Enhanced HPV16 E6/E7+ tumor eradication via induction of tumor-specific T cells by therapeutic vaccination with virosomes presenting synthetic long peptides.

Therapeutic cancer vaccines trigger CD4 + and CD8 + T cell responses capable of established tumor eradication. Current platforms include DNA, mRNA and synthetic long peptide (SLP) vaccines, all aiming at robust T cell responses. SLPs linked to the Amplivant® adjuvant (Amplivant-SLP) have shown effective delivery to dendritic cells, resulting in improved immunogenicity in mice. We have now tested virosomes as a delivery vehicle for SLPs. Virosomes are nanoparticles made from influenza virus membranes and have been used as vaccines for a variety of antigens. Amplivant-SLP virosomes induced the expansion of more antigen-specific CD8 + T memory cells in ex vivo experiments with human PBMCs than Amplivant-SLP conjugates alone. The immune response could be further improved by including the adjuvants QS-21 and 3D-PHAD in the virosomal membrane. In these experiments, the SLPs were anchored in the membrane through the hydrophobic Amplivant adjuvant. In a therapeutic mouse model of HPV16 E6/E7+ cancer, mice were vaccinated with virosomes loaded with either Amplivant-conjugated SLPs or lipid-coupled SLPs. Vaccination with both types of virosomes significantly improved the control of tumor outgrowth, leading to elimination of the tumors in about half the animals for the best combinations of adjuvants and to their survival beyond 100 days.

Glioblastoma-derived extracellular vesicles modify the phenotype of monocytic cells.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor and is without exception lethal. GBMs modify the immune system, which contributes to the aggressive nature of the disease. Particularly, cells of the monocytic lineage, including monocytes, macrophages and microglia, are affected. We investigated the influence of GBM-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) on the phenotype of monocytic cells. Proteomic profiling showed GBM EVs to be enriched with proteins functioning in extracellular matrix interaction and leukocyte migration. GBM EVs appeared to skew the differentiation of peripheral blood-derived monocytes to alternatively activated/M2-type macrophages. This was observed for EVs from an established cell line, as well as for EVs from primary cultures of GBM stem-like cells (GSCs). Unlike EVs of non-GBM origin, GBM EVs induced modified expression of cell surface proteins, modified cytokine secretion (e.g., an increase in vascular endothelial growth factor and IL-6) and increased phagocytic capacity of the macrophages. Most pronounced effects were observed upon incubation with EVs from mesenchymal GSCs. GSC EVs also affected primary human microglia, resulting in increased expression of Membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase, a marker for GBM microglia and functioning as tumor-supportive factor. In conclusion, GBM-derived EVs can modify cells of the monocytic lineage, which acquire characteristics that resemble the tumor-supportive phenotypes observed in patients.

Antibody-dependent cell lysis by NK cells is preserved after sarcoma-induced inhibition of NK cell cytotoxicity.

Osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma tumor cells are susceptible to IL15-induced or antibody-mediated cytolytic activity of NK cells in short-term cytotoxicity assays. When encountering the tumor environment in vivo, NK cells may be in contact with tumor cells for a prolonged time period. We explored whether a prolonged interaction with sarcoma cells can modulate the activation and cytotoxic activity of NK cells. The 40 h coculture of NK cells with sarcoma cells reversibly interfered with the IL15-induced expression of NKG2D, DNAM-1 and NKp30 and inhibited the cytolytic activity of NK cells. The inhibitory effects on receptor expression required physical contact between NK cells and sarcoma cells and were independent of TGF-ß. Five days pre-incubation of NK cells with IL15 prevented the down-regulation of NKG2D and cytolytic activity in subsequent cocultures with sarcoma cells. NK cell FcγRIIIa/CD16 receptor expression and antibody-mediated cytotoxicity were not affected after the coculture. Inhibition of NK cell cytotoxicity was directly linked to the down-regulation of the respective NK cell-activating receptors. Our data demonstrate that the inhibitory effects of sarcoma cells on the cytolytic activity of NK cells do not affect the antibody-dependent cytotoxicity and can be prevented by pre-activation of NK cells with IL15. Thus, the combination of cytokine-activated NK cells and monoclonal antibody therapy may be required to improve tumor targeting and NK cell functionality in the tumor environment.

Induction of broad multifunctional CD8+ and CD4+ T cells by hepatitis B virus antigen-based synthetic long peptides ex vivo.

Introduction: Therapeutic vaccination based on synthetic long peptides (SLP®) containing both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell epitopes is a promising treatment strategy for chronic hepatitis B infection (cHBV). Methods: We designed SLPs for three HBV proteins, HBcAg and the non-secreted proteins polymerase and X, and investigated their ability to induce T cell responses ex vivo. A set of 17 SLPs was constructed based on viral protein conservation, functionality, predicted and validated binders for prevalent human leukocyte antigen (HLA) supertypes, validated HLA I epitopes, and chemical producibility. Results: All 17 SLPs were capable of inducing interferon gamma (IFNÉ£) production in samples from four or more donors that had resolved an HBV infection in the past (resolver). Further analysis of the best performing SLPs demonstrated activation of both CD8+ and CD4+ multi-functional T cells in one or more resolver and patient sample(s). When investigating which SLP could activate HBV-specific T cells, the responses could be traced back to different peptides for each patient or resolver. Discussion: This indicates that a large population of subjects with different HLA types can be covered by selecting a suitable mix of SLPs for therapeutic vaccine design. In conclusion, we designed a set of SLPs capable of inducing multifunctional CD8+ and CD4+ T cells ex vivo that create important components for a novel therapeutic vaccine to cure cHBV.

Influenza matrix 1-specific human CD4+ FOXP3+ and FOXP3(-) regulatory T cells can be detected long after viral clearance.

Control and termination of infection with Influenza A virus is associated with increased IL-10 production in mouse models. Notably, IL-10 can be produced by Treg. Therefore, we investigated whether the population of IL-10-producing influenza-specific CD4(+) T cells comprised Treg as they are potent suppressors of the adaptive immune response. Influenza-specific IL-10-producing T cells were detected in all human donors displaying influenza-specific immunity. Isolation of Matrix 1 protein-specific IL-10-producing T-cell clones revealed that a substantial proportion of these T-cell clones displayed the capacity to suppress effector cells, functionally identifying them as Treg. Both FOXP3(+) and FOXP3(-) CD4(+) Treg were isolated and all were able to exert their suppressive capacity when stimulated with cognate antigen, including influenza virus-infected cells. In vitro suppression was not mediated by IL-10 but involved interference with the IL-2 axis. The isolated Treg suppressed amongst others the IL-2 production of influenza-specific T-helper cells as well as partially prevented the upregulation of the high-affinity IL-2 receptor on CD8 effector cells. So far the induction of virus-specific Treg has only been studied in the context of chronic viral infections. This study demonstrates that virus-specific Treg can also be induced by viruses that are rapidly cleared in humans.

Evaluation of immunological cross-reactivity between clade A9 high-risk human papillomavirus types on the basis of E6-Specific CD4+ memory T cell responses.

CD4(+) T cell responses against the E6 oncoprotein of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 and 5 closely related members of clade A9 (HPV31, 33, 35, 52, and 58) were charted in peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures from healthy subjects and patients who underwent HPV16 E6/E7-specific vaccination. Initial analyses with overlapping peptide arrays showed that approximately one-half of the responding subjects displayed reactivity against corresponding E6 peptides from >or=2 HPV types. This suggested immunological cross-reactivity and complicated retrospective evaluation of the infection history of the healthy subjects. Importantly, further dissection of the response by means of enriched and clonal T cell cultures (with protein antigen instead of peptides) revealed that CD4(+) T cells that are capable of efficiently reacting against E6 antigen from multiple HPV types are rare and only occur when epitope sequences are highly conserved. Our data indicate that natural and vaccine-induced HPV16 E6-specific CD4(+) T cell responses are unlikely to mediate efficient cross-protection against other clade A9 members.

