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2.
J Exp Clin Cancer Res ; 43(1): 157, 2024 Jun 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38824552

ABSTRACT

Phosphoinositide-3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) plays a critical role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) by driving the recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) into tumor tissues, leading to tumor growth and metastasis. MDSC also impair the efficacy of immunotherapy. In this study we verify the hypothesis that MDSC targeting, via PI3Kγ inhibition, synergizes with α-enolase (ENO1) DNA vaccination in counteracting tumor growth.Mice that received ENO1 vaccination followed by PI3Kγ inhibition had significantly smaller tumors compared to those treated with ENO1 alone or the control group, and correlated with i) increased circulating anti-ENO1 specific IgG and IFNγ secretion by T cells, ii) increased tumor infiltration of CD8+ T cells and M1-like macrophages, as well as up-modulation of T cell activation and M1-like related transcripts, iii) decreased infiltration of Treg FoxP3+ T cells, endothelial cells and pericytes, and down-modulation of the stromal compartment and T cell exhaustion gene transcription, iv) reduction of mature and neo-formed vessels, v) increased follicular helper T cell activation and vi) increased "antigen spreading", as many other tumor-associated antigens were recognized by IgG2c "cytotoxic" antibodies. PDA mouse models genetically devoid of PI3Kγ showed an increased survival and a pattern of transcripts in the tumor area similar to that of pharmacologically-inhibited PI3Kγ-proficient mice. Notably, tumor reduction was abrogated in ENO1 + PI3Kγ inhibition-treated mice in which B cells were depleted.These data highlight a novel role of PI3Kγ in B cell-dependent immunity, suggesting that PI3Kγ depletion strengthens the anti-tumor response elicited by the ENO1 DNA vaccine.


Subject(s)
Vaccines, DNA , Animals , Mice , Vaccines, DNA/pharmacology , Pancreatic Neoplasms/immunology , Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology , B-Lymphocytes/immunology , B-Lymphocytes/metabolism , Class Ib Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/metabolism , Humans , Cell Line, Tumor , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Cancer Vaccines/pharmacology , Disease Models, Animal , Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells/immunology , Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells/metabolism
3.
J Nanobiotechnology ; 22(1): 308, 2024 Jun 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38825711

ABSTRACT

Research into mRNA vaccines is advancing rapidly, with proven efficacy against coronavirus disease 2019 and promising therapeutic potential against a variety of solid tumors. Adjuvants, critical components of mRNA vaccines, significantly enhance vaccine effectiveness and are integral to numerous mRNA vaccine formulations. However, the development and selection of adjuvant platforms are still in their nascent stages, and the mechanisms of many adjuvants remain poorly understood. Additionally, the immunostimulatory capabilities of certain novel drug delivery systems (DDS) challenge the traditional definition of adjuvants, suggesting that a revision of this concept is necessary. This review offers a comprehensive exploration of the mechanisms and applications of adjuvants and self-adjuvant DDS. It thoroughly addresses existing issues mentioned above and details three main challenges of immune-related adverse event, unclear mechanisms, and unsatisfactory outcomes in old age group in the design and practical application of cancer mRNA vaccine adjuvants. Ultimately, this review proposes three optimization strategies which consists of exploring the mechanisms of adjuvant, optimizing DDS, and improving route of administration to improve effectiveness and application of adjuvants and self-adjuvant DDS.


Subject(s)
Adjuvants, Immunologic , Cancer Vaccines , Nanotechnology , Neoplasms , mRNA Vaccines , Humans , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Nanotechnology/methods , Neoplasms/therapy , Neoplasms/immunology , Animals , Drug Delivery Systems/methods , COVID-19/prevention & control , Adjuvants, Vaccine , RNA, Messenger/genetics , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology
4.
Front Immunol ; 15: 1404121, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38720900

