Journal: Biomaterials Research

Article Title: A Peptide Inhibitor of Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3 Interaction with Fibrinogen-like Protein 1 Synergizes with Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Blockade to Restore T Cell Activity and Inhibit Tumor Growth

doi: 10.34133/bmr.0364

Figure Lengend Snippet: Combined treatment with LAG3pep-2 and anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1) antibody restores T cell activity against tumor cells. (A) Experimental schemes. CD8+ T cells were isolated from the spleen of MC38 tumor-bearing mice and incubated for 48 h with anti-CD3/CD28 beads (activation) and interleukin-2 (IL-2)/interleukin-15 (IL-15) (proliferation). The activated T cells were co-cultured with MC38 cells in the absence or presence of LAG3pep-2 and anti-mouse PD-L1 antibody alone or in combination. Created with BioRender.com . (B) Activated CD8+ T cells were stained with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) dye and co-cultured with tumor cells for 24 h. The population of CD3+/CFSE− cells was measured. (C to E) After co-culturing for 24 h, the culture medium was collected, and the percentage of cell death (lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] release) (C) and the concentrations of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) (D) and granzyme B (E) were measured. Data are presented as the mean ± SD of 3 independent experiments. * P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01; *** P < 0.001; ns, not significant by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Article Snippet: HEK 293T (human embryonic kidney) cells, Jurkat T (human acute T cell leukemia) cells, THP-1 (acute monocytic leukemia) cells, HepG2 (human liver cancer) cells, and MC38 (C57BL/6 murine colon tumor) cells were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, VA).

Techniques: Activity Assay, Isolation, Incubation, Activation Assay, Cell Culture, Staining

Journal: Biomaterials Research

Article Title: A Peptide Inhibitor of Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3 Interaction with Fibrinogen-like Protein 1 Synergizes with Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Blockade to Restore T Cell Activity and Inhibit Tumor Growth

doi: 10.34133/bmr.0364

Figure Lengend Snippet: LAG3pep-2 synergizes with anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1) antibody to inhibit tumor growth and enhance anti-tumor immunity. (A) Experimental schemes. Mice bearing subcutaneous MC38 tumor were treated with intravenous (iv) administration of LAG3pep-2 and intraperitoneal (ip) administration of anti-mouse PD-L1 and anti-mouse lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) antibodies (10 mg/kg body weight for single treatment and 5 mg/kg body weight for combined treatment). Created with BioRender.com . (B) Tumor volumes (mm 3 ) after treatments. Data are presented as mean ± SD ( n = 5/group). * P < 0.05 ** P < 0.01 from 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) including all treatment groups. (C) Tumor volumes (mm 3 ) of each treatment group after tumor inoculation. (D to G) Tumor tissue cell suspensions were prepared and gated for CD45+CD3+ lymphocytes. The populations of CD4+ T cells (D), CD8+ T cells (E), and FoxP3+ T cells (F) and the ratio of CD8+ T cells/FoxP3+ T cells (G) were measured. Data are presented as mean ± SD ( n = 4/group). * P < 0.05; *** P < 0.01; ns, not significant by one-way ANOVA.

Article Snippet: HEK 293T (human embryonic kidney) cells, Jurkat T (human acute T cell leukemia) cells, THP-1 (acute monocytic leukemia) cells, HepG2 (human liver cancer) cells, and MC38 (C57BL/6 murine colon tumor) cells were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, VA).

Techniques: Activation Assay

Journal: Biomaterials Research

Article Title: A Peptide Inhibitor of Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3 Interaction with Fibrinogen-like Protein 1 Synergizes with Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Blockade to Restore T Cell Activity and Inhibit Tumor Growth

doi: 10.34133/bmr.0364

Figure Lengend Snippet: LAG3pep-2 does not induce immunotoxicity in mice. (A) LAG3pep-2 was administered intraperitoneally to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)-challenged C57BL/6 mice at the indicated doses (0.01 to 100 mg/kg body weight). Cyclophosphamide (CPA) was used as a positive control. Mice were sacrificed, and spleen weights were measured on day 7 posttreatment. (B and C) Serum levels of total IgG2a (B) and total IgE (C). (D to F) The population of CD4+IFN-γ+ T cells (D), CD4+IL-4+ T cells (E), and CD4+IL-17A+ T cells (F) in the spleen. Data are presented as mean ± SD ( n = 5/group).

Article Snippet: HEK 293T (human embryonic kidney) cells, Jurkat T (human acute T cell leukemia) cells, THP-1 (acute monocytic leukemia) cells, HepG2 (human liver cancer) cells, and MC38 (C57BL/6 murine colon tumor) cells were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, VA).