A prospective study on the natural course of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and the presence of HPV16 E2-, E6- and E7-specific T-cell responses.

This study investigates the clinical course of low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), HPV status and HPV16-specific immune response in a large prospective study of 125 women with LSIL followed cytologically, virologically and histologically. Women with low-grade abnormal smears were recruited and followed-up for one year. Colposcopy, cervical biopsy for histology and brushings for HPV typing was performed at recruitment, 6 months (no biopsy) and upon completion of the study at one year. HPV16-specific T-cell responses were analysed by interferon-gamma ELISPOT at entry, 6 and 12 months. Infection with multiple HPV types was detected in 70% of all patients, HPV16 was found in 42% of the patients. LSIL lesions progressed to HSIL in 24%, persisted in 60% and regressed to normal in 16% of the patients. No difference was observed in the clearance rate of infections with single or multiple HPV types among the groups with a different histological outcome. HPV16-specific type 1 T-cell responses were detected in only half of the patients with an HPV16+ LSIL, and predominantly reactive to HPV16 E2 and E6. Interestingly, the presence of HPV16 E2-specific T-cell responses correlated with absence of progression of HPV16+ lesions (p = 0.005) while the detection of HPV16 E6 specific reactivity was associated with persistence (p = 0.05). This large prospective study showed that the majority of LSIL persisted or progressed within the first year.This was paralleled by immune failure as most of the patients with an HPV16+ LSIL failed to react to peptides of HPV16 E2, E6 or E7.

High number of intraepithelial CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is associated with the absence of lymph node metastases in patients with large early-stage cervical cancer.

In a prospective study, we have examined the tumor-specific immune response in a group of 59 patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) 16-positive (HPV16(+))-induced or HPV18(+)-induced cervical cancer. Local antitumor immunity was analyzed by the enumeration of tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells and CD4+, CD8+, and regulatory T cells as well as by calculation of the ratio of CD8+/CD4+ T cells and CD8+/regulatory T cells. Systemic tumor-specific immunity was assessed by determination of the HPV E6- and/or E7-specific T-cell response in the blood of these patients. Finally, these variables were evaluated with respect to known histopathologic prognostic variables, including the absence (LN-) or presence (LN+) of lymph node metastases. Stratification according to the lymph node status of patients revealed a significantly stronger CD8+ T-cell tumor infiltration, a higher CD8+/CD4+ T-cell ratio, and higher CD8+/regulatory T-cell ratio in the group of patients in which the tumor failed to metastasize to the tumor-draining lymph node. Subdivision according to the presence (IR+) or absence (IR-) of circulating HPV-specific T cells disclosed that the highest number of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells was found in the group of LN- patients displaying a concomitant systemic tumor-specific immune response (LN-IR+). CD8+ T-cell infiltration in LN-IR- patients was comparable with that of LN+ patients. In cervical cancer, the absence of lymph node metastases is strongly associated with a better prognosis. Our data indicate that, especially in a subgroup of LN- patients, a strong and effective interaction between immune system and tumor exists. This subgroup of cervical cancer patients may have the best prognosis.

Human papilloma virus specific T cells infiltrating cervical cancer and draining lymph nodes show remarkably frequent use of HLA-DQ and -DP as a restriction element.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-induced malignancies are frequently infiltrated by lymphocytes. To comprehend the contribution of HPV-specific T cells in this anti-tumor response we developed a method that allowed the analysis of the presence and specificity of cervix-infiltrating and draining lymph node resident T cells in a group of 74 patients with cervical malignancies, 54 of which were induced by HPV16 or HPV18. We detected the presence of HPV16 or HPV18-specific T cells in at least 23 of the 54 HPV-16 or -18 positive patients, and not in the 20 controls. Detailed studies resulted in the identification of 17 novel CD4+ and CD8+ T cell epitopes and their HLA-restriction elements, and also revealed that the HPV-specific immune response was aimed at both E6 and E7 and showed no preferential recognition of immunodominant regions. Unexpectedly, the vast majority of the CD4+ T cell epitopes were presented in the context of the less abundantly expressed HLA-DQ and HLA-DP molecules. Since the identified T cell epitopes constitute physiological targets in the immune response to HPV16 and HPV18 positive tumors they will be valuable for detailed studies on the interactions between the tumor and the immune system. This is crucial for the optimization of cancer immunotherapy in patients with pre-existing tumor-immunity.

Detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16-specific CD4+ T-cell immunity in patients with persistent HPV16-induced vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia in relation to clinical impact of imiquimod treatment.

PURPOSE: Topical application of the immune response modifier imiquimod is an alternative approach for the treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) and aims at the immunologic eradication of HPV-infected cells. We have charted HPV16-specific immunity in 29 patients with high-grade VIN and examined its role in the clinical effect of imiquimod treatment. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The magnitude and cytokine polarization of the HPV16 E2-, E6-, and E7-specific CD4+ T-cell response was charted in 20 of 29 patients by proliferation and cytokine bead array. The relation between HPV16-specific type 1 T-cell immunity and imiquimod treatment was examined in a group of 17 of 29 patients. RESULTS: HPV16-specific proliferative responses were found in 11 of the 20 patients. In eight of these patients, T-cell reactivity was associated with IFNgamma production. Fifteen of the women treated with imiquimod were HPV16+, of whom eight displayed HPV16 E2- and E6-specific T-cell immunity before treatment. Imiquimod neither enhanced nor induced such immunity in any of the subjects. Objective clinical responses (complete remission or >75% regression) were observed in 11 of the 15 patients. Of these 11 responders, eight patients displayed HPV16-specific type 1 CD4+ T-cell immunity, whereas three lacked reactivity. Notably, the four patients without an objective clinical response also lacked HPV16-specific type 1 T-cell immunity. CONCLUSIONS: HPV16-specific IFNgamma-associated CD4+ T-cell immunity, although not essential for imiquimod-induced regression of VIN lesions, may increase the likelihood of a strong clinical response (P = 0.03).

Frequent display of human papillomavirus type 16 E6-specific memory t-Helper cells in the healthy population as witness of previous viral encounter.

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is common and the majority of infected individuals successfully deal with this virus. Clearance of HPV is presumably mediated by T cells but HPV-16-specific T-cell memory was usually detected in patients with progressive disease and not in healthy subjects, suggesting that HPV-immunity comes too late. We now show the presence of HPV-16 E6-specific memory T-helper (Th) responses in a major fraction (12 of 20) of healthy individuals by application of the IFN-gamma-ELISPOT assay. Although nearly all E6-peptides were recognized, the majority of the responders targeted peptide sequences of the COOH-terminal half (E6(81-158)) of HPV-16 E6. In a direct comparison, the presence of HPV-16 E6-specific T cells coincided with HPV-16 E2-specific T-cell reactivity in healthy individuals, whereas hardly any HPV-16 E7-specific Th immunity was found. This indicates that the induction of T-cell reactivity against HPV-16 E7 is suboptimal during infection when compared with that against HPV-16 E2 and HPV-16 E6. In conclusion, the presence of HPV-16 E6-specific Th memory in the healthy population demonstrates that HPV infection leads to T-cell immunity against immediate early proteins expressed during infection. Because this HPV-16 E6-specific T-cell immunity was frequently detected in healthy subjects, our data suggest that the observed IFN-gamma-producing proliferating T cells circulating in the peripheral blood play a role in protection against persistent HPV infection and associated development of malignancies.

Frequent detection of human papillomavirus 16 E2-specific T-helper immunity in healthy subjects.

