Targeting B7-H3 enhances the efficacy of neoantigen-based cancer vaccine in combination with radiotherapy

Abstract The clinical response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is limited in the majority of patients with colorectal cancer. These immune checkpoint proteins may not only inhibit T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity but also attenuate antigen presentation, including mutation-associated neoantigen...

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Main Authors: Tao-Wei Ke, Chia-Yi Chen, William Tzu-Liang Chen, Yuan-Yao Tsai, Shu-Fen Chiang, Chi-Hsien Huang, Yu-Sen Lin, Te-Hong Chen, Tsung-Wei Chen, Ji-An Liang, K. S. Clifford Chao, Kevin Chih-Yang Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:npj Vaccines
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01132-x
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author Tao-Wei Ke
Chia-Yi Chen
William Tzu-Liang Chen
Yuan-Yao Tsai
Shu-Fen Chiang
Chi-Hsien Huang
Yu-Sen Lin
Te-Hong Chen
Tsung-Wei Chen
Ji-An Liang
K. S. Clifford Chao
Kevin Chih-Yang Huang
author_facet Tao-Wei Ke
Chia-Yi Chen
William Tzu-Liang Chen
Yuan-Yao Tsai
Shu-Fen Chiang
Chi-Hsien Huang
Yu-Sen Lin
Te-Hong Chen
Tsung-Wei Chen
Ji-An Liang
K. S. Clifford Chao
Kevin Chih-Yang Huang
author_sort Tao-Wei Ke
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The clinical response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is limited in the majority of patients with colorectal cancer. These immune checkpoint proteins may not only inhibit T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity but also attenuate antigen presentation, including mutation-associated neoantigens. Here, we found that tumor B7-H3 levels may limit the therapeutic response to chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally-advanced rectal cancer. Knockdown of tumor B7-H3 significantly increased antigen presentation to increase T cell infiltration and killing ability, including neoantigen-specific T-cell response. Blockade of B7-H3 significantly augmented neoantigen-specific T cells response and remarkably enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of neoantigen-based cancer vaccines combined with radiotherapy, decreasing the risk of distant tumors in vivo. Taken together, these results demonstrated that targeting B7-H3 significantly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of neoantigen cancer vaccines as well as radiotherapy by increasing the extent of neoantigen-specific T cells, even for PD-1/PD-L1 blockade-resistant colorectal cancers.
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spelling doaj-art-fe383b028ea34ab38a8fdee69b29b64c2025-08-20T02:30:19ZengNature Portfolionpj Vaccines2059-01052025-04-0110111310.1038/s41541-025-01132-xTargeting B7-H3 enhances the efficacy of neoantigen-based cancer vaccine in combination with radiotherapyTao-Wei Ke0Chia-Yi Chen1William Tzu-Liang Chen2Yuan-Yao Tsai3Shu-Fen Chiang4Chi-Hsien Huang5Yu-Sen Lin6Te-Hong Chen7Tsung-Wei Chen8Ji-An Liang9K. S. Clifford Chao10Kevin Chih-Yang Huang11Department of Colorectal Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityProton Therapy Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityLab of Precision Medicine, Feng-Yuan Hospital, Ministry of Health and WelfareGraduate Institute of Biomedical Science, China Medical UniversityDepartment of Chest Surgery, China Medical University HospitalDepartment of Surgery, China Medical University HospitalDepartment of Pathology, Asia University Hospital, Asia UniversityDepartment of Radiation Oncology, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityProton Therapy Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityDepartment of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical UniversityAbstract The clinical response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is limited in the majority of patients with colorectal cancer. These immune checkpoint proteins may not only inhibit T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity but also attenuate antigen presentation, including mutation-associated neoantigens. Here, we found that tumor B7-H3 levels may limit the therapeutic response to chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally-advanced rectal cancer. Knockdown of tumor B7-H3 significantly increased antigen presentation to increase T cell infiltration and killing ability, including neoantigen-specific T-cell response. Blockade of B7-H3 significantly augmented neoantigen-specific T cells response and remarkably enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of neoantigen-based cancer vaccines combined with radiotherapy, decreasing the risk of distant tumors in vivo. Taken together, these results demonstrated that targeting B7-H3 significantly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of neoantigen cancer vaccines as well as radiotherapy by increasing the extent of neoantigen-specific T cells, even for PD-1/PD-L1 blockade-resistant colorectal cancers.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01132-x
spellingShingle Tao-Wei Ke
Chia-Yi Chen
William Tzu-Liang Chen
Yuan-Yao Tsai
Shu-Fen Chiang
Chi-Hsien Huang
Yu-Sen Lin
Te-Hong Chen
Tsung-Wei Chen
Ji-An Liang
K. S. Clifford Chao
Kevin Chih-Yang Huang
Targeting B7-H3 enhances the efficacy of neoantigen-based cancer vaccine in combination with radiotherapy
npj Vaccines
title Targeting B7-H3 enhances the efficacy of neoantigen-based cancer vaccine in combination with radiotherapy
title_full Targeting B7-H3 enhances the efficacy of neoantigen-based cancer vaccine in combination with radiotherapy
title_fullStr Targeting B7-H3 enhances the efficacy of neoantigen-based cancer vaccine in combination with radiotherapy
title_full_unstemmed Targeting B7-H3 enhances the efficacy of neoantigen-based cancer vaccine in combination with radiotherapy
title_short Targeting B7-H3 enhances the efficacy of neoantigen-based cancer vaccine in combination with radiotherapy
title_sort targeting b7 h3 enhances the efficacy of neoantigen based cancer vaccine in combination with radiotherapy
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01132-x
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