Techniques: Positive Control

Journal: iScience

Article Title: Targeting USP14 enhances immunotherapy response by reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages in colon cancer

doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115362

Figure Lengend Snippet: Targeting USP14 inhibits tumor growth and induces local anti-tumor immunity in vivo (A) Representative images of MC38 tumors harvested on day 21 post-inoculation from mice treated with IU1 (20 mg/kg, i.p., on days 6, 9, 12, and 15) or vehicle control. (B) Statistics of MC38 tumor growth rate following IU1 or vehicle treatment in vivo . The intraperitoneal injection dose of IU1 was 20 mg/kg, administered on days 6, 9, 12, and 15. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM ( n = 6 per group). (C) Spider diagram of the tumor volume growth in each mouse from the IU1 group and the PBS group. (D) Gating strategy for the detection of the TAMs by flow cytometry. We first obtained live cells, and then identified cells that were positive for CD45, CD11b, F4-80, and CD206 as M2 macrophages. (E–P) Proportions of neutrophil (E), M2 macrophage (F), M1 macrophage (G), MDSC (H), activated DCs (I), CD4 T cell (J), Treg cells (K), CD8 T cell (L), IFN-γ + CD8 T cell (M), precursor exhausted T cells (TCF-1 + ) (N), effective CD8 T cells (PD-1 + ) (O) and activated CD8 T cell (CD69 + ) (P) in the TME of the IU1 group and the control group by using flow cytometry. (Q–U) Cytokines IFN-γ (Q), TNF-α (R), IL-2 (S), IL-10 (T), and IL-12 (U) in the TME of each group were detected by Mul-Analyte Flow Assay Kit. (V) Schematic illustration of the proposed mechanism of action of IU1 in reprogramming the tumor microenvironment. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, and ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, and ns: not significant.

Article Snippet: Mouse colon cancer cells MC38 , Procell , CL-0972.

Techniques: In Vivo, Control, Injection, Flow Cytometry

Journal: iScience

Article Title: Targeting USP14 enhances immunotherapy response by reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages in colon cancer

doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115362

Figure Lengend Snippet: Identification of the mechanism underlying IU1-mediated reprogramming of M2 macrophages (A and B) Verification of the efficiency of i.v. injection of clodronate liposome (Clo) in depleting TAMs of the blood (A) and the TME (B). (C and D) Statistics of tumor size monitored for 21 days in MC38 tumor-bearing mice after various indicated treatments. (E) Statistic of the percentage of CTLs in the TME after the indicated treatment. (F) Volcano plots of the differentially expressed genes between the PBS and the IU1 group. Red dots show significantly up-regulated genes in the IU1 group, and green dots show significantly down-regulated genes. (G) Heatmap illustrates the differentially expressed M1-and M2-related genes in TAMs in the IU1 group and the PBS group based on RNA sequencing results. (H) KEGG analysis identifies the 17 most enriched pathways based on the differentially expressed genes of the two groups. (I) Western blotting of p -JNK, p -ERK, p-p38, and GAPDH in IL-4/13-BMDM M2 cells treated with IU1 at the indicated time points. (J) RT-PCR to verify the typical M1/M2 polarization-related genes in M2 macrophages after treatment with IU1. (K) Flow cytometry analysis of CD206 expression on the IL-4/13-induced BMDM M2 cells from various indicated treatments. Treatments indicated: DMSO stimulation, IU1 (10 μM) stimulation, IU1 (10 μM) stimulation in the presence of inhibitors of p38 (SB203580, 10 μM), JNK (SP600125, 10 μM), Erk1/2 (U0126-EtOH, 10 μM). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparison test. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, and ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, and ns: not significant.

Article Snippet: Mouse colon cancer cells MC38 , Procell , CL-0972.

Techniques: Injection, RNA Sequencing, Western Blot, Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction, Flow Cytometry, Expressing, Comparison

