RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The identification of epitope peptides from tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) is informative for developing tumor-specific immunotherapy. However, only a few epitopes have been detected in mouse TAAs of head and neck cancer (HNSCC). METHODS: Novel mouse c-Met-derived T-cell epitopes were predicted by computer-based algorithms. Mouse HNSCC cell line-bearing mice were treated with a c-Met peptide vaccine. The effects of CD8 and/or CD4 T-cell depletion, and vaccine combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) were evaluated. Tumor re-inoculation was performed to assess T-cell memory. RESULTS: We identified c-Met-derived short and long epitopes that elicited c-Met-reactive antitumor CD8 and/or CD4 T-cell responses. Vaccination using these peptides showed remarkable antitumor responses via T cells in which ICIs were not required. The c-Met peptide-vaccinated mice rejected the re-inoculated tumors. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that novel c-Met peptide vaccines can induce antitumor T-cell response, and could be a potent immunotherapy in a syngeneic mouse HNSCC model.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Neoplasias , Vacinas Anticâncer , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Imunoterapia , Animais , Camundongos , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/imunologia , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/terapia , Vacinas Anticâncer/imunologia , Imunoterapia/métodos , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Antígenos de Neoplasias/imunologia , Epitopos de Linfócito T/imunologia , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/uso terapêutico , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/farmacologia , Feminino , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/imunologia , Vacinas de Subunidades Antigênicas/imunologia , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/imunologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-met/imunologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-met/metabolismoRESUMO
In CD70-expressing tumors, the interaction of CD70 on tumor cells with its lymphocyte receptor, CD27, is thought to play a role in immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment and elevated serum levels of soluble CD27 (sCD27). Previous studies showed that CD70 is expressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related malignancy. However, the association between intratumoral CD70/CD27 expression and serum levels of sCD27 in NPC remains unclear. In the present study, we show that CD70 is primarily expressed by tumor cells in NPC and that CD27-positive lymphocytes infiltrate around tumor cells. NPC patients with CD27-positive lymphocytes had significantly better prognosis than patients lacking these cells. In addition, high CD70 expression by tumor cells tended to be correlated with shorter survival in NPC patients with CD27-positive lymphocytes. Serum sCD27 levels were significantly increased in patients with NPC and provided good diagnostic accuracy for discriminating patients from healthy individuals. The concentration of serum sCD27 in patients with CD70-positive NPC with CD27-positive lymphocytes was significantly higher than in patients with tumors negative for CD70 and/or CD27, indicating that the intratumoral CD70/CD27 interaction boosts the release of sCD27. Furthermore, positive expression of CD70 by NPC cells was significantly correlated with EBV infection. Our results suggest that CD70/CD27-targeted immunotherapies may be promising treatment options and that sCD27 may become an essential tool for evaluating the applicability of these therapies by predicting the intratumoral CD70/CD27 interaction in NPC.
Assuntos
Infecções por Vírus Epstein-Barr , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas , Humanos , Biomarcadores , Ligante CD27/metabolismo , Infecções por Vírus Epstein-Barr/complicações , Herpesvirus Humano 4/genética , Herpesvirus Humano 4/metabolismo , Carcinoma Nasofaríngeo , Microambiente Tumoral , Membro 7 da Superfamília de Receptores de Fatores de Necrose Tumoral/metabolismoRESUMO
The recognition by cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) is essential for the clearance of SARS-CoV-2 virus-infected cells. Several viral proteins have been described to be recognized by CTLs. Among them, the spike (S) protein is one of the immunogenic proteins. The S protein acts as a ligand for its receptors, and several mutants with different affinities for its cognate receptors have been reported, and certain mutations in the S protein, such as L452R and Y453F, have been found to inhibit the HLA-A24-restricted CTL response. In this study, we conducted a screening of candidate peptides derived from the S protein, specifically targeting those carrying the HLA-A24 binding motif. Among these peptides, we discovered that NF9 (NYNYLYRLF) represents an immunogenic epitope. CTL clones specific to the NF9 peptide were successfully established. These CTL clones exhibited the ability to recognize endogenously expressed NF9 peptide. Interestingly, the CTL clone demonstrated cross-reactivity with the Y453F peptide (NYNYLFRLF) but not with the L452R peptide (NYNYRYRLF). The CTL clone was able to identify the endogenously expressed Y453F mutant peptide. These findings imply that the NF9-specific CTL clone possesses the capability to recognize and respond to the Y453F mutant peptide.