ABSTRACT

Pharmacodynamic assessment of T-cell-based cancer immunotherapies often focus on detecting rare circulating T-cell populations. The therapy-induced immune cells in blood-derived clinical samples are often present in very low frequencies and with the currently available T-cell analytical assays, amplification of the cells of interest prior to analysis is often required. Current approaches aiming to enrich antigen-specific T cells from human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) depend on in vitro culturing in presence of their cognate peptides and cytokines. In the present work, we improved a standard, publicly available protocol for T-cell immune analyses based on the in vitro expansion of T cells. We used PBMCs from healthy subjects and well-described viral antigens as a model system for optimizing the experimental procedures and conditions. Using the standard protocol, we first demonstrated significant enrichment of antigen-specific T cells, even when their starting frequency ex vivo was low. Importantly, this amplification occurred with high specificity, with no or neglectable enrichment of irrelevant T-cell clones being observed in the cultures. Testing of modified culturing timelines suggested that the protocol can be adjusted accordingly to allow for greater cell yield with strong preservation of the functionality of antigen-specific T cells. Overall, our work has led to the refinement of a standard protocol for in vitro stimulation of antigen-specific T cells and highlighted its reliability and reproducibility. We envision that the optimized protocol could be applied for longitudinal monitoring of rare blood-circulating T cells in scenarios with limited sample material.


Subject(s)
T-Lymphocytes , Humans , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , T-Lymphocytes/metabolism , Antigens, Viral/immunology , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/immunology , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/metabolism , Cells, Cultured , Cancer Vaccines/immunology
5.
Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book ; 44(3): e433330, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38718318

ABSTRACT

The treatment for recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PD1) with or without chemotherapy has led to an improvement in survival. Yet, despite this therapeutic advancement, only 15%-19% of patients remain alive at four years, highlighting the poor survival and unmet need for improved therapies for this patient population. Some of the key evolving novel therapeutics beyond anti-PD1 in R/M HNSCC have included therapeutic vaccine therapies, bispecific antibodies/fusion proteins and multitargeted kinase inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Multiple concurrent investigations of novel therapeutics for patients with R/M HNSCC beyond anti-PD(L)1 inhibition are currently underway with some promising early results. Beyond immune checkpoint inhibition, novel immunotherapeutic strategies including therapeutic vaccines ranging from targeting human papillomavirus-specific epitopes to personalized neoantigen vaccines are ongoing with some early efficacy signals and large, randomized trials. Other novel weapons including bispecific antibodies, fusion proteins, and multitargeted kinase inhibitors leverage multiple concurrent targets and modulation of the tumor microenvironment to harness antitumor immunity and inhibition of protumorigenic signaling pathways with emerging promising results. Finally, as with other solid tumors, ADCs remain a promising therapeutic intervention either alone or in combination with immunotherapy for patients with R/M HNSCC. With early enthusiasm across novel therapies in R/M HNSCC, results of larger randomized trials in R/M HNSCC are eagerly awaited.


Subject(s)
Immunotherapy , Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck , Humans , Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/therapy , Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/immunology , Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/drug therapy , Immunotherapy/methods , Head and Neck Neoplasms/therapy , Head and Neck Neoplasms/immunology , Head and Neck Neoplasms/drug therapy , B7-H1 Antigen/antagonists & inhibitors , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Molecular Targeted Therapy , Neoplasm Metastasis , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local , Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use
6.
J Nanobiotechnology ; 22(1): 230, 2024 May 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38720322

ABSTRACT

Tumor vaccines, a crucial immunotherapy, have gained growing interest because of their unique capability to initiate precise anti-tumor immune responses and establish enduring immune memory. Injected tumor vaccines passively diffuse to the adjacent draining lymph nodes, where the residing antigen-presenting cells capture and present tumor antigens to T cells. This process represents the initial phase of the immune response to the tumor vaccines and constitutes a pivotal determinant of their effectiveness. Nevertheless, the granularity paradox, arising from the different requirements between the passive targeting delivery of tumor vaccines to lymph nodes and the uptake by antigen-presenting cells, diminishes the efficacy of lymph node-targeting tumor vaccines. This study addressed this challenge by employing a vaccine formulation with a tunable, controlled particle size. Manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoparticles were synthesized, loaded with ovalbumin (OVA), and modified with A50 or T20 DNA single strands to obtain MnO2/OVA/A50 and MnO2/OVA/T20, respectively. Administering the vaccines sequentially, upon reaching the lymph nodes, the two vaccines converge and simultaneously aggregate into MnO2/OVA/A50-T20 particles through base pairing. This process enhances both vaccine uptake and antigen delivery. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that, the combined vaccine, comprising MnO2/OVA/A50 and MnO2/OVA/T20, exhibited robust immunization effects and remarkable anti-tumor efficacy in the melanoma animal models. The strategy of controlling tumor vaccine size and consequently improving tumor antigen presentation efficiency and vaccine efficacy via the DNA base-pairing principle, provides novel concepts for the development of efficient tumor vaccines.