Journal: iScience

Article Title: Targeting USP14 enhances immunotherapy response by reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages in colon cancer

doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115362

Figure Lengend Snippet: Combined blockade of USP14 and PD-1 exerts a synergistic anti-tumor effect in vivo (A) Gating strategy for distinguishing tumor cells, DC cells, and macrophages. (B) Flow cytometry was used to analyze the differences in PD-L1 expression in tumor cells, DC cells, and macrophages in the indicated treatment groups. (C) Flow cytometry was used to statistically analyze the differences in PD-L1 expression in tumor cells, DC cells, and macrophages in the specified groups. (D) Treatment schedule of the combination of IU1 and PD-1 antibody for the MC38 tumor-bearing mice. The intraperitoneal injection dose of IU1 was 20 mg/kg, administered on days 6, 9, 12, and 15. The intraperitoneal injection dose of anti-PD-1 antibody was 7.5 mg/kg, administered on days 7, 9, 11, and 13. (E and F) Tumor growth was monitored for 21 days in MC38 tumor-bearing mice after various indicated treatments. (G) Kaplan-Meier survival plot shows the survival of mice after the indicated treatments ( n = 10). (H–I) Multicolor immunofluorescence detection of M2 macrophage (H) and CTLs (I) in the TME of the indicated treatment group. Scale bar is 100 μm. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, and ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, and ns: not significant.

Article Snippet: Mouse colon cancer cells MC38 , Procell , CL-0972.

Techniques: In Vivo, Flow Cytometry, Expressing, Injection, Immunofluorescence

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: scRNA-seq reveals differential immune infiltration in αOX40-treated tumors based on response (A) Schematic of the bilateral MC38 tumor model assessing αOX40 response. Humanized OX40 mice received three doses of αOX40, followed by resection of the left tumor for scRNA-seq and flow cytometry analysis. Contralateral tumor dynamics and survival were monitored longitudinally. (B) UMAP visualization of scRNA-seq data from immune cells in MC38-bearing mice following αOX40 treatment. Cells are color-coded by annotated cell type. (C) Heatmap depicting nine transcriptionally distinct immune cell subpopulations. (D) Pie chart shows the relative abundance of nine immune cell clusters in αOX40 responders and nonresponders. (E) Flow cytometry analysis of tumor-infiltrating immune cell frequencies in αOX40-treated MC38-bearing mice. Frequencies of CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, and macrophages were quantified after the third αOX40 dose (control, n = 5 mice; mice with a robust therapeutic response named as responder, n = 4 mice; mice with minimal to no response named as nonresponder, n = 4 mice). Data represent mean ± SD from one of two independent experiments (E). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons. ∗∗ p < 0.01.

Article Snippet: MC38 Mouse colon cancer cell , Shanghai Model Organisms Center , Cat# NO. NM-S13.

Techniques: Flow Cytometry, Control, Clinical Proteomics

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: NOS2-expressing macrophages is associated with response to αOX40 therapy (A) UMAP of monocytes/macrophages subclusters from scRNA-seq data in αOX40-treated MC38-bearing mice. (B) Representative marker genes in the monocyte/macrophage subclusters. (C) Pie chart showing the proportional distribution of monocyte/macrophage subsets of responders and nonresponders. (D) QuSAGE pathway analysis demonstrated enrichment of innate immune and phagocytic signaling pathways in distinct monocyte/macrophage subsets. (E) UMAP showing Mac_C1 signature genes and a heatmap of immune-related gene expression across TAM subclusters ( Z score normalized). (F) Violin plots comparing Nos2 expression levels in Mac_C1 subset between responsive and nonresponsive. (G) Flow cytometry analysis shows the percentage of M1-like (F4/80 + NOS2 + ) and M2-like (F4/80 + CD206 + ) macrophages in tumor tissues of control ( n = 5 mice), nonresponders (with minimal to no response, n = 4 mice), and responders (with a robust therapeutic response, n = 4 mice). (H and I) Comparison of Nos2 expression levels in responders versus nonresponders pre- or post-αOX40 treatment. Bilateral-MC38-bearing mice were treated with αOX40, and tumors from one side were analyzed by RNA-seq prior to (H) or following αOX40 treatment (I). The Nos2 expression was analyzed from RNA-seq data (left) and validated by RT-qPCR (right) ( n = 5 biological replicates). (J) NOS2 expression in tumor biopsies post-treatment determined by RNA-seq. Patients with advanced solid tumors and >1 prior therapy received HFB301001 monotherapy. Tumor biopsy samples were obtained on day 8 of cycle 2 for subsequent RNA-seq analysis. NOS2 expression were compared between patients achieving stable disease (SD, n = 3) and those with progressive disease (PD, n = 3). (K) GO enrichment analysis of upregulated genes in Mac_C1 of responders. (L) Calreticulin expression was quantified by flow cytometry in different response groups following αOX40 treatment ( n = 3 mice per group). (M) NOS2 expression in BMDMs was analyzed by flow cytometry after stimulation with CD8 + T cell supernatant and MC38 lysate, combined with TLR inhibition and IFN-γ blockade ( n = 5 biological replicates). (N) Quantification of Nos2 expression in BMDM by RT-qPCR after 24-h stimulation with MPLA (TLR4 agonist, 100 ng/mL), IFN-γ (20 ng/mL), or both. Data normalized to Gapdh and presented as fold-change relative to unstimulated controls ( n = 4 biological replicates). Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (G, H, I, L, M, and N). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons (G, L, M, and N) or using an unpaired two-tailed t test (H, I, and J). n.s., not significant; ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001; VST, variance stabilized transformation; sup., supernatant; lys., tumor lysate; inh., inhibitor.

