Antitumor effects obtained by autologous Lewis lung cancer cell vaccine engineered to secrete mouse Interleukin 27 by means of cationic liposome

Liposomes: Structure, Biomedical Applications, and Stability Parameters With Emphasis on Cholesterol

Liposomes are essentially a subtype of nanoparticles comprising a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head constituting a phospholipid membrane. The spherical or multilayered spherical structures of liposomes are highly rich in lipid contents with numerous criteria for their classification, including structural features, structural parameters, and size, synthesis methods, preparation, and drug loading. Despite various liposomal applications, such as drug, vaccine/gene delivery, biosensors fabrication, diagnosis, and food products applications, their use encounters many limitations due to physico-chemical instability as their stability is vigorously affected by the constituting ingredients wherein cholesterol performs a vital role in the stability of the liposomal membrane. It has well established that cholesterol exerts its impact by controlling fluidity, permeability, membrane strength, elasticity and stiffness, transition temperature (Tm), drug retention, phospholipid packing, and plasma stability. Although the undetermined optimum amount of cholesterol for preparing a stable and controlled release vehicle has been the downside, but researchers are still focused on cholesterol as a promising material for the stability of liposomes necessitating explanation for the stability promotion of liposomes. Herein, the prior art pertaining to the liposomal appliances, especially for drug delivery in cancer therapy, and their stability emphasizing the roles of cholesterol.

IL-6 family cytokines in respiratory health and disease

Chronic lung diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung fibrosis represent a major burden on healthcare systems with limited effective therapeutic options. Developing effective treatments for these debilitating diseases requires an understanding of how alterations at the molecular level affect lung macroscopic architecture. A common theme among these lung disorders is the presence of an underlying dysregulated immune system which can lead to sustained chronic inflammation. In this respect, several inflammatory cytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of lung diseases, thus leading to the notion that cytokines are attractive therapeutic targets for these disorders. In this review, we discuss and highlight the recent breakthroughs that have enhanced our understanding of the role of the interleukin (IL)-6 family of cytokines in lung homeostasis and chronic diseases including asthma, COPD, lung fibrosis and lung cancer.

Emerging advances in cationic liposomal cancer nanovaccines: opportunities and challenges

Advancements in the field of cancer therapeutics have witnessed a recent surge in the use of liposomes. The physicochemical characteristics of the liposomes and their components, including the lipid phase transition temperature, vesicular size and size distribution, surface properties, and route of administration, play a significant role in the modulation of the immune response as an adjuvant and for loaded antigen (Ag). Cationic liposomes, concerning their potential ability to amplify the immunogenicity of the loaded Ag/adjuvant, have received enormous interest as a promising vaccine delivery platform for cancer immunotherapy. In the present review, the physicochemical considerations for the development of Ag/adjuvant-loaded liposomes and the cationic liposomes' effectiveness for promoting cancer immunotherapy have been summarized.

Antitumor effects of nadroparin combined with radiotherapy in Lewis lung cancer models

Background

The beneficial antitumor effects of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) have previously been investigated in basic and clinical studies. In this study, the antitumor efficacy of nadroparin combined with radiotherapy was investigated in vivo.

Methods

A total of 48 tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into six groups (n=8 per group): control group, irradiation group (X), LMWH_1,000 group, LMWH_2,000 group, LMWH_1,000+X group and LMWH_2,000+X group. Following this, tumor growth, weight and inhibitory rate, as well as the survival of mice in each group, were determined. Levels of serum interleukin (IL)-6 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 were determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analyses. The expression levels of CD34 were investigated using immunohistochemistry analyses to represent the microvascular density (MVD) values of tumor tissues. In addition, tumor cell apoptosis was investigated using TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) analysis post treatment. The expression levels of survivin were analyzed by Western blotting.

Results

The volumes and weights of tumors in the treatment groups were demonstrated to be significantly decreased, which was most obvious in the LMWH_2,000+X group. The tumor inhibitory rate was significantly increased in the treated mice. ELISA assays demonstrated that the concentrations of serum IL-6 and TGF-β1 were significantly decreased in the LMWH_2,000+X group. In addition, the decreased CD34 expression was found in the combined treatment groups. TUNEL assays demonstrated that the apoptosis rate was increased in treated mice, and the highest apoptosis rate was exhibited by the LMWH_2,000+X group. Results of Western blotting demonstrated that combinatory treatment with both nadroparin and X-ray irradiation significantly inhibited the expression of survivin.

