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Liu F, Su R, Jiang X, Wang S, Mu W, Chang L. Advanced micro/nano-electroporation for gene therapy: recent advances and future outlook. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:10500-10521. [PMID: 38757536 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr01408a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Gene therapy is a promising disease treatment approach by editing target genes, and thus plays a fundamental role in precision medicine. To ensure gene therapy efficacy, the effective delivery of therapeutic genes into specific cells is a key challenge. Electroporation utilizes short electric pulses to physically break the cell membrane barrier, allowing gene transfer into the cells. It dodges the off-target risks associated with viral vectors, and also stands out from other physical-based gene delivery methods with its high-throughput and cargo-accelerating features. In recent years, with the help of advanced micro/nanotechnology, micro/nanostructure-integrated electroporation (micro/nano-electroporation) techniques and devices have significantly improved cell viability, transfection efficiency and dose controllability of the electroporation strategy, enhancing its application practicality especially in vivo. This technical advancement makes micro/nano-electroporation an effective and versatile tool for gene therapy. In this review, we first introduce the evolution of electroporation technique with a brief explanation of the perforation mechanism, and then provide an overview of the recent advancements and prospects of micro/nano-electroporation technology in the field of gene therapy. To comprehensively showcase the latest developments of micro/nano-electroporation technology in gene therapy, we focus on discussing micro/nano-electroporation devices and current applications at both in vitro and in vivo levels. Additionally, we outline the ongoing clinical studies of gene electrotransfer (GET), revealing the tremendous potential of electroporation-based gene delivery in disease treatment and healthcare. Lastly, the challenges and future directions in this field are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Rongtai Su
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xinran Jiang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Siqi Wang
- Department of General Surgery and Obesity and Metabolic Disease Center, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Wei Mu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
- School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory of Big Data-Based Precision Medicine (Beihang University), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Lingqian Chang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
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Gurunathan S, Thangaraj P, Wang L, Cao Q, Kim JH. Nanovaccines: An effective therapeutic approach for cancer therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:115992. [PMID: 38070247 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer vaccines hold considerable promise for the immunotherapy of solid tumors. Nanomedicine offers several strategies for enhancing vaccine effectiveness. In particular, molecular or (sub) cellular vaccines can be delivered to the target lymphoid tissues and cells by nanocarriers and nanoplatforms to increase the potency and durability of antitumor immunity and minimize negative side effects. Nanovaccines use nanoparticles (NPs) as carriers and/or adjuvants, offering the advantages of optimal nanoscale size, high stability, ample antigen loading, high immunogenicity, tunable antigen presentation, increased retention in lymph nodes, and immunity promotion. To induce antitumor immunity, cancer vaccines rely on tumor antigens, which are administered in the form of entire cells, peptides, nucleic acids, extracellular vesicles (EVs), or cell membrane-encapsulated NPs. Ideal cancer vaccines stimulate both humoral and cellular immunity while overcoming tumor-induced immune suppression. Herein, we review the key properties of nanovaccines for cancer immunotherapy and highlight the recent advances in their development based on the structure and composition of various (including synthetic and semi (biogenic) nanocarriers. Moreover, we discuss tumor cell-derived vaccines (including those based on whole-tumor-cell components, EVs, cell membrane-encapsulated NPs, and hybrid membrane-coated NPs), nanovaccine action mechanisms, and the challenges of immunocancer therapy and their translation to clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangiliyandi Gurunathan
- Department of Biotechnology, Rathinam College of Arts and Science, Eachanari, Coimbatore 641 021, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Pratheep Thangaraj
- Department of Biotechnology, Rathinam College of Arts and Science, Eachanari, Coimbatore 641 021, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Lin Wang
- Research and Development Department, Qingdao Haier Biotech Co., Ltd., Qingdao, China
| | - Qilong Cao
- Research and Development Department, Qingdao Haier Biotech Co., Ltd., Qingdao, China
| | - Jin-Hoi Kim
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea.
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Abstract
Prostate cancer is a leading cause of death in men worldwide. For over 30 years, growing interest has focused on the development of vaccines as treatments for prostate cancer, with the goal of using vaccines to activate immune cells capable of targeting prostate cancer to either eradicate recurrent disease or at least delay disease progression. This interest has been prompted by the prevalence and long natural history of the disease and by the fact that the prostate is an expendable organ. Thus, an immune response elicited by vaccination might not need to target the tumour uniquely but could theoretically target any prostate tissue. To date, different vaccine approaches and targets for prostate cancer have been evaluated in clinical trials. Overall, five approaches have been assessed in randomized phase III trials and sipuleucel-T was approved as a treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, being the only vaccine approved to date by the FDA as a treatment for cancer. Most vaccine approaches showed safety and some evidence of immunological activity but had poor clinical activity when used as monotherapies. However, increased activity has been observed when these vaccines were used in combination with other immune-modulating therapies. This evidence suggests that, in the future, prostate cancer vