Immunotherapy Targeting CCR8+ Regulatory T Cells Induces Antitumor Effects via Dramatic Changes to the Intratumor CD8+ T Cell Profile.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) contribute to the formation of a tumor-immunosuppressive microenvironment. CCR8 is reportedly selectively expressed in tumor Tregs, and an anti-CCR8 Ab can exert potent antitumor effects by eliminating intratumor Tregs in murine tumor models. In this study, we analyzed changes to intratumor immunity after anti-CCR8 Ab administration, especially in CD8+ T cells, which are involved in cancer cell killing, using the CT26 colorectal carcinoma mouse model. Immunophenotyping of tumor-infiltrating cells by mass cytometry after Ab administration on day 5 of tumor inoculation revealed that CD8+ T cell subsets were dramatically altered in the CCR8 Ab-treated group, with an increase in naive cells and nonexhausted effector cells and a decrease in exhausted cells with high expression levels of TOX. These results were corroborated with flow cytometry analysis. Delayed administration of the anti-CCR8 Ab on day 9 or 12, when the amount of CCR8+ Tregs and CD8+ T cell exhaustion were more progressed, also resulted in a decrease in exhausted CD8+ T cells, leading to tumor regression. Finally, we confirmed that high CCR8+ Treg infiltration was associated with high TOX expression in CD8+ T cells in human cancer patients. In conclusion, administration of an anti-CCR8 Ab can dramatically alter the activation and exhaustion state of intratumor CD8+ T cells, resulting in strong antitumor effects. In cancer patients with an advanced tumor-immunosuppressive environment, CD8+ T cell exhaustion has progressed along with CCR8+ Treg induction. Therefore, targeted depletion of CCR8+ Tregs is expected to be effective in these patients.

Gata3/Ruvbl2 complex regulates T helper 2 cell proliferation via repression of Cdkn2c expression.

GATA-binding protein 3 (Gata3) controls the differentiation of naive CD4 T cells into T helper 2 (Th2) cells by induction of chromatin remodeling of the Th2 cytokine gene loci, direct transactivation of Il5 and Il13 genes, and inhibition of Ifng. Gata3 also facilitates Th2 cell proliferation via additional mechanisms that are far less well understood. We herein found that Gata3 associates with RuvB-like protein 2 (Ruvbl2) and represses the expression of a CDK inhibitor, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2c (Cdkn2c) to facilitate the proliferation of Th2 cells. Gata3 directly bound to the Cdkn2c locus in an Ruvbl2-dependent manner. The defect in the proliferation of Gata3-deficient Th2 cells is rescued by the knockdown of Cdkn2c, indicating that Cdkn2c is a key molecule involved in the Gata3-mediated induction of Th2 cell proliferation. Ruvbl2-knockdown Th2 cells showed decreased antigen-induced expansion and caused less airway inflammation in vivo. We therefore have identified a functional Gata3/Ruvbl2 complex that regulates the proliferation of differentiating Th2 cells through the repression of a CDK inhibitor, Cdkn2c.

A-910823, a squalene-based emulsion adjuvant, induces T follicular helper cells and humoral immune responses via α-tocopherol component.

Background: Adjuvants are chemical or biological materials that enhance the efficacy of vaccines. A-910823 is a squalene-based emulsion adjuvant used for S-268019-b, a novel vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is currently in clinical development. Published evidence has demonstrated that A-910823 can enhance the induction of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in humans and animal models. However, the characteristics and mechanisms of the immune responses induced by A-910823 are not yet known. Methods and Results: To characterize A-910823, we compared the adaptive immune response profile enhanced by A-910823 with that of other adjuvants (AddaVax, QS21, aluminum salt-based adjuvants, and empty lipid nanoparticle [eLNP]) in a murine model. Compared with other adjuvants, A-910823 enhanced humoral immune responses to an equal or greater extent following potent T follicular helper (Tfh) and germinal center B (GCB) cell induction, without inducing a strong systemic inflammatory cytokine response. Furthermore, S-268019-b containing A-910823 adjuvant produced similar results even when given as a booster dose following primary administration of a lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated messenger RNA (mRNA-LNP) vaccine. Preparation of modified A-910823 adjuvants to identify which components of A-910823 play a role in driving the adjuvant effect and detailed evaluation of the immunological characteristics induced by each adjuvant showed that the induction of humoral immunity and Tfh and GCB cell induction in A-910823 were dependent on α-tocopherol. Finally, we revealed that the recruitment of inflammatory cells to the draining lymph nodes and induction of serum cytokines and chemokines by A-910823 were also dependent on the α-tocopherol component. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the novel adjuvant A-910823 is capable of robust Tfh cell induction and humoral immune responses, even when given as a booster dose. The findings also emphasize that α-tocopherol drives the potent Tfh-inducing adjuvant function of A-910823. Overall, our data provide key information that may inform the future production of improved adjuvants.