Assuntos
Reações Cruzadas , Epitopos de Linfócito T , Mutação , SARS-CoV-2 , Glicoproteína da Espícula de Coronavírus , Linfócitos T Citotóxicos , Linfócitos T Citotóxicos/imunologia , Glicoproteína da Espícula de Coronavírus/imunologia , Glicoproteína da Espícula de Coronavírus/genética , Humanos , SARS-CoV-2/imunologia , Epitopos de Linfócito T/imunologia , COVID-19/imunologia , Antígeno HLA-A24/imunologia , Peptídeos/imunologia , Células ClonaisRESUMO
Brachyury is a transcription factor belonging to the T-box gene family and is involved in the posterior formation of the mesoderm and differentiation of chordates. As the overexpression of Brachyury is a poor prognostic factor in a variety of cancers, the establishment of Brachyury-targeted therapy would be beneficial for the treatment of aggressive tumors. Because transcription factors are difficult to treat with a therapeutic antibody, peptide vaccines are a feasible approach for targeting Brachyury. In this study, we identified Brachyury-derived epitopes that elicit antigen-specific and tumor-reactive CD4+ T cells that directly kill tumors. T cells recognizing Brachyury epitopes were present in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Next, we focused on gemcitabine (GEM) as an immunoadjuvant to augment the efficacy of antitumor responses by T cells. Interestingly, GEM upregulated HLA class I and HLA-DR expression in tumor, followed by the upregulation of anti-tumor T cell responses. As tumoral PD-L1 expression was also augmented by GEM, PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and GEM synergistically enhanced the tumor-reactivity of Brachyury-reactive T cells. The synergy between the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and GEM was also confirmed in a mouse model of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. These results suggest that the combined treatment of Brachyury peptide with GEM and immune checkpoint blockade could be a promising immunotherapy against head and neck cancer.
Assuntos
Gencitabina , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Animais , Camundongos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/terapia , Antígeno B7-H1/metabolismo , Receptor de Morte Celular Programada 1 , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/terapia , Imunoterapia/métodos , EpitoposRESUMO
The engagement of CD27 on lymphocytes with its ligand, CD70, on tumors is believed to mediate tumor immune evasion and the elevation of serum soluble CD27 (sCD27) levels in patients with CD70-positive malignancies. We previously showed that CD70 is expressed in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL), an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related malignancy. However, little is known about serum sCD27 expression and its association with the clinical characteristics of, and the CD27/CD70 interaction in, ENKL. In the present study, we show that serum sCD27 is significantly elevated in the sera of patients with ENKL. The levels of serum sCD27 provided excellent diagnostic accuracy for discriminating patients with ENKL from healthy subjects, correlated positively with the levels of other diagnostic markers (lactate dehydrogenase, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, and EBV-DNA), and decreased significantly following treatment. Elevated serum sCD27 levels also correlated significantly with advanced clinical stage and tended to correspond with shorter survival, in patients with ENKL. Immunohistochemistry indicated that CD27-positive tumor-infiltrating immune cells exist adjacent to CD70-positive lymphoma cells. In addition, serum sCD27 levels in patients with CD70-positive ENKL were significantly higher than those in patients with CD70-negative ENKL, suggesting that the intra-tumoral CD27/CD70 interaction boosts the release of sCD27 in serum. Furthermore, the EBV-encoded oncoprotein latent membrane protein 1 upregulated CD70 expression in ENKL cells. Our results suggest that sCD27 may serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker and also may serve as a tool for evaluating the applicability of CD27/CD70-targeted therapies by predicting intra-tumoral CD70 expression and CD27/CD70 interaction in ENKL.
