Exploiting a new strategy to induce immunogenic cell death to improve dendritic cell-based vaccines for lymphoma immunotherapy.

Although promising, the clinical benefit provided by dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines is still limited and the choice of the optimal antigen formulation is still an unresolved issue. We have developed a new DC-based vaccination protocol for aggressive and/or refractory lymphomas which combines the unique features of interferon-conditioned DC (IFN-DC) with highly immunogenic tumor cell lysates (TCL) obtained from lymphoma cells undergoing immunogenic cell death. We show that treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cell lines with 9-cis-retinoic acid and IFNα (RA/IFNα) induces early membrane exposure of Calreticulin, HSP70 and 90 together with CD47 down-regulation and enhanced HMGB1 secretion. Consistently, RA/IFNα-treated apoptotic cells and -TCLs were more efficiently phagocytosed by DCs compared to controls. Notably, cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) generated with autologous DCs pulsed with RA/IFNα-TCLs more efficiently recognized and specifically lysed MCL or DLBCL cells or targets loaded with several HLA-A*0201 cyclin D1 or HLA-B*0801 survivin epitopes. These cultures also showed an expansion of Th1 and Th17 cells and an increased Th17/Treg ratio. Moreover, DCs loaded with RA/IFNα-TCLs showed enhanced functional maturation and activation. NOD/SCID mice reconstituted with human peripheral blood lymphocytes and vaccinated with autologous RA/IFNα-TCL loaded-IFN-DCs showed lymphoma-specific T-cell responses and a significant decrease in tumor growth with respect to mice treated with IFN-DC unpulsed or loaded with untreated TCLs. This study demonstrates the feasibility and efficacy of the use of RA/IFNα to generate a highly immunogenic TCL as a suitable tumor antigen formulation for the development of effective anticancer DC-based vaccines.

Strong CD8+ T cell antigenicity and immunogenicity of large foreign proteins incorporated in HIV-1 VLPs able to induce a Nef-dependent activation/maturation of dendritic cells.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are excellent tools for vaccines against pathogens and tumors. They can accommodate foreign polypeptides whose incorporation efficiency and immunogenicity however decrease strongly with the increase of their size. We recently described the CD8(+) T cell immune response against a small foreign antigen (i.e., the 98 amino acid long human papilloma virus E7 protein) incorporated in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 based VLPs as product of fusion with an HIV-1 Nef mutant (Nef(mut)). Here, we extended our previous investigations by testing the antigenic/immunogenic properties of Nef(mut)-based VLPs incorporating much larger heterologous products, i.e., human hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 and influenza virus NP proteins, which are composed of 630 and 498 amino acids, respectively. We observed a remarkable cross-presentation of HCV NS3 in dendritic cells challenged with Nef(mut)-NS3 VLPs, as detected using a NS3 specific CD8(+) T cell clone as well as PBMCs from HCV infected patients. On the other hand, when injected in mice, Nef(mut)-NP VLPs elicited strong anti-NP CD8(+) T cell and CTL immune responses. In addition, we revealed the ability of Nef(mut) incorporated in VLPs to activate and mature primary human immature dendritic cells (iDCs). This phenomenon correlated with the activation of Src tyrosine kinase-related intracellular signaling, and can be transmitted from VLP-challenged to bystander iDCs. Overall, these results prove that Nef(mut)-based VLPs represent a rather flexible platform for the design of innovative CD8(+) T cell vaccines.

A new type I IFN-mediated pathway for the rapid differentiation of monocytes into highly active dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are a unique leukocyte type consisting of different subsets of professional antigen-presenting cells. Since DCs initiate and govern the immune response, they represent an ideal target for intervention aimed at modulating and potentiating immune responses against cancer and infectious diseases. We recently described and characterized, at a functional level, a novel DC subset, interferon (IFN)-DCs, derived from blood monocytes after a short exposure to type I IFN and GM-CSF. Here, we review our recent studies on IFN-DCs and discuss their possible use in clinical immunotherapeutic strategies.

