1,720,989 research outputs found

    Therapeutic antitumor response after immunization with a recombinant adenovirus encoding a model tumor-associated antigen.

    No full text
    Recombinant adenovirus (rAd), deleted of critical genes that enable viral replication and replaced with genes encoding heterologous proteins, has been shown to be a safe and effective vector in gene therapy studies. To evaluate a potential role for rAd as an immunogen, we used two different replication-defective type 2 rAds encoding the model Ag, beta-galactosidase (beta-gal). To determine whether rAd elicited the kind of immune responses therapeutic in an anti-tumor setting, the beta-gal-expressing adenocarcinoma, CT26.CL25, was used. Splenocytes from BALB/c mice immunized with 1 x 10(7) infectious units (iu) of rAd demonstrated anti-beta-gal activity after in vitro culture with the relevant L(d) beta-gal peptide. Adoptive transfer of these same splenocytes produced dramatic regression of established pulmonary metastases. However, when tumor-bearing mice were treated with 1 x 10(7) iu of rAd, no reduction in established disease was observed even when rAd was given with exogenous IL-2. To increase the viral dose delivered to each animal, we used an E1-E4-deleted rAd that could be grown to much higher titers. Significant reduction occurred with 10-fold more rAd (1 x10(8) iu) was administered. Exogenous IL-2 administration with 1 x 10(8) iu of rAd resulted in augmentation of this anti-tumor effect. These findings demonstrate that when using a nonreplicating virus, the viral dose is directly related to the immune response generated. These data constitute the first reported use of rAd in the treatment of an established experimental cancer and may have implication for the treatment of human cancer

    Anti-tumor activity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes elicited with recombinant and synthetic forms of a model tumor-associated antigen.

    No full text
    The recent cloning of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) recognized by CD8+ T lymphocytes (TCD8+) has made it possible to use recombinant and synthetic forms of TAAs to generate TCD8+ with anti-tumor activity. To explore new therapeutic strategies in a mouse model, we retrovirally transduced the experimental murine tumor CT26(H-2d), with the lacZ gene encoding our model TAA, beta-galactosidase (beta-gal). The transduced cell line, CT26.CL25, grew as rapidly and as lethally as the parental cell line in normal, immunocompetent animals. In an attempt to elicit TCD8+ directed against our model TAA by using purely recombinant and synthetic forms of our model TAA, we synthesized a nine-amino-acid long immunodominant peptide of beta-gal (TPH-PARIGL), corresponding to amino acid residues 876-884, which was known to be presented by the Ld major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule, and a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding the full-length beta-gal protein (VJS6). Splenocytes obtained from naïve mice and co-cultured with beta-gal peptide could not be expanded in primary ex vivo cultures. However, mice immunized with VJS6, but not with a control recombinant vaccinia virus, yielded splenocytes that were capable of specifically lysing CT26.CL25 in vitro after co-culture with beta-gal peptide. Most significantly, adoptive transfer of these cells could effectively treat mice bearing 3-day-old established pulmonary metastases. These observations show that therapeutic TCD8+ directed against a model TAA could be generated by using purely recombinant and synthetic forms of this antigen. These findings point the way to a potentially useful immunotherapeutic strategy, which has been made possible by the recent cloning of immunogenic TAAs that are expressed by human malignancies

    Unopposed production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor by tumors inhibits CD8+ T cell responses by dysregulating antigen-presenting cell maturation.

    No full text
    Tumor cells gene-modified to produce GM-CSF potently stimulate antitumor immune responses, in part, by causing the growth and differentiation of dendritic cells (DC). However, GM-CSF-modified tumor cells must be gamma-irradiated or they will grow progressively, killing the host. We observed that 23 of 75 (31\%) human tumor lines and two commonly used mouse tumor lines spontaneously produced GM-CSF. In mice, chronic GM-CSF production by tumors suppressed Ag-specific CD8+ T cell responses. Interestingly, an inhibitory population of adherent CD11b(Mac-1)/Gr-1 double-positive cells caused the observed impairment of CD8+ T cell function upon direct cell-to-cell contact. The inhibitory cells were positive for some markers associated with Ag presenting cells, like F4/80, but were negative for markers associated with fully mature DC like DEC205, B7. 2, and MHC class II. We have previously reported that a similar or identical population of inhibitory "immature" APC was elicited after immunization with powerful recombinant immunogens. We show here that these inhibitory cells can be elicited by the administration of recombinant GM-CSF alone, and, furthermore, that they can be differentiated ex vivo into "mature" APC by the addition of IL-4 and GM-CSF. Thus, tumors may be able to escape from immune detection by producing "unopposed" GM-CSF, thereby disrupting the balance of cytokines needed for the maturation of fully functional DC. Further, CD11b/Gr-1 double-positive cells may function as "inhibitory" APC under the influence of GM-CSF alone

    Apoptotic death of CD8+ T lymphocytes after immunization: induction of a suppressive population of Mac-1+/Gr-1+ cells.

