@article{SchoenBerkingBiedermannetal.2020, author = {Sch{\"o}n, Michael P. and Berking, Carola and Biedermann, Tilo and Buhl, Timo and Erpenbeck, Luise and Eyerich, Kilian and Eyerich, Stefanie and Ghoreschi, Kamran and Goebeler, Matthias and Ludwig, Ralf J. and Sch{\"a}kel, Knut and Schilling, Bastian and Schlapbach, Christoph and Stary, Georg and von Stebut, Esther and Steinbrink, Kerstin}, title = {COVID-19 and immunological regulations - from basic and translational aspects to clinical implications}, series = {JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft}, volume = {18}, journal = {JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft}, number = {8}, doi = {10.1111/ddg.14169}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-218205}, pages = {795 -- 807}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has far-reaching direct and indirect medical consequences. These include both the course and treatment of diseases. It is becoming increasingly clear that infections with SARS-CoV-2 can cause considerable immunological alterations, which particularly also affect pathogenetically and/or therapeutically relevant factors. Against this background we summarize here the current state of knowledge on the interaction of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 with mediators of the acute phase of inflammation (TNF, IL-1, IL-6), type 1 and type 17 immune responses (IL-12, IL-23, IL-17, IL-36), type 2 immune reactions (IL-4, IL-13, IL-5, IL-31, IgE), B-cell immunity, checkpoint regulators (PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA4), and orally druggable signaling pathways (JAK, PDE4, calcineurin). In addition, we discuss in this context non-specific immune modulation by glucocorticosteroids, methotrexate, antimalarial drugs, azathioprine, dapsone, mycophenolate mofetil and fumaric acid esters, as well as neutrophil granulocyte-mediated innate immune mechanisms. From these recent findings we derive possible implications for the therapeutic modulation of said immunological mechanisms in connection with SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19. Although, of course, the greatest care should be taken with patients with immunologically mediated diseases or immunomodulating therapies, it appears that many treatments can also be carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic; some even appear to alleviate COVID-19.}, language = {en} } @article{JessenKressBaluapurietal.2020, author = {Jessen, Christina and Kreß, Julia K. C. and Baluapuri, Apoorva and Hufnagel, Anita and Schmitz, Werner and Kneitz, Susanne and Roth, Sabine and Marquardt, Andr{\´e} and Appenzeller, Silke and Ade, Casten P. and Glutsch, Valerie and Wobser, Marion and Friedmann-Angeli, Jos{\´e} Pedro and Mosteo, Laura and Goding, Colin R. and Schilling, Bastian and Geissinger, Eva and Wolf, Elmar and Meierjohann, Svenja}, title = {The transcription factor NRF2 enhances melanoma malignancy by blocking differentiation and inducing COX2 expression}, series = {Oncogene}, volume = {39}, journal = {Oncogene}, issn = {0950-9232}, doi = {10.1038/s41388-020-01477-8}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235064}, pages = {6841-6855}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The transcription factor NRF2 is the major mediator of oxidative stress responses and is closely connected to therapy resistance in tumors harboring activating mutations in the NRF2 pathway. In melanoma, such mutations are rare, and it is unclear to what extent melanomas rely on NRF2. Here we show that NRF2 suppresses the activity of the melanocyte lineage marker MITF in melanoma, thereby reducing the expression of pigmentation markers. Intriguingly, we furthermore identified NRF2 as key regulator of immune-modulating genes, linking oxidative stress with the induction of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) in an ATF4-dependent manner. COX2 is critical for the secretion of prostaglandin E2 and was strongly induced by H\(_2\)O\(_2\) or TNFα only in presence of NRF2. Induction of MITF and depletion of COX2 and PGE2 were also observed in NRF2-deleted melanoma cells in vivo. Furthermore, genes corresponding to the innate immune response such as RSAD2 and IFIH1 were strongly elevated in absence of NRF2 and coincided with immune evasion parameters in human melanoma datasets. Even in vitro, NRF2 activation or prostaglandin E2 supplementation blunted the induction of the innate immune response in melanoma cells. Transcriptome analyses from lung adenocarcinomas indicate that the observed link between NRF2 and the innate immune response is not restricted to melanoma.}, language = {en} } @article{SchummerSchillingGesierich2020, author = {Schummer, Patrick and Schilling, Bastian and Gesierich, Anja}, title = {Long‑Term Outcomes in BRAF‑Mutated Melanoma Treated with Combined Targeted Therapy or Immune Checkpoint Blockade: Are We Approaching a True Cure?}, series = {American Journal of Clinical Dermatology}, volume = {21}, journal = {American Journal of Clinical Dermatology}, issn = {1175-0561}, doi = {10.1007/s40257-020-00509-z}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-234818}, pages = {493-504}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Approximately 50\% of all melanomas harbor an activating BRAF mutation. In patients suffering from an advanced melanoma with such a somatic alteration, combined targeted therapy with a BRAF and MEK inhibitor can be applied to significantly increase the survival probability. Nevertheless, resistance mechanisms, as well as negative predictive biomarkers (elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels, high number of metastatic organ disease sites, brain metastasis), remain a major problem in treating melanoma patients. Recently, a landmark overall survival (OS) rate of 34\% after 5 years of combined targeted therapy in treatment-na{\"i}ve patients was reported. On the other hand, patients harboring a BRAF mutation and receiving first-line immune checkpoint blockade with ipilimumab plus nivolumab showed a 5-year OS rate of 60\%. As indicated by these data, long-term survival can be reached in melanoma patients but it remains unclear if this is equivalent to reaching a true cure for metastatic melanoma. In this review, we summarize the recent results for combined targeted therapy and immunotherapy in advanced melanoma harboring an activating BRAF mutation and discuss the impact of baseline characteristics on long-term outcome.