Conclusion

These results demonstrated that a combinatory treatment strategy of nadroparin with fractionated irradiation had a strong synergistic antitumor effect in vivo, which may be associated with the promotion of apoptosis, inhibited secretion of TGF-β1 and IL-6 and down-regulation of CD34 and survivin expression.

IL-35 Decelerates the Inflammatory Process by Regulating Inflammatory Cytokine Secretion and M1/M2 Macrophage Ratio in Psoriasis

IL-35 downregulates Th17 cell development and suppresses certain types of autoimmune inflammation such as collagen-induced arthritis and experimental autoimmune uveitis. Psoriasis is thought to be initiated by abnormal interactions between cutaneous keratinocytes and systemic immune cells. However, the role of IL-35 in psoriasis remains unclear. In this study, we assessed IL-35 in three well-known psoriasis models: a human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT), a keratin 14 (K14)-vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A)-transgenic (Tg) mouse model, and an imiquimod-induced psoriasis mouse model. First, we found that IL-35 suppressed the expression of IL-6, CXCL8, and S100A7, which are highly upregulated by a mixture of five proinflammatory cytokines in HaCaT. Second, a plasmid coding for the human IL-35 sequence coated with cationic liposomes showed potent immunosuppressive effects on K14-VEGF-A-Tg and imiquimod-induced psoriasis mouse models. In the K14-VEGF-A-Tg model, our results showed that several types of proinflammatory cytokines were significantly reduced, whereas IL-10 was remarkably induced by IL-35. Compared with pcDNA3.1, there was a small number of CD4(+)IL-17(+) T cells and a large number of CD4(+)IL-10(+) and CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T cells in the IL-35 group. Most importantly, we found that IL-35 decreased the total number of macrophages and ratio of M1/M2 macrophages, which has not been reported previously. In addition, compared with dexamethasone, IL-35 showed long-term therapeutic efficacy. In summary, our results strongly indicate that IL-35 plays a potent immunosuppressive role in psoriasis. Thus, IL-35 has potential for development as a new therapeutic strategy for patients with chronic psoriasis and other cutaneous inflammatory diseases.

Interleukin-27 rs153109 polymorphism and the risk of non-small-cell lung cancer in a Chinese population

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has a multifactorial pathogenesis, and the genetic background may be one of the critical etiologic factors. Interleukin (IL)-27, a novel member of the IL-12 family, plays a vital role in antitumor immunity. The aim of the current study was to determine the association of a single nucleotide polymorphism of the IL-27 gene with the risk of NSCLC. The genotype of the IL-27 rs153109 polymorphism was analyzed in 388 patients with NSCLC and 390 healthy controls by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing methods. In the patients with NSCLC, the frequencies of the GG, GA, and AA genotypes and the G and A alleles were 14.0%, 56.4%, 29.6%, 42.1%, and 57.9%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the genotype and allele distributions of the IL-27 rs153109 polymorphism between the patients with NSCLC and healthy controls (P>0.05). Furthermore, no association was determined between this polymorphism and different clinical characteristics in patients with NSCLC. Taken together, these findings suggest that the IL-27 gene may not be involved in the development of NSCLC in the Chinese population.

Interleukin-27 re-educates intratumoral myeloid cells and down-regulates stemness genes in non-small cell lung cancer

Current therapies for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) still fail to significantly increase its survival rate. Here we asked whether Interleukin(IL)-27, which has revealed powerful antitumor activity and is toxicity-free in humans, is a promising therapeutic choice for NSCLC patients.

IL-27's effects were tested on Adenocarcinoma (AC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) cell lines and xenograft models. IL-27Receptor(R) expression was assessed in lung tissues from 78 NSCLC patients.