Assuntos
Infecções por Vírus Epstein-Barr , Linfoma de Células T , Humanos , Ligante CD27 , Herpesvirus Humano 4/metabolismo , Biomarcadores , Células Matadoras Naturais/metabolismo , Membro 7 da Superfamília de Receptores de Fatores de Necrose TumoralRESUMO
Recent studies have shown that activation of the cGAS-STING pathway is a key process in antitumor immune responses and various kinds of STING agonists have been developed for cancer immunotherapy. Despite promising preclinical studies, preliminary clinical results have shown only a modest effect of STING agonists. There is therefore a need to develop more effective treatment strategies. Based on previous observations that COX-2 is frequently overexpressed not only in a variety of cancers but also in tumor myeloid cells and that it suppresses antitumor immunity and promotes tumor survival by producing PGE2, we investigated the antitumor effects of combination therapy with a STING agonist cGAMP and the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib in mouse models. Combination treatment with cGAMP and celecoxib inhibited tumor growth compared with either monotherapy, and the combination therapy induced both local and systemic antitumor immunity. cGAMP treatment decreased PD-1 expression on tumor-infiltrating T-cells and enhanced T-cell activation in tumor-draining lymph nodes regardless of the presence of celecoxib. Meanwhile, although celecoxib treatment did not alter the frequency of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells, it enhanced the expression of costimulatory molecules and glycolysis-associated genes in tumor-infiltrating CD11b+ Ly6G+ cells. Moreover, we also found that celecoxib decreased lactate efflux and increased the frequency of IFN-γ- and TNF-α-producing CD8+ T-cells in the tumor microenvironment. Taken together, our findings suggest that combined treatment with celecoxib may be an effective strategy to improve the antitumor efficacy of STING agonists.
Assuntos
Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos , Neoplasias , Camundongos , Animais , Celecoxib/farmacologia , Neoplasias/patologia , Inibidores de Ciclo-Oxigenase 2/farmacologia , Imunoterapia , Glucose , Microambiente TumoralRESUMO
Homeobox B7 (HOXB7) is a master regulatory gene that regulates cell proliferation and activates oncogenic pathways. Overexpression of HOXB7 correlates with aggressive behavior and poor prognosis in patients with cancer. However, the expression and role of HOXB7 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain unclear. In this study, we observed that most samples from patients with oropharyngeal cancer and HNSCC expressed HOXB7. As no direct inhibitor has been reported, we identified a potent peptide epitope to target HOXB7-expressing tumors through immune cells. A novel HOXB7-derived peptide epitope (HOXB78-25 ) elicited antigen-specific and tumor-reactive promiscuous CD4+ T cell responses. These CD4+ T cells produced γ-interferon (IFN-γ) and had the direct ability to kill tumors through granzyme B. Notably, downregulation of HOXB7 using siRNA enhanced human leukocyte antigen class II expression on tumor cells by decreasing the phosphorylation of MAPK. Mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibition augmented IFN-γ production by HOXB7-reactive CD4+ T cell responses without decreasing the expression of HOXB7. These results suggest that combining HOXB7 peptide-based vaccine with MAPK inhibitors could be an effective immunological strategy for cancer treatment.
Assuntos
Genes Homeobox , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Humanos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço , Proteínas Quinases Ativadas por Mitógeno , Regulação para Cima , Linfócitos T , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe II , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe I , Antígenos HLA , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , Epitopos , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/genéticaRESUMO
Although neoantigens are one of the most favorable targets in cancer immunotherapy, it is less versatile and costly to apply neoantigen-derived cancer vaccines to patients due to individual variation. It is, therefore, important to find highly immunogenic antigens between tumor-specific or associated antigens that are shared among patients. Considering the cancer immunoediting theory, immunogenic tumor cells cannot survive in the early phase of tumor progression including two processes: elimination and equilibrium. We hypothesized that highly immunogenic molecules are allowed to be expressed in tumor cells after an immune suppressive tumor microenvironment was established, if these molecules contribute to tumor survival. In the current study, we focused on TWIST1 as a candidate for highly immunogenic antigens because it is upregulated in tumor cells under hypoxia and promotes tumor metastasis, which is observed in the late phase of tumor progression. We demonstrated that TWIST1 had an immunogenic peptide sequence TWIST1140-162 , which effectively activated TWIST1-specific CD4+ T-cells. In a short-term culture system, we detected more TWIST1-specific responses in breast cancer patients compared with in healthy donors. Vaccination with the TWIST1 peptide also showed efficient expansion of TWIST1-reactive HTLs in humanized mice. These findings indicate that TWIST1 is a highly immunogenic shared antigen and a favorable target for cancer immunotherapy.