Subject(s)
Cancer Vaccines , Lymph Nodes , Manganese Compounds , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Nanoparticles , Ovalbumin , Oxides , Animals , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Lymph Nodes/immunology , Mice , Ovalbumin/immunology , Ovalbumin/chemistry , Oxides/chemistry , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Manganese Compounds/chemistry , Immunity, Cellular , Female , Cell Line, Tumor , DNA/chemistry , DNA/immunology , Immunotherapy/methods , Melanoma, Experimental/immunology , Melanoma, Experimental/therapy , Particle Size , Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology
7.
J Immunother Cancer ; 12(5)2024 May 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38702146

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: T cell checkpoint receptors are expressed when T cells are activated, and modulation of the expression or signaling of these receptors can alter the function of T cells and their antitumor efficacy. We previously found that T cells activated with cognate antigen had increases in the expression of PD-1, and this was attenuated in the presence of multiple toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, notably TLR3 plus TLR9. In the current report, we sought to investigate whether combining TLR agonists with immune checkpoint blockade can further augment vaccine-mediated T cell antitumor immunity in murine tumor models. METHODS: TLR agonists (TLR3 plus TLR9) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (antibodies targeting PD-1, CTLA-4, LAG-3, TIM-3 or VISTA) were combined and delivered with vaccines or vaccine-activated CD8+T cells to E.G7-OVA or MyC-CaP tumor-bearing mice. Tumors were assessed for growth and then collected and analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Immunization of E.G7-OVA tumor-bearing mice with SIINFEKL peptide vaccine, coadministered with TLR agonists and αCTLA-4, demonstrated greater antitumor efficacy than immunization with TLR agonists or αCTLA-4 alone. Conversely, the antitumor efficacy was abrogated when vaccine and TLR agonists were combined with αPD-1. TLR agonists suppressed PD-1 expression on regulatory T cells (Tregs) and activated this population. Depletion of Tregs in tumor-bearing mice led to greater antitumor efficacy of this combination therapy, even in the presence of αPD-1. Combining vaccination with TLR agonists and αCTLA-4 or αLAG-3 showed greater antitumor than with combinations with αTIM-3 or αVISTA. CONCLUSION: The combination of TLR agonists and αCTLA-4 or αLAG-3 can further improve the efficacy of a cancer vaccine, an effect not observed using αPD-1 due to activation of Tregs when αPD-1 was combined with TLR3 and TLR9 agonists. These data suggest that optimal combinations of TLR agonists and immune checkpoint blockade may improve the efficacy of human anticancer vaccines.


Subject(s)
Cancer Vaccines , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors , Toll-Like Receptors , Animals , Mice , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/pharmacology , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Toll-Like Receptors/agonists , Toll-Like Receptors/metabolism , Female , Humans , Cell Line, Tumor , Toll-Like Receptor Agonists
8.
Hum Vaccin Immunother ; 20(1): 2345940, 2024 Dec 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38714324

