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Seledtsov VI, Darinskas A, Von Delwig A, Seledtsova GV. Inflammation Control and Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Comprehensive Cancer Treatment. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13010123. [PMID: 36677048 PMCID: PMC9865335 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13010123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor growth and expansion are determined by the immunological tumor microenvironment (TME). Typically, early tumorigenic stages are characterized by the immune system not responding or weakly responding to the tumor. However, subsequent tumorigenic stages witness the tumor promoting its growth and metastasis by stimulating tumor-protective (pro-tumor) inflammation to suppress anti-tumor immune responses. Here, we propose the pivotal role of inflammation control in a successful anti-cancer immunotherapy strategy, implying that available and novel immunotherapeutic modalities such as inflammation modulation, antibody (Ab)-based immunostimulation, drug-mediated immunomodulation, cancer vaccination as well as adoptive cell immunotherapy and donor leucocyte transfusion could be applied in cancer patients in a synergistic manner to amplify each other's clinical effects and achieve robust anti-tumor immune reactivity. In addition, the anti-tumor effects of immunotherapy could be enhanced by thermal and/or oxygen therapy. Herein, combined immune-based therapy could prove to be beneficial for patients with advanced cancers, as aiming to provide long-term tumor cell/mass dormancy by restraining compensatory proliferation of surviving cancer cells observed after traditional anti-cancer interventions such as surgery, radiotherapy, and metronomic (low-dose) chemotherapy. We propose the Inflammatory Prognostic Score based on the blood levels of C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase as well as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio to effectively monitor the effectiveness of comprehensive anti-cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Ivanovich Seledtsov
- Innovita Research Company, 06116 Vilnius, Lithuania
- Russian Scientific Center of Surgery Named after Academician B.V. Petrovsky, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-915-2636027
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Principe DR, Kamath SD, Korc M, Munshi HG. The immune modifying effects of chemotherapy and advances in chemo-immunotherapy. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 236:108111. [PMID: 35016920 PMCID: PMC9271143 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the treatment paradigm for several malignancies. While the use of single-agent or combined ICIs has achieved acceptable disease control rates in a variety of solid tumors, such approaches have yet to show substantial therapeutic efficacy in select difficult-to-treat cancer types. Recently, select chemotherapy regimens are emerging as extensive modifiers of the tumor microenvironment, leading to the reprogramming of local immune responses. Accordingly, data is now emerging to suggest that certain anti-neoplastic agents modulate various immune cell processes, most notably the cross-presentation of tumor antigens, leukocyte trafficking, and cytokine biosynthesis. As such, the combination of ICIs and cytotoxic chemotherapy are beginning to show promise in many cancers that have long been considered poorly responsive to ICI-based immunotherapy. Here, we discuss past and present attempts to advance chemo-immunotherapy in these difficult-to-treat cancer histologies, mechanisms through which select chemotherapies modify tumor immunogenicity, as well as important considerations when designing such approaches to maximize efficacy and improve therapeutic response rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Principe
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Suneel D Kamath
- Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Murray Korc
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Hidayatullah G Munshi
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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Classes of therapeutics to amplify the immune response. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 191:277-289. [PMID: 34787761 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06369-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Conventional chemotherapies are a mainstay for metastatic breast cancers, though durable response is rare. Immunotherapies promise long-term responses thorough immune activation but have been underwhelming in breast cancer relative to other cancer types. Here, we review the mechanisms of existing strategies including chemotherapies and how they may cause breast cancers to become immunogenic to identify potential biomarkers for combinations of conventional and immunotherapies. CONCLUSION Mechanistic considerations should inform biomarker development and patient selection for therapeutic combinations of drugs to combine with immune-checkpoint inhibitors.