Assuntos
Vacinas Anticâncer , Segunda Neoplasia Primária , Neoplasias , Animais , Antígenos de Neoplasias , Imunoterapia , Camundongos , Neoplasias/terapia , Peptídeos , Microambiente TumoralRESUMO
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) is overexpressed in multiple types of solid tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Being associated with poor prognosis, FGFR1 is a potential therapeutic target for aggressive tumors. T cell-based cancer immunotherapy has played a central role in novel cancer treatments. However, the potential of antitumor immunotherapy targeting FGFR1 has not been investigated. Here, we showed that FGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) augmented antitumor effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors in an HNSCC mouse model and upregulated tumoral MHC class I and MHC class II expression in vivo and in vitro. This upregulation was associated with the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, which is a crucial pathway for cancer development through FGFR signaling. Moreover, we identified an FGFR1-derived peptide epitope (FGFR1305-319) that could elicit antigen-reactive and multiple HLA-restricted CD4+ T cell responses. These T cells showed direct cytotoxicity against tumor cells that expressed FGFR1. Notably, FGFR-TKIs augmented antitumor effects of FGFR1-reactive T cells against human HNSCC cells. These results indicate that the combination of FGFR-TKIs with immunotherapy, such as an FGFR1-targeting peptide vaccine or immune checkpoint inhibitor, could be a novel and robust immunologic approach for treating patients with FGFR1-expressing cancer cells.
Assuntos
Carcinoma de Células Escamosas , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Animais , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/tratamento farmacológico , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , Humanos , Imunoterapia , Camundongos , Receptor Tipo 1 de Fator de Crescimento de Fibroblastos/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/tratamento farmacológico , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , Linfócitos TRESUMO
Activation of STING signaling plays an important role in anti-tumor immunity, and we previously reported the anti-tumor effects of STING through accumulation of M1-like macrophages in tumor tissue treated with a STING agonist. However, myeloid cells express SIRPα, an inhibitory receptor for phagocytosis, and its receptor, CD47, is overexpressed in various cancer types. Based on our findings that breast cancer patients with highly expressed CD47 have poor survival, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms of combination therapy with the STING ligand cGAMP and an antagonistic anti-CD47 mAb using E0771 mouse breast cancer cells. Anti-CD47 mAb monotherapy did not suppress tumor growth in our setting, whereas cGAMP and anti-CD47 mAb combination therapy inhibited tumor growth. The combination therapy enhanced phagocytosis of tumor cells and induced systemic anti-tumor immune responses, which rely on STING and type I IFN signaling. Taken together, our findings indicate that coadministration of cGAMP and an antagonistic anti-CD47 mAb may be promising for effective cancer immunotherapy.