The incidence of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infections is high in young, sexually active individuals. Most infections are cleared within 1 year after infection. The targets for the cellular immune response in this process of viral clearance remain to be identified, but the expression pattern of the E2 protein in early infection and low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia renders this early protein a candidate antigen. Therefore, we studied the HPV16 E2-specific T-cell responses in more detail. Very strong proliferative responses against one or more peptide-epitopes derived from this antigen can be found in peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures of approximately half of the healthy donors. Additional analysis revealed that at least a majority of these responses represent reactivity by memory CD4(+) T-helper (Th) 1-type cells capable of secreting IFN-gamma on antigenic stimulation. Interestingly, all of the E2 peptides against which strong responses were detected are clustered in the key functional domains of the E2 protein, which are conserved to considerable extent between HPV types. This suggests that HPV16 E2-specific Th memory may be installed through encounter with HPV types other than HPV16. Indeed, one HPV16 E2-specific Th clone was found to cross-react against homologuous peptides from other HPV types, but three other Th clones failed to show similar cross-reactivity. Therefore, part of the HPV16 E2-specific Th memory may relate to previous encounter of other HPV types, whereas the majority of the immune repertoire concerned is most likely established through infection with HPV16 itself. Our data are the first to reveal that the T-cell repertoire of healthy donors can contain particularly high frequencies of E2-specific memory Th cells and suggest that boosting of this immunity can be used for preventive and therapeutic vaccination against HPV-induced lesions.

Immunological responses in women with human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16)-associated anogenital intraepithelial neoplasia induced by heterologous prime-boost HPV-16 oncogene vaccination.

PURPOSE: The purpose is to study the immunogenicity of heterologous prime-boost human papillomavirus (HPV) oncogene vaccination in patients with anogenital intraepithelial neoplasia (AGIN). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Twenty-nine women with high-grade AGIN received three i.m. doses of TA-CIN (HPV-16 L2/E6/E7 protein) at four weekly intervals followed by a single dermal scarification of vaccinia HPV-16/18 E6/E7 and were followed up for 12 weeks. Immunity to HPV-16 was assessed by lymphoproliferation, IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT), and ELISA. RESULTS: The patient group significantly responded to TA-CIN and not to the control antigen HPV-6 L2/E7 at all postvaccination time points when compared with baseline responses (P < or = 0.05). Ten of the patients showed at least a 3-fold increase in TA-CIN-specific proliferation at one or more time points after vaccination. Comparison of stimulation with HPV-16 E6- or E7-GST fusion proteins showed that proliferative responses were biased to HPV-16 E6. This bias was also seen by IFN-gamma ELISPOT using overlapping peptides, with HPV-16 E6- or E7-specific T cells being detected in 9 and 2 patients, respectively. In addition, vaccination resulted in the induction of antibodies against the HPV-16 oncoproteins. Of the 6 clinical responders, 2 patients showed both a proliferative TA-CIN-specific response and an E6-specific IFN-gamma response, whereas 3 other patients displayed E6-specific reactivity only. Stable disease was recorded in 19 patients, 8 of whom showed a concomitant TA-CIN-specific proliferative and/or E6-specific T-cell response. Of the 4 progressors, 2 failed to make a T-cell response and 2 responded by either proliferation or E6 ELISPOT alone. CONCLUSIONS: The prime-boost regimen is immunogenic in AGIN patients (humoral and cellular immunity), but there is no simple relationship between induction of systemic HPV-16-specific immunity and clinical outcome. Other factors that may play a role in the eradication of long-term established AGIN lesions need to be determined to identify the patient group that would benefit from immunotherapy with the vaccines used in this study.

Adenoviral transduction of dendritic cells.

Recombinant adenoviral (rAd) vectors are highly suitable for efficient genetic modification of dendritic cells (DC). In certain cases, the high immunogenicity of rAd may be a disadvantage. This chapter describes the essential aspects of optimal rAd-mediated gene transfer into DC, discusses the consequences of the immunogenicity of rAd vectors, and provides suggestions to minimize these complications.

Recombinant adenovirus-transduced human dendritic cells engineered to secrete interleukin-10 (IL-10) suppress Th1-type responses while selectively activating IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells.