ABSTRACT

Traditional vaccines have limits against some persistent infections and pathogens. The development of novel vaccine technologies is particularly critical for the future. Exosomes play an important role in physiological and pathological processes. Exosomes present many advantages, such as inherent capacity being biocompatible, non-toxic, which make them a more desirable candidate for vaccines. However, research on exosomes are in their infancy and the barriers of low yield, low purity, and weak targeting of exosomes limit their applications in vaccines. Accordingly, further exploration is necessary to improve these problems and subsequently facilitate the functional studies of exosomes. In this study, we reviewed the origin, classification, functions, modifications, separation and purification, and characterization methods of exosomes. Meanwhile, we focused on the role and mechanism of exosomes for cancer and COVID-19 vaccines.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 Vaccines , Cancer Vaccines , Exosomes , Exosomes/immunology , Humans , COVID-19 Vaccines/immunology , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19/immunology , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Neoplasms/immunology , Animals , Vaccine Development
9.
Rev Med Suisse ; 20(874): 984-989, 2024 May 15.
Article in French | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38756036

ABSTRACT

For over a decade, immunotherapy has been transforming cancer treatment and prognosis. Tumor therapeutic vaccines trigger new immune responses and enhance existing immunity to more effectively combat cancer. These vaccines aim to curb the established disease or prevent recurrence, unlike conventional preventive vaccines. There are four categories of therapeutic vaccines: cellular, viral/bacterial, peptide, and nucleic acid, each with its own benefits and challenges. Advances in the understanding of anti-tumor immunity and advanced technologies such as mRNA vaccines support the development of this new treatment option. Currently in clinical trials, they could lead to promising and personalised anti-cancer therapies.


Depuis plus d'une décennie, l'immunothérapie améliore le traitement et le pronostic des patients atteints de cancer. Les vaccins thérapeutiques tumoraux activent de nouvelles réponses immunitaires et amplifient l'immunité existante pour combattre le cancer plus efficacement. Ces vaccins visent à freiner la maladie établie ou à éviter les récidives, à la différence des vaccins préventifs classiques. Il existe quatre catégories de vaccins thérapeutiques : cellulaire, viral/bactérien, peptidique et à acide nucléique, chacun avec des bénéfices et des défis spécifiques. Les avancées dans la compréhension de l'immunité antitumorale et dans les technologies de pointe, comme les vaccins à ARNm, favorisent le développement de cette nouvelle option de traitement. Actuellement en essais cliniques, ils pourraient aboutir à des thérapies anticancéreuses prometteuses et personnalisées.


Subject(s)
Cancer Vaccines , Immunotherapy , Neoplasms , Humans , Cancer Vaccines/administration & dosage , Neoplasms/therapy , Neoplasms/immunology , Neoplasms/prevention & control , Immunotherapy/methods , Immunotherapy/trends
10.
Sci Adv ; 10(19): eadm7515, 2024 May 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38728394

ABSTRACT

The nonpolymorphic major histocompatibility complex E (MHC-E) molecule is up-regulated on many cancer cells, thus contributing to immune evasion by engaging inhibitory NKG2A/CD94 receptors on NK cells and tumor-infiltrating T cells. To investigate whether MHC-E expression by cancer cells can be targeted for MHC-E-restricted T cell control, we immunized rhesus macaques (RM) with rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) vectors genetically programmed to elicit MHC-E-restricted CD8+ T cells and to express established tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) including prostatic acidic phosphatase (PAP), Wilms tumor-1 protein, or Mesothelin. T cell responses to all three tumor antigens were comparable to viral antigen-specific responses with respect to frequency, duration, phenotype, epitope density, and MHC restriction. Thus, CMV-vectored cancer vaccines can bypass central tolerance by eliciting T cells to noncanonical epitopes. We further demonstrate that PAP-specific, MHC-E-restricted CD8+ T cells from RhCMV/PAP-immunized RM respond to PAP-expressing HLA-E+ prostate cancer cells, suggesting that the HLA-E/NKG2A immune checkpoint can be exploited for CD8+ T cell-based immunotherapies.