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Principe DR, Chiec L, Mohindra NA, Munshi HG. Regulatory T-Cells as an Emerging Barrier to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in Lung Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:684098. [PMID: 34141625 PMCID: PMC8204014 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.684098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment paradigm for lung cancer in recent years. These strategies consist of neutralizing antibodies against negative regulators of immune function, most notably cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), and PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), thereby impeding the ability of tumor cells to escape immune surveillance. Though ICIs have proven a significant advance in lung cancer therapy, overall survival rates remain low, and lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. It is therefore imperative to better understand the barriers to the efficacy of ICIs, particularly additional mechanisms of immunosuppression within the lung cancer microenvironment. Recent evidence suggests that regulatory T-lymphocytes (Tregs) serve as a central mediator of immune function in lung cancer, suppressing sterilizing immunity and contributing to the clinical failure of ICIs. Here, we provide a comprehensive summary of the roles of Tregs in lung cancer pathobiology and therapy, as well as the potential means through which these immunosuppressive mechanisms can be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Principe
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lauren Chiec
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Nisha A Mohindra
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, United States.,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Hidayatullah G Munshi
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, United States.,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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Seledtsov VI, von Delwig A. Clinically feasible and prospective immunotherapeutic interventions in multidirectional comprehensive treatment of cancer. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2020; 21:323-342. [PMID: 32981358 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2021.1828338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The immune system is able to exert both tumor-destructive and tumor-protective functions. Immunotherapeutic technologies aim to enhance immune-based anti-tumor activity and (or) weaken tumor-protective immunity. AREAS COVERED Cancer vaccination, antibody (Ab)-mediated cytotoxicity, Ab-based checkpoint molecule inhibition, Ab-based immunostimulation, cytokine therapy, oncoviral therapy, drug-mediated immunostimulation, exovesicular therapy, anti-inflammatory therapy, neurohormonal immunorehabilitation, metabolic therapy, as well as adoptive cell immunotherapy, could be coherently used to synergize and amplify each other in achieving robust anti-cancer responses in cancer patients. Tumor-specific immunotherapy applied at early stages is capable of eliminating remaining tumor cells after surgery, thus preventing the development of minimal residual disease. Patients with advanced disease stages could benefit from combined immunotherapy, which would be aimed at providing tumor cell/mass dormancy. Traditional therapeutic anti-cancer interventions (chemoradiotherapy, hyperthermia, anti-hormonal therapy) could significantly enhance tumor sensitivity to anti-cancer immunotherapy. It is important that lower-dose (metronomic) chemotherapy regimens, which are well-tolerated by normal cells, could advance immune-mediated control over tumor growth. EXPERT OPINION We envisage that combined immunotherapy regimens in the context of traditional treatment could become the mainstream modality for treating cancers in all phases of the tumorigenesis. The effectiveness of the anti-cancer treatment could be monitored by the following blood parameters: C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor I Seledtsov
- Center for Integral Immunotherapy, Central Clinical Hospital of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Immunology, Innovita Research Company, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Alexei von Delwig
- Department of Immunology, Innovita Research Company, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Kato K, Takeuchi A, Akashi K, Eto M. Cyclophosphamide-Induced Tolerance in Allogeneic Transplantation: From Basic Studies to Clinical Application. Front Immunol 2020; 10:3138. [PMID: 32082305 PMCID: PMC7005582 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune tolerance against alloantigens plays an important role in the success of clinical organ and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The mechanisms of immune tolerance to alloantigens have gradually been elucidated over time. Although there have been numerous reports to date on the induction of tolerance to alloantigens, the establishment of mixed chimerism is well-known to be crucial in the induction and maintenance of immune tolerance for either of the methods. Since the early 1980s, the murine system of cyclophosphamide (Cy)-induced tolerance has also been examined extensively. The present review focuses on studies conducted on Cy-induced immune tolerance. Clinical data of patients with allogeneic transplantation suggest that the posttransplant Cy method to induce immune tolerance has been successfully translated from basic studies into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Kato
