Characterization of CD200 Ectodomain Shedding.

We have previously reported the existence of a soluble form of CD200 (sCD200) in human plasma, and found sCD200 to be elevated in the plasma of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) patients. CLL cells release CD200 at a constitutive level, which could be attenuated partially by ADAM28 silencing. In this study, we further explored mechanisms of CD200 shedding beyond that of ADAM28, and performed biochemical analysis of sCD200 using materials derived from purified CLL cells and Hek293 cells stably transfected with CD200, and antibodies generated specifically against either the extracellular or cytoplasmic regions of CD200. CD200 shedding was enhanced by PMA stimulation, and the loss of cell surface CD200 could be monitored as a reduction in CD200 cell surface expression by flow cytometry, in parallel with an increase in the detection of sCD200 in the supernatant. Western blot analyses and functional studies using CD200R1 expressing Hek293 cells showed that the shed CD200 detected in CLL and Hek293-hCD200 supernatants lacked the cytoplasmic domain of CD200 but retained the functional extracellular domain required for binding to, and phosphorylation of, CD200R. These data confirms that a functionally active CD200 extracellular moiety can be cleaved from the surface of CD200 expressing cells following ectodomain shedding.

Advances in Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines.

Therapeutic cancer vaccines aim to induce durable antitumor immunity that is capable of systemic protection against tumor recurrence or metastatic disease. Many approaches to therapeutic cancer vaccines have been explored, with varying levels of success. However, with the exception of Sipuleucel T, an ex vivo dendritic cell vaccine for prostate cancer, no therapeutic cancer vaccine has yet shown clinical efficacy in phase 3 randomized trials. Though disappointing, lessons learned from these studies have suggested new strategies to improve cancer vaccines. The clinical success of checkpoint blockade has underscored the role of peripheral tolerance mechanisms in limiting vaccine responses and highlighted the potential for combination therapies. Recent advances in transcriptome sequencing, computational modeling, and material engineering further suggest new opportunities to intensify cancer vaccines. This review will discuss the major approaches to therapeutic cancer vaccination and explore recent advances that inform the design of the next generation of cancer vaccines.

Soluble CD200 is critical to engraft chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells in immunocompromised mice.

CD200 is a transmembrane molecule with an important immunoregulatory role that is overexpressed on most chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. In this study, we characterized a previously unknown soluble form of this molecule in human plasma termed sCD200. Levels of sCD200 were elevated in the plasma of patients with CLL as compared with healthy controls, and there was a significant correlation with CLL disease stage. Infusion of sCD200(hi) CLL plasma into severely immunocompromised NOD.SCIDγ(c)(null) (NSG) mice enhanced the engraftment of CLL splenocytes as compared with mice receiving sCD200(lo) normal plasma. CLL cells were detected in both the spleen and peritoneal cavity of animals for up to 75 days. Engraftment of CLL cells did not occur after infusion of CLL plasma depleted of sCD200 and was abolished in mice treated with anti-CD200 or OKT3 monoclonal antibody (mAb), suggesting a role for both sCD200 and T cells in CLL engraftment. Notably, anti-CD200 mAb was as effective as rituximab in eliminating engrafted CLL cells when administered 21 days after engraftment. Taken together, our findings point to sCD200 as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for CLL. Furthermore, the humanized mouse model described here may prove valuable to preclinically assess new treatment regimens for CLL.

The role of CD200 in immunity to B cell lymphoma.

CD200 is a transmembrane protein broadly expressed on a variety of cell types, which delivers immunoregulatory signals through binding to receptors (CD200Rs) expressed on monocytes/myeloid cells and T lymphocytes. Signals delivered through the CD200:CD200R axis have been shown to play an important role in the regulation of anti-tumor immunity, and overexpression of CD200 has been reported in a number of malignancies, including CLL, as well as on cancer stem cells. We investigated the effect of CD200 blockade in vitro on a generation of CTL responses against a poorly immunogenic CD200+ lymphoma cell line and fresh cells obtained from CLL patients using anti-CD200 mAb and CD200-specific siRNAs. Suppression of functional expression of CD200 augmented killing of the CD200+ cells, as well as production of the inflammatory cytokines IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha by effector PBMCs. Killing was mediated by CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, and CD4+ T cells play an important role in CD200-mediated suppression of CTL responses. Our data suggest that CD200 blockade may represent a novel approach to clinical treatment of CLL.