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Dörfel D, Lechner CJ, Joas S, Funk T, Gutknecht M, Salih J, Geiger J, Kropp KN, Maurer S, Müller MR, Kopp HG, Salih HR, Grünebach F, Rittig SM. The BCR-ABL inhibitor nilotinib influences phenotype and function of monocyte-derived human dendritic cells. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2018; 67:775-783. [PMID: 29468363 PMCID: PMC11028318 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-018-2129-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the translocation t(9;22) results in the fusion protein BCR-ABL (breakpoint cluster region-abelson murine leukemia), a tyrosine kinase mediating oncogenic signaling which is successfully targeted by treatment with BCR-ABL inhibitors like imatinib. However, BCR-ABL inhibitors may also affect antitumor immunity. For instance, it was reported that imatinib impairs the function of dendritic cells (DCs) that play a central role in initiating and sustaining T cell responses. Meanwhile, second generation BCR-ABL inhibitors like nilotinib, which inhibits BCR-ABL with enhanced potency have become standard of treatment, at least in patients with BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations. In this study we analyzed the influence of therapeutic concentrations of nilotinib on human monocyte-derived DCs and compared its effects to imatinib. We found that both tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) comparably and significantly impaired differentiation of monocytes to DCs as revealed by curtated downregulation of CD14 and reduced upregulation of CD1a and CD83. This was only partially restored after withdrawal of the TKI. Moreover, both TKI significantly reduced activation-induced IL-12p70 and C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL) 3 secretion, while divergent TKI effects for CCL2 and CCL5 were observed. In contrast, only nilotinib significantly impaired the migratory capacity of DCs and their capacity to induce T-cell immune responses in MLRs. Our results indicate that imatinib and nilotinib may differ significantly with regard to their influence on antitumor immunity. Thus, for future combinatory approaches and particularly stop studies in CML treatment, choice of the most suitable BCR-ABL inhibitor requires careful consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Dörfel
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christian J Lechner
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Medizin & Markt GmbH, Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Joas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tanja Funk
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael Gutknecht
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julia Salih
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julian Geiger
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Korbinian N Kropp
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Maurer
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Martin R Müller
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hans-Georg Kopp
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Helmut R Salih
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Frank Grünebach
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Susanne M Rittig
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pulmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
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Goswami M, Hourigan CS. Novel Antigen Targets for Immunotherapy of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Curr Drug Targets 2017; 18:296-303. [PMID: 25706110 DOI: 10.2174/1389450116666150223120005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was the first malignancy for which immunotherapy, in the form of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), was integrated into the standard of care. Allo-HSCT however is an imperfect therapy associated with significant morbidity and mortality while offering only incomplete prevention of AML clinical relapse. These limitations have motivated the search for AML-related antigens that might be used as more specific and effective targets of immunotherapy. While historically such investigations have focused on protein targets expressed uniquely in AML or at significantly higher levels than in normal tissues, this article will review recent discoveries which have identified a novel selection of potential antigen targets for AML immunotherapy, such as non-protein targets including lipids and carbohydrates, neo-antigens created from genetic somatic mutations or altered splicing and post-translational modification of protein targets, together with innovative ways to target overexpressed protein targets presented by cell surface peptide-MHC complexes. These novel antigens represent promising candidates for further development as targets of AML immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghali Goswami
- Myeloid Malignancies Section, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Room 6C-104, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1583, United States
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Heine A, Held SAE, Daecke SN, Riethausen K, Kotthoff P, Flores C, Kurts C, Brossart P. The VEGF-Receptor Inhibitor Axitinib Impairs Dendritic Cell Phenotype and Function. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128897. [PMID: 26042424 PMCID: PMC4456373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 05/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitors of VEGF receptor (VEGFR) signaling such as sorafenib and sunitinib that are currently used in the treatment of malignant diseases have been shown to affect immunological responses by inhibition of the function of antigen presenting cells and T lymphocytes. The VEGFR-inhibitor axitinib has recently been approved for second line therapy of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. While there is some evidence that axitinib might interfere with the activation of T cells, not much is known about the effects of axitinib on dendritic cell (DC) phenotype and function. We here show that the addition of axitinib during the final Toll-like receptor-4-induced maturation step of monocyte-derived human DCs results in a reduced DC activation characterized by impaired expression of activation markers and co-stimulatory molecules such as CD80, CD83 and CD86. We further found a decreased secretion of interleukin-12 which was accompanied by reduced nuclear expression of the transcription factor cRel. In addition, we found a dose-dependent reduced activation of p38 and STAT3 in axitinib-exposed DCs, whereas the expression was not affected. The dysfunction of axitinib-exposed DCs was further underlined by their impaired induction of allogeneic T cell proliferation in a mixed lymphocyte reaction assay and inhibition of DC migration. Our results demonstrate that axitinib significantly affects DC differentiation and function primarily via the inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway leading to impaired T cell activation. This will be of importance for the design of future vaccination protocols and therapeutic approaches aiming at combining different treatment strategies, eg such as programmed death-1 inhibitors with axitinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annkristin Heine
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Solveig Nora Daecke
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kati Riethausen
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Philipp Kotthoff
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Chrystel Flores
- Institute of Experimental Immunology (IEI), University Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Kurts
- Institute of Experimental Immunology (IEI), University Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Peter Brossart
