The anti-angiogenic activity of IL-12 is increased in iNOS-/- mice and involves NK cells.

We have previously reported that the in vivo transfer of murine interleukin-12 (IL-12) gene using a Semliki Forest virus vector induced tumor regression through inhibition of tumor blood vessel formation. To examine whether IL-12 anti-angiogenic activity interferes with the NO pathway, we used inducible nitric oxide synthase-deficient mice (iNOS-/-) and demonstrated that the anti-tumor effect of IL-12 is more pronounced in these mice. In addition, despite the increased level of intratumoral VEGF in iNOS-/- mice, IL-12 induced a stronger inhibition of blood vessel formation. Histological analysis of SFV-IL-12-treated tumors showed an increase in natural killer (NK) perivascular infiltration in iNOS-/- as compared to control mice. In vitro IL-12-stimulated murine splenic NK cells displayed significant killing activity towards established murine endothelial cells used as targets. These studies indicate that the anti-angiogenic activity of IL-12 interferes with iNOS pathway and involves NK cell recruitment.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells suppress lymphocyte proliferation in vitro but fail to prevent graft-versus-host disease in mice.

Several reports have suggested that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could exert a potent immunosuppressive effect in vitro, and thus may have a therapeutic potential for T cell-dependent pathologies. We aimed to establish whether MSCs could be used to control graft-vs-host disease (GVHD), a major cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation. From C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse bone marrow cells, we purified and expanded MSCs characterized by the lack of expression of CD45 and CD11b molecules, their typical spindle-shaped morphology, together with their ability to differentiate into osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic cells. These MSCs suppressed alloantigen-induced T cell proliferation in vitro in a dose-dependent manner, independently of their MHC haplotype. However, when MSCs were added to a bone marrow transplant at a MSCs:T cells ratio that provided a strong inhibition of the allogeneic responses in vitro, they yielded no clinical benefit on the incidence or severity of GVHD. The absence of clinical effect was not due to MSC rejection because they still could be detected in grafted animals, but rather to an absence of suppressive effect on donor T cell division in vivo. Thus, in these murine models, experimental data do not support a significant immunosuppressive effect of MSCs in vivo for the treatment of GVHD.

Ex vivo-expanded CD4+CD25+ immunoregulatory T cells prevent graft-versus-host-disease by inhibiting activation/differentiation of pathogenic T cells.

CD4+CD25+ immunoregulatory T cells (Tregs) can be administered to inhibit graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) while preserving graft-vs-leukemia activity after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in mice. Preclinical studies suggest that it is necessary to infuse as many Tregs as conventional donor T cells to achieve a clinical effect on GVHD. Thus, it would be necessary to expand Tregs ex vivo before transplantation. Two strategies have been proposed: expansion of Tregs stimulated by anti-CD3/CD28-coated microbeads for polyclonal activation or by host-type allogeneic APCs for selecting Tregs specific for host Ags. In this study, we describe the mechanisms by which ex vivo-expanded Tregs act on donor T cells to prevent GVHD in mice. We demonstrate that expanded Tregs strongly inhibited the division, expansion, and differentiation of donor T cells, with a more pronounced effect with Tregs specific for host Ags. These latter cells permit the efficient and durable control of GVHD and favor immune reconstitution.

Characterization of a semi-replicative gene delivery system allowing propagation of complementary defective retroviral vectors.