    No full text
    Following an infection or immunization, a primary CD8+ T cell response generally rises then falls rapidly before giving rise to a "memory" response. When we immunized mice with recombinant viral immunogens optimized to enhance the lytic capability of CD8+ T cells, we measured a profound depression in Ag-specific effector function after early restimulation. Indeed, a "mirror image" cytolytic capability was observed: the most powerful immunogens, as measured by cytolytic capacity 6 days after immunization, elicited the weakest secondary immune response when evaluated following an additional 6 days after restimulation. To understand the mechanism of this suppression, we examined the fate of splenocytes immunized with a vaccinia virus encoding Ag and IL-2 then restimulated ex vivo. We found that these splenocytes underwent an apoptotic cell death, upon early restimulation, that was not dependent on the engagement of the FasR (CD95). Unlike previously described mechanisms of "propriocidal cell death" and "clonal exhaustion," the cell death we observed was not an inherent property of the CD8+ T cells but rather was due to a population of splenocytes that stained positive for both the Mac-1 and Gr-1 surface markers. Deletion of these cells in vitro or in vivo completely abrogated the observed suppression of cytolytic reactivity of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells. These observations could account for the apparent absence of Ag-specific immune responses after some current vaccination regimens employing powerful immunogens. Finally, our results may shed new light on a mechanism for the suppression of CD8+ T cell responses and its effect on vaccine efficacy and on immune memory

    Genetic vaccination with "self" tyrosinase-related protein 2 causes melanoma eradication but not vitiligo.

    No full text
    "Self" melanocyte differentiation antigens are potential targets for specific melanoma immunotherapy. Vaccination against murine tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1/gp75 was shown recently to cause melanoma rejection, which was accompanied by autoimmune skin depigmentation (vitiligo). To further explore the linkage between immunotherapy and autoimmunity, we studied the response to vaccination with a related antigen, TRP-2. i.m. inoculation of plasmid DNA encoding murine trp-2 elicited antigen-specific CTLs that recognized the B16 mouse melanoma and protected the mice from challenge with tumor cells. Furthermore, mice bearing established s.c. B16 melanomas rejected the tumor upon vaccination with a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding trp-2. Depletion experiments showed that CD8+ lymphocytes and natural killer cells were crucial for the antitumor activity of the trp-2-encoding vaccines. Mice that rejected the tumor did not develop generalized vitiligo, indicating that protective immunity can be achieved in the absence of widespread autoimmune aggression

    Interleukin-10 enhances the therapeutic effectiveness of a recombinant poxvirus-based vaccine in an experimental murine tumor model.

    No full text
    Interleukin-10 (IL-10) has a wide range of in vivo biological activities and is a key regulatory cytokine of immune-mediated inflammation. The authors found that murine IL-10 given 12 hours after a recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV) containing the LacZ gene significantly enhanced the treatment of mice bearing 3-day-old pulmonary metastases expressing beta-galactosidase. Because IL-10 has been shown to inhibit the functions of key elements of both innate and acquired immune responses, the authors hypothesized that IL-10 might act by inhibiting clearance of the rVV, thus prolonging exposure to the experimental antigen. However, evidence that IL-10 was not acting primarily through such negative regulatory mechanisms included the following: (a) IL-10 also enhanced the therapeutic effectiveness of a recombinant fowlpox virus, which cannot replicate in mammalian cells; (b) Titers of rVV in immunized mice were lower, not higher; and (c) Although IL-10 did not alter levels of anti-vaccinia anti-bodies or natural killer cell activity, rVV-primed mice treated with IL-10 had enhanced vaccinia-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity. Thus, IL-10 enhanced the function of a recombinant poxvirus-based anti-cancer vaccine and may represent a potential adjuvant in the vaccination against human cancers using recombinant poxvirus-based vaccines

    Genetic vaccination with "self" tyrosinase-related protein 2 causes melanoma eradication but not vitiligo