Assuntos
Antígeno CD47/metabolismo , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Fagócitos/metabolismo , Animais , Neoplasias da Mama , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Feminino , Humanos , Imunidade/fisiologia , Imunoterapia/métodos , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Células Mieloides/metabolismo , Fagocitose/fisiologia , Receptores Imunológicos/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: While adoptive transfer of T-cells has been a major medical breakthrough for patients with B cell malignancies, the development of safe and effective T-cell-based immunotherapy for central nervous system (CNS) tumors, such as glioblastoma (GBM), still needs to overcome multiple challenges, including effective homing and persistence of T-cells. Based on previous observations that interleukin (IL)-17-producing T-cells can traffic to the CNS in autoimmune conditions, we evaluated CD8+ T-cells that produce IL-17 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) (Tc17-1) cells in a preclinical GBM model. METHODS: We differentiated Pmel-1 CD8+ T-cells into Tc17-1 cells and compared their phenotypic and functional characteristics with those of IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T (Tc1) and IL-17-producing CD8+ T (Tc17) cells. We also evaluated the therapeutic efficacy, persistence, and tumor-homing of Tc17-1 cells in comparison to Tc1 cells using a mouse GL261 glioma model. RESULTS: In vitro, Tc17-1 cells demonstrated profiles of both Tc1 and Tc17 cells, including production of both IFN-γ and IL-17, although Tc17-1 cells demonstrated lesser degrees of antigen-specific cytotoxic activity compared with Tc1 cells. In mice-bearing intracranial GL261-Quad tumor and treated with temozolomide, Tc1 cells, but not Tc17-1, showed a significant prolongation of survival. However, when the T-cell transfer was combined with poly-ICLC and Pmel-1 peptide vaccine, both Tc1 and Tc17-1 cells exhibited significantly prolonged survival associated with upregulation of very late activation antigen-4 on Tc17-1 cells in vivo. Glioma cells that recurred following the therapy lost the susceptibility to Pmel-1-derived cytotoxic T-cells, indicating that immuno-editing was a mechanism of the acquired resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Tc17-1 cells were equally effective as Tc1 cells when combined with poly-ICLC and peptide vaccine treatment.
Assuntos
Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/metabolismo , Carboximetilcelulose Sódica/análogos & derivados , Glioma/terapia , Interferon gama/metabolismo , Interleucina-17/metabolismo , Poli I-C/metabolismo , Polilisina/análogos & derivados , Vacinas de Subunidades Antigênicas/uso terapêutico , Carboximetilcelulose Sódica/metabolismo , Humanos , Polilisina/metabolismoRESUMO
Recent studies have revealed that tumor cells decrease their immunogenicity by epigenetically repressing the expression of highly immunogenic antigens to survive in immunocompetent hosts. We hypothesized that these epigenetically hidden "stealth" antigens should be favorable targets for cancer immunotherapy due to their high immunogenicity. To identify these stealth antigens, we treated human lung cell line A549 with DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5Aza) and its prodrug guadecitabine for 3 d in vitro and screened it using cDNA microarray analysis. We found that the gene encoding sperm equatorial segment protein 1 (SPESP1) was re-expressed in cell lines including solid tumors and leukemias treated with 5Aza, although SPESP1 was not detected in untreated tumor cell lines. Using normal human tissue cDNA panels, we demonstrated that SPESP1 was not detected in normal human tissue except for testis and placenta. Moreover, we found using immunohistochemistry SPESP1 re-expression in xenografts in BALB/c-nu/nu mice that received 5Aza treatment. To assess the antigenicity of SPESP1, we stimulated human CD4+ T-cells with a SPESP1-derived peptide designed using a computer algorithm. After repetitive stimulation, SPESP1-specific helper T-cells were obtained; these cells produced interferon-γ against HLA-matched tumor cell lines treated with 5Aza. We also detected SPESP1 expression in freshly collected tumor cells derived from patients with acute myeloid leukemia or lung cancer. In conclusion, SPESP1 can be classified as a stealth antigen, a molecule encoded by a gene that is epigenetically silenced in tumor cells but serves as a highly immunogenic antigen suitable for cancer immunotherapy.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Neoplasias/imunologia , Proteínas de Transporte/imunologia , Epigênese Genética/imunologia , Neoplasias/imunologia , Proteínas de Plasma Seminal/imunologia , Animais , Antígenos de Neoplasias/genética , Proteínas de Transporte/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Metilação de DNA/efeitos dos fármacos , Decitabina/farmacologia , Epigênese Genética/efeitos dos fármacos , Epitopos de Linfócito T/imunologia , Humanos , Imunoterapia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Camundongos Nus , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/terapia , Proteínas de Plasma Seminal/genética , Linfócitos T Auxiliares-Indutores/imunologia , Evasão Tumoral/genéticaRESUMO
Identification of immunogenic tumor antigens, their corresponding T cell epitopes and the selection of effective adjuvants are prerequisites for developing effective cancer immunotherapies such as therapeutic vaccines. Murine double minute 2 (MDM2) is an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase that negatively regulates tumor suppressor p53. Because MDM2 overexpression serves as a poor prognosis factor in various types of tumors, it would be beneficial to develop MDM2-targeted cancer vaccines. In this report, we identified an MDM2-derived peptide epitope (MDM232-46) that elicited antigen-specific and tumor-reactive CD4+ T cell responses. These CD4+ T cells directly killed tumor cells via granzyme B. MDM2 is expressed in head and neck cancer patients with poor prognosis, and the T cells that recognize this MDM2 peptide were present in these patients. Notably, Nutlin-3 (MDM2-p53 blocker), inhibited tumor cell proliferation, was shown to augment antitumor T cell responses by increasing MDM2 expression, HLA-class I and HLA-DR through class II transactivator (CIITA). These results suggest that the use of this MDM2 peptide as a therapeutic vaccine combined with MDM2 inhibitors could represent an effective immunologic strategy to treat cancer.