Recombinant adenoviruses (rAd) are efficient tools for genetic modification of human dendritic cells (DC) in vitro. Infection of DCs by rAd encoding beta-galactosidase (betagal) results in partial maturation of DCs, as witnessed by the upregulation of major histocompatibility complex and costimulatory molecules. Accordingly, these DCs are more potent stimulators of Th1-type proliferative responses. We now demonstrate that infection of immature DCs with rAd encoding human interleukin (IL)-10 results in the secretion by the DCs of large amounts of IL-10, while not affecting expression of activation markers indicative of partial DC maturation. In contrast to rAd-betagal-infected DCs, rAdIL-10-infected DCs are very poor stimulators of monoclonal and polyclonal Th1-type responses. Instead, stimulation of nonpolarized CD4+ T-cell cultures with rAdIL-10-infected DCs selectively activates and expands an IL-10-producing CD4+ T-cell subset capable of suppressing Th1 responses in vitro. Our data argue that rAd-infected human DCs genetically engineered to produce IL-10 may be exploited for the modulation of harmful Th1-type responses in transplantation and autoimmune diseases.

Macrophages inhibit human osteosarcoma cell growth after activation with the bacterial cell wall derivative liposomal muramyl tripeptide in combination with interferon-γ.

BACKGROUND: In osteosarcoma, the presence of tumor-infiltrating macrophages positively correlates with patient survival in contrast to the negative effect of tumor-associated macrophages in patients with other tumors. Liposome-encapsulated muramyl tripeptide (L-MTP-PE) has been introduced in the treatment of osteosarcoma patients, which may enhance the potential anti-tumor activity of macrophages. Direct anti-tumor activity of human macrophages against human osteosarcoma cells has not been described so far. Hence, we assessed osteosarcoma cell growth after co-culture with human macrophages. METHODS: Monocyte-derived M1-like and M2-like macrophages were polarized with LPS + IFN-γ, L-MTP-PE +/- IFN-γ or IL-10 and incubated with osteosarcoma cells. Two days later, viable tumor cell numbers were analyzed. Antibody-dependent effects were investigated using the therapeutic anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab. RESULTS: M1-like macrophages inhibited osteosarcoma cell growth when activated with LPS + IFN-γ. Likewise, stimulation of M1-like macrophages with liposomal muramyl tripeptide (L-MTP-PE) inhibited tumor growth, but only when combined with IFN-γ. Addition of the tumor-reactive anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab did not further improve the anti-tumor activity of activated M1-like macrophages. The inhibition was mediated by supernatants of activated M1-like macrophages, containing TNF-α and IL-1ß. However, specific blockage of these cytokines, nitric oxide or reactive oxygen species did not inhibit the anti-tumor effect, suggesting the involvement of other soluble factors released upon macrophage activation. While LPS + IFN-γ-activated M2-like macrophages had low anti-tumor activity, IL-10-polarized M2-like macrophages were able to reduce osteosarcoma cell growth in the presence of the anti-EGFR cetuximab involving antibody-dependent tumor cell phagocytosis. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that human macrophages can be induced to exert direct anti-tumor activity against osteosarcoma cells. Our observation that the induction of macrophage anti-tumor activity by L-MTP-PE required IFN-γ may be of relevance for the optimization of L-MTP-PE therapy in osteosarcoma patients.

Adenovirus type 35, but not type 5, stimulates NK cell activation via plasmacytoid dendritic cells and TLR9 signaling.

In hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, disseminated adenoviral infections during the first two months after HSCT can lead to severe complications and fatal outcome. Since NK cells are usually the first lymphocytes to reconstitute after HSCT and have been implicated in the clearance of adenovirus-infected cells, it was investigated whether NK cells are activated by adenovirus in vitro. Exposure of PBMC to human adenovirus type 5 (HAdV5) or HAdV35 resulted in the up-regulation of the activation marker CD69 on NK cells and enhanced the cytolytic activity of NK cells. HAdV5-induced NK cell activation relied on the contribution of T cells as the depletion of T cells from PBMC abolished NK cell activation. In contrast, NK cell activation in response to HAdV35 occurred in the absence of T cells. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) were necessary and sufficient to mediate NK cell activation. HAdV35 induced significantly more interferon-α (IFN-α) production by pDC than HAdV5. The increased IFN-α production and NK cell activation correlated with a higher infection efficiency of viruses with the type 35 fiber. The IFN-α response of pDC was enhanced by the presence of NK cells, suggesting a reciprocal interaction between pDC and NK cells. Incubation with a TLR9 antagonist impaired the IFN-α production by pDC as well as NK cell activation, implying that TLR9 signaling is critically involved in the IFN-α response of pDC and NK cell activation after HAdV35 exposure. In conclusion, two human adenovirus serotypes from two different species differ considerably in their capacity to stimulate pDC and NK cells.