Expression of CCR-7, MIP-3beta, and Th-1 chemokines in type I IFN-induced monocyte-derived dendritic cells: importance for the rapid acquisition of potent migratory and functional activities.

The migration capability of dendritic cells (DCs) is regulated by their response to factors, namely chemokines, that characterize maturation stage and shape their functional activities. This study examines the morphology, expression of chemokines/chemokine receptors, and migration properties of DCs generated after treatment of monocytes with type I interferon (IFN) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (IFN-DCs). IFN-DCs showed phenotypical and morphologic features undetectable in DCs generated in the presence of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and GM-CSF, such as expression of CD83 and CD25 and the presence of CD44+, highly polarized, thin, and long dendrites. IFN-DCs markedly migrated in response to beta-chemokines (especially MIP-1beta) and expressed the Th-1 chemokine IP-10. Notably, IFN-DCs showed an up-regulation of CCR7 as well as of its natural ligand MIP-3beta, characteristics typical of mature DCs. Of interest, IFN-DCs exhibited a marked chemotactic response to MIP-3beta in vitro and strong migratory behavior in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. In SCID mice reconstituted with human peripheral blood leukocytes, IFN-DCs induced a potent primary human antibody response and IFN-gamma production, indicative of a Th-1 immune response. These results define the highly specialized maturation state of IFN-DCs and point out the existence of a "natural alliance" between type I IFN and monocyte/DC development, instrumental for ensuring an efficient connection between innate and adaptive immunity.

Type I interferon as a powerful adjuvant for monocyte-derived dendritic cell development and activity in vitro and in Hu-PBL-SCID mice.

Type I interferons (IFNs) are cytokines exhibiting antiviral and antitumor effects, including multiple activities on immune cells. However, the importance of these cytokines in the early events leading to the generation of an immune response is still unclear. Here, we have investigated the effects of type I IFNs on freshly isolated granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-treated human monocytes in terms of dendritic cell (DC) differentiation and activity in vitro and in severe combined immunodeficiency mice reconstituted with human peripheral blood leukocytes (hu-PBL-SCID) mice. Type I IFNs induced a surprisingly rapid maturation of monocytes into short-lived tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-expressing DCs endowed with potent functional activities, superior with respect to the interleukin (IL)-4/GM-CSF treatment, as shown by FACS((R)) analyses, mixed leukocyte reaction assays with allogeneic PBLs, and lymphocyte proliferation responses to HIV-1-pulsed autologous DCs. Type I IFN induced IL-15 production and strongly promoted a T helper cell type 1 response. Notably, injection of IFN-treated HIV-1-pulsed DCs in SCID mice reconstituted with autologous PBLs resulted in the generation of a potent primary immune response, as evaluated by the detection of human antibodies to various HIV-1 antigens. These results provide a rationale for using type I IFNs as vaccine adjuvants and support the concept that a natural alliance between these cytokines and monocytes/DCs represents an important early mechanism for connecting innate and adaptive immunity.

Primary HIV-1 infection of human CD4+ T cells passaged into SCID mice leads to selection of chronically infected cells through a massive fas-mediated autocrine suicide of uninfected cells.