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ario Takeuchi
- Department of Urology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koichi Akashi
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Eto
- Department of Urology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
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Hughes E, Scurr M, Campbell E, Jones E, Godkin A, Gallimore A. T-cell modulation by cyclophosphamide for tumour therapy. Immunology 2018; 154:62-68. [PMID: 29460448 PMCID: PMC5904691 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The power of T cells for cancer treatment has been demonstrated by the success of co-inhibitory receptor blockade and adoptive T-cell immunotherapies. These treatments are highly successful for certain cancers, but are often personalized, expensive and associated with harmful side effects. Other T-cell-modulating drugs may provide additional means of improving immune responses to tumours without these disadvantages. Conventional chemotherapeutic drugs are traditionally used to target cancers directly; however, it is clear that some also have significant immune-modulating effects that can be harnessed to target tumours. Cyclophosphamide is one such drug; used at lower doses than in mainstream chemotherapy, it can perturb immune homeostasis, tipping the balance towards generation of anti-tumour T-cell responses and control of cancer growth. This review discusses its growing reputation as an immune-modulator whose multiple effects synergize with the microbiota to tip the balance towards tumour immunity offering widespread benefits as a safe, and relatively inexpensive component of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellyn Hughes
- Division of Infection & ImmunitySchool of MedicineCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Present address:
Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health SciencesSchool of Biomedical SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Martin Scurr
- Division of Infection & ImmunitySchool of MedicineCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Emma Campbell
- Division of Infection & ImmunitySchool of MedicineCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Emma Jones
- Division of Infection & ImmunitySchool of MedicineCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Andrew Godkin
- Division of Infection & ImmunitySchool of MedicineCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Awen Gallimore
- Division of Infection & ImmunitySchool of MedicineCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
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Takeuchi A, Kato K, Akashi K, Eto M. Cyclophosphamide-induced tolerance in kidney transplantation avoids long-term immunosuppressive therapy. Int J Urol 2017; 25:112-120. [PMID: 29105189 DOI: 10.1111/iju.13474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
There has recently been remarkable progress in immunosuppressive agents, such as tacrolimus and cyclosporine. Therefore, the rate of organ establishment has improved in transplantation. However, immunosuppressive agents generally suppress the function of T cells. Thus, opportunistic infections, such as cytomegalovirus infection, are still a major problem in kidney transplantation. Induction of specific tolerance to avoid immunosuppressive drug therapy after kidney transplantation is considered as the ultimate goal of transplantation. Various factors induce tolerance that involves establishment of hematopoietic chimerism and various cell subsets. In particular, we have carried out various studies regarding the cyclophosphamide-induced tolerance system. Tolerance is induced after establishment of hematopoietic chimerism after donor bone marrow transplantation. At the clinical stage, kidney transplantation before administration of cyclophosphamide after transfusion of bone marrow to create hematopoietic chimera is considered to be one of the most successful protocols. Furthermore, recent studies have shown the involvement of multiple populations of immune cells in preserving immunological tolerance and promoting long-term renal grafts. The present review focuses on how cyclophosphamide and other immune factors induce tolerance in kidney transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ario Takeuchi
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koji Kato
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koichi Akashi
- Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Eto
