A machine learning model reveals expansive downregulation of ligand-receptor interactions that enhance lymphocyte infiltration in melanoma with developed resistance to immune checkpoint blockade

Abstract Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is a promising cancer therapy; however, resistance frequently develops. To explore ICB resistance mechanisms, we develop Immunotherapy Resistance cell-cell Interaction Scanner (IRIS), a machine learning model aimed at identifying cell-type-specific tumor mic...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sahil Sahni, Binbin Wang, Di Wu, Saugato Rahman Dhruba, Matthew Nagy, Sushant Patkar, Ingrid Ferreira, Chi-Ping Day, Kun Wang, Eytan Ruppin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-10-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52555-4
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850181687427727360
author Sahil Sahni
Binbin Wang
Di Wu
Saugato Rahman Dhruba
Matthew Nagy
Sushant Patkar
Ingrid Ferreira
Chi-Ping Day
Kun Wang
Eytan Ruppin
author_facet Sahil Sahni
Binbin Wang
Di Wu
Saugato Rahman Dhruba
Matthew Nagy
Sushant Patkar
Ingrid Ferreira
Chi-Ping Day
Kun Wang
Eytan Ruppin
author_sort Sahil Sahni
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is a promising cancer therapy; however, resistance frequently develops. To explore ICB resistance mechanisms, we develop Immunotherapy Resistance cell-cell Interaction Scanner (IRIS), a machine learning model aimed at identifying cell-type-specific tumor microenvironment ligand-receptor interactions relevant to ICB resistance. Applying IRIS to deconvolved transcriptomics data of the five largest melanoma ICB cohorts, we identify specific downregulated interactions, termed resistance downregulated interactions (RDI), as tumors develop resistance. These RDIs often involve chemokine signaling and offer a stronger predictive signal for ICB response compared to upregulated interactions or the state-of-the-art published transcriptomics biomarkers. Validation across multiple independent melanoma patient cohorts and modalities confirms that RDI activity is associated with CD8 + T cell infiltration and highly manifested in hot/brisk tumors. This study presents a strongly predictive ICB response biomarker, highlighting the key role of downregulating chemotaxis-associated ligand-receptor interactions in inhibiting lymphocyte infiltration in resistant tumors.
format Article
id doaj-art-dedbbace84e14f83bf231cfe1e8f819c
institution OA Journals
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2024-10-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-dedbbace84e14f83bf231cfe1e8f819c2025-08-20T02:17:50ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-10-0115111510.1038/s41467-024-52555-4A machine learning model reveals expansive downregulation of ligand-receptor interactions that enhance lymphocyte infiltration in melanoma with developed resistance to immune checkpoint blockadeSahil Sahni0Binbin Wang1Di Wu2Saugato Rahman Dhruba3Matthew Nagy4Sushant Patkar5Ingrid Ferreira6Chi-Ping Day7Kun Wang8Eytan Ruppin9Cancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)Cancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)Cancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)Cancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)Artificial Intelligence Resource, Molecular Imaging Branch, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, HinxtonCancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)Cancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)Cancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)Abstract Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is a promising cancer therapy; however, resistance frequently develops. To explore ICB resistance mechanisms, we develop Immunotherapy Resistance cell-cell Interaction Scanner (IRIS), a machine learning model aimed at identifying cell-type-specific tumor microenvironment ligand-receptor interactions relevant to ICB resistance. Applying IRIS to deconvolved transcriptomics data of the five largest melanoma ICB cohorts, we identify specific downregulated interactions, termed resistance downregulated interactions (RDI), as tumors develop resistance. These RDIs often involve chemokine signaling and offer a stronger predictive signal for ICB response compared to upregulated interactions or the state-of-the-art published transcriptomics biomarkers. Validation across multiple independent melanoma patient cohorts and modalities confirms that RDI activity is associated with CD8 + T cell infiltration and highly manifested in hot/brisk tumors. This study presents a strongly predictive ICB response biomarker, highlighting the key role of downregulating chemotaxis-associated ligand-receptor interactions in inhibiting lymphocyte infiltration in resistant tumors.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52555-4
spellingShingle Sahil Sahni
Binbin Wang
Di Wu
Saugato Rahman Dhruba
Matthew Nagy
Sushant Patkar
Ingrid Ferreira
Chi-Ping Day
Kun Wang
Eytan Ruppin
A machine learning model reveals expansive downregulation of ligand-receptor interactions that enhance lymphocyte infiltration in melanoma with developed resistance to immune checkpoint blockade
Nature Communications
title A machine learning model reveals expansive downregulation of ligand-receptor interactions that enhance lymphocyte infiltration in melanoma with developed resistance to immune checkpoint blockade
title_full A machine learning model reveals expansive downregulation of ligand-receptor interactions that enhance lymphocyte infiltration in melanoma with developed resistance to immune checkpoint blockade
title_fullStr A machine learning model reveals expansive downregulation of ligand-receptor interactions that enhance lymphocyte infiltration in melanoma with developed resistance to immune checkpoint blockade
title_full_unstemmed A machine learning model reveals expansive downregulation of ligand-receptor interactions that enhance lymphocyte infiltration in melanoma with developed resistance to immune checkpoint blockade
title_short A machine learning model reveals expansive downregulation of ligand-receptor interactions that enhance lymphocyte infiltration in melanoma with developed resistance to immune checkpoint blockade
title_sort machine learning model reveals expansive downregulation of ligand receptor interactions that enhance lymphocyte infiltration in melanoma with developed resistance to immune checkpoint blockade
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52555-4
work_keys_str_mv AT sahilsahni amachinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT binbinwang amachinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT diwu amachinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT saugatorahmandhruba amachinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT matthewnagy amachinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT sushantpatkar amachinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT ingridferreira amachinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT chipingday amachinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT kunwang amachinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT eytanruppin amachinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT sahilsahni machinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT binbinwang machinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT diwu machinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT saugatorahmandhruba machinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT matthewnagy machinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT sushantpatkar machinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT ingridferreira machinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT chipingday machinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT kunwang machinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade
AT eytanruppin machinelearningmodelrevealsexpansivedownregulationofligandreceptorinteractionsthatenhancelymphocyteinfiltrationinmelanomawithdevelopedresistancetoimmunecheckpointblockade