S-531011, a Novel Anti-Human CCR8 Antibody, Induces Potent Antitumor Responses through Depletion of Tumor-Infiltrating CCR8-Expressing Regulatory T Cells.

Although regulatory T cells (Treg) are inhibitory immune cells that are essential for maintaining immune homeostasis, Tregs that infiltrate tumor tissue promote tumor growth by suppressing antitumor immunity. Selective reduction of tumor-infiltrating Tregs is, therefore, expected to activate antitumor immunity without affecting immune homeostasis. We previously reported that selective Treg depletion targeted by a C-C motif chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) resulted in induction of strong antitumor immunity without any obvious autoimmunity in mouse models. Thus, herein, we developed a novel humanized anti-CCR8 monoclonal antibody, S-531011, aimed as a cancer immunotherapy strategy for patients with cancer. S-531011 exclusively recognized human CCR8 among all chemokine receptors and showed potent antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity activity toward CCR8+ cells and neutralization activity against CCR8-mediated signaling. We observed that S-531011 reduced tumor-infiltrating CCR8+ Tregs and induced potent antitumor activity in a tumor-bearing human-CCR8 knock-in mouse model. Moreover, combination therapy with S-531011 and anti-mouse programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) antibody strongly suppressed tumor growth compared with anti-PD-1 antibody alone with no observable adverse effects. S-531011 also depleted human tumor-infiltrating Tregs, but not Tregs derived from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These results suggest that S-531011 is a promising drug for inducing antitumor immunity without severe side effects in the clinical setting.

The impact of CCR8+ regulatory T cells on cytotoxic T cell function in human lung cancer.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress the host immune response and maintain immune homeostasis. Tregs also promote cancer progression and are involved in resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments. Recent studies identified selective CCR8 expression on tumor-infiltrating Tregs; CCR8+ Tregs have been indicated as a possible new target of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we investigated the features of CCR8+ Tregs in lung cancer patients. CCR8+ Tregs were highly activated and infiltration of CCR8+ Tregs in tumors was associated with poor prognosis in lung cancer patients. We also investigated their immune suppressive function, especially the influence on cytotoxic T lymphocyte cell function. The Cancer Genome Atlas analysis revealed that CD8 T cell activities were suppressed in high CCR8-expressing tumors. Additionally, depletion of CCR8+ cells enhanced CD8 T cell function in an ex vivo culture of lung tumor-infiltrating cells. Moreover, CCR8+ Tregs, but not CCR8- Tregs, induced from human PBMCs markedly suppressed CD8 T cell cytotoxicity. Finally, we demonstrated the therapeutic effect of targeting CCR8 in a murine model of lung cancer. These findings reveal the significance of CCR8+ Tregs for immunosuppression in lung cancer, especially via cytotoxic T lymphocyte cell suppression, and suggest the potential value of CCR8-targeted therapy for cancer treatment.

Immune response and protective efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 recombinant spike protein vaccine S-268019-b in mice.

Vaccines that efficiently target severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), are the best means for controlling viral spread. This study evaluated the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine S-268019-b, which comprises the recombinant full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S-910823 (antigen) and A-910823 (adjuvant). In addition to eliciting both Th1-type and Th2-type cellular immune responses, two doses of S-910823 plus A-910823 induced anti-spike protein IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. In a SARS-CoV-2 challenge test, S-910823 plus A-910823 mitigated SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced weight loss and death and inhibited viral replication in mouse lungs. S-910823 plus A-910823 promoted cytokine and chemokine at the injection site and immune cell accumulation in the draining lymph nodes. This led to the formation of germinal centers and the induction of memory B cells, antibody-secreting cells, and memory T cells. These findings provide fundamental property of S-268019-b, especially importance of A-910823 to elicit humoral and cellular immune responses.