Assuntos
Apresentação de Antígeno/imunologia , Antígenos de Neoplasias/imunologia , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/imunologia , Epitopos de Linfócito T/imunologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-mdm2/imunologia , Animais , Vacinas Anticâncer/imunologia , Linhagem Celular , Proliferação de Células/fisiologia , Antígenos HLA-DR/imunologia , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/imunologia , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/terapia , Humanos , Imunoterapia/métodos , Camundongos , Células Tumorais Cultivadas , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/imunologiaRESUMO
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) contributes to anti-tumor immunity by activating antigen-presenting cells and inducing mobilization of tumor-specific T cells. A role for tumor-migrating neutrophils in the anti-tumor effect of STING-activating therapy has not been defined. We used mouse tumor transplantation models for assessing neutrophil migration into the tumor triggered by intratumoral treatment with STING agonist, 2'3'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP). Intratumoral STING activation with cGAMP enhanced neutrophil migration into the tumor in an NF-κB/CXCL1/2-dependent manner. Blocking the neutrophil migration by anti-CXCR2 monoclonal antibody impaired T cell activation in tumor-draining lymph nodes (dLNs) and efficacy of intratumoral cGAMP treatment. Moreover, the intratumoral cGAMP treatment did not show any anti-tumor effect in type I interferon (IFN) signal-impaired mice in spite of enhanced neutrophil accumulation in the tumor. These results suggest that both neutrophil migration and type I interferon (IFN) induction by intratumoral cGAMP treatment were critical for T-cell activation of dLNs and the anti-tumor effect. In addition, we also performed in vitro analysis showing enhanced cytotoxicity of neutrophils by IFN-ß1. Extrinsic STING activation triggers anti-tumor immune responses by recruiting and activating neutrophils in the tumor via two signaling pathways, CXCL1/2 and type I IFNs.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Neutrófilos/efeitos dos fármacos , Nucleotídeos Cíclicos/farmacologia , Animais , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Movimento Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Imunidade/efeitos dos fármacos , Interferon Tipo I/metabolismo , Linfonodos/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfonodos/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Neutrófilos/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfócitos T/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfócitos T/metabolismoRESUMO
Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with metastatic lesions have low 5-year survival rates. During metastasis, cancer cells often obtain unique characteristics such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Vimentin a biomarker contributes to EMT by changing cell shape and motility. Since abnormal phosphorylation is a hallmark of malignancy, targeting phosphorylated vimentin is a feasible approach for the treatment of metastatic tumors while sparing non-tumor cells. Recent evidence has revealed that both CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and also CD4 helper T lymphocytes (HTLs) can distinguish post-translationally modified antigens from normal antigens. Here, we showed that the expression of phosphorylated vimentin was upregulated in metastatic sites of CRC. We also showed that a chemotherapeutic reagent augmented the expression of phosphorylated vimentin. The novel phosphorylated helper peptide epitopes from vimentin could elicit a sufficient T cell response. Notably, precursor lymphocytes that specifically reacted to these phosphorylated vimentin-derived peptides were detected in CRC patients. These results suggest that immunotherapy targeting phosphorylated vimentin could be promising for metastatic CRC patients.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Colorretais/tratamento farmacológico , Imunoterapia/métodos , Vimentina/uso terapêutico , Adulto , Idoso , Linhagem Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Metástase Neoplásica , Vimentina/farmacologiaRESUMO
Placenta-specific 1 (PLAC1) is expressed primarily in placental trophoblasts but not in normal tissues and is a targetable candidate for cancer immunotherapy because it is a cancer testis antigen known to be up-regulated in various tumors. Although peptide epitopes capable of stimulating CD8 T cells have been previously described, there have been no reports of PLAC1 CD4 helper T lymphocyte (HTL) epitopes and the expression of this antigen in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Here, we show that PLAC1 is highly expressed in 74.5% of oropharyngeal and 51.9% of oral cavity tumors from HNSCC patients and in several HNSCC established cell lines. We also identified an HTL peptide epitope (PLAC131-50) capable of eliciting effective antigen-specific and tumor-reactive T cell responses. Notably, this peptide behaves as a promiscuous epitope capable of stimulating T cells in the context of more than one human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR allele and induces PLAC1-specific CD4 T cells that kill PLAC1-positive HNSCC cell lines in an HLA-DR-restricted manner. Furthermore, T-cells reactive to PLAC131-50 peptide were detected in the peripheral blood of HNSCC patients. These findings suggest that PLAC1 represents a potential target antigen for HTL based immunotherapy in HNSCC.