We have recently shown that a human CD4+ T cell line (CEM-SS) acquires the permissiveness to M-tropic strains and primary isolates of HIV-1 after transplantation into SCID mice. This permissiveness was associated with the acquisition of a memory (CD45RO+) phenotype as well as of a functional CCR5 coreceptor. In this study, we have used this model for invest-igating in vivo the relationships between HIV-1 infection, apoptosis and T cell differentiation. When an in vivo HIV-1 infection was performed, the CEM cell tumors grew to a lower extent than the uninfected controls. CEM cells explanted from uninfected SCID mice (ex vivo CEM) underwent a significant level of spontaneous apoptosis and proved to be CD45RO+, Fas+ and Fas-L+, while Bcl-2 expression was significantly reduced as compared to the parental cells. Acute HIV-1 infection markedly increased apoptosis of uninfected ex vivo CEM cells, through a Fas/Fas-L-mediated autocrine suicide/fratricide, while parental cells did not undergo apoptosis following viral infection. The susceptibility to apoptosis of ex vivo CEM cells infected with the NSI strain of HIV-1, was progressively lost during culture, in parallel with the loss of Fas-L and marked changes in the Bcl-2 cellular distribution. On the whole, these results are strongly reminiscent of a series of events possibly occurring during HIV-1 infection. After an initial depletion of bystander CD4+ memory T cells during acute infection, latently or chronically infected CD4+ T lymphocytes are progressively selected and are protected against spontaneous apoptosis through the development of an efficient survival program. Studies with human cells passaged into SCID mice may offer new opportunities for an in vivo investigation of the mechanisms involved in HIV-1 infection and CD4+ T cell depletion.

Cyclophosphamide induces type I interferon and augments the number of CD44(hi) T lymphocytes in mice: implications for strategies of chemoimmunotherapy of cancer.

In a previous study, we reported that a single injection of cyclophosphamide (CTX) in tumor-bearing mice resulted in tumor eradication when the animals were subsequently injected with tumor-sensitized lymphocytes. Notably, CTX acted by inducing bystander effects on T cells, and the response to the combined CTX/adoptive immunotherapy regimen was inhibited in mice treated with antibodies to mouse interferon (IFN)-alpha/beta. In the present study, we have investigated whether CTX induced the expression of type I IFN, and we have characterized the CTX effects on the phenotype of T cells in normal mice. CTX injection resulted in an accumulation of type I IFN messenger RNA in the spleen of inoculated mice, at 24 to 48 hours, that was associated with IFN detection in the majority of the animals. CTX also enhanced the expression of the Ly-6C on spleen lymphocytes. This enhancement was inhibited in mice treated with anti-type I IFN antibodies. Moreover, CTX induced a long-lasting increase in in vivo lymphocyte proliferation and in the percentage of CD44(hi)CD4(+) and CD44(hi)CD8(+ )T lymphocytes. These results demonstrate that CTX is an inducer of type I IFN in vivo and enhances the number of T cells exhibiting the CD44(hi) memory phenotype. Since type I IFN has been recently recognized as the important cytokine for the in vivo expansion and long-term survival of memory T cells, we suggest that induction of this cytokine may explain at least part of the immunomodulatory effects observed after CTX treatment. Finally, these findings provide a new rationale for combined treatments with CTX and adoptive immunotherapy in cancer patients. (Blood. 2000;95:2024-2030)

Type I consensus interferon (CIFN) gene transfer into human melanoma cells up-regulates p53 and enhances cisplatin-induced apoptosis: implications for new therapeutic strategies with IFN-alpha.

