The tumour microenvironment shapes dendritic cell plasticity in a human organotypic melanoma culture.

The tumour microenvironment (TME) forms a major obstacle in effective cancer treatment and for clinical success of immunotherapy. Conventional co-cultures have shed light onto multiple aspects of cancer immunobiology, but they are limited by the lack of physiological complexity. We develop a human organotypic skin melanoma culture (OMC) that allows real-time study of host-malignant cell interactions within a multicellular tissue architecture. By co-culturing decellularized dermis with keratinocytes, fibroblasts and immune cells in the presence of melanoma cells, we generate a reconstructed TME that closely resembles tumour growth as observed in human lesions and supports cell survival and function. We demonstrate that the OMC is suitable and outperforms conventional 2D co-cultures for the study of TME-imprinting mechanisms. Within the OMC, we observe the tumour-driven conversion of cDC2s into CD14+ DCs, characterized by an immunosuppressive phenotype. The OMC provides a valuable approach to study how a TME affects the immune system.

Cross-talk between iNKT cells and CD8 T cells in the spleen requires the IL-4/CCL17 axis for the generation of short-lived effector cells.

Mounting an effective immune response relies critically on the coordinated interactions between adaptive and innate compartments. How and where immune cells from these different compartments interact is still poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the cross-talk between invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) and CD8+ T cells in the spleen, essential for initiating productive immune responses, is biphasic and occurs at 2 distinct sites. Codelivery of antigen and adjuvant to antigen-presenting cells results in: 1) initial short-lived interactions (0 to 6 h), between CD8+ T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and iNKT cells recruited outside the white pulp; 2) followed by long-lasting contacts (12 to 24 h) between iNKT cells, DCs, and CD8+ T cells occurring in a 3-way interaction profile within the white pulp. Both CXCR3 and CCR4 are essential to orchestrate this highly dynamic process and play nonredundant in T cell memory generation. While CXCR3 promotes memory T cells, CCR4 supports short-lived effector cell generation. We believe our work provides insights into the initiation of T cell responses in the spleen and their consequences for T cell differentiation.

Health-related quality of life analysis in stage III melanoma patients treated with adjuvant dendritic cell therapy.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important issue in the rapidly evolving field of adjuvant treatment for stage III melanoma. Dendritic cell vaccination is one of the adjuvant forms of therapy currently investigated. METHODS: We enrolled adults with stage III melanoma to receive adjuvant dendritic cell vaccination after a complete radical lymph node dissection. HRQoL assessment was one of the secondary endpoints of this trial and investigated with the EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire at baseline and week 26. RESULTS: Fifteen patients with a median age of 50 years were included in the study, with twelve evaluable patients on study at time of the second questionnaire. Global health status and role functioning improved clinically relevant with a mean difference of 15 (p = 0.010) and 26 points (p = 0.005), respectively. DISCUSSION: Despite the small number of patients, we found a clinically relevant improved global health status. Besides, compared to the other investigated therapies, toxicity of dendritic cell vaccination is low, which supports our finding. CONCLUSION: This is the first description of HRQoL in melanoma patients receiving dendritic cell vaccination. We show the expected improvement in global health status after surgical treatment of stage III melanoma. Thus, adjuvant dendritic cell vaccination does not seem to hamper this improvement, as shown in our small explorative study.

Dual-color superresolution microscopy reveals nanoscale organization of mechanosensory podosomes.

Podosomes are multimolecular mechanosensory assemblies that coordinate mesenchymal migration of tissue-resident dendritic cells. They have a protrusive actin core and an adhesive ring of integrins and adaptor proteins, such as talin and vinculin. We recently demonstrated that core actin oscillations correlate with intensity fluctuations of vinculin but not talin, suggesting different molecular rearrangements for these components. Detailed information on the mutual localization of core and ring components at the nanoscale is lacking. By dual-color direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy, we for the first time determined the nanoscale organization of individual podosomes and their spatial arrangement within large clusters formed at the cell-substrate interface. Superresolution imaging of three ring components with respect to actin revealed that the cores are interconnected and linked to the ventral membrane by radiating actin filaments. In core-free areas, αMß2 integrin and talin islets are homogeneously distributed, whereas vinculin preferentially localizes proximal to the core and along the radiating actin filaments. Podosome clusters appear as self-organized contact areas, where mechanical cues might be efficiently transduced and redistributed. Our findings call for a reevaluation of the current "core-ring" model and provide a novel structural framework for further understanding the collective behavior of podosome clusters.

Interplay between myosin IIA-mediated contractility and actin network integrity orchestrates podosome composition and oscillations.