Enhanced transduction of CAR-negative cells by protein IX-gene deleted adenovirus 5 vectors.

In human adenoviruses (HAdV), 240 copies of the 14.3-kDa minor capsid protein IX stabilize the capsid. Three N-terminal domains of protein IX form triskelions between hexon capsomers. The C-terminal domains of four protein IX monomers associate near the facet periphery. The precise biological role of protein IX remains enigmatic. Here we show that deletion of the protein IX gene from a HAdV-5 vector enhanced the reporter gene delivery 5 to 25-fold, specifically to Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor (CAR)-negative cell lines. Deletion of the protein IX gene also resulted in enhanced activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The mechanism for the enhanced transduction is obscure. No differences in fiber loading, integrin-dependency of transduction, or factor-X binding could be established between protein IX-containing and protein IX-deficient particles. Our data suggest that protein IX can affect the cell tropism of HAdV-5, and may function to dampen the innate immune responses against HAdV particles.

Genetic variation of antigen processing machinery components and association with cervical carcinoma.

The antigen processing machinery (APM) plays an important role in immune recognition of virally infected and transformed cells. Defective expression of several APM components is associated with progression and clinical outcome in cervical carcinoma. Genetic variation in the genes encoding APM components is known to be associated with risk of occurrence of several malignancies. However, only limited evidence exists supporting the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in APM components in cervical carcinoma. We have therefore investigated the occurrence of APM component SNP genotypes and haplotypes in cervical carcinoma. Thirteen coding SNPs in the LMP2, LMP7, TAP1, TAP2, and ERAP1 genes were genotyped in 127 cervical carcinoma patients and 124 controls. Individual genotype and allele distributions were assessed by single-marker analysis. Effects of various SNP combinations were estimated by haplotype construction and subsequent haplotype interaction analysis. Significant haplotypes were modeled on disease risk. Allele distributions at the LMP7-145, TAP2-651, ERAP1-127, and ERAP1-730 loci differed significantly between cases and controls with the major allele at the LMP7 and TAP2 loci and the minor allele at both ERAP1 loci associated with increased cervical carcinoma risk. A combination of the two haplotypes spanning these loci was associated with a three-fold increased risk (OR = 3.024; P << 0.001); approximately 12% of all cervical carcinoma occurrences were attributable to this combination. Our data indicate that combined genetic variation in the TAP2, LMP7, and ERAP1 genes is associated with increased cervical carcinoma risk.

Association of cervical cancer with the presence of CD4+ regulatory T cells specific for human papillomavirus antigens.

Because of their important role in the maintenance of self-tolerance, CD4(+) regulatory T cells prevent autoimmune diseases but also curtail the efficacy of T cell immune responses against cancers. We now show that this suppressive action of CD4(+) regulatory T cells is not limited to cancers displaying tumor-associated self antigens, such as melanomas, but also extends to human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive cervical cancers that express foreign tumor antigens. HPV-specific CD4(+) T cells isolated from lymph node biopsies of cervical cancer patients were found to suppress proliferation and cytokine (IFN-gamma, IL-2) production by responder T cells. The capacity of HPV-specific CD4(+) T cells to exert this suppressive effect depended on their activation by cognate HPV antigen and on close-range interactions with responder T cells. HPV-specific CD4(+) regulatory T cells were also retrieved from cervical cancer biopsies, suggesting that they interfere with the anti-tumor immune response at both the induction and effector levels. Our findings offer a plausible explanation for the observed failure of the tumor-specific immune response in patients with cervical carcinoma.