerin/RARRES2 levels in tumors may improve responses to immunotherapy. Conclusions Collectively, our data show for the first time a novel link between chemerin, PTEN, and PD-L1 in human tumor lines. These results show that chemerin – in addition to its ability to suppress tumor growth by recruitment of immune effector cells, may also have a role in improving T-cell–mediated immunotherapies through favorable modulation of PTEN and PD-L1.

The Editors of Blood retract the 24 February 2011 paper cited above. Concerns regarding the data underlying Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, and 5C were brought to the attention of Stanford University. The university investigated the issue, conducting a search for any original sources of these data. The search was unsuccessful; the experiments, data, and figure preparation for these figures were overseen by Holbrook E. Kohrt, who passed away before the university became aware of the concerns. As a result, the data underlying these figures cannot be validated. Holbrook E. Kohrt is deceased and cannot consent to the retraction. Kipp Weiskopf, Ash A. Alizadeh, Josh Brody, Debra Czerwinski, Steven Coutre, Mark P. Chao, Thomas F. Tedder, and Ronald Levy approve the retraction. Roch Houot, Matthew J. Goldstein, Antonia M.S. Muller, Russell Pachynski, and Lieping Chen could not be reached for a response.

Control of leukocyte trafficking plays a critical role in the establishment of effective immune responses. It is now well established that the number or ratio of effector to suppressor immune cells within the tumor microenvironment can significantly impact tumor growth and clinical outcomes. Recently approved immunotherapies by the FDA, and those in development, aim to stimulate effector immune cell function. For example, many checkpoint inhibitors seek to stimulate an immune response to tumors by reversing T-cell exhaustion. However, activation of the immune response outside the tumor microenvironment can lead to sometimes fatal immune-mediated adverse events -- the result of "on-target, off-tumor" effects. Thus, control of localization of these activated effector cells remains a critical component of optimizing tumor response while minimizing immune-mediated adverse events. Chemokines and chemoattractants, along with their receptors on immune cells, govern leukocyte trafficking; thus, understanding their expression pattern in the context of the tumor microenvironment and developing approaches to favorably alter those should lead to improved efficacy of current immunotherapeutics. This review highlights the background of cancer immunotherapy, leukocyte trafficking, and some novel approaches being utilized to optimize recruitment of effector immune cells into the tumor microenvironment. Future combinatorial immunotherapy should incorporate therapeutics aimed at 1) favorably altering the tumor microenvironment, 2) activating effector immune cells, and 3) optimizing effector cell trafficking into tumors.