In this study, we describe the effects produced by the retroviral transduction of human type I consensus IFN (CIFN) coding sequence into the 8863 and 1B6 human melanoma cell lines, derived from a metastatic and a primary human melanoma, respectively. Melanoma cell lines producing approximately 103 IU/ml of IFN were obtained. Interestingly, cisplatin treatment of IFN-producing 8863 and 1B6 melanoma cells resulted in a three- to four-fold increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells with respect to similarly treated parental or control-transduced cell cultures. A similar effect, although less intense, was caused by cultivation of parental melanoma cells in the presence of exogenous CIFN. The increased susceptibility of the IFN-producing melanoma cell lines to cisplatin-induced apoptosis was associated with an IFN-dependent accumulation of p53, which also correlated with a decrease in Bcl-2 expression. Addition of exogenous CIFN to parental melanoma cells resulted in similar although weaker modulations of p53 and Bcl-2 expression. Cisplatin administration to nude mice bearing 3-day-old IFN-producing 8863 tumors resulted in complete tumor regression, while only a partial tumor inhibition was observed upon cisplatin treatment of mice bearing parental or control-transduced 8863 tumors. Starting the cisplatin treatment 7 days after tumor cell injection still resulted in a stronger inhibition of tumor growth in the mice bearing IFN-producing 8863 tumors as compared with parental tumor-bearing mice. A comparable therapeutic effect was obtained after repeated peritumoral administration of 103 IU of exogenous CIFN and cisplatin treatment. Interestingly, a spontaneous tumor regression was observed in nude mice injected with IFN-producing 1B6 cells, in contrast to the progressive tumor growth occurring in mice receiving a similar inoculum of the parental or control-transduced 1B6 melanoma cells. Repeated peritumoral administration of 103 IU of exogenous CIFN to mice bearing parental 1B6 tumors caused only a transient inhibition of tumor growth. These results indicate that type I IFN gene transfer is an effective approach for suppressing the tumorigenic phenotype of human melanoma cells and for increasing the efficacy of anticancer drugs. These observations, together with our previous findings showing the importance of IFN-alpha-T cell interactions in the generation of an antitumor response in mouse models, underline the interest of using type I IFN in gene therapy strategies for the treatment of human melanoma.

Type I interferon is a powerful inhibitor of in vivo HIV-1 infection and preserves human CD4(+) T cells from virus-induced depletion in SCID mice transplanted with human cells.

Although several studies are available on the in vitro inhibitory activities of type I interferon (IFN) on HIV-1 replication, the role of these cytokines in the pathogenesis of AIDS is still matter of conjecture. Both beneficial and adverse effects have been envisaged and considered as a possible rationale for the development of either IFN or anti-IFN therapies in HIV-1-infected patients. In the present study, we have evaluated the efficacy of human type I IFN on HIV-1 infection and virus-induced depletion of human CD4 T cells in two models established in SCID mice. In SCID mice transplanted with human U937 cells (U937-SCID mouse model), continuous treatment with type I consensus IFN (CIFN) resulted in a total suppression of HIV-1 infection. This inhibitory effect was superior to that obtained after AZT treatments. Results from an ensemble of experiments in SCID mice transplanted with either control or genetically modified human U937 cells transduced with a Tat-inducible IFN-alpha gene (LTR-IFN-A2 U937) indicated that low levels of IFN-alpha, produced locally as a result of virus infection, were extremely effective in inhibiting acute HIV infection and virus replication. Of interest, LTR-IFN-A2 U937 cells conferred a strong anti-HIV-1 protection to coinjected bystander U937 cells. Notably, experiments with SCID mice reconstituted with human PBL (hu-PBL-SCID mouse model) showed that treatment with CIFN inhibited HIV-1 replication more effectively than AZT treatment. Remarkably, treatment with CIFN resulted in a clear-cut protection from the virus-induced depletion of human CD4 T cells, which was also associated with the generation of an antibody response toward HIV-1 antigens in 50% of the virus-injected xenografts. These results suggest that type I IFN efficiently preserves human CD4(+) cells from virus-induced damage in hu-PBL-SCID mice, not only by inducing an antiviral state in target cells but also by stimulating anti-HIV-1 human immune responses in vivo.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 strains R5 and X4 induce different pathogenic effects in hu-PBL-SCID mice, depending on the state of activation/differentiation of human target cells at the time of primary infection.