Subject(s)
Antigens, Neoplasm , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes , HLA-E Antigens , Histocompatibility Antigens Class I , Macaca mulatta , Animals , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/immunology , Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/metabolism , Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology , Humans , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Antigen Presentation/immunology , Cell Line, Tumor , Male , Cytomegalovirus/immunology , Mesothelin , Acid Phosphatase
11.
Cancer Immunol Immunother ; 73(7): 129, 2024 May 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38744688

ABSTRACT

Emerging evidence suggests that tumor-specific neoantigens are ideal targets for cancer immunotherapy. However, how to predict tumor neoantigens based on translatome data remains obscure. Through the extraction of ribosome-nascent chain complexes (RNCs) from LLC cells, followed by RNC-mRNA extraction, RNC-mRNA sequencing, and comprehensive bioinformatic analysis, we successfully identified proteins undergoing translatome and exhibiting mutations in the cells. Subsequently, novel antigens identification was analyzed by the interaction between their high affinity and the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC). Neoantigens immunogenicity was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISpot). Finally, in vivo experiments in mice were conducted to evaluate the antitumor effects of translatome-derived neoantigen peptides on lung cancer. The results showed that ten neoantigen peptides were identified and synthesized by translatome data from LLC cells; 8 out of the 10 neoantigens had strong immunogenicity. The neoantigen peptide vaccine group exhibited significant tumor growth inhibition effect. In conclusion, neoantigen peptide vaccine derived from the translatome of lung cancer exhibited significant tumor growth inhibition effect.


Subject(s)
Antigens, Neoplasm , Cancer Vaccines , Lung Neoplasms , Vaccines, Subunit , Animals , Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology , Lung Neoplasms/immunology , Lung Neoplasms/therapy , Mice , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Vaccines, Subunit/immunology , Humans , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Female , Immunotherapy/methods , Cell Line, Tumor , Protein Subunit Vaccines
12.
Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book ; 44(3): e432462, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38768421

ABSTRACT

Melanoma has long been a difficult malignancy to treat with low response rates to standard chemotherapies. In recent years, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated promising results, paving the way for the use of the rapidly developing novel immune targeting therapies. In this review, we look beyond immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments and summarize several emerging treatment strategies for melanoma, including neoantigen vaccines, conventional antibody drug-conjugates, and bispecific T-cell engager therapies.


Subject(s)
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors , Melanoma , Humans , Melanoma/drug therapy , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Immunotherapy/methods , Molecular Targeted Therapy , Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use
13.
J Biochem Mol Toxicol ; 38(6): e23719, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38764138

ABSTRACT

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME). CSCs induce tumorigenesis, tumor recurrence and progression, and resistance to standard therapies. Indeed, CSCs pose an increasing challenge to current cancer therapy due to their stemness or self-renewal properties. The molecular and cellular interactions between heterogeneous CSCs and surrounding TME components and tumor-supporting immune cells show synergistic effects toward treatment failure. In the immunosuppressive TME, CSCs express various immunoregulatory proteins, growth factors, metabolites and cytokines, and also produce exosomes, a type of extracellular vesicles, to protect themselves from host immune surveillance. Among these, the identification and application of CSC-derived exosomes could be considered for the development of therapeutic approaches to eliminate CSCs or cancer, in addition to targeting the modulators that remodel the composition of the TME, as reviewed in this study. Here, we introduce the role of CSCs and how their interaction with TME complicates immunotherapies, and then present the CSC-based immunotherapy and the limitation of these therapies. We describe the biology and role of tumor/CSC-derived exosomes that induce immune suppression in the TME, and finally, introduce their potentials for the development of CSC-based targeted immunotherapy in the future.


Subject(s)
Dendritic Cells , Exosomes , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors , Immunotherapy , Neoplastic Stem Cells , Tumor Microenvironment , Humans , Exosomes/immunology , Exosomes/metabolism , Neoplastic Stem Cells/immunology , Neoplastic Stem Cells/drug effects , Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism , Neoplastic Stem Cells/pathology , Immunotherapy/methods , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/pharmacology , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects , Tumor Microenvironment/immunology , Dendritic Cells/immunology , Dendritic Cells/metabolism , Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/immunology , Neoplasms/immunology , Neoplasms/therapy , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Animals
14.
Front Immunol ; 15: 1383978, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38756774