Tissue-resident dendritic cells patrol for foreign antigens while undergoing slow mesenchymal migration. Using actomyosin-based structures called podosomes, dendritic cells probe and remodel extracellular matrix topographical cues. Podosomes comprise an actin-rich protrusive core surrounded by an adhesive ring of integrins, cytoskeletal adaptor proteins and actin network filaments. Here we reveal how the integrity and dynamics of protrusive cores and adhesive rings are coordinated by the actomyosin apparatus. Core growth by actin polymerization induces podosome protrusion and provides tension within the actin network filaments. The tension transmitted to the ring recruits vinculin and zyxin and preserves overall podosome integrity. Conversely, myosin IIA contracts the actin network filaments and applies tension to the vinculin molecules bound, counterbalancing core growth and eventually reducing podosome size and protrusion. We demonstrate a previously unrecognized interplay between actin and myosin IIA in podosomes, providing novel mechanistic insights into how actomyosin-based structures allow dendritic cells to sense the extracellular environment.

A method for spatially resolved local intracellular mechanochemical sensing and organelle manipulation.

Because both the chemical and mechanical properties of living cells play crucial functional roles, there is a strong need for biophysical methods to address these properties simultaneously. Here we present a novel (to our knowledge) approach to measure local intracellular micromechanical and chemical properties using a hybrid magnetic chemical biosensor. We coupled a fluorescent dye, which serves as a chemical sensor, to a magnetic particle that is used for measurement of the viscoelastic environment by studying the response of the particle to magnetic force pulses. As a demonstration of the potential of this approach, we applied the method to study the process of phagocytosis, wherein cytoskeletal reorganization occurs in parallel with acidification of the phagosome. During this process, we measured the shear modulus and viscosity of the phagosomal environment concurrently with the phagosomal pH. We found that it is possible to manipulate phagocytosis by stalling the centripetal movement of the phagosome using magnetic force. Our results suggest that preventing centripetal phagosomal transport delays the onset of acidification. To our knowledge, this is the first report of manipulation of intracellular phagosomal transport without interfering with the underlying motor proteins or cytoskeletal network through biochemical methods.

Dynamic cell adhesion and migration on nanoscale grooved substrates.

Organised nanotopography mimicking the natural extracellular matrix can be used to control morphology, cell motility, and differentiation. However, it is still unknown how specific cell types react with specific patterns. Both initial adhesion and preferential cell migration may be important to initiate and increase cell locomotion and coverage with cells, and thus achieve an enhanced wound healing response around an implantable material. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate how MC3T3-E1 osteoblast initial adhesion and directional migration are influenced by nanogrooves with pitches ranging from 150 nm up to 1000 nm. In this study, we used a multi-patterned substrate with five different groove patterns and a smooth area with either a concentric or radial orientation. Initial cell adhesion measurements after 10 s were performed using atomic force spectroscopy-assisted single-cell force spectroscopy, and demonstrated that nascent cell adhesion was highly induced by a 600 nm pitch and reduced by a 150 nm pitch. Addition of RGD peptide significantly reduced adhesion, indicating that integrins and cell adhesive proteins (e.g. fibronectin or vitronectin) are key factors in specific cell adhesion on nanogrooved substrates. Also, cell migration was highly dependent on the groove pitch; the highest directional migration parallel to the grooves was observed on a 600 nm pitch, whereas a 150 nm pitch restrained directional cell migration. From this study, we conclude that grooves with a pitch of 600 nm may be favourable to enhance fast wound closure, thereby promoting tissue regeneration.

Targeting dendritic cells with antigen via dendritic cell-associated promoters.

The induction of tumor-specific immune responses is largely dependent on the ability of dendritic cells (DCs) to present tumor-associated antigens to T lymphocytes. Therefore, we investigated the use of DC-associated promoter-driven genetic vaccines to specifically target DC in vivo. Restricted expression of vaccine-encoding genes in DC should enhance specificity and improves their safety for clinical applications. Hereto, 3-5 kb upstream sequences of the murine genes encoding CD11c, DC-SIGN, DC-STAMP and Langerin were isolated, characterized and subcloned into enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter constructs. Upon electroporation, EGFP was expressed in DC cell lines, but not in other cell lines, confirming DC-restricted promoter activity. When these promoters were cloned into a construct upstream of the gene for ovalbumin (OVA), it appeared that DC-STAMP promoter-driven expression of OVA (pDCSTAMP/OVA) in DC yielded the most efficient OVA-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses in vitro. Administration of pDC-STAMP/OVA in vivo, using the tattoo gun vaccination system, evoked specific immune responses as evidenced in a mouse tumor model. Adoptively transferred pDC-STAMP/OVA-transfected DCs induced strong CD8+ T-cell proliferation in vivo. These experiments demonstrate that our DC-directed promoter constructs are potential tools to restrict antigen expression in DC and could be implemented to modulate DC function by the introduction of relevant proteins.

