Antibody-based binding domain fused to TCRγ chain facilitates T cell cytotoxicity for potent anti-tumor response.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has demonstrated potent clinical efficacy in the treatment of hematopoietic malignancies. However, the application of CAR-T in solid tumors has been limited due in part to the expression of inhibitory molecules in the tumor microenvironment, leading to T-cell exhaustion. To overcome this limitation, we have developed a synthetic T-cell receptor (TCR) that targets programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), a molecule that is widely expressed in various solid tumors and plays a pivotal role in T-cell exhaustion. Our novel TCR platform is based on antibody-based binding domain, which is typically a single-chain variable fragment (scFv), fused to the γδ TCRs (TCRγδ). We have utilized the T-cell receptor alpha constant (TRAC) locus editing approach to express cell surface scFv of anti-PD-L1, which is fused to the constant region of the TCRγ or TCRδ chain in activated T cells derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Our results indicate that these reconfigured receptors, both γ-TCRγδ and δ-TCRγδ, have the capability to transduce signals, produce inflammatory cytokines, degranulate and exert tumor killing activity upon engagement with PD-L1 antigen in vitro. Additionally, we have also shown that γ-TCRγδ exerted superior efficacy than δ-TCRγδ in in vivo xenograft model.

Challenges in αCD38-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy in multiple myeloma: Harnessing the CD38dim phenotype of cytokine-stimulated NK cells as a strategy to prevent fratricide.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Adoptive cell therapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing natural killer (NK) cells is an emerging approach that holds promise in multiple myeloma (MM). However, the generation of CAR-NK cells targeting CD38 is met with obstacles due to the expression of CD38 on NK cells. Knock-out of CD38 is currently explored as a strategy, although the consequences of the lack of CD38 expression with regards to engraftment and activity in the bone marrow microenvironment are not fully elucidated. Here, we present an alternative approach by harnessing the CD38dim phenotype occurring during long-term cytokine stimulation of primary NK cells. METHODS: Primary NK cells were expanded from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by long-term IL-2 stimulation. During expansion, the CD38 expression was monitored in order to identify a time point when introduction of a novel affinity-optimized αCD38-CAR confered optimal viability, i.e. prevented fratricide. CD38dim NK cells were trasduced with retroviral vectors encoding for the CAR trasngene and their functionality was assessed in in vitro activation and cytotoxicity assays. RESULTS: We verified the functionality of the αCD38-CAR-NK cells against CD38+ cell lines and primary MM cells. Importantly, we demonstrated that αCD38-CAR-NK cells derived from patients with MM have increased activity against autologous MM samples ex vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results highlight that incorporation of a functional αCD38-CAR construct into a suitable NK-cell expansion and activation protocol results in a potent and feasible immunotherapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with MM.

Antigen-specific suppression of humoral immunity by anergic Ars/A1 B cells.

Autoreactive anergic B lymphocytes are considered to be dangerous because of their potential for activation and recruitment into autoimmune responses. However, they persist for days and constitute ∼5% of the B cell pool. We assessed their functional potential in the Ars/A1 transgene model, where anergic B cells express a dual-reactive Ag receptor that binds, in addition to a self-Ag, the hapten p-azophenylarsonate (Ars). When Ars/A1 B cells were transferred into adoptive recipients that were immunized with foreign proteins covalently conjugated with Ars, endogenous IgG immune responses to both were selectively and severely diminished, and the development of T helper cells was impaired. Approximately 95% inhibition of the anti-Ars response was attained with ∼4000 transferred Ars/A1 B cells through redundant mechanisms, one of which depended on their expression of MHC class II but not upon secretion of IL-10 or IgM. This Ag-specific suppressive activity implicates the autoreactive anergic B cell as an enforcer of immunological tolerance to self-Ags.

A tritherapy combination of a fusion protein vaccine with immune-modulating doses of sequential chemotherapies in an optimized regimen completely eradicates large tumors in mice.

Tumor-induced immunosuppression plays a critical role in both impeding tumor-specific immune responses and limiting the effects of cancer immunotherapy. Analyses of regulatory cells recruited during the growth of the E7-expressing tumor, TC-1, revealed a high percentage of regulatory T cells (Tregs) as well as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in spleens and tumors. In this study, we proposed that treatment with immune-modulating doses of cyclophosphamide (CTX) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) would result in a beneficial tumor microenvironment with the suppression of Tregs and MDSCs and, thus, enhance the effect of a human papillomavirus protein vaccine. Our results showed that CTX preconditioning and persistent ATRA treatment along with the vaccine achieved long-term survival and induced long-term memory responses. However, the effect of the antitumor response sharply declined when the tritherapy was initiated after the optimal therapeutic time. The more intensive regimen could rescue the effect of the tritherapy accompanied by the decreased percentage of Tregs and MDSCs in spleens and tumors. Besides, a favorable host environment was created by the reduced secretion of interleukin-10 and 6 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the tumor niche and decreased the expression of phosphorylation-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 of TC-1 tumors. Our data shed light on the immune-modulating doses of sequential chemoimmunotherapeutic strategy targeting not only the tumor but also its microenvironment, which suggests a potential clinical benefit for the immunotherapy of HPV-associated malignancies.