ABSTRACT

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignant tumor, that is becoming increasingly common in recent years. Despite advances in intensive treatment modalities including surgery, radiotherapy, biological therapy, and targeted therapy, the overall survival rate has not significantly improved in patients with pancreatic cancer. This may be attributed to the insidious onset, unknown pathophysiology, and poor prognosis of the disease. It is therefore essential to identify and develop more effective and safer treatments for pancreatic cancer. Tumor immunotherapy is the new and fourth pillar of anti-tumor therapy after surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Significant progress has made in the use of immunotherapy for a wide variety of malignant tumors in recent years; a breakthrough has also been made in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. This review describes the advances in immune checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, adoptive cell therapy, oncolytic virus, and matrix-depletion therapies for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. At the same time, some new potential biomarkers and potential immunotherapy combinations for pancreatic cancer are discussed. The molecular mechanisms of various immunotherapies have also been elucidated, and their clinical applications have been highlighted. The current challenges associated with immunotherapy and proposed strategies that hold promise in overcoming these limitations have also been discussed, with the aim of offering new insights into immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer.


Subject(s)
Cancer Vaccines , Immunotherapy , Pancreatic Neoplasms , Humans , Pancreatic Neoplasms/therapy , Pancreatic Neoplasms/immunology , Immunotherapy/methods , Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Animals , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Oncolytic Virotherapy/methods , Biomarkers, Tumor , Combined Modality Therapy
15.
J Immunother Cancer ; 12(5)2024 May 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38772685

ABSTRACT

RATIONALE: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the primary treatment for recurrent and metastatic prostate cancer. In addition to direct antitumor effects, ADT has immunomodulatory effects such as promoting T-cell infiltration and enhancing antigen processing/presentation. Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that ADT also leads to increased expression of the androgen receptor (AR) and increased recognition of prostate tumor cells by AR-specific CD8+T cells. We have also demonstrated that ADT combined with a DNA vaccine encoding the AR significantly slowed tumor growth and improved the survival of prostate tumor-bearing mice. The current study aimed to investigate the impact of the timing and sequencing of ADT with vaccination on the tumor immune microenvironment in murine prostate cancer models to further increase the antitumor efficacy of vaccines. METHODS: Male FVB mice implanted with Myc-CaP tumor cells, or male C57BL/6 mice implanted with TRAMP-C1 prostate tumor cells, were treated with a DNA vaccine encoding AR (pTVG-AR) and ADT. The sequence of administration was evaluated for its effect on tumor growth, and tumor-infiltrating immune populations were characterized. RESULTS: Vaccination prior to ADT (pTVG-AR → ADT) significantly enhanced antitumor responses and survival. This was associated with increased tumor infiltration by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, including AR-specific CD8+T cells. Depletion of CD8+T cells prior to ADT significantly worsened overall survival. Following ADT treatment, however, Gr1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) increased, and this was associated with fewer infiltrating T cells and reduced tumor growth. Inhibiting Gr1+MDSCs recruitment, either by using a CXCR2 antagonist or by cycling androgen deprivation with testosterone replacement, improved antitumor responses and overall survival. CONCLUSION: Vaccination prior to ADT significantly improved antitumor responses, mediated in part by increased infiltration of CD8+T cells following ADT. Targeting MDSC recruitment following ADT further enhanced antitumor responses. These findings suggest logical directions for future clinical trials to improve the efficacy of prostate cancer vaccines.


Subject(s)
Cancer Vaccines , Prostatic Neoplasms , Receptors, Androgen , Male , Animals , Mice , Prostatic Neoplasms/drug therapy , Prostatic Neoplasms/immunology , Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology , Receptors, Androgen/metabolism , Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use , Cancer Vaccines/pharmacology , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Vaccines, DNA/therapeutic use , Vaccines, DNA/pharmacology , Androgen Antagonists/therapeutic use , Androgen Antagonists/pharmacology , Cell Line, Tumor , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Vaccination , Humans , Tumor Microenvironment , Disease Models, Animal , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
16.
Int J Mol Sci ; 25(9)2024 Apr 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38732150