A large-scale (19)F MRI-based cell migration assay to optimize cell therapy.

Adoptive transfer of cells for therapeutic purposes requires efficient and precise delivery to the target organ whilst preserving cell function. Therefore, therapeutically applied cells need to migrate and integrate within their target tissues after delivery, e.g. dendritic cells (DCs) need to migrate to lymph nodes to elicit an antigen-specific immune response. Previous studies have shown that inappropriate cell delivery can hinder DC migration and result in insufficient immune induction. As migration can be extremely difficult to study quantitatively in vivo, we propose an in vitro assay that reproduces key in vivo conditions to optimize cell delivery and migration in vivo. Using DC migration along a chemokine gradient, we describe here a novel (19)F MR-based, large-scale, quantitative assay to measure cell migration in a three-dimensional collagen scaffold. Unlike conventional migration assays, this set-up is amenable to both large and small cell numbers, as well as opaque tissue samples and the inclusion of chemokines or other factors. We labeled primary human DCs with a (19)F label suitable for clinical use; (0.5-15) × 10(6) cells in the scaffolds were imaged sequentially, and migration was assessed using two independent methods. We found no migration with larger numbers of cells, but up to 3% with less than one million cells. Hence, we show that the cell density in cell bolus injections has a decisive impact on migration, and this may explain the limited migration observed using large cell numbers in the clinic.

A pilot study on the immunogenicity of dendritic cell vaccination during adjuvant oxaliplatin/capecitabine chemotherapy in colon cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cell (DC) vaccination has been shown to induce anti-tumour immune responses in cancer patients, but so far its clinical efficacy is limited. Recent evidence supports an immunogenic effect of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Pre-clinical data indicate that the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy may result in an enhanced anti-cancer activity. Most studies have focused on the immunogenic aspect of chemotherapy-induced cell death, but only few studies have investigated the effect of chemotherapeutic agents on the effector lymphocytes of the immune system. METHODS: Here we investigated the effect of treatment with oxaliplatin and capecitabine on non-specific and specific DC vaccine-induced adaptive immune responses. Stage III colon cancer patients receiving standard adjuvant oxaliplatin/capecitabine chemotherapy were vaccinated at the same time with keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-peptide pulsed DCs. RESULTS: In 4 out of 7 patients, functional CEA-specific T-cell responses were found at delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin testing. In addition, we observed an enhanced non-specific T-cell reactivity upon oxaliplatin administration. KLH-specific T-cell responses remained unaffected by the chemotherapy, whereas B-cell responses were diminished. CONCLUSION: The results strongly support further testing of the combined use of specific anti-tumour vaccination with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.

Imaging of cellular therapies.

Cellular therapy promises to revolutionize medicine, by restoring tissue and organ function, and combating key disorders including cancer. As with all major developments, new tools must be introduced to allow optimization. For cell therapy, the key tool is in vivo imaging for real time assessment of parameters such as cell localization, numbers and viability. Such data is critical to modulate and tailor the therapy for each patient. In this review, we discuss recent work in the field of imaging cell therapies in the clinic, including preclinical work where clinical examples are not yet available. Clinical trials in which transferred cells were imaged using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear scintigraphy, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET) are evaluated from an imaging perspective. Preclinical cell tracking studies that focus on fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging are excluded, as these modalities are generally not applicable to clinical cell tracking. In this review, we assess the advantages and drawbacks of the various imaging techniques available, focusing on immune cells, particularly dendritic cells. Both strategies of prelabeling cells before transplant and the use of an injectable label to target cells in situ are covered. Finally, we discuss future developments, including the emergence of multimodal imaging technology for cell tracking from the preclinical to the clinical realm.

A hybrid total internal reflection fluorescence and optical tweezers microscope to study cell adhesion and membrane protein dynamics of single living cells.

The dynamics of cell surface membrane proteins plays an important role in cell-cell interactions. The onset of the interaction is typically not precisely controlled by current techniques, making especially difficult the visualization of early-stage dynamics. We have developed a novel method where optical tweezers are used to trap cells and precisely control in space and time the initiation of interactions between a cell and a functionalized surface. This approach is combined with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to monitor dynamics of membrane bound proteins. We demonstrate an accuracy of approximately 2 s in determining the onset of the interaction. Furthermore, we developed a data analysis method to determine the dynamics of cell adhesion and the organization of membrane molecules at the contact area. We demonstrate and validate this approach by studying the dynamics of the green fluorescent protein tagged membrane protein activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule expressed in K562 cells upon interaction with its ligand CD6 immobilized on a coated substrate. The measured cell spreading is in excellent agreement with existing theoretical models. Active redistribution of activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule is observed from a clustered to a more homogenous distribution upon contact initiation. This redistribution follows exponential decay behaviour with a characteristic time of 35 s.