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Napier RJ, Norris BA, Swimm A, Giver CR, Harris WAC, Laval J, Napier BA, Patel G, Crump R, Peng Z, Bornmann W, Pulendran B, Buller RM, Weiss DS, Tirouvanziam R, Waller EK, Kalman D. Low doses of imatinib induce myelopoiesis and enhance host anti-microbial immunity. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004770. [PMID: 25822986 PMCID: PMC4379053 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) inhibits Abl1, c-Kit, and related protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and serves as a therapeutic for chronic myelogenous leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Imatinib also has efficacy against various pathogens, including pathogenic mycobacteria, where it decreases bacterial load in mice, albeit at doses below those used for treating cancer. We report that imatinib at such low doses unexpectedly induces differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors in the bone marrow, augments myelopoiesis but not lymphopoiesis, and increases numbers of myeloid cells in blood and spleen. Whereas progenitor differentiation relies on partial inhibition of c-Kit by imatinib, lineage commitment depends upon inhibition of other PTKs. Thus, imatinib mimics “emergency hematopoiesis,” a physiological innate immune response to infection. Increasing neutrophil numbers by adoptive transfer sufficed to reduce mycobacterial load, and imatinib reduced bacterial load of Franciscella spp., which do not utilize imatinib-sensitive PTKs for pathogenesis. Thus, potentiation of the immune response by imatinib at low doses may facilitate clearance of diverse microbial pathogens. Host-directed therapeutics (HDTs) for infectious diseases target cellular mechanisms used by pathogens to move into, through, or out of cells. The Abl tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor and cancer therapeutic imatinib mesylate (Gleevec), for example, has activity against bacterial and viral pathogens via effects on pathogen entry (polyomaviruses), intracellular transit (Mycobacteria) and exit (poxviruses and filoviruses). Other HDTs target the host immune system by suppressing or activating circulating innate and adaptive cells. Here we report that imatinib at doses that are effective in clearing Mycobacterial infections but which are 10-fold lower than those used for cancer, mimics a physiological innate response to infection in the bone marrow, called the “emergency response,” in which hematopoietic stem cells and multipotent progenitors expand and differentiate into mature myeloid cells that migrate to peripheral sites. Imatinib effects occur in part via partial inhibition of c-Kit, suggesting a mechanism by which c-Kit controls the earliest stages of hematopoiesis. Mimicking a physiological antimicrobial response may make imatinib broadly useful. Accordingly, imatinib also has efficacy against infections caused by Franciscella spp., which do not use imatinib-sensitive TKs for pathogenesis. These observations identify myelopoiesis as an important target for HDTs, and provide information on how to dose imatinib for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth J. Napier
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Graduate Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Brian A. Norris
- Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Alyson Swimm
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Cynthia R. Giver
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Wayne A. C. Harris
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Julie Laval
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Center for Cystic Fibrosis Research, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier (IGMM), CNRS UMR5535, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Brooke A. Napier
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Graduate Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Gopi Patel
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ryan Crump
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Zhenghong Peng
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - William Bornmann
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Bali Pulendran
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - R. Mark Buller
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - David S. Weiss
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Rabindra Tirouvanziam
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Center for Cystic Fibrosis Research, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Edmund K. Waller
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Daniel Kalman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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A TCR-mimic antibody to WT1 bypasses tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in human BCR-ABL+ leukemias. Blood 2014; 123:3296-304. [PMID: 24723681 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2014-01-549022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute and chronic leukemias, including CD34(+) CML cells, demonstrate increased expression of the Wilms tumor gene 1 product (WT1), making WT1 an attractive therapeutic target. However, WT1 is a currently undruggable, intracellular protein. ESKM is a human IgG1 T-cell receptor mimic monoclonal antibody directed to a 9-amino acid sequence of WT1 in the context of cell surface HLA-A*02. ESKM was therapeutically effective, alone and in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), against Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute leukemia in murine models, including a leukemia with the most common, pan-TKI, gatekeeper resistance mutation, T315I. ESKM was superior to the first-generation TKI, imatinib. Combination therapy with ESKM and TKIs was superior to either drug alone, capable of curing mice. ESKM showed no toxicity to human HLA-A*02:01(+) stem cells under the conditions of this murine model. These features of ESKM make it a promising nontoxic therapeutic agent for sensitive and resistant Ph(+) leukemias.
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Abstract
The Janus kinase (JAK)-inhibitor ruxolitinib decreases constitutional symptoms and spleen size of myelofibrosis (MF) patients by mechanisms distinct from its anticlonal activity. Here we investigated whether ruxolitinib affects dendritic cell (DC) biology. The in vitro development of monocyte-derived DCs was almost completely blocked when the compound was added throughout the differentiation period. Furthermore, when applied solely during the final lipopolysaccharide-induced maturation step, ruxolitinib reduced DC activation as demonstrated by decreased interleukin-12 production and attenuated expression of activation markers. Ruxolitinib also impaired both in vitro and in vivo DC migration. Dysfunction of ruxolitinib-exposed DCs was further underlined by their impaired induction of allogeneic and antigen-specific T-cell responses. Ruxolitinib-treated mice immunized with ovalbumin (OVA)/CpG induced markedly reduced in vivo activation and proliferation of OVA-specific CD8⁺ T cells compared with vehicle-treated controls. Finally, using an adenoviral infection model, we show that ruxolitinib-exposed mice exhibit delayed adenoviral clearance. Our results demonstrate that ruxolitinib significantly affects DC differentiation and function leading to impaired T-cell activation. DC dysfunction may result in increased infection rates in ruxolitinib-treated patients. However, our findings may also explain the outstanding anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating activity of JAK inhibitors currently used in the treatment of MF and autoimmune diseases.
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