Article Snippet: MC38 Mouse colon cancer cell , Shanghai Model Organisms Center , Cat# NO. NM-S13.

Techniques: Expressing, Marker, Protein-Protein interactions, Gene Expression, Flow Cytometry, Control, Clinical Proteomics, Comparison, RNA Sequencing, Quantitative RT-PCR, Inhibition, Two Tailed Test, Transformation Assay

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: Rational modulation of tumor microenvironment enhances therapeutic responsiveness to αOX40-based immunotherapy (A–D) OX40-humanized mice bearing subcutaneous MC38 (A), B16 (B), E.G7 (C), or KPC (D) tumors ( n = 5–7 mice per group). Tumor growth curves (numbers indicate complete cures) and Kaplan-Meier survival for each model. Treatments: MPLA+IFN-γ ( i.t. , intratumoral); Combo: MPLA+IFN-γ ( i.t. , intratumoral) + αOX40 ( i.p. , intraperitoneal). (E) Study schema of secondary tumor challenge in MC38 model treated with Combo. (F) Tumor progression and survival outcomes following secondary tumor challenge. Growth kinetics of re-implanted tumors in tumor-cleared mice (previously cured by therapy) versus treatment-naive wild-type controls (left). Kaplan-Meier survival plot (right) ( n = 13 mice per group). (G) Systemic immunity evaluation schema with bilateral MC38 bearing mice were treated with Combo, αOX40, and control. (H) Tumor growth curves and survival plots of (G) ( n = 6–7 mice per group). Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (A–D, F, and H). Statistical significance was determined using log rank test (A–H). n.s., not significant; ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: MC38 Mouse colon cancer cell , Shanghai Model Organisms Center , Cat# NO. NM-S13.

Techniques: Control

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: The antitumor efficacy of the Combo therapy is contingent upon CD8 + T cells and macrophages (A) UMAP of scRNA-seq data from tumor-infiltrating immune cells in OX40-humanized MC38-bearing mice treated with MPLA, IFN-γ, αOX40, or Combo. Cells are color-coded by annotated cell type. (B) Bubble chart showing the top variable marker genes for identified immune cell types. (C) Pie chart shows the relative abundance of 11 immune cell clusters in control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, or Combo. (D) Macrophage frequency and absolute count in tumors of MC38-bearing mice after two and three treatment cycles with MPLA, IFN-γ, αOX40, or Combo, analyzed by flow cytometry ( n = 5 mice per group). (E) Schematic of CD8 + T cell depletion assay. (F) Tumor volume and survival were monitored. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis corresponding to the depletion study of CD8 + T cell ( n = 6 mice per group). (G) Schematic of macrophage depletion assay in early and late stage. (H and I) Tumor volume and survival were monitored. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis corresponding to the depletion study in (G) ( n = 6–10 mice per group). Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (D, F, H, and I). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test (D). Log rank test was used (F, H, and I) for statistical comparison. n.s., not significant; ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: MC38 Mouse colon cancer cell , Shanghai Model Organisms Center , Cat# NO. NM-S13.

Techniques: Marker, Control, Flow Cytometry, Depletion Assay, Comparison

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: NOS2-high macrophages are significantly associated with Combo treatment efficacy (A) UMAP of macrophage subclusters from scRNA-seq data of MC38-bearing mice treated with control, MPLA+IFN-γ, αOX40, or Combo. Cells are color-coded by annotated subtype. (B) Bubble chart showing the top variable marker genes for identified macrophage subclusters. (C) Pie chart shows the relative abundance of four macrophage subclusters in control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, or Combo. (D) GO pathway analysis identifying significantly enriched signaling pathways in the Mac_S2 subcluster compared to other macrophage subpopulations. (E) Violin plots showing Nos2 expression levels across macrophage subclusters. (F) Violin plots comparing Nos2 and Cd206 expression levels among different treatment groups. (G) Frequency of M1-like, M2-like, or the ratio of M1/M2-like macrophage cells in tumor tissues from control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, and Combo groups with two time points, as determined by flow cytometry ( n = 5–10 mice per group). (H) Multiple immunofluorescence signal intensities of NOS2 + F4/80 + and CD206 + F4/80 + cells in the TME of control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, and Combo groups. Scale bars, 20 μm. Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (G and H). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test (G). n.s., not significant; ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: MC38 Mouse colon cancer cell , Shanghai Model Organisms Center , Cat# NO. NM-S13.