In a previous study, we had found that the extent of T-cell dysfunctions induced by a T-tropic strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in SCID mice reconstituted with human peripheral blood lymphocytes (hu-PBLs) (hu-PBL-SCID mice) was related to the in vivo state of activation of the human lymphocytes. In this article, we compared the effect of infection of hu-PBL-SCID mice with either T-tropic (X4) or M-tropic (R5) strains of HIV-1 by performing virus inoculation at either 2 h or 2 weeks after the hu-PBL transfer, when the human T cells exhibited a marked activation state or a predominant memory phenotype, respectively. A comparable level of infection was found when hu-PBL-SCID mice were challenged with either the SF162 R5 or the IIIB X4 strain of HIV at 2 h postreconstitution, while at 2 weeks, the R5 virus infection resulted in a higher level of HIV replication than the X4 virus. The R5 strain induced a marked human CD4(+) T-cell depletion along with a drop in levels of human immunoglobulin M in serum and release of soluble factors at both infection times, while the X4 virus induced severe immune dysfunctions only at 2 h. Of interest, injection of hu-PBLs into SCID mice resulted in a marked up-regulation of CCR5 on human CD4(+) T cells. The percentage of CXCR4(+) cells did not change after transplantation, even though a significant decrease in antigen expression was observed. Comparative experiments with two molecular clones of HIV-1 (X4 SF2 and R5 SF162) and two envelope recombinant viruses generated from these viruses showed that R5 viruses (SF162 and the chimeric env-SF162-SF2) caused an extensive depletion of human CD4(+) T cells in SCID mice at both 2 h and 2 weeks after reconstitution, while the X4 viruses (SF2 and the chimeric env-SF2-SF162) induced CD4 T-cell depletion only when infection was performed at the 2-h reconstitution time. These results emphasize the importance of the state of activation/differentiation of human CD4(+) T cells and gp120-coreceptor interactions at the time of primary infection in determining HIV-1 pathogenicity in the hu-PBL-SCID mouse model.

Murine interferon-alpha1 gene-transduced ESb tumor cells are rejected by host-mediated mechanisms despite resistance of the parental tumor to interferon-alpha/beta therapy.

The highly metastatic ESb tumor is totally resistant to murine interferon-alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) therapy, regardless of the number of cells injected or the route of inoculation. In contrast, as we show herein, mouse IFN-alpha1-transduced ESb tumor cells were inhibited markedly when injected subcutaneously into immunocompetent mice. IFN-producing ESb tumor rejection was mediated by the immune system, because these tumor cells grew normally in immunosuppressed mice. Tumor regression was accompanied by extensive necrosis and cellular infiltrates in the tumor area. These results further support the use of IFN-alpha in cytokine gene therapy of cancer and suggest the advantage of using gene transfer rather than cytokine administration to enhance an antitumor immune response.

Human intestinal lamina propria lymphocytes are naturally permissive to HIV-1 infection.

The presence of HIV-1 in the intestinal mucosa of AIDS patients has been reported and human intestinal lamina propria lymphocytes (LPL) have been proposed as important targets for HIV-1 infection. However, little information is available concerning the permissiveness of human intestinal CD4+ T lymphocytes to HIV-1 infection. Here, we show that human LPL, in contrast to autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), are permissive to both X4 T-tropic and R5 M-tropic strains of HIV-1, as well as to clinical isolates, in the absence of exogenous stimuli. Flow cytometry showed that the vast majority of T LPL were CD45RO+ and CD69+, and that CD4+ T LPL highly expressed CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) as compared to PBL, while CX chemokine receptor 4 was equally expressed on LPL and PBL. Exogenous RANTES and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (natural CCR5 ligands) virtually abolished the entry of the R5 M-tropic strain HIV-1 into human LPL. Thus, we infer that human intestinal CD4+ T lymphocytes are naturally susceptible to HIV-1 infection, due to their physiological state of activation and to marked expression of HIV-1 coreceptors, independently of the route of primary (either mucosal or parental) infection and the shifts of the virus phenotype occurring during the course of AIDS.

The induction of in vivo proliferation of long-lived CD44hi CD8+ T cells after the injection of tumor cells expressing IFN-alpha1 into syngeneic mice.