ABSTRACT

Peptide antigens derived from tumors have been observed to elicit protective immune responses, categorized as either tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) or tumor-specific antigens (TSAs). Subunit cancer vaccines incorporating these antigens have shown promise in inducing protective immune responses, leading to cancer prevention or eradication. Over recent years, peptide-based cancer vaccines have gained popularity as a treatment modality and are often combined with other forms of cancer therapy. Several clinical trials have explored the safety and efficacy of peptide-based cancer vaccines, with promising outcomes. Advancements in techniques such as whole-exome sequencing, next-generation sequencing, and in silico methods have facilitated the identification of antigens, making it increasingly feasible. Furthermore, the development of novel delivery methods and a deeper understanding of tumor immune evasion mechanisms have heightened the interest in these vaccines among researchers. This article provides an overview of novel insights regarding advancements in the field of peptide-based vaccines as a promising therapeutic avenue for cancer treatment. It summarizes existing computational methods for tumor neoantigen prediction, ongoing clinical trials involving peptide-based cancer vaccines, and recent studies on human vaccination experiments.


Subject(s)
Antigens, Neoplasm , Cancer Vaccines , Neoplasms , Peptides , Humans , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use , Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology , Neoplasms/immunology , Neoplasms/therapy , Neoplasms/prevention & control , Peptides/immunology , Peptides/chemistry , Vaccines, Subunit/immunology , Animals , Clinical Trials as Topic
17.
Brief Bioinform ; 25(3)2024 Mar 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38770719

ABSTRACT

Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy have highlighted the potential of neoantigen-based vaccines. However, the design of such vaccines is hindered by the possibility of weak binding affinity between the peptides and the patient's specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles, which may not elicit a robust adaptive immune response. Triggering cross-immunity by utilizing peptide mutations that have enhanced binding affinity to target HLA molecules, while preserving their homology with the original one, can be a promising avenue for neoantigen vaccine design. In this study, we introduced UltraMutate, a novel algorithm that combines Reinforcement Learning and Monte Carlo Tree Search, which identifies peptide mutations that not only exhibit enhanced binding affinities to target HLA molecules but also retains a high degree of homology with the original neoantigen. UltraMutate outperformed existing state-of-the-art methods in identifying affinity-enhancing mutations in an independent test set consisting of 3660 peptide-HLA pairs. UltraMutate further showed its applicability in the design of peptide vaccines for Human Papillomavirus and Human Cytomegalovirus, demonstrating its potential as a promising tool in the advancement of personalized immunotherapy.


Subject(s)
Algorithms , Cancer Vaccines , Monte Carlo Method , Humans , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Cancer Vaccines/genetics , HLA Antigens/immunology , HLA Antigens/genetics , Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology , Antigens, Neoplasm/genetics , Mutation
18.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 3902, 2024 May 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38724527

ABSTRACT

Radiation-induced in situ tumor vaccination alone is very weak and insufficient to elicit robust antitumor immune responses. In this work, we address this issue by developing chiral vidarabine monophosphate-gadolinium nanowires (aAGd-NWs) through coordination-driven self-assembly. We elucidate the mechanism of aAGd-NW assembly and characterize their distinct features, which include a negative surface charge, ultrafine topography, and right-handed chirality. Additionally, aAGd-NWs not only enhance X-ray deposition but also inhibit DNA repair, thereby enhancing radiation-induced in situ vaccination. Consequently, the in situ vaccination induced by aAGd-NWs sensitizes radiation enhances CD8+ T-cell-dependent antitumor immunity and synergistically potentiates the efficacy immune checkpoint blockade therapies against both primary and metastatic tumors. The well-established aAGd-NWs exhibit exceptional therapeutic capacity and biocompatibility, offering a promising avenue for the development of radioimmunotherapy approaches.