Techniques: Control, Marker, Protein-Protein interactions, Expressing, Flow Cytometry, Immunofluorescence

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: NOS2-dependent direct tumor cell killing by macrophages in Combo therapy (A) Schematic of co-culture using CFSE-labeled MC38 cells with tumor- or spleen-derived macrophages, with/without NIL treatment. (B) Flow cytometry quantification of 7-AAD + MC38 cells after 48 h co-culture with tumor-(right) or spleen (left)-derived macrophages ( n = 3 biological replicates). (C) Quantification of 7-AAD + MC38 cells after 48 h in vitro co-culture with or without NIL treatment ( n = 3 biological replicates). (D) Treatment schedule for MC38- or B16-tumor-bearing Nos2 KOor WT mice treated with Combo ( n = 6 mice per group). (E and F) Survival curves of MC38-bearing (E) and B16-bearing mice (F) were analyzed using the log rank test. (G) Flow cytometry analysis of 7-AAD + MC38 cells after 48-h co-culture with CFSE-labeled MC38 cells and BMDMs from Nos2 KO mice ( n = 5 biological replicates). (H) Phagocytosis rate of MC38 cells engulfed by BMDMs was assessed by flow cytometry ( n = 3 biological replicates). (I) Surface expression of CRT on MC38 cells was assessed by flow cytometry after co-culture with MPLA- and IFN-γ-polarized BMDMs in vitro ( n = 3 biological replicates). (J) Analysis of CALR + MC38 cells from MC38-tumor-bearing mice following final treatment with control or Combo, assessed by flow cytometry ( n = 5 biological replicates). Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons (B, C, and I) or using unpaired Student’s t test (G, H, and J). Log rank tests (E and F) were also used for statistical analysis. n.s., not significant; ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001. Combo, MPLA, and IFN-γ combined with αOX86 (E and F).

Article Snippet: MC38 Mouse colon cancer cell , Shanghai Model Organisms Center , Cat# NO. NM-S13.

Techniques: Co-Culture Assay, Labeling, Derivative Assay, Flow Cytometry, In Vitro, Expressing, Control

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: Foxp3 + Treg depletion and macrophage reprogramming are involved in the anti-tumor effect of Combo (A) Flow cytometry analysis of TME. MC38-tumor-bearing mice were treated with control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, or Combo for two and three doses, and tumors were analyzed by flow cytometry. (B) Frequency and absolute count of CD25 + FOXP3 + cells in tumor tissues from control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, and Combo groups with two time points, as determined by flow cytometry ( n = 5 mice per group). (C) Treatment schedule for MC38-tumor-bearing Fcer1g KO or FcγRIIb KO mice. Mice were treated with Control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, and Combo every 3 days for a total of four doses. (D and E) Survival curves of Fcgr1g KO (D) and FcgrIIb KO (E) mice following treatment ( n = 5–6 mice per group) were monitored. (F) Treatment schedule. MC38-tumor-bearing mice were treated with MPLA and IFN-γ in combination with either OX40-mIgG2a or OX40-hIgG1 agonist antibodies (top), and the corresponding survival curves are shown (bottom) ( n = 5–7 mice per group). (G) Schematic of the co-culture experiment involving BMDMs and Tregs at a ratio of 1:4 (BMDM:Treg); Nos2 expression was measured by RT-qPCR. (H) Relative expression of Nos2 following the co-culture ( n = 4 biological replicates). (I) Multiple immunofluorescence (mIF) staining of MC38 tumors from mice treated with control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, or Combo, showing FOXP3 and NOS2 expression in border or intra-tumoral. Scale bars, 50 μm. (J) Analysis of cell numbers of FOXP3 and NOS2 expression at the border and intra-tumoral. Representative images from five randomly chosen fields were quantified with ImageJ. Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (B, D, E, F, H, and I). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons (B and H). Log rank test was also used (D–F). n.s., not significant; ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001. Combo, MPLA, and IFN-γ combined with αOX86 (C–E).

Article Snippet: MC38 Mouse colon cancer cell , Shanghai Model Organisms Center , Cat# NO. NM-S13.

