Immune response to racotumomab in a child with relapsed neuroblastoma.

Immunotherapy targeting ganglioside antigens is a powerful tool for the treatment of high risk neuroblastoma. However, only treatment with anti-GD2 antibodies has been used in clinical practice and other options may be pursued. We report the use of racotumomab, an anti-idiotype vaccine against N-glycolyl neuraminic acid (NeuGc)- containing gangliosides, eliciting an immune response in a child with relapsed neuroblastoma expressing the NeuGcGM3 ganglioside.

Innate-immunity cytokines induced by very small size proteoliposomes, a Neisseria-derived immunological adjuvant.

Neisserial outer membrane proteins have been combined with monosialoganglioside GM3 to form very small size proteoliposomes (VSSP), a nanoparticulated formulation used as a cancer vaccine for the treatment of cancer patients with GM3-positive tumours. VSSP were shown to elicit anti-GM3 and anti-tumour immune responses. VSSP have also been shown to be an efficient adjuvant for tumour-cell and peptide-antigen vaccines in mice. In vitro studies showed that VSSP promote maturation of both murine and human dendritic cells, suggesting that VSSP could be used as efficient adjuvants. In order to study further the capacity of VSSP to elicit innate immune responses, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and monocytes derived thereof were assessed for in vitro secretion of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-6, IL-12 and interferon (IFN)-gamma. VSSP most prominently induced the secretion of IL-6. IL-10 was secreted at a lower level. IL-12 p40 (but no p70) was also detected. IFN-gamma response was observed in 56% of the tested samples. Cytokine secretion was not related to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) content and involved Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-mediated signal transduction. VSSP also induced DC maturation and a cytokine secretion pattern (high IL-6/low IL-10) which differs from that induced by LPS. The observed proinflammatory cytokine secretion pattern and the capacity of VSSP to drive DC maturation are examined in the light of the properties of other bacterial derivatives currently being user for immunotherapy purposes. Our results suggest that VSSP could be tested in clinical settings where T helper 1-type immune responses would be beneficial.

A novel hydrophobized GM3 ganglioside/Neisseria meningitidis outer-membrane-protein complex vaccine induces tumor protection in B16 murine melanoma.

Gangliosides are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids that have increased surface membrane expression on cancers of neuroectodermal origin. The present study was designed to investigate at a preclinical level the therapeutic usefulness of a consistently immunogenic and safe conjugate vaccine in melanoma. We have examined a novel vaccine of GM3 monosialoganglioside hydrophobically conjugated with the outer-membrane-protein complex from Neisseria meningitidis plus Montanide ISA 51 in the B16 melanoma mouse model. B16 cell line is characterized by the predominant presence of ganglioside GM3 on the cell surface. Vaccines were administered i.m. in the quadriceps at 14-day intervals and B16 cells were injected in the subcutis of the right flank of C57BL/6 mice, 7 days after the fourth dose. Significant suppression of tumor growth and prolongation of survival were seen by immunization with GM3 vaccine in animals challenged with 5x10(3) or 10(3) live melanoma cells. In addition, vaccination reduced tumor growth in animals challenged with 5x10(4) cells. The reactivity of serum IgG from vaccinated mice was examined by a sensitive immunoperoxidase assay on B16 tumor specimens. Most melanoma cells displayed a distinct positive staining associated with both cell membrane and cytoplasm. In accordance with the immunohistochemical stainings, the antisera of immunized mice reacted brightly against B16 melanoma cells in flow cytometry studies. Anti-sera also mediated complement-mediated cytotoxicity and specific response could be totally ascribed to antibodies of the IgG2b subclass. The present data suggest that GM3 vaccine may provide a useful immunotherapeutic strategy for melanoma.

Analysis of the genes encoding the mast cell function-associated antigen and its alternatively spliced transcripts.

The mast cell function-associated Ag (MAFA) is a C-type lectin that, upon being clustered, inhibits the Fc epsilon RI stimulation-induced mast cell secretory response. We here report that MAFA is encoded by a single-copy gene that spans 13 kb in the rat genome and is composed of five exons. Three separate exons encode the carbohydrate recognition domain of the MAFA, defining its close homology to the genes of CD23, CD69, CD72, NKR-P1, and Ly49. Functional analysis of the 5' flanking region of the gene reveals that a cell type-specific promoter is located within the first 664 bp upstream of the transcription origin. The promoter lacks any obvious TATA box and drives gene transcription originating from multiple start sites. Examination for possible polymorphism of the MAFA transcripts revealed two novel transcripts, generated by alternative splicing. Deletion of the transmembranal exon in one of them does not result in a frameshift and would, upon translation, give rise to a soluble MAFA molecule. Splicing of two exons in a second transcript results in a new reading frame encoding a putative protein containing MAFA's cytoplasmic domain. The transcription of the MAFA gene was detected in normal rat lungs, where both transmembranal and soluble MAFA appear to be expressed. Lung immunohistochemical analysis further suggests that MAFA expression is restricted to mast cells.

A secretion inhibitory signal transduction molecule on mast cells is another C-type lectin.

Secretion of inflammatory mediators by rat mast cells (line RBL-2H3) was earlier shown to be inhibited upon clustering a membrane glycoprotein by monoclonal antibody G63. This glycoprotein, named mast cell function-associated antigen (MAFA), was also shown to interfere with the coupling cascade of the type 1 Fc epsilon receptor upstream to phospholipase C gamma 1 activation by protein-tyrosine kinases. Here we report that the MAFA is expressed as both a monomer and a homodimer. Expression cloning of its cDNA shows that it contains a single open reading frame, encoding a 188-amino acid-long type II integral membrane protein. The 114 C-terminal amino acids display sequence homology with the carbohydrate-binding domain of calcium-dependent animal lectins, many of which have immunological functions. The cytoplasmic tail of MAFA contains a YXXL (YSTL) motif, which is conserved among related C-type lectins and is an essential element in the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs. Finally, changes in the MAFA tyrosyl- and seryl-phosphorylation levels are observed in response to monoclonal antibody G63 binding, antigenic stimulation, and a combination of both treatments.

A new member of the C-type lectin family is a modulator of the mast cell secretory response.

A glycoprotein identified on RBL-2H3 cells as capable of inhibiting the secretory response induced by the type I Fc epsilon receptor was named mast-cell-function-associated antigen (MAFA). The amino acid sequence deduced from the cloned full-length cDNA has now shown that the MAFA has marked sequence homology with several members of the C-type (calcium-dependent) animal lectin family. The high conservation of cysteinyl residues suggests an important role for intrachain disulfide bonds in attaining its structure and biological activity. We further show that MAFA clustering by monoclonal antibody G63 also inhibits the de novo synthesis and secretion of interleukin-6 induced by the Fc epsilon RI stimulus. Though no ligand has yet been identified for the MAFA, experiments using antisense oligonucleotides suggest that this novel lectin may have a role in cell adhesion in addition to its immunomodulatory capacity.