Assuntos
Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Proteínas da Gravidez , Antígenos de Neoplasias/genética , Epitopos de Linfócito T/genética , Feminino , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , Humanos , Masculino , Placenta , Gravidez , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , Linfócitos T Auxiliares-IndutoresRESUMO
Although cisplatin (CDDP) has been used as a major chemotherapeutic drug for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), its impact on T-cell functions is controversial. Therefore, we investigated the immunologic effects of CDDP and antitumor effects by combination therapy of CDDP with a ligand for stimulator of interferon genes, cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP). Direct impacts of CDDP on T-cell functions were addressed by comparing T-cell functions between human subjects treated and untreated with CDDP. The immune responses and the efficacy of combination therapy using CDDP and cGAMP were assessed using BALB/c mice inoculated with mouse squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines. CDDP inhibited T-cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. T-cell functions of CDDP-treated HNSCC patients were comparable to those of healthy donors and CDDP-untreated HNSCC patients. In the mice bearing SCC cell lines, combination therapy using CDDP and cGAMP enhanced the gene expressions of CXCL9 and CXCL10 in the tumor tissues and inhibited tumor growth. The antitumor effect was cancelled by anti-CXCR3 monoclonal antibody. These findings suggest that the combination therapy using CDDP and an immunomodulating drug like cGAMP would be a rational cancer immunotherapy for patients with HNSCC.
Assuntos
Cisplatino/uso terapêutico , Imunidade/efeitos dos fármacos , Inflamação/patologia , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/tratamento farmacológico , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/imunologia , Microambiente Tumoral/imunologia , Animais , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Quimiocinas/metabolismo , Cisplatino/farmacologia , Terapia Combinada , Sinergismo Farmacológico , Humanos , Ativação Linfocitária/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfócitos do Interstício Tumoral/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfócitos do Interstício Tumoral/imunologia , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Nucleotídeos Cíclicos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/patologia , Microambiente Tumoral/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) originates from squamous epithelium of the upper aerodigestive tract and is the most common malignancy in the head and neck region. Among HNSCCs, oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a unique profile and is associated with human papillomavirus infection. Recently, anti-programmed cell death-1 monoclonal antibody has yielded good clinical responses in recurrent and/or metastatic HNSCC patients. Therefore, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) may be a favorable target molecule for cancer immunotherapy. Although PD-L1-expressing malignant cells could be targeted by PD-L1-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, it remains unclear whether CD4+ helper T lymphocytes (HTLs) recognize and kill tumor cells in a PD-L1-specific manner. METHODS: The expression levels of PD-L1 and HLA-DR were evaluated using immunohistochemical analyses. MHC class II-binding peptides for PD-L1 were designed based on computer algorithm analyses and added into in vitro culture of HTLs with antigen-presenting cells to evaluate their stimulatory activity. RESULTS: We found that seven of 24 cases of OSCC showed positive for both PD-L1 and HLA-DR and that PD-L1241-265 peptide efficiently activates HTLs, which showed not only cytokine production but also cytotoxicity against tumor cells in a PD-L1-dependent manner. Also, an adoptive transfer of the PD-L1-specific HTLs significantly inhibited growth of PD-L1-expressing human tumor cell lines in an immunodeficient mouse model. Importantly, T cell responses specific for the PD-L1241-265 peptide were detected in the HNSCC patients. CONCLUSIONS: The cancer immunotherapy targeting PD-L1 as a helper T-cell antigen would be a rational strategy for HNSCC patients.