Techniques: Flow Cytometry, Control, Co-Culture Assay, Expressing, Quantitative RT-PCR, Immunofluorescence, Staining

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: scRNA-seq reveals differential immune infiltration in αOX40-treated tumors based on response (A) Schematic of the bilateral MC38 tumor model assessing αOX40 response. Humanized OX40 mice received three doses of αOX40, followed by resection of the left tumor for scRNA-seq and flow cytometry analysis. Contralateral tumor dynamics and survival were monitored longitudinally. (B) UMAP visualization of scRNA-seq data from immune cells in MC38-bearing mice following αOX40 treatment. Cells are color-coded by annotated cell type. (C) Heatmap depicting nine transcriptionally distinct immune cell subpopulations. (D) Pie chart shows the relative abundance of nine immune cell clusters in αOX40 responders and nonresponders. (E) Flow cytometry analysis of tumor-infiltrating immune cell frequencies in αOX40-treated MC38-bearing mice. Frequencies of CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, and macrophages were quantified after the third αOX40 dose (control, n = 5 mice; mice with a robust therapeutic response named as responder, n = 4 mice; mice with minimal to no response named as nonresponder, n = 4 mice). Data represent mean ± SD from one of two independent experiments (E). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons. ∗∗ p < 0.01.

Article Snippet: The mouse colon cancer MC38 cell line (Cat. NO. NM-S13) and the pancreatic cancer KPC cell line (Cat. NO. NM-YD04) were purchased from Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc.

Techniques: Flow Cytometry, Control, Clinical Proteomics

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: NOS2-expressing macrophages is associated with response to αOX40 therapy (A) UMAP of monocytes/macrophages subclusters from scRNA-seq data in αOX40-treated MC38-bearing mice. (B) Representative marker genes in the monocyte/macrophage subclusters. (C) Pie chart showing the proportional distribution of monocyte/macrophage subsets of responders and nonresponders. (D) QuSAGE pathway analysis demonstrated enrichment of innate immune and phagocytic signaling pathways in distinct monocyte/macrophage subsets. (E) UMAP showing Mac_C1 signature genes and a heatmap of immune-related gene expression across TAM subclusters ( Z score normalized). (F) Violin plots comparing Nos2 expression levels in Mac_C1 subset between responsive and nonresponsive. (G) Flow cytometry analysis shows the percentage of M1-like (F4/80 + NOS2 + ) and M2-like (F4/80 + CD206 + ) macrophages in tumor tissues of control ( n = 5 mice), nonresponders (with minimal to no response, n = 4 mice), and responders (with a robust therapeutic response, n = 4 mice). (H and I) Comparison of Nos2 expression levels in responders versus nonresponders pre- or post-αOX40 treatment. Bilateral-MC38-bearing mice were treated with αOX40, and tumors from one side were analyzed by RNA-seq prior to (H) or following αOX40 treatment (I). The Nos2 expression was analyzed from RNA-seq data (left) and validated by RT-qPCR (right) ( n = 5 biological replicates). (J) NOS2 expression in tumor biopsies post-treatment determined by RNA-seq. Patients with advanced solid tumors and >1 prior therapy received HFB301001 monotherapy. Tumor biopsy samples were obtained on day 8 of cycle 2 for subsequent RNA-seq analysis. NOS2 expression were compared between patients achieving stable disease (SD, n = 3) and those with progressive disease (PD, n = 3). (K) GO enrichment analysis of upregulated genes in Mac_C1 of responders. (L) Calreticulin expression was quantified by flow cytometry in different response groups following αOX40 treatment ( n = 3 mice per group). (M) NOS2 expression in BMDMs was analyzed by flow cytometry after stimulation with CD8 + T cell supernatant and MC38 lysate, combined with TLR inhibition and IFN-γ blockade ( n = 5 biological replicates). (N) Quantification of Nos2 expression in BMDM by RT-qPCR after 24-h stimulation with MPLA (TLR4 agonist, 100 ng/mL), IFN-γ (20 ng/mL), or both. Data normalized to Gapdh and presented as fold-change relative to unstimulated controls ( n = 4 biological replicates). Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (G, H, I, L, M, and N). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons (G, L, M, and N) or using an unpaired two-tailed t test (H, I, and J). n.s., not significant; ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001; VST, variance stabilized transformation; sup., supernatant; lys., tumor lysate; inh., inhibitor.

Article Snippet: The mouse colon cancer MC38 cell line (Cat. NO. NM-S13) and the pancreatic cancer KPC cell line (Cat. NO. NM-YD04) were purchased from Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc.