The tumorigenicity of transplantable tumor cells in mice is reduced by transduction with cytokine genes, including IFN-alpha and interleukin (IL) 12. Although T cells are considered important in tumor rejection, the mechanism by which genetically modified tumor cells stimulate the immune system has not been examined. In this study, the in vivo proliferation of T-cell subsets in mice transplanted with cytokine-producing syngeneic tumor cells was assessed by administering the DNA precursor bromodeoxyuridine. The injection of viable cells producing IFN-alpha or IL-12 caused a marked proliferation of CD8+ T lymphocytes in both the spleen and lymph nodes. Proliferation was most prominent among memory-phenotype CD44hi CD8+ T cells. In contrast, proliferation of CD8+ T cells did not occur in mice injected with control cells or with cells expressing IL-4, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, or IFN-gamma. Pulse-chase studies in mice injected with IFN-alpha-producing cells showed that a proportion of proliferating CD8+ T cells survived for at least 70 days, suggesting that long-lived memory cells are induced using such an approach. In summary, these results, together with previous studies on the host immune reactivity triggered by the injection of tumor cells expressing IFN-alpha, represent a strong rationale for considering IFN-alpha as a powerful T-cell adjuvant for the generation of more effective cancer vaccines.

Human lymphoblastoid CD4(+) T cells become permissive to macrophage-tropic strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 after passage into severe combined immunodeficient mice through in vivo upregulation of CCR5: in vivo dynamics of CD4(+) T-cell differentiation in pathogenesis of AIDS.

In this article, we show that passage in SCID mice rendered a human CD4(+) T-cell line (CEM cells) highly susceptible to infection by macrophage-tropic (M-tropic) strains and primary clinical isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). This in vivo-acquired permissiveness of CEM cells was associated with the induction of a CD45RO+ phenotype as well as of some beta-chemokine receptors. Regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted chemokine entirely inhibited the ability of M-tropic HIV-1 strains to infect these cells. These findings may lead to new approaches in investigating in vivo the capacity of different HIV strains to exploit chemokine receptors in relation to the dynamics of the activation and/or differentiation state of human CD4(+) T cells.

Role of cytokines in GVL (ESb lymphoma) and GVHD after adoptive transfer of allogeneic T lymphocytes in mice.

ESb lymphoma cells injected i.v. into DBA/2 (H-2d) mice multiply rapidly in the liver and kill all mice in a few days. Adoptive transfer of allogeneic C57B1/6 (H-2b) tumor-immune or normal splenic lymphocytes to sublethally irradiated DBA/2 mice induced a marked antitumor state, graft-versus-leukemia (GVL), increasing the mean survival time 2-3-fold, but also induced an acute and lethal graft-versus host disease (GVHD). We have undertaken experiments to try to dissociate GVL from GVHD. Transfer of immune spleen cells induced a greater GVL than transfer of normal spleen cells with an equivalent to GVHD. Three to five million immune or normal CD8+ T lymphocytes were sufficient to induce both GVL and GVHD. Individual DBA/2 mice were labeled and followed. In mice undergoing GVHD, the spleens were repopulated by donor (H-2b) lymphocytes, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were present in the sera of 26 of 27 and 18 of 20 mice, respectively, together with increased amounts of TNF-alpha and IL-6 mRNA in their spleens. This was in contrast to DBA/2 mice receiving allogeneic cells but not developing GVHD. Both interferon-alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) and IL-12, which had proven very effective in association with adoptive transfer of syngeneic immune T lymphocytes in inhibiting ESb metastases, enhanced GVHD when administered with allogeneic immune or normal spleen cells, and >90% of mice died. Intensive IL-2 treatment inhibited GVHD while maintaining GVL.

Treatment of severe combined immunodeficiency mice with anti-murine granulocyte monoclonal antibody improves human leukocyte xenotransplantation.