Assuntos
Antígeno B7-H1/metabolismo , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/imunologia , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/terapia , Imunoterapia/métodos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/imunologia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/terapia , Linfócitos T Auxiliares-Indutores/fisiologia , Animais , Antígeno B7-H1/antagonistas & inibidores , Antígeno B7-H1/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Células Cultivadas , Citotoxicidade Imunológica/genética , Citotoxicidade Imunológica/imunologia , Epitopos de Linfócito T/química , Epitopos de Linfócito T/uso terapêutico , Feminino , Técnicas de Silenciamento de Genes , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/patologia , Humanos , Imunoterapia/tendências , Linfócitos do Interstício Tumoral/imunologia , Linfócitos do Interstício Tumoral/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Camundongos Nus , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/imunologia , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/uso terapêutico , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/metabolismo , Linfócitos T Auxiliares-Indutores/metabolismoRESUMO
The human T cell receptor is capable of distinguishing between normal and post-translationally modified peptides. Because aberrant phosphorylation of cellular proteins is a hallmark of malignant transformation, the expression of the phosphorylated epitope could be an ideal antigen to combat cancer without damaging normal tissues. p53 activates transcription factors to suppress tumors by upregulating growth arrest and apoptosis-related genes. In response to DNA damage, p53 is phosphorylated at multiple sites including Ser33 and Ser37. Here, we identified phosphorylated peptide epitopes from p53 that could elicit effective T helper responses. These epitope peptides, p5322-41/Phospho-S33 and p5322-41/Phospho-S37, induced T helper responses against tumor cells expressing the phosphorylated p53 protein. Moreover, chemotherapeutic agents augmented the responses of such CD4 T cells via upregulation of phosphorylated p53. The upregulation of phosphorylated p53 expression by chemotherapy was confirmed in in vitro and xenograft models. We evaluated phosphorylated p53 expression in the clinical samples of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and revealed that 13/24 cases (54%) were positive for phosphorylated p53. Importantly, the lymphocytes specific for the phosphorylated p53 peptide epitopes were observed in the head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) patients. These results reveal that a combination of phosphorylated p53 peptides and chemotherapy could be a novel immunologic approach to treat HNSCC patients.
RESUMO
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) was defined as an important molecule for promoting antitumor immunity through mediating type I interferon (IFN) production by sensing its ligands such as cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP). Our recent study indeed demonstrated that intratumoral injection of cGAMP showed effective antitumor responses via accumulating activated macrophages in the tumor microenvironment in a STING-dependent manner. Because the antitumor effect of cGAMP was abrogated when macrophages were depleted, the existence of the activated macrophages in the tumor site would be important for effective antitumor immune responses. Macrophages show phenotypic diversity and plasticity and are categorized into several groups by stimulation factors, e.g. IFN-γ and IL-4 for M1 and M2 macrophages, respectively. However, the impact of STING stimulation on the macrophage activation status remains to be evaluated. Here we summarize the complex polarized status of macrophages and the signaling cascade triggered by STING stimulation and also discuss the impact of STING signaling on the macrophage activation status for future directions.