Techniques: Expressing, Marker, Protein-Protein interactions, Gene Expression, Flow Cytometry, Control, Clinical Proteomics, Comparison, RNA Sequencing, Quantitative RT-PCR, Inhibition, Two Tailed Test, Transformation Assay

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: Rational modulation of tumor microenvironment enhances therapeutic responsiveness to αOX40-based immunotherapy (A–D) OX40-humanized mice bearing subcutaneous MC38 (A), B16 (B), E.G7 (C), or KPC (D) tumors ( n = 5–7 mice per group). Tumor growth curves (numbers indicate complete cures) and Kaplan-Meier survival for each model. Treatments: MPLA+IFN-γ ( i.t. , intratumoral); Combo: MPLA+IFN-γ ( i.t. , intratumoral) + αOX40 ( i.p. , intraperitoneal). (E) Study schema of secondary tumor challenge in MC38 model treated with Combo. (F) Tumor progression and survival outcomes following secondary tumor challenge. Growth kinetics of re-implanted tumors in tumor-cleared mice (previously cured by therapy) versus treatment-naive wild-type controls (left). Kaplan-Meier survival plot (right) ( n = 13 mice per group). (G) Systemic immunity evaluation schema with bilateral MC38 bearing mice were treated with Combo, αOX40, and control. (H) Tumor growth curves and survival plots of (G) ( n = 6–7 mice per group). Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (A–D, F, and H). Statistical significance was determined using log rank test (A–H). n.s., not significant; ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: The mouse colon cancer MC38 cell line (Cat. NO. NM-S13) and the pancreatic cancer KPC cell line (Cat. NO. NM-YD04) were purchased from Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc.

Techniques: Control

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: The antitumor efficacy of the Combo therapy is contingent upon CD8 + T cells and macrophages (A) UMAP of scRNA-seq data from tumor-infiltrating immune cells in OX40-humanized MC38-bearing mice treated with MPLA, IFN-γ, αOX40, or Combo. Cells are color-coded by annotated cell type. (B) Bubble chart showing the top variable marker genes for identified immune cell types. (C) Pie chart shows the relative abundance of 11 immune cell clusters in control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, or Combo. (D) Macrophage frequency and absolute count in tumors of MC38-bearing mice after two and three treatment cycles with MPLA, IFN-γ, αOX40, or Combo, analyzed by flow cytometry ( n = 5 mice per group). (E) Schematic of CD8 + T cell depletion assay. (F) Tumor volume and survival were monitored. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis corresponding to the depletion study of CD8 + T cell ( n = 6 mice per group). (G) Schematic of macrophage depletion assay in early and late stage. (H and I) Tumor volume and survival were monitored. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis corresponding to the depletion study in (G) ( n = 6–10 mice per group). Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (D, F, H, and I). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test (D). Log rank test was used (F, H, and I) for statistical comparison. n.s., not significant; ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: The mouse colon cancer MC38 cell line (Cat. NO. NM-S13) and the pancreatic cancer KPC cell line (Cat. NO. NM-YD04) were purchased from Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc.

Techniques: Marker, Control, Flow Cytometry, Depletion Assay, Comparison

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: NOS2-high macrophages are significantly associated with Combo treatment efficacy (A) UMAP of macrophage subclusters from scRNA-seq data of MC38-bearing mice treated with control, MPLA+IFN-γ, αOX40, or Combo. Cells are color-coded by annotated subtype. (B) Bubble chart showing the top variable marker genes for identified macrophage subclusters. (C) Pie chart shows the relative abundance of four macrophage subclusters in control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, or Combo. (D) GO pathway analysis identifying significantly enriched signaling pathways in the Mac_S2 subcluster compared to other macrophage subpopulations. (E) Violin plots showing Nos2 expression levels across macrophage subclusters. (F) Violin plots comparing Nos2 and Cd206 expression levels among different treatment groups. (G) Frequency of M1-like, M2-like, or the ratio of M1/M2-like macrophage cells in tumor tissues from control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, and Combo groups with two time points, as determined by flow cytometry ( n = 5–10 mice per group). (H) Multiple immunofluorescence signal intensities of NOS2 + F4/80 + and CD206 + F4/80 + cells in the TME of control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, and Combo groups. Scale bars, 20 μm. Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (G and H). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test (G). n.s., not significant; ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: The mouse colon cancer MC38 cell line (Cat. NO. NM-S13) and the pancreatic cancer KPC cell line (Cat. NO. NM-YD04) were purchased from Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc.