In vitro, IL-27 was ineffective on cancer cell proliferation or apoptosis, but fostered CXCL3/GROγ/MIP2β expression. In vitro and in vivo, IL-27 down-regulated stemness-related genes, namely SONIC HEDGEHOG in AC cells, and OCT4A, SOX2, NOTCH1, KLF4 along with Nestin, SNAI1/SNAIL, SNAI2/SLUG and ZEB1, in SCC cells. In vivo, IL-27 hampered both AC and SCC tumor growth in association with a prominent granulocyte- and macrophage-driven colliquative necrosis, CXCL3 production, and a reduced pluripotency- and EMT-related gene expression. Myeloablation of tumor-bearing hosts mostly abolished IL-27's antitumor effects. In clinical samples, IL-27R expression was found in AC, SCC, pre-cancerous lesions and tumor infiltrating myeloid cells, and correlated with advanced stages of disease.

Our data suggest that even immunocompromised or advancer NSCLC patients may benefit from IL-27's antitumor properties based on its ability to drive myeloid cells towards antitumor activities, and down-regulate stemness- and EMT-related genes in cancer cells.

Administration of DNA Encoding the Interleukin-27 Gene Augments Antitumour Responses through Non-adaptive Immunity

DNA-mediated immunization of a tumour antigen is a possible immunotherapy for cancer, and interleukin (IL)-27 has diverse functions in adaptive immunity. In this study, we examined whether IL-27 DNA administration enhanced antitumour effects in mice vaccinated with DNA encoding a putative tumour antigen, β-galactosidase (β-gal). An intramuscular injection of cardiotoxin before DNA administration facilitated the exogenous gene expression. In mice received β-gal and IL-27 DNA, growth of β-gal-positive P815 tumours was retarded and survival of the mice was prolonged. Development of β-gal-positive Colon 26 tumours was suppressed by vaccination of β-gal DNA and further inhibited by additional IL-27 DNA administration or IL-12 family cytokines. Nevertheless, a population of β-gal-specific CD8(+) T cells did not increase, and production of anti-β-gal antibody was not enhanced by IL-27 DNA administration. Spleen cells from mice bearing IL-27-expressing Colon 26 tumours showed greater YAC-1-targeted cytotoxicity although CD3(-)/DX5(+) natural killer (NK) cell numbers remained unchanged. Recombinant IL-27 enhanced YAC-1-targeted cytotoxicity of IL-2-primed splenic NK cells and augmented a phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and an expression of perforin. These data collectively indicate that IL-27 DNA administration activates NK cells and augments vaccination effects of DNA encoding a tumour antigen through non-adaptive immune responses.

The Yin and Yang aspects of IL-27 in induction of cancer-specific T-cell responses and immunotherapy

Accumulating evidences from animal studies have indicated that both endogenous and exogenous IL-27, an IL-12 family of cytokine, can increase antitumor T-cell activities and inhibit tumor growth. IL-27 can modulate Treg responses, and program effector T cells into a unique T-effector stem cell (TSEC) phenotype, which enhances T-cell survival in the tumor microenvironment. However, animal studies also suggest that IL-27 induces molecular pathways such as IL-10, PD-L1 and CD39, which may downregulate tumor-specific T-cell responses. In this review paper, we will discuss the Yin and Yang aspects of IL-27 in the induction of tumor-specific T-cell responses, and the potential impacts of these functions of IL-27 in the design of cancer immunotherapy.

Potential clinical application of interleukin-27 as an antitumor agent

Cancer immunotherapies such as sipuleucel-T and ipilimumab are promising new treatments that harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer and achieve long-lasting remission. Interleukin (IL)-27, a member of the IL-12 heterodimeric cytokine family, has pleiotropic functions in the regulation of immune responses with both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Evidence obtained using a variety of preclinical mouse models indicates that IL-27 possesses potent antitumor activity against various types of tumors through multiple mechanisms without apparent adverse effects. These mechanisms include those mediated not only by CD8⁺ T cells, natural killer cells and macrophages, but also by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, antiangiogenesis, direct antiproliferative effects, inhibition of expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and prostaglandin E₂, and suppression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition, depending on the characteristics of individual tumors. However, the endogenous role of IL-27 subunits and one of its receptor subunits, WSX-1, in the susceptibility to tumor development after transplantation of tumor cell lines or endogenously arising tumors seems to be more complicated. IL-27 functions as a double-edged sword: IL-27 increases IL-10 production and the expression of programmed death ligand 1 and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3, and promotes the generation of regulatory T cells, and IL-27 receptor α singling enhances transformation; IL-27 may augment protumor effects as well. Here, we review both facets of IL-27, antitumor effects and protumor effects, and discuss the potential clinical application of IL-27 as an antitumor agent.

