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Ye J, Wang H, Medina R, Chakraborty S, Sun M, Valenzuela A, Sang X, Zhang Y, Uher O, Zenka J, Pacak K, Zhuang Z. rWTC-MBTA: autologous vaccine prevents metastases via antitumor immune responses. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:163. [PMID: 37434263 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02744-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autologous tumor cell-based vaccines (ATVs) aim to prevent and treat tumor metastasis by activating patient-specific tumor antigens to induce immune memory. However, their clinical efficacy is limited. Mannan-BAM (MB), a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP), can coordinate an innate immune response that recognizes and eliminates mannan-BAM-labeled tumor cells. TLR agonists and anti-CD40 antibodies (TA) can enhance the immune response by activating antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to present tumor antigens to the adaptive immune system. In this study, we investigated the efficacy and mechanism of action of rWTC-MBTA, an autologous whole tumor cell vaccine consisting of irradiated tumor cells (rWTC) pulsed with mannan-BAM, TLR agonists, and anti-CD40 antibody (MBTA), in preventing tumor metastasis in multiple animal models. METHODS The efficacy of the rWTC-MBTA vaccine was evaluated in mice using breast (4T1) and melanoma (B16-F10) tumor models via subcutaneous and intravenous injection of tumor cells to induce metastasis. The vaccine's effect was also assessed in a postoperative breast tumor model (4T1) and tested in autologous and allogeneic syngeneic breast tumor models (4T1 and EMT6). Mechanistic investigations included immunohistochemistry, immunophenotyping analysis, ELISA, tumor-specific cytotoxicity testing, and T-cell depletion experiments. Biochemistry testing and histopathology of major tissues in vaccinated mice were also evaluated for potential systemic toxicity of the vaccine. RESULTS The rWTC-MBTA vaccine effectively prevented metastasis and inhibited tumor growth in breast tumor and melanoma metastatic animal models. It also prevented tumor metastasis and prolonged survival in the postoperative breast tumor animal model. Cross-vaccination experiments revealed that the rWTC-MBTA vaccine prevented autologous tumor growth, but not allogeneic tumor growth. Mechanistic data demonstrated that the vaccine increased the percentage of antigen-presenting cells, induced effector and central memory cells, and enhanced CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses. T-cells obtained from mice that were vaccinated displayed tumor-specific cytotoxicity, as shown by enhanced tumor cell killing in co-culture experiments, accompanied by increased levels of Granzyme B, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and CD107a in T-cells. T-cell depletion experiments showed that the vaccine's antitumor efficacy depended on T-cells, especially CD4+ T-cells. Biochemistry testing and histopathology of major tissues in vaccinated mice revealed negligible systemic toxicity of the vaccine. CONCLUSION The rWTC-MBTA vaccine demonstrated efficacy in multiple animal models through T-cell mediated cytotoxicity and has potential as a therapeutic option for preventing and treating tumor metastasis with minimal systemic toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ye
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 1000 37 Convent Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Herui Wang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 1000 37 Convent Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Rogelio Medina
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 1000 37 Convent Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | | | - Mitchell Sun
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 1000 37 Convent Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Alex Valenzuela
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 1000 37 Convent Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xueyu Sang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 1000 37 Convent Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yaping Zhang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 1000 37 Convent Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ondrej Uher
- Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jan Zenka
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Pacak
- Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zhengping Zhuang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 1000 37 Convent Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Uher O, Hadrava Vanova K, Lencova R, Frejlachova A, Wang H, Zhuang Z, Zenka J, Pacak K. Intratumoral immunotherapy of murine pheochromocytoma shows no age-dependent differences in its efficacy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1030412. [PMID: 37342258 PMCID: PMC10277857 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1030412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has shown remarkable clinical progress in recent years. Although age is one of the biggest leading risk factors for cancer development and older adults represent a majority of cancer patients, only a few new cancer immunotherapeutic interventions have been preclinically tested in aged animals. Thus, the lack of preclinical studies focused on age-dependent effect during cancer immunotherapy could lead to different therapeutic outcomes in young and aged animals and future modifications of human clinical trials. Here, we compare the efficacy of previously developed and tested intratumoral immunotherapy, based on the combination of polysaccharide mannan, toll-like receptor ligands, and anti-CD40 antibody (MBTA immunotherapy), in young (6 weeks) and aged (71 weeks) mice bearing experimental pheochromocytoma (PHEO). The presented results point out that despite faster growth of PHEO in aged mice MBTA intratumoral immunotherapy is effective approach without age dependence and could be one of the possible therapeutic interventions to enhance immune response to pheochromocytoma and perhaps other tumor types in aged and young hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Uher
- Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Katerina Hadrava Vanova
- Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Radka Lencova
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Andrea Frejlachova
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Herui Wang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Zhengping Zhuang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jan Zenka
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Karel Pacak
- Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