Techniques: Control, Marker, Protein-Protein interactions, Expressing, Flow Cytometry, Immunofluorescence

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: NOS2-dependent direct tumor cell killing by macrophages in Combo therapy (A) Schematic of co-culture using CFSE-labeled MC38 cells with tumor- or spleen-derived macrophages, with/without NIL treatment. (B) Flow cytometry quantification of 7-AAD + MC38 cells after 48 h co-culture with tumor-(right) or spleen (left)-derived macrophages ( n = 3 biological replicates). (C) Quantification of 7-AAD + MC38 cells after 48 h in vitro co-culture with or without NIL treatment ( n = 3 biological replicates). (D) Treatment schedule for MC38- or B16-tumor-bearing Nos2 KOor WT mice treated with Combo ( n = 6 mice per group). (E and F) Survival curves of MC38-bearing (E) and B16-bearing mice (F) were analyzed using the log rank test. (G) Flow cytometry analysis of 7-AAD + MC38 cells after 48-h co-culture with CFSE-labeled MC38 cells and BMDMs from Nos2 KO mice ( n = 5 biological replicates). (H) Phagocytosis rate of MC38 cells engulfed by BMDMs was assessed by flow cytometry ( n = 3 biological replicates). (I) Surface expression of CRT on MC38 cells was assessed by flow cytometry after co-culture with MPLA- and IFN-γ-polarized BMDMs in vitro ( n = 3 biological replicates). (J) Analysis of CALR + MC38 cells from MC38-tumor-bearing mice following final treatment with control or Combo, assessed by flow cytometry ( n = 5 biological replicates). Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons (B, C, and I) or using unpaired Student’s t test (G, H, and J). Log rank tests (E and F) were also used for statistical analysis. n.s., not significant; ∗∗ p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001. Combo, MPLA, and IFN-γ combined with αOX86 (E and F).

Article Snippet: The mouse colon cancer MC38 cell line (Cat. NO. NM-S13) and the pancreatic cancer KPC cell line (Cat. NO. NM-YD04) were purchased from Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc.

Techniques: Co-Culture Assay, Labeling, Derivative Assay, Flow Cytometry, In Vitro, Expressing, Control

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

Article Title: Immunogenic tumor cell death and T-cell-derived IFN-γ elicit tumoricidal macrophages to potentiate OX40 immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102699

Figure Lengend Snippet: Foxp3 + Treg depletion and macrophage reprogramming are involved in the anti-tumor effect of Combo (A) Flow cytometry analysis of TME. MC38-tumor-bearing mice were treated with control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, or Combo for two and three doses, and tumors were analyzed by flow cytometry. (B) Frequency and absolute count of CD25 + FOXP3 + cells in tumor tissues from control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, and Combo groups with two time points, as determined by flow cytometry ( n = 5 mice per group). (C) Treatment schedule for MC38-tumor-bearing Fcer1g KO or FcγRIIb KO mice. Mice were treated with Control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, and Combo every 3 days for a total of four doses. (D and E) Survival curves of Fcgr1g KO (D) and FcgrIIb KO (E) mice following treatment ( n = 5–6 mice per group) were monitored. (F) Treatment schedule. MC38-tumor-bearing mice were treated with MPLA and IFN-γ in combination with either OX40-mIgG2a or OX40-hIgG1 agonist antibodies (top), and the corresponding survival curves are shown (bottom) ( n = 5–7 mice per group). (G) Schematic of the co-culture experiment involving BMDMs and Tregs at a ratio of 1:4 (BMDM:Treg); Nos2 expression was measured by RT-qPCR. (H) Relative expression of Nos2 following the co-culture ( n = 4 biological replicates). (I) Multiple immunofluorescence (mIF) staining of MC38 tumors from mice treated with control, αOX40, MPLA+IFN-γ, or Combo, showing FOXP3 and NOS2 expression in border or intra-tumoral. Scale bars, 50 μm. (J) Analysis of cell numbers of FOXP3 and NOS2 expression at the border and intra-tumoral. Representative images from five randomly chosen fields were quantified with ImageJ. Data are shown as means ± SD from one of two independent experiments (B, D, E, F, H, and I). Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons (B and H). Log rank test was also used (D–F). n.s., not significant; ∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗∗ p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ p < 0.0001. Combo, MPLA, and IFN-γ combined with αOX86 (C–E).

Article Snippet: The mouse colon cancer MC38 cell line (Cat. NO. NM-S13) and the pancreatic cancer KPC cell line (Cat. NO. NM-YD04) were purchased from Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc.

Techniques: Flow Cytometry, Control, Co-Culture Assay, Expressing, Quantitative RT-PCR, Immunofluorescence, Staining