S-540956, a CpG Oligonucleotide Annealed to a Complementary Strand With an Amphiphilic Chain Unit, Acts as a Potent Cancer Vaccine Adjuvant by Targeting Draining Lymph Nodes.

Robust induction of cancer-antigen-specific CD8+ T cells is essential for the success of cancer peptide vaccines, which are composed of a peptide derived from a cancer-specific antigen and an immune-potentiating adjuvant, such as a Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist. Efficient delivery of a vaccine antigen and an adjuvant to antigen-presenting cells in the draining lymph nodes (LNs) holds key to maximize vaccine efficacy. Here, we developed S-540956, a novel TLR9-agonistic adjuvant consisting of B-type CpG ODN2006 (also known as CpG7909), annealed to its complementary sequence oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) conjugated to a lipid; it could target both a cancer peptide antigen and a CpG-adjuvant in the draining LNs. S-540956 accumulation in the draining LNs and activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) were significantly higher than that of ODN2006. Mechanistic analysis revealed that S-540956 enhanced the induction of MHC class I peptide-specific CD8+ T cell responses via TLR9 in a CD4+ T cell-independent manner. In mice, the therapeutic effect of S-540956-adjuvanted with a human papillomavirus (HPV)-E7 peptide vaccine against HPV-E7-expressing TC-1 tumors was significantly better than that of an ODN2006-adjuvanted vaccine. Our findings demonstrate a novel adjuvant discovery with the complementary strand conjugated to a lipid, which enabled draining LN targeting and increased ODN2006 accumulation in draining LNs, thereby enhancing the adjuvant effect. Our findings imply that S-540956 is a promising adjuvant for cancer peptide vaccines and has a high potential for applications in various vaccines, including recombinant protein vaccines.

Ceramide kinase is not essential but might act as an Ca2+-sensor for mast cell activation.

Ceramide kinase (CerK) catalyzes the conversion of ceramide to ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P). We previously revealed that CerK is involved in the activation of mast cells. In this study, we performed an advanced investigation into the role of CerK on the activation of mast cells using CERK-/- mice. Although CERK-/- mice were less prone to exhibiting a passive cutaneous anaphylactic shock (PCA)-reaction compared to wild type (WT) mice, the differences were not significant. In bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) activated by cross-linking antigen (Ag)/IgE, not high, but low concentrations of Ag had a reduced effect on degranulation in BMMC from CERK-/- mice compared to effects on BMMC from WT mice. Similarly, when the BMMCs were activated with calcium ionophore to focus on the downstream signaling of Ca(2+)-elevation, only a low concentration of ionophore had a reduced effect on degranulation in the BMMC from CERK-/- mice compared to the effect on BMMC from WT mice. Furthermore, the CerK inhibitor K1 reduced the differences in degranulation observed between the BMMC from CERK-/- and WT mice in a dose-dependent manner, demonstrating a contribution for CerK and its product C1P in degranulation. Although CerK is not essential for activation of mast cells, especially a potent and acute activation such as a PCA reaction, CerK might act as an modulator for mild and chronic activation of mast cells, thus increasing sensitivity to cytoplasmic Ca(2+).

Antifibrotic action of pirfenidone and prednisolone: different effects on pulmonary cytokines and growth factors in bleomycin-induced murine pulmonary fibrosis.

Pirfenidone, a broad-spectrum antifibrotic agent, is known to have efficacy in certain fibrotic disease models, and is under clinical trials in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We investigated the antifibrotic effect of pirfenidone, and its regulatory effect on various pulmonary cytokines, in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice at the protein level, using prednisolone as a reference agent. Pirfenidone attenuated the bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis at a minimum effective dose of 30 mg/kg/day t.i.d. from the analysis of lung hydroxyproline content. Both pirfenidone (30, 100 mg/kg/day t.i.d) and prednisolone (3, 15 mg/kg/day q.d.) suppressed lung inflammatory edema; however, prednisolone failed to suppress pulmonary fibrosis, which was significantly suppressed only by pirfenidone. Both pirfenidone and prednisolone suppressed the increase in lung interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-12p40 and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 levels induced by bleomycin. On the other hand, pirfenidone prevented the bleomycin-induced decrease in lung interferon (IFN)-gamma levels, while prednisolone had no such effect. Furthermore, pirfenidone suppressed elevation of lung basic-fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 levels, but prednisolone had no such effect. The increases in lung stroma cell derived factor (SDF)-1alpha and IL-18 were also suppressed. These findings suggest that pirfenidone exerts its antifibrotic effect through regulation of lung IFN-gamma, bFGF and TGF-beta1 levels during the development of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. The effect on SDF-1alpha and IL-18 levels may also be related to the antifibrotic effects of pirfenidone.