}, language = {en} } @article{GlutschAmaralGarbeetal.2020, author = {Glutsch, Valerie and Amaral, Teresa and Garbe, Claus and Thoms, Kai-Martin and Mohr, Peter and Hauschild, Axel and Schilling, Bastian}, title = {Indirect Comparison of Combined BRAF and MEK Inhibition in Melanoma Patients with Elevated Baseline Lactate Dehydrogenase}, series = {Acta Dermato-Venereologica}, volume = {100}, journal = {Acta Dermato-Venereologica}, doi = {10.2340/00015555-3526}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-230190}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The approval of BRAF and MEK inhibitors has signifi-cantly improved treatment outcomes for patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma. The 3 first-line targeted therapy trials have provided similar results, and thus the identification of predictive biomarkers may generate a more precise basis for clinical deci-sion-making. Elevated baseline lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) has already been determined as a strong prog-nostic factor. Therefore, this indirect analysis compa-red subgroups with elevated baseline LDH across the pivotal targeted therapy trials co-BRIM, COMBI-v and COLUMBUS part 1. The Bucher method was used to compare progression-free survival, objective response rate and overall survival indirectly. The results show a non-significant risk reduction for progression in the subgroup with elevated baseline LDH receiving vemu-rafenib plus cobimetinib compared with dabrafenib plus trametinib and encorafenib plus binimetinib. Al-though an indirect comparison, these data might pro-vide some guidance for treatment recommendations in melanoma patients with elevated LDH.}, language = {en} } @article{StepulaKoenigWangetal.2020, author = {Stepula, Elzbieta and K{\"o}nig, Matthias and Wang, Xin-Ping and Levermann, Janina and Schimming, Tobias and Kasimir-Bauer, Sabine and Schilling, Bastian and Schl{\"u}cker, Sebastian}, title = {Localization of PD-L1 on single cancer cells by iSERS microscopy with Au/Au core/satellite nanoparticles}, series = {Journal of Biophotonics}, volume = {13}, journal = {Journal of Biophotonics}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1002/jbio.201960034}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-212655}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an important predictive biomarker. The detection of PD-L1 can be crucial for patients with advanced cancer where the use of immunotherapy is considered. Here, we demonstrate the use of immuno-SERS microscopy (iSERS) for localizing PD-L1 on single cancer SkBr-3 cells. A central advantage of iSERS is that the disturbing autofluorescence from cells and tissues can be efficiently minimized by red to near-infrared laser excitation. In this study we employed Au/Au core/satellite nanoparticles as SERS nanotags because of their remarkable signal brightness and colloidal stability upon red laser excitation. False-color iSERS images of the positive and negative controls clearly reveal the specific localization of PD-L1 with SERS nanotag-labeled antibodies.}, language = {en} } @article{KrebsSolimandoKalogirouetal.2020, author = {Krebs, Markus and Solimando, Antonio Giovanni and Kalogirou, Charis and Marquardt, Andr{\´e} and Frank, Torsten and Sokolakis, Ioannis and Hatzichristodoulou, Georgios and Kneitz, Susanne and Bargou, Ralf and K{\"u}bler, Hubert and Schilling, Bastian and Spahn, Martin and Kneitz, Burkhard}, title = {miR-221-3p Regulates VEGFR2 Expression in High-Risk Prostate Cancer and Represents an Escape Mechanism from Sunitinib In Vitro}, series = {Journal of Clinical Medicine}, volume = {9}, journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine}, number = {3}, issn = {2077-0383}, doi = {10.3390/jcm9030670}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-203168}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Downregulation of miR-221-3p expression in prostate cancer (PCa) predicted overall and cancer-specific survival of high-risk PCa patients. Apart from PCa, miR-221-3p expression levels predicted a response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients. Since this role of miR-221-3p was explained with a specific targeting of VEGFR2, we examined whether miR-221-3p regulated VEGFR2 in PCa. First, we confirmed VEGFR2/KDR as a target gene of miR-221-3p in PCa cells by applying Luciferase reporter assays and Western blotting experiments. Although VEGFR2 was mainly downregulated in the PCa cohort of the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database, VEGFR2 was upregulated in our high-risk PCa cohort (n = 142) and predicted clinical progression. In vitro miR-221-3p acted as an escape mechanism from TKI in PC3 cells, as displayed by proliferation and apoptosis assays. Moreover, we confirmed that Sunitinib induced an interferon-related gene signature in PC3 cells by analyzing external microarray data and by demonstrating a significant upregulation of miR-221-3p/miR-222-3p after Sunitinib exposure. Our findings bear a clinical perspective for high-risk PCa patients with low miR-221-3p levels since this could predict a favorable TKI response. Apart from this therapeutic niche, we identified a partially oncogenic function of miR-221-3p as an escape mechanism from VEGFR2 inhibition.}, language = {en} }