Subject(s)
Nanowires , Polymers , Nanowires/chemistry , Animals , Mice , Polymers/chemistry , Cell Line, Tumor , Gadolinium/chemistry , Gadolinium/pharmacology , Mice, Inbred C57BL , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/drug effects , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Female , Humans , Vaccination/methods , Neoplasms/immunology
19.
ACS Nano ; 18(19): 12194-12209, 2024 May 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38689426

ABSTRACT

In situ vaccines (ISVs) utilize the localized delivery of chemotherapeutic agents or radiotherapy to stimulate the release of endogenous antigens from tumors, thereby eliciting systemic and persistent immune activation. Recently, a bioinspired ISV strategy has attracted tremendous attention due to its features such as an immune adjuvant effect and genetic plasticity. M13 bacteriophages are natural nanomaterials with intrinsic immunogenicity, genetic flexibility, and cost-effectiveness for large-scale production, demonstrating the potential for application in cancer vaccines. In this study, we propose an ISV based on the engineered M13 bacteriophage targeting CD40 (M13CD40) for dendritic cell (DC)-targeted immune stimulation, named H-GM-M13CD40. We induce immunogenic cell death and release tumor antigens through local delivery of (S)-10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT), followed by intratumoral injection of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and M13CD40 to enhance DC recruitment and activation. We demonstrate that this ISV strategy can result in significant accumulation and activation of DCs at the tumor site, reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In addition, H-GM-M13CD40 can synergize with the PD-1 blockade and induce abscopal effects in cold tumor models. Overall, our study verifies the immunogenicity of the engineered M13CD40 bacteriophage and provides a proof of concept that the engineered M13CD40 phage can function as an adjuvant for ISVs.


Subject(s)
Bacteriophage M13 , Cancer Vaccines , Dendritic Cells , Tumor Microenvironment , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Tumor Microenvironment/immunology , Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects , Animals , Bacteriophage M13/immunology , Bacteriophage M13/chemistry , Mice , Dendritic Cells/immunology , CD40 Antigens/immunology , CD40 Antigens/metabolism , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Female , Cell Line, Tumor , Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor , Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology , Humans
20.
ACS Nano ; 18(19): 12386-12400, 2024 May 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38699808

ABSTRACT

Current cancer vaccines face challenges due to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and their limited ability to produce an effective immune response. To address the above limitations, we develop a 3-(2-spiroadamantyl)-4-methoxy-4-(3-phosphoryloxy)-phenyl-1,2-dioxetane (alkaline phosphatase substrate) and XMD8-92 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 inhibitor)-codelivered copper-tetrahydroxybenzoquinone (Cu-THBQ/AX) nanosized metal-organic framework to in situ-generate therapeutic vaccination. Once inside the early endosome, the alkaline phosphatase overexpressed in the tumor cells' membrane activates the in situ type I photodynamic effect of Cu-THBQ/AX for generating •O2-, and the Cu-THBQ/AX catalyzes O2 and H2O2 to •O2- and •OH via semiquinone radical catalysis and Fenton-like reactions. This surge of ROS in early endosomes triggers caspase-3-mediated proinflammatory pyroptosis via activating phospholipase C. Meanwhile, Cu-THBQ/AX can also induce the oligomerization of dihydrolipoamide S-acetyltransferase to trigger tumor cell cuproptosis. The production of •OH could also trigger the release of XMD8-92 for effectively inhibiting the efferocytosis of macrophages to convert immunosuppressive apoptosis of cancer cells into proinflammatory secondary necrosis. The simultaneous induction of pyroptosis, cuproptosis, and secondary necrosis effectively converts the tumor microenvironment from "cold" to "hot" conditions, making it an effective antigen pool. This transformation successfully activates the antitumor immune response, inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis.


Subject(s)
Cancer Vaccines , Copper , Macrophages , Metal-Organic Frameworks , Pyroptosis , Metal-Organic Frameworks/chemistry , Metal-Organic Frameworks/pharmacology , Animals , Mice , Pyroptosis/drug effects , Macrophages/drug effects , Macrophages/metabolism , Humans , Copper/chemistry , Copper/pharmacology , Cancer Vaccines/chemistry , Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Phagocytosis/drug effects , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Cell Line, Tumor , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Neoplasms/pathology , Neoplasms/metabolism , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Efferocytosis , Nanovaccines
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