Targets for active immunotherapy against pediatric solid tumors.

The potential role of antibodies and T lymphocytes in the eradication of cancer has been demonstrated in numerous animal models and clinical trials. In the last decennia new strategies have been developed for the use of tumor-specific T cells and antibodies in cancer therapy. Effective anti-tumor immunotherapy requires the identification of suitable target antigens. The expression of tumor-specific antigens has been extensively studied for most types of adult tumors. Pediatric patients should be excellent candidates for immunotherapy since their immune system is more potent and flexible as compared to that of adults. So far, these patients do not benefit enough from the progresses in cancer immunotherapy, and one of the reasons is the paucity of tumor-specific antigens identified on pediatric tumors. In this review we discuss the current status of cancer immunotherapy in children, focusing on the identification of tumor-specific antigens on pediatric solid tumors.

Regulation of CXCL16 expression and secretion by myeloid cells is not altered in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 16 (CXCL16) is secreted by macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) to attract memory type T cells. CXCL16 expression is increased in arthritic joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a role for CXCL16 has been suggested in the pathogenesis of RA. To date, little is known about the regulation of CXCL16 on monocytes/macrophages and DCs. The aim of this study was to elucidate how CXCL16 expression is regulated in healthy donors and patients with RA. METHODS: CD14+cells were isolated from the peripheral blood or synovial fluid of patients with RA and healthy controls, differentiated into different types of dendritic cells or macrophages and stimulated with various cytokines or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cell surface proteins, including surface CXCL16, were measured by flow cytometry and soluble CXCL16 was measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Distinct types of dendritic cells constitutively express and secrete CXCL16, which is not affected by maturation. Monocytes rapidly upregulate membrane-bound CXCL16 expression and release soluble CXCL16 upon culture. CXCL16 expression by monocytes is transiently inhibited by the Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 ligand LPS. Th2 type cytokines inhibit soluble CXCL16, whereas T helper (Th)1 cell stimulus enhances its release. In RA monocytes/macrophages, neither CXCL16 expression, nor CXCL16 regulation is different from healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Culture of monocytes is the main trigger for CXCL16 surface expression in vitro, which is not altered in RA. Together our data suggest that the increased CXCL16 expression in patients with RA is likely to be caused by increased influx of monocytes rather than intrinsic differences in CXCL16 regulation.

Dendritic cell vaccination and immune monitoring.

We exploited dendritic cells (DC) to vaccinate melanoma patients. We recently demonstrated a statistical significant correlation between favorable clinical outcome and the presence of vaccine-related tumor antigen-specific T cells in delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin biopsies. However, favorable clinical outcome is only observed in a minority of the treated patients. Therefore, it is obvious that current DC-based protocols need to be improved. For this reason, we study in small proof of principle trials the fate, interactions and effectiveness of the injected DC.

Dendritic cell vaccines in melanoma: from promise to proof?

Dendritic cells (DC) are the directors of the immune system, capable of inducing tumour antigen-specific T- and B-cell responses. As such, they are currently applied in clinical studies in cancer patients. Early small clinical trials showed promising results, with frequent induction of anti-cancer immune reactivity and clinical responses. In recent years, additional trials have been carried out in melanoma patients, and although immunological responses are often reported, objective clinical responses remain anecdotal with objective response rates not exceeding 5-10%. Thus, DC vaccination research has now entered a stage in between 'proof of principle' and 'proof of efficacy' trials. Crucial questions to answer at this moment are why the clinical responses remain scarce and what can be done to improve the efficacy of vaccination. The answers to these questions probably lie in the preparation and administration of the DC vaccines. Predominantly, cytokine-matured DC are used in clinical studies, while from preclinical studies it is evident that DC that are activated by pathogen-associated molecules are much more potent T cell activators. For sake of easy accessibility monocyte-derived DC are often used, but are these cells also the most potent type of DC? Other yet unsettled issues include the optimal antigen-loading strategy and route of administration. In addition, trials are needed to investigate the value of manipulating tolerizing mechanisms, such as depletion of regulatory T cells or blockade of the inhibitory T cell molecule CTLA-4. These issues need to be addressed in well-designed comparative clinical studies with biological endpoints in order to determine the optimal vaccine characteristics. DC vaccination can then be put to the ultimate test of randomized clinical trials. Here, we review the immunobiology of DC with emphasis on the different aspects that are most relevant for the induction of anti-tumour responses in vivo. The different variables in preparing and administering DC vaccines are discussed in this context and the immunological and clinical results of studies with DC vaccines in melanoma patients are summarized.