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Frejlachova A, Lencova R, Venhauerova A, Skalickova M, Uher O, Caisova V, Majer P, Tenora L, Hansen P, Chmelar J, Kopecky J, Zhuang Z, Pacak K, Zenka J. The combination of immunotherapy and a glutamine metabolism inhibitor represents an effective therapeutic strategy for advanced and metastatic murine pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 118:110150. [PMID: 37030115 PMCID: PMC10182763 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Despite constant advances in cancer research, the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains extremely challenging. The intratumoral immunotherapy approach that was developed by our research group and was based on a combination of mannan-BAM, TLR ligands, and anti-CD40 antibody (MBTA) showed promising therapeutic effects in various murine tumor models, including a pancreatic adenocarcinoma model (Panc02). However, the efficacy of MBTA therapy in the Panc02 model was negatively correlated with tumor size at the time of therapy initiation. Here, we aimed to further improve the outcome of MBTA therapy in the Panc02 model using the glutamine antagonist 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON). The combination of intratumoral MBTA therapy and intraperitoneal administration of DON resulted in the complete elimination of advanced Panc02 subcutaneous tumors (140.8 ± 46.8 mm3) in 50% of treated animals and was followed by development of long-term immune memory. In the bilateral Panc02 subcutaneous tumor model, we observed a significant reduction in tumor growth in both tumors as well as prolonged survival of treated animals. The appropriate timing and method of administration of DON were also addressed to maximize its therapeutic effects and minimize its side effects. In summary, our findings demonstrate that the intraperitoneal application of DON significantly improves the efficacy of intratumoral MBTA therapy in both advanced and bilateral Panc02 subcutaneous tumor murine models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Frejlachova
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Radka Lencova
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Venhauerova
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Skalickova
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Uher
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic; Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Veronika Caisova
- Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Pavel Majer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. 166 10, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukas Tenora
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. 166 10, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Per Hansen
- Immunoaction LLC, Charlotte, VT 05445, USA
| | - Jindrich Chmelar
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Kopecky
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Zhengping Zhuang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Karel Pacak
- Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Jan Zenka
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic.
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Ahmed D, Al-Daraawi M, Cassol E. Innate sensing and cellular metabolism: role in fine tuning antiviral immune responses. J Leukoc Biol 2023; 113:164-190. [PMID: 36822175 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiac011] [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: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies over the last decade have identified intimate links between cellular metabolism and macrophage function. Metabolism has been shown to both drive and regulate macrophage function by producing bioenergetic and biosynthetic precursors as well as metabolites (and other bioactive molecules) that regulate gene expression and signal transduction. Many studies have focused on lipopolysaccharide-induced reprogramming, assuming that it is representative of most inflammatory responses. However, emerging evidence suggests that diverse pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) are associated with unique metabolic profiles, which may drive pathogen specific immune responses. Further, these metabolic pathways and processes may act as a rheostat to regulate the magnitude of an inflammatory response based on the biochemical features of the local microenvironment. In this review, we will discuss recent work examining the relationship between cellular metabolism and macrophage responses to viral PAMPs and describe how these processes differ from lipopolysaccharide-associated responses. We will also discuss how an improved understanding of the specificity of these processes may offer new insights to fine-tune macrophage function during viral infections or when using viral PAMPs as therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duale Ahmed
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Malak Al-Daraawi
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Edana Cassol
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Identification of Immune Cell Infiltration in Murine Pheochromocytoma during Combined Mannan-BAM, TLR Ligand, and Anti-CD40 Antibody-Based Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13163942. [PMID: 34439097 PMCID: PMC8393500 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13163942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has become an essential component in cancer treatment. However, the majority of solid metastatic cancers, such as pheochromocytoma, are resistant to this approach. Therefore, understanding immune cell composition in primary and distant metastatic tumors is important for therapeutic intervention and diagnostics. Combined mannan-BAM, TLR ligand, and anti-CD40 antibody-based intratumoral immunotherapy (MBTA therapy) previously resulted in the complete eradication of murine subcutaneous pheochromocytoma and demonstrated a systemic antitumor immune response in a metastatic model. Here, we further evaluated this systemic effect using a bilateral pheochromocytoma model, performing MBTA therapy through injection into the primary tumor and using distant (non-injected) tumors to monitor size changes and detailed immune cell infiltration. MBTA therapy suppressed the growth of not only injected but also distal tumors and prolonged MBTA-treated mice survival. Our flow cytometry analysis showed that MBTA therapy led to increased recruitment of innate and adaptive immune cells in both tumors and the spleen. Moreover, adoptive CD4+ T cell transfer from successfully MBTA-treated mice (i.e., subcutaneous pheochromocytoma) demonstrates the importance of these cells in long-term immunological memory. In summary, this study unravels further details on the systemic effect of MBTA therapy and its use for tumor and metastasis reduction or even elimination.
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