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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de Aquino MTP, Malhotra A, Mishra MK, Shanker A. Challenges and future perspectives of T cell immunotherapy in cancer. Immunol Lett 2015; 166:117-33. [PMID: 26096822 PMCID: PMC4499494 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2015.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2015] [Revised: 05/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Since the formulation of the tumour immunosurveillance theory, considerable focus has been on enhancing the effectiveness of host antitumour immunity, particularly with respect to T cells. A cancer evades or alters the host immune response by various ways to ensure its development and survival. These include modifications of the immune cell metabolism and T cell signalling. An inhibitory cytokine milieu in the tumour microenvironment also leads to immune suppression and tumour progression within a host. This review traces the development in the field and attempts to summarize the hurdles that the approach of adoptive T cell immunotherapy against cancer faces, and discusses the conditions that must be improved to allow effective eradication of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Teresa P de Aquino
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA
| | - Anshu Malhotra
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA
| | - Manoj K Mishra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL 36101, USA
| | - Anil Shanker
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA; Tumor-Host Interactions Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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Jiang T, Piao D, Zhu A, Jiang H. Changes in T lymphocyte subsets in mice with CT26 colon tumors after treatment with donor lymphocyte infusion. Tumour Biol 2014; 35:5599-605. [PMID: 24659423 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-014-1740-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to detect changes in T lymphocyte subpopulations in mice with CT26 subcutaneous colon cancer after treatment with donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) and cyclophosphamide (CP) chemotherapy. A colon cancer model was established by subcutaneous injection of CT26 carcinoma cells into BALB/C mice. The mice were randomized into different treatment groups. We recorded survival times, tumor growth inhibition rates, histopathological changes, and T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of the mice. Mice treated with DLI and CP survived 33.5 ± 5.02 days, which was significantly longer than the survival time of untreated control mice (16.7 ± 2.98 days, P < 0.01). In addition, the tumor inhibitory rate was higher in mice treated with DLI and CP (89.3 %) than that in mice treated with CP or DLI alone (67.1 and 34.5 %, respectively). There were higher levels of T lymphocytes that were CD3(+) and CD4(+) in mice treated with DLI alone or the combination of CP and DLI (P < 0.05), and the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+) cells was significantly improved in these mice (P < 0.05). DLI combined with chemotherapy significantly prolonged survival and inhibited tumor growth in mice with CT26 colon cancer. This treatment might also improve immune function in these mice. Donor spleen cells that include high numbers of allogeneic lymphocytes and a few stem cells could induce a graft-versus-tumor effect, leading to elimination of residual cancer cells. This indicates that it is potentially a feasible adoptive cellular immunotherapy strategy for the management of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, 23 Youzheng Str, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, People's Republic of China
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Takeuchi A, Shiota M, Tatsugami K, Yokomizo A, Kuroiwa K, Dejima T, Tanaka S, Itsumi M, Eto M, Naito S. YB-1 suppression induces STAT3 proteolysis and sensitizes renal cancer to interferon-α. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2013; 62:517-27. [PMID: 23052245 PMCID: PMC11029031 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-012-1356-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2011] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 80-95 % of kidney tumors, and approximately 30 % of RCC patients have metastatic disease at diagnosis. Conventional chemotherapy is not effective in patients with metastatic RCC (MRCC); therefore, immunotherapy with interferon-α (IFN-α) has been employed to improve survival. However, the response rate of MRCC to IFN-α therapy is low. We previously reported that a signal transducer and activator 3 (STAT3) polymorphism was a useful diagnostic marker to predict the response to IFN-α therapy in patients with MRCC. Therefore, we hypothesized the inhibition of STAT3 in the addition of IFN-α therapy might be useful. Moreover, the blockage of STAT3 itself has been reported to enhance the antitumor effects. However, because IFN-α is thought to elicit its therapeutic effect via enhancement of an antitumor immune response mediated by lymphocytes that can be activated by IFN-α administrations, it is probable that the suppression of STAT3 in vivo relates to autoimmune disorders. In the present study, we found Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1) was poorly expressed in T lymphocytes, as compared with cancer tissues. YB-1 was reported to have an important effect on the STAT3 pathway. Suppression of STAT3 by YB-1 inhibition did not seem to enhance the potential risk for autoimmune disorders. Moreover, we found sensitivity to IFN-α was increased by YB-1 suppression, and this suppression did not down-regulate IFN-α activation of T lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ario Takeuchi