BACKGROUND: Recently, several cancer gene therapy studies have shown that replication-competent retroviral vectors represent a major improvement over replication-defective ones in terms of transgene propagation efficiency. However, this positive effect is somewhat spoiled by the increased risk of dissemination and oncogenesis that replication-competent retroviral vectors entail. To enhance both their integral safety and their transgene capacity, we developed a semi-replication-competent retroviral vector system. METHODS: The semi-replication-competent retroviral vector system is based on two transcomplementing replication-defective retroviral vectors termed gag-pol vector (GPv) and env vector (Ev). Vector propagation was monitored in vitro and in solid tumors in vivo, using different reporter transgenes for GPv and Ev. Systemic vector dissemination and leukemogenesis was assessed by direct intravenous vector injection and subsequent bone marrow transplantation, in MLV-sensitive mice. RESULTS: In vitro and in vivo the semi-replication-competent retroviral vectors propagate transgenes almost as efficiently as replication-competent ones. The semi-replication-competent retroviral vector system does not lead to detectable dissemination or leukemogenesis as does the replication-competent vector or the parental virus. Additionally, the vector duo allows co-propagation of different transgenes as well as mobilization of a third replication-defective vector. CONCLUSIONS: This study is an initial proof of principle for the use of complementary retroviral vectors to deliver and propagate transgenes in vitro and in solid tumors in vivo, but with reduced pathogenicity compared to its parental virus. In-between replication-defective and replication-competent retroviral vectors, this semi-replicative system offers good grounds for its application in in vitro studies and allows envisioning its further development for cancer gene therapy.

Ex vivo selection of recipient-type alloantigen-specific CD4(+)CD25(+) immunoregulatory T cells for the control of graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is the treatment of choice for many malignant and nonmalignant hematologic disorders. Donor T cells present in the hematopoietic stem-cell transplant improve engraftment and immune reconstitution and contribute to the graft-versus-leukemia effect, but are also responsible for the life-threatening graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). CD4(+)CD25(+) immunoregulatory T cells, which play a pivotal role in preventing organ-specific diseases, can also modulate GVHD if administered in equal numbers of T cells at the time of grafting. In this article, the authors describe a procedure of ex vivo selection and expansion of regulatory T cells specific for recipient-type alloantigens. These expanded regulatory T cells controlled GVHD. Their therapeutic use in HSCT should allow specific suppression of the activation of donor alloreactive T cells involved in GVHD while preserving the beneficial effects of other T cells.

Recipient-type specific CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells favor immune reconstitution and control graft-versus-host disease while maintaining graft-versus-leukemia.

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg's) play a pivotal role in preventing organ-specific autoimmune diseases and in inducing tolerance to allogeneic organ transplants. We and others recently demonstrated that high numbers of Treg's can also modulate graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) if administered in conjunction with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in mice. In a clinical setting, it would be impossible to obtain enough freshly purified Treg's from a single donor to have a therapeutic effect. Thus, we performed regulatory T cell expansion ex vivo by stimulation with allogeneic APCs, which has the additional effect of producing alloantigen-specific regulatory T cells. Here we show that regulatory T cells specific for recipient-type alloantigens control GVHD while favoring immune reconstitution. Irrelevant regulatory T cells only mediate a partial protection from GVHD. Preferential survival of specific regulatory T cells, but not of irrelevant regulatory T cells, was observed in grafted animals. Additionally, the use of specific regulatory T cells was compatible with some form of graft-versus-tumor activity. These data suggest that recipient-type specific Treg's could be preferentially used in the control of GVHD in future clinical trials.

CD4(+)CD25(+) immunoregulatory T Cells: new therapeutics for graft-versus-host disease.

CD4(+)CD25(+) immunoregulatory T cells play a pivotal role in preventing organ-specific autoimmune diseases and in tolerance induction to allogeneic organ transplants. We investigated whether these cells could also control graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), the main complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Here, we show that the few CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells naturally present in the transplant regulate GVHD because their removal from the graft dramatically accelerates this disease. Furthermore, the addition of freshly isolated CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells at time of grafting significantly delays or even prevents GVHD. Ex vivo-expanded CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells obtained after stimulation by allogeneic recipient-type antigen-presenting cells can also modulate GVHD. Thus, CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells represent a new therapeutic tool for controlling GVHD in allogeneic HSCT. More generally, these results outline the tremendous potential of regulatory T cells as therapeutics.