Potent therapeutic target of inflammation, virus and tumor: focus on interleukin-27

Interleukin (IL)-27 is an important pleiotropic immunological regulator for having dual effects on the immune responses. Several distinct findings have been highlighted that in certain conditions, neutralizing IL-27 or its subunit IL-27p28 might be a useful strategy to limit inflammation. Recently more insights have revealed that IL-27 could also exert potent inhibitory functions in some other immune circumstances including virus infection and tumor immunity. In this review, we describe IL-27 receptor subunits and the mechanisms of individual IL-27, and summarize the advances of their preclinical application trials. In addition, the potential role of IL-27 as a clinical therapeutic target will also be discussed.

Microneedle-assisted dendritic cell-targeted nanoparticles for transcutaneous DNA immunization

Transcutaneous DNA immunization with microneedle-assisted dendritic cell-targeted nanoparticles is an attractive strategy for cancer immunotherapy.

Cationic liposomes loaded with a synthetic long peptide and poly(I:C): a defined adjuvanted vaccine for induction of antigen-specific T cell cytotoxicity

For effective cancer immunotherapy by vaccination, co-delivery of tumour antigens and adjuvants to dendritic cells and subsequent activation of antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) is crucial. In this study, a synthetic long peptide (SLP) harbouring the model CTL epitope SIINFEKL was encapsulated with the TLR3 ligand poly(inosinic-polycytidylic acid) (poly(I:C)) in cationic liposomes consisting of DOTAP and DOPC. The obtained particles were down-sized to about 140 nm (measured by dynamic light scattering) and had a positive zeta-potential of about 26 mV (according to laser Doppler electrophoresis). SLP loading efficiency was about 40% as determined by HPLC. Poly(I:C) loading efficiency was about 50%, as assessed from the fluorescence intensity of fluorescently labelled poly(I:C). Immunogenicity of the liposomal SLP vaccine was evaluated in vitro by its capacity to activate dendritic cells (DCs) and present the processed SLP to SIINFEKL-specific T cells. The effectiveness of the vaccine to activate CD8(+) T cells was analysed in vivo after intradermal and subcutaneous immunisation in mice, by measuring antigen-specific T cells in blood and spleens and assessing their functionality by cytokine production and in vivo cytotoxicity. The liposomal formulation efficiently delivered the SLP to DCs in vitro and induced a functional CD8(+) T cell immune response in vivo to the CTL epitope present in the SLP. The SLP-specific CD8(+) T cell frequency induced by the poly(I:C)-adjuvanted liposomal SLP formulation showed an at least 25 fold increase over the T cell frequency induced by the poly(I:C)-adjuvanted soluble SLP. In conclusion, cationic liposomes loaded with SLP and poly(I:C) have potential as a powerful therapeutic cancer vaccine formulation.

Current scenario of peptide-based drugs: the key roles of cationic antitumor and antiviral peptides

Cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and host defense peptides (HDPs) show vast potential as peptide-based drugs. Great effort has been made in order to exploit their mechanisms of action, aiming to identify their targets as well as to enhance their activity and bioavailability. In this review, we will focus on both naturally occurring and designed antiviral and antitumor cationic peptides, including those here called promiscuous, in which multiple targets are associated with a single peptide structure. Emphasis will be given to their biochemical features, selectivity against extra targets, and molecular mechanisms. Peptides which possess antitumor activity against different cancer cell lines will be discussed, as well as peptides which inhibit virus replication, focusing on their applications for human health, animal health and agriculture, and their potential as new therapeutic drugs. Moreover, the current scenario for production and the use of nanotechnology as delivery tool for both classes of cationic peptides, as well as the perspectives on improving them is considered.