    No full text
    "Self" melanocyte differentiation antigens are potential targets for specific melanoma immunotherapy. Vaccination against murine tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1/gp75 was shown recently to cause melanoma rejection, which was accompanied by autoimmune skin depigmentation (vitiligo). To further explore the linkage between immunotherapy and autoimmunity, we studied the response to vaccination with a related antigen, TRP-2. i.m. inoculation of plasmid DNA encoding murine trp-2 elicited antigen-specific CTLs that recognized the B16 mouse melanoma and protected the mice from challenge with tumor cells. Furthermore, mice bearing established s.c. B16 melanomas rejected the tumor upon vaccination with a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding trp-2. Depletion experiments showed that CD8+ lymphocytes and natural killer cells were crucial for the antitumor activity of the trp-2-encoding vaccines. Mice that rejected the tumor did not develop generalized vitiligo, indicating that protective immunity can be achieved in the absence of widespread autoimmune aggression

    IL-2 enhances the function of recombinant poxvirus-based vaccines in the treatment of established pulmonary metastases.

    No full text
    Neoplastic cells are generally poor immunogens. Transfection of the murine tumor CT-26 with beta-galactosidase (beta-gal), a protein from Escherichia coli, did not alter its growth rate in vivo, or its lethality, and did not elicit a measurable anti-beta-gal immune response. Immunization with beta-gal-expressing recombinant vaccinia viruses (rVV) elicited specific anti-beta-gal cytolytic T lymphocytes, but rVV-beta-gal was only marginally therapeutic when given to tumor-bearing mice. With the aim of expanding the immune response against beta-gal, used here as a model tumor Ag, we gave mice exogenous IL-2 starting 12 h after the poxvirus. The therapeutic effectiveness of the combination of poxvirus and IL-2 was far greater than either of these treatments alone. When the cDNA for IL-2 was inserted into the viral genome of the rVV construct to make a double recombinant (drVV), antitumor activity was further augmented. One mechanism of action may be the enhanced activation or expansion of cytotoxic T cells, because a marked increase in primary cytotoxic responses against vaccinia determinants was observed. Interestingly, other cytokines (mGM-CSF, mTNF-alpha, and mIFN-gamma) inserted into the rVV genome did not modify the efficacy of the rVV constructs. The increase in specific CTL responses against beta-gal by drVV expressing the tumor-associated Ags (TAA) and IL-2 was more pronounced in mice bearing the lacZ-transduced tumor than in those bearing the parental cell line, suggesting that the TAA presented by growing tumor cells can either pre-activate or otherwise amplify the immune response induced by the rVV. Unfortunately, in several long-term surviving mice, tumor recurred that no longer expressed beta-gal. These results indicate that treatment of disseminated tumors by using recombinant viruses expressing TAA can be enhanced by IL-2 provided exogenously, or encoded within the recombinant virus

    Active immunotherapy of cancer with a nonreplicating recombinant fowlpox virus encoding a model tumor-associated antigen.

    No full text
    Some tumor cells express Ags that are potentially recognizable by T lymphocytes and yet do not elicit significant immune responses. To explore new immunotherapeutic strategies aimed at enhancing the recognition of these tumor-associated Ags (TAA), we developed an experimental mouse model consisting of a lethal clone of the BALB/c tumor line CT26 designated CT26.WT, which was transduced with the lacZ gene encoding beta-galactosidase, to create CT26.CL25. The growth rate and lethality of CT26.CL25 and CT26.WT were virtually identical despite the expression by CT26.CL25 of the model tumor Ag in vivo. A recombinant fowlpox virus (rFPV), which is replication incompetent in mammalian cells, was constructed that expressed the model TAA, beta-galactosidase, under the influence of the 40-kDa vaccinia virus early/late promoter. This recombinant, FPV.bg40k, functioned effectively in vivo as an immunogen, eliciting CD8+ T cells that could effectively lyse CT26.CL25 in vitro. FPV.bg40k protected mice from both subcutaneous and intravenous tumor challenge by CT26.CL25, and most surprisingly, mice bearing established 3-day pulmonary metastasis were found to have significant, Ag-specific decreases in tumor burden and prolonged survival after treatment with the rFPV. These observations constitute the first reported use of rFPV in the prevention and treatment of an experimental cancer and suggest that changing the context in which the immune system encounters a TAA can significantly and therapeutically alter the host immune response against cancer
    corecore