The threshold at which substrate nanogroove dimensions may influence fibroblast alignment and adhesion.

The differences in morphological behaviour between fibroblasts cultured on smooth and nanogrooved substrata (groove depth: 5-350 nm, width: 20-1000 nm) have been evaluated in vitro. The aim of the study was to clarify to what extent cell guidance occurs on increasingly smaller topographies. Pattern templates were made using electron beam lithography, and were subsequently replicated in polystyrene cell culture material using solvent casting. The replicates were investigated with atomic force microscopy (AFM). After seeding with fibroblasts, morphological characteristics were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy, in order to obtain qualitative and quantitative information on cell alignment. AFM revealed that the nanogroove/ridge widths were replicated perfectly, although at deeper levels the grooves became more concave. The smooth substrata had no distinguishable pattern other than a roughness amplitude of 1 nm. Interestingly, microscopy and image analysis showed that fibroblast after 4 h had adjusted their shape according to nanotopographical features down to cut-off values of 100 nm width and 75 nm depth. After 24 h culturing time, fibroblasts would even align themselves on groove depths as shallow as 35 nm. It appears depth is the most essential parameter in cellular alignment on groove patterns with a pitch ratio of 1:1. On the smooth substrata, cells always spread out in a random fashion. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that both main parameters, topography and culturing time, were significant. We conclude that fibroblast cells cultured on nanotopography experience a threshold feature size of 35 nm, below this value contact guidance does no longer exist.

In situ detection of antigen-specific T cells in cryo-sections using MHC class I tetramers after dendritic cell vaccination of melanoma patients.

Application of tetrameric MHC class I-peptide complexes has significantly improved the monitoring of antigen-specific T cell immune responses in mouse models as well as in clinical studies. Especially MHC class I tetramer analysis of tumor-specific T cells in suspension or on thick vibratome sections from viable tissue has been proven extremely useful. Using the well-characterized mouse tyrosinase-related-protein-2 specific cytotoxic T cell (CTL) clone LP9, we now developed a method that allows for specific identification of T cells with MHC class I tetramers in 8 mum thick, chemically fixed cryosections. The protocol was validated in a murine influenza virus-infection model. Moreover, analysis of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin biopsies from melanoma patients vaccinated with peptide-loaded mature dendritic cells, revealed the presence and location of anti-tumor CTLs. The specificity of the CTLs detected in situ correlated with both the DTH challenge specificity and reactivity of cell suspensions derived from the same biopsies. Collectively, our data demonstrate that in situ MHC class I tetramer staining provides a valuable tool to reveal the presence and anatomical location of specific CTLs in frozen tissue following immune-based treatment strategies in cancer patients.

Efficient loading of dendritic cells following cryo and radiofrequency ablation in combination with immune modulation induces anti-tumour immunity.

Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells that play a pivotal role in the induction of immunity. Ex vivo-generated, tumour antigen-loaded mature DC are currently exploited as cancer vaccines in clinical studies. However, antigen loading and maturation of DC directly in vivo would greatly facilitate the application of DC-based vaccines. We formerly showed in murine models that radiofrequency-mediated tumour destruction can provide an antigen source for the in vivo induction of anti-tumour immunity, and we explored the role of DC herein. In this paper we evaluate radiofrequency and cryo ablation for their ability to provide an antigen source for DC and compare this with an ex vivo-loaded DC vaccine. The data obtained with model antigens demonstrate that upon tumour destruction by radiofrequency ablation, up to 7% of the total draining lymph node (LN) DC contained antigen, whereas only few DC from the conventional vaccine reached the LN. Interestingly, following cryo ablation the amount of antigen-loaded DC is almost doubled. Analysis of surface markers revealed that both destruction methods were able to induce DC maturation. Finally, we show that in situ tumour ablation can be efficiently combined with immune modulation by anti-CTLA-4 antibodies or regulatory T-cell depletion. These combination treatments protected mice from the outgrowth of tumour challenges, and led to in vivo enhancement of tumour-specific T-cell numbers, which produced more IFN-gamma upon activation. Therefore, in situ tumour destruction in combination with immune modulation creates a unique, 'in situ DC-vaccine' that is readily applicable in the clinic without prior knowledge of tumour antigens.