Synergistic effect of PGD2 via prostanoid DP receptor on TNF-alpha-induced production of MCP-1 and IL-8 in human monocytic THP-1 cells.

Prostaglandin (PG) D2, a major cyclooxygenase metabolite generated predominantly from immunologically stimulated mast cells, is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of allergic diseases via the two PGD2 receptors, prostanoid DP receptor and chemoattractant receptor homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells (CRTH2). Monocytes are known to express the prostanoid DP receptor, however, the role of it in inflammatory responses is still unclear. In the present study, to clarify the functional roles of prostanoid DP receptor on monocytes, we examined the effect of PGD2 on the production of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and interleukin (IL)-8 from a human monocytic cell line, THP-1. Single activation of prostanoid DP receptor hardly produced any cytokines or chemokines. However, activation with PGD2 in the presence of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha mediated significant production of MCP-1 and IL-8, but not the other cytokines and chemokines, in comparison to single stimulation with TNF-alpha. In addition, the selective prostanoid DP receptor antagonist, pinagladin ((Z)-7-[(1R,2R,3S,5S)-2-(benzothiophen-3-ylcarbonylamide)-10-norpinan-3-yl]hept-5-enoic acid) inhibited the production of MCP-1 and IL-8 upon combined stimulation with PGD2 and TNF-alpha. The synergistic production of MCP-1 and IL-8 by PGD2 was mimicked by dibutyryl cAMP (db-cAMP) and was inhibited by a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor. Our findings suggest that activation of the prostanoid DP receptor on THP-1 cells enhances TNF-alpha-induced MCP-1 and IL-8 production via the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway.

Soluble HLA-associated peptide from PSF1 has a cancer vaccine potency.

Partner of sld five 1 (PSF1) is an evolutionary conserved DNA replication factor involved in DNA replication in lower species, which is strongly expressed in normal stem cell populations and progenitor cell populations. Recently, we have investigated PSF1 functions in cancer cells and found that PSF1 plays a significant role in tumour growth. These findings provide initial evidence for the potential of PSF1 as a therapeutic target. Here, we reveal that PSF1 contains an immunogenic epitope suitable for an antitumour vaccine. We analysed PSF1 peptides eluted from affinity-purified human leukocyte antigen (HLA) by mass spectrometry and identified PSF179-87 peptide (YLYDRLLRI) that has the highest prediction score using an in silico algorithm. PSF179-87 peptide induced PSF1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses such as the production of interferon-γ and cytotoxicity. Because PSF1 is expressed in cancer cell populations and highly expressed in cancer stem cell populations, these data suggest that vaccination with PSF179-87 peptide may be a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.

Suppression of immunoglobulin production by a novel dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitor, S-2678.

We discovered a novel dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHO-DH) inhibitor, S-2678 ([2-fluoro-2',5'-dimethyl-4'-[6-(3-methyl-2-butenyloxy) pyridin-3-yl] biphenyl-4-yl]-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) amine). Its inhibitory activity against DHO-DH was more potent than that of A77 1726, an active metabolite of the anti-rheumatic drug leflunomide. S-2678 suppressed immunoglobulin production in mouse B cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro, with little or no inhibition of cell proliferation, probably through inhibition of class switch recombination in the immunoglobulin heavy chain loci in B cells. In vivo antibody production induced by systemic immunization with ovalbumin was dramatically suppressed by oral administration of S-2678, without any toxicological signs. However, S-2678 did not affect T-cell activation in vitro, and cytokine production induced by intravenous anti-CD3 antibody in mice. S-2678 did not affect host defense in a mouse model of Candida infection, whereas leflunomide severely impaired it. In conclusion, S-2678 selectively acts on B cells, resulting in antibody production, which suggests that it is useful for the treatment of humoral immunity-related diseases.