BACKGROUND: The residual resistance of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice to human graft is the main factor in conditioning both the extent of human cell reconstitution and the xenograft-to-xenograft variability. We have recently shown that an early and massive murine granulocyte recruitment is the main event in the SCID mouse reaction to the human graft. METHODS: Here, we evaluate the importance of mouse granulocytes in the restriction of human cell engraftment in SCID mice. We injected SCID mice with a monoclonal antibody to murine granulocytes. RESULTS: Injection of this antibody resulted in a marked depletion of polymorphonuclear cells in the hematopoietic organs of SCID mice. This depletion was associated with a significant increase in both the growth of human cell lines of different hematopoietic origin and the engraftment of human peripheral blood leukocytes. Moreover, the abolishment of the early granulocyte reaction markedly reduced the xenograft-to-xenograft variation, a major shortcoming of these xenochimeric models. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new insights into the control of the natural immune response of SCID mice against human graft. Furthermore, treatments aimed at controlling the acute inflammatory reaction of SCID mouse-to-human cell transplantation can be considered useful experimental approaches for increasing the xenograft-to-xenograft reproducibility.

Local and systemic antitumor response after combined therapy of mouse metastatic tumors with tumor cells expressing IFN-alpha and HSVtk: perspectives for the generation of cancer vaccines.

In this study, we have evaluated the local versus systemic antitumor response in tumor-bearing mice subjected to a combined therapeutic regimen based on the injection of genetically modified Friend erythroleukemia cells (FLC) producing IFN-alpha and expressing the HSVtk (tk) gene, and we have investigated the host immune mechanisms involved in tumor rejection and development of antitumor immunity. Repeated subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of IFNtk-expressing tumor cells, followed by GCV administration, were effective in counteracting the growth of both contralateral parental tumors as well as visceral metastases, whereas similar treatments with control tk cells (i.e. nonproducing IFN) were ineffective. Morphologic analyses of the homolateral and contralateral tumor tissues and in vivo immunosuppression experiments with specific monoclonal antibodies revealed that both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes played essential roles in the generation of a definite antitumor response after the combined therapeutic regimen. We have also compared the effectiveness of irradiated versus viable tumor vaccines co-expressing the two genes in the FLC model and in the poorly immunogenic metastasizing TS/A adenocarcinoma tumor system. Repeated injections of high doses of irradiated IFN-alpha-tk-expressing tumor cells followed by GCV administration resulted in the cure of the majority of mice bearing established metastatic tumors, while repeated inoculations of the same number of viable tumor vaccines were much less effective. We conclude that; (1) IFN-alpha is an essential cofactor in the generation of a systemic antitumor immunity following the prodrug-induced tumor cell killing; (2) vaccines co-expressing an autotoxic gene and a cytokine gene may represent promising new tools for the treatment of some cancer patients.

U937-SCID mouse xenografts: a new model for acute in vivo HIV-1 infection suitable to test antiviral strategies.

In this study we attempted to develop a new xenochimeric model for HIV infection in SCID mice, characterized by an easy engraftment of target cells, high levels of viremia and long-lasting HIV-1 infection. SCID mice were injected subcutaneously with uninfected human U937 cells and cell-free HIV-1 (IIIB strain) or HIV-1-infected human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). Mice were evaluated for tumor growth, viral infection at the tumor level (DNA-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), RNA-PCR) and immunostaining for the p55/p18 HIV protein) and p24 antigenemia or serum HIV-1 RNA copies. Pretreatment of mice with antibodies to either mouse-IFN alpha/beta or granulocytes resulted in a tumor take and levels of p24 antigenemia higher than in control mice. In mice treated with these antibody preparations, there was a long-lasting HIV infection with the presence of high levels of circulating infectious virus (serum p24 values up to 4000 pg/ml and serum RNA copies up to 5 x 10(7)/ml over 3 months, with the majority of the cells expressing HIV-antigens at the tumor site). Intraperitoneal treatment of SCID mice with AZT (480 mg/kg per day) resulted in a complete inhibition of both p24 and RNA HIV-1 copies in the serum, together with a marked reduction in the number of infected cells and the levels of virus expression at the tumor site. We conclude that some specific features of this model (i.e. easy establishment, high reproducibility, well defined kinetics of virus infection, massive and long persistent viremia) underline the special advantages of its use for testing new antiviral therapies.