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
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Weigert O, von Spee C, Undeutsch R, Kloke L, Humrich JY, Riemekasten G. CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells prolong drug-induced disease remission in (NZBxNZW) F1 lupus mice. Arthritis Res Ther 2013; 15:R35. [PMID: 23446139 PMCID: PMC3672693 DOI: 10.1186/ar4188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 02/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The ability to ameliorate murine lupus renders regulatory T cells (Treg) a promising tool for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In consideration to the clinical translation of a Treg-based immunotherapy of SLE, we explored the potential of CD4+Foxp3+ Treg to maintain disease remission after induction of remission with an established cyclophosphamide (CTX) regimen in lupus-prone (NZBxNZW) F1 mice. As a prerequisite for this combined therapy, we also investigated the impact of CTX on the biology of endogenous Treg and conventional CD4+ T cells (Tcon). Methods Remission of disease was induced in diseased (NZBxNZW) F1 mice with an established CTX regimen consisting of a single dose of glucocorticosteroids followed by five day course with daily injections of CTX. Five days after the last CTX injection, differing amounts of purified CD4+Foxp3+CD25+ Treg were adoptively transferred and clinical parameters, autoantibody titers, the survival and changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were determined at different time points during the study. The influence of CTX on the numbers, frequencies and proliferation of endogenous Treg and Tcon was analyzed in lymphoid organs by flow cytometry. Results Apart from abrogating the proliferation of Tcon, we found that treatment with CTX induced also a significant inhibition of Treg proliferation and a decline in Treg numbers in lymphoid organs. Additional adoptive transfer of 1.5 × 106 purified Treg after the CTX regimen significantly increased the survival and prolonged the interval of remission by approximately five weeks compared to mice that received only the CTX regimen. The additional clinical amelioration was associated with an increase in the Treg frequency in the peripheral blood indicating a compensation of CTX-induced Treg deficiency by the Treg transfer. Conclusions Treg were capable to prolong the interval of remission induced by conventional cytostatic drugs. This study provides valuable information and a first proof-of-concept for the feasibility of a Treg-based immunotherapy in the maintenance of disease remission in SLE.
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Muthu Raja KR, Rihova L, Zahradova L, Klincova M, Penka M, Hajek R. Increased T regulatory cells are associated with adverse clinical features and predict progression in multiple myeloma. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47077. [PMID: 23071717 PMCID: PMC3468567 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/11/2012] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Regulatory T (Treg) cells play an important role in the maintenance of immune system homeostasis. Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell disorder frequently associated with impaired immune cell numbers and functions. Methods We analyzed Treg cells in peripheral blood (n = 207) and bone marrow (n = 202) of pre-malignant and malignant MM patients using flow cytometry. Treg cells and their subsets from MM patients and healthy volunteers were functionally evaluated for their suppressive property. A cohort of 25 patients was analyzed for lymphocytes, CD4 T cells and Treg cells before and after treatment with cyclophosphamide, thalidomide plus dexamethasone (CTD). Results We found elevated frequencies of Treg cells in newly diagnosed (P<0.01) and relapsed MM patients (P<0.0001) compared to healthy volunteers. Also, Treg subsets including naïve (P = 0.015) and activated (P = 0.036) Treg cells were significantly increased in MM patients compared to healthy volunteers. Functional studies showed that Treg cells and their subsets from both MM and healthy volunteers were similar in their inhibitory function. Significantly increased frequencies of Treg cells were found in MM patients with adverse clinical features such as hypercalcemia (>10 mg/dL), decreased normal plasma cell (≤5%) count and IgA myeloma subtype. We also showed that MM patients with ≥5% of Treg cells had inferior time to progression (TTP) (13 months vs. median not reached; P = 0.013). Furthermore, we demonstrated the prognostic value of Treg cells in prediction of TTP by Cox regression analysis (P = 0.045). CTD treatment significantly reduced frequencies of CD4 T cells (P = 0.001) and Treg cells (P = 0.018) but not Treg cells/CD4 T cells ratio compared to pre-treatment. Conclusions Our study showed immune deregulation in MM patients which is evidenced by elevated level of functionally active Treg cells and patients with increased Treg cells have higher risk of progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthick Raja Muthu Raja
- Babak Myeloma Group, Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
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