Polyclonal B-cell expansion in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with pseudotumor cerebri.

To investigate the hypothesis that pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is associated with humoral immunity, we analyzed immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (Ig-VH) genes of B cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 10 patients with PTC. Using RT-PCR and sequencing techniques, intrathecal B-cell Ig-VH genes were amplified in 6 of 10 PTC samples. Sequence analysis of complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR 3) and VH genes revealed a polyclonal intrathecal B-cell expansion in these patients. The nucleotide sequences showed that one-third of analyzed sequences had a high replacement to silent nucleotide substitution ratio, indicating an antigen-driven T-cell-dependent intrathecal B-cell proliferation. Moreover, other one-third had germline VH genes without or with a few nucleotide mutations, suggesting a T-cell-independent natural B-cell-mediated humoral immunity in the CNS of these patients. Our results suggest that both T-cell-dependent and T-cell-independent humoral immunity are present in the CSF of PTC.

[High expression of human angiogenesis inhibitor HIAF-1 in insect cells and biological activity].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Human inhibiting angiogenesis factor-1(HIAF-1) expressed in E coli. shown the activity of inhibiting the angiogenesis of tumors. This study was designed to investigate the expression of HIAF-1 in insect cells and to elucidate its biological activity. METHODS: Recombinant baculovirus expression vector pAcuW51-HIAF-1 was constructed by recombinant DNA technique and cotransfected with linearized baculovirus DNA into sf9 cells to produce recombinant virus. The expression of recombinant HIAF-1 in insect cells infected by recombinant virus was detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The recombinant protein was purified by affinity chromatography. In vitro endothelial proliferation inhibiting activity of recombinant HIAF-1 was examined by MTT method, its antitumor activity in vivo was studied in human esophageal cancer transplanted in nude mice. RESULTS: HIAF-1 was effectively expressed in insect cells as 26 KD fusing protein and its expression level was about 5-10% of insect cellular total soluble proteins. Recombinant HIAF-1 protein could inhibit endothelial cell proliferation in vitro with IC50 value of 3.1 micrograms/ml and inhibited remarkably growth of human esophageal cancer transplanted in nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: The recombinant HIAF-1 with better activity was successfully expressed in insect cells and establish a base for clinical application.

[Enhancement by hypoxia of antisense VEGF(165) gene expression in esophageal cancer cells].

To demonstrate effects of antisense VEGF(165) to suppress esophageal cancer cells and to improve efficacy of the gene therapy of tumor by using hypoxic environment, hypoxia response element (HRE) was cloned from promoter of VEGF by PCR and employed to construct an eukaryotic expression vector containing luciferase and antisense VEGF(165) by using recombinant DNA techniques. The recombinant vectors were transfered into esophageal cancer cells by lipofectin methods, and hypoxia inducible reporter gene expression was determined by luminometer and the expression of antisense VEGF was evaluated indirectly by ELISA that detected of VEGF. The esophageal cells tansfected by antisense VEGF(165) gene were transplanted into nude mice, in order to evaluate the suppressive effect of antisense VEGF(165). Our results showed that, in vitro, hypoxia increased expression of reporter gene to 3 780 % and enhanced greatly expression of antisense VEGF. In vivo, the growth of esophageal cancer cells transfected by antisense VEGF in the vector containing HRE was suppressed more significantly, with suppression rate being 71.1%, than that by the vector without HRE, whose inhibiting rate 56.1%. It was concluded that antisense VEGF(165) suppressed significantly growth of esophageal cancer, and by using a gene expression vector containing HRE, the expression of target genes could be regulated autonomously by hypoxic environment of tumor and the efficiency of gene therapy could be greatly improved.

[Expression and hypoxic regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in esophageal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the the expression and hypoxic regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9. METHODS: VEGF mRNA and MMP-9 mRNA were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 43 esophageal carcinoma specimens including 18 para-tumorous esophageal tissues. The expression of VEGF protein and mean microvessel density (MVD) in 56 specimens were examined by immunohistochemical stain. The effect of hypoxia on VEGF and MMP-9 expression in esophageal cancer cell lines was quantitatively determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The VEGF expression in the tumorous tissue, being significantly correlated with MVD in the tumor, was remarkably higher than that in the para-tumorous tissue. VEGF and MVD expression in the tumor was significantly associated with stage and metastasis of esophageal carcinoma. The MMP-9 expression in the tumorous tissue, being uncorrelated with vessel count and clinicopathologic features in esophageal carcinoma, was significantly higher than that in the para-tumorous tissue. Hypoxia significantly increased the VEGF expression in esophageal cancer cell lines but did not affect the MMP-9 expression. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of VEGF plays an important role in the angiogenesis and metastasis of esophageal cancer, which is regulated by hypoxia. VEGF may serve as a predictor of progression in esophageal carcinoma and a potential target for antiangiogenic therapy of esophageal carcinoma.