T-cell dysfunctions in hu-PBL-SCID mice infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) shortly after reconstitution: in vivo effects of HIV on highly activated human immune cells.

The state of activation of the immune system may be an important factor which renders a host more receptive to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and more vulnerable to its effects. To explore this issue with a practical in vivo model, we developed a modified protocol of HIV infection in hu-PBL-SCID mice. First, we assessed the time course of activation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (hu-PBL) in the peritoneal cavity of SCID mice. At 2 to 24 h after the intraperitoneal injection into SCID mice, there was a clear-cut increase in the percentage of hu-PBL expressing early activation markers (CD69), concomitant with the release of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and the soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and with the accumulation of mRNAs for a number of human cytokines. At 2 weeks, virtually all of the hu-PBL expressed the memory phenotype (CD45RO) and HLA-DR antigens as well. Cells collected from the SCID mouse peritoneum at 2 and 24 h after transplantation were fully susceptible to in vitro infection with HIV type 1 (HIV-1) in the absence of either IL-2 or mitogens. The injection of HIV into hu-PBL-SCID mice at 2 h after reconstitution resulted in a generalized and productive HIV infection of the xenochimeras. This early HIV-1 infection resulted in a dramatic depletion of human CD4+ cells and in decreased levels of sICAM-1 (in the peritoneal lavage fluid) as well as of sIL-2R and immunoglobulins M and A (in the serum). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and/or reverse transcriptase PCR analysis showed higher levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 in the HIV-infected animals than in control hu-PBL-SCID mice, while gamma interferon levels in the two groups were comparable. When we compared the current model of HIV-1 infection at 2 weeks after the intraperitoneal injection of the hu-PBL in the SCID mice with the model described here, we found that the majority of immune dysfunctions induced in the 2-h infection of the xenochimeras are not inducible in the 2-week infection. This supports the concept that the state of activation of human cells at the moment of the in vivo infection with HIV-1 is a crucial factor in determining the immune derangement observed in AIDS patients. These results show that some immunological dysfunctions induced by HIV infection in AIDS patients can be mimicked in this xenochimeric model. Thus, the hu-PBL-SCID mouse model may be useful in exploring, in vivo, the relevance of hu-PBL activation and differentiation in HIV-1 infection and for testing therapeutic intervention directed towards either the virus or the immune system.

The SCID mouse reaction to human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocyte engraftment. Neutrophil recruitment induced expression of a wide spectrum of murine cytokines and mouse leukopoiesis, including thymic differentiation.

In this study, we describe the kinetics of host immune reactions occurring in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) at different times after the intraperitoneal injection of human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (huPBL). At 24 hr, a massive neutrophil recruitment and an induced expression of a wide spectrum of murine cytokine mRNA (i.e., interleukin [IL]-1 beta, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha and interferon [IFN]-gamma) occurred in the huPBL-SCID mouse peritoneal cavity. By using ELISAs specific for mouse cytokines, large amounts of IL-1-alpha, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IFN-gamma were detected in the peritoneal washings of huPBL-SCID mice 1 day after intraperitoneal injection. IL-6 and IFN-gamma production persisted for up to 2 weeks after PBL transplantation. Medullary and extramedullary expansion of the SCID mouse hematopoietic cells also occurred in the chimeras as early as 1 week after injection, together with a marked thymic differentiation (murine CD4+/CD8+ cells) at 10-12 weeks after transplantation. On the whole, these results indicate that, after huPBL injection, SCID mice mount a complex multistage immune response. These host reactions should be taken into consideration for any accurate interpretation of results obtained using the huPBL-SCID model. The control of responses (by means of specific antibodies to murine cytokines and to granulocytes or through the use of anti-inflammatory drugs) may be helpful in improving the engraftment of huPBL in SCID mice and in furthering our knowledge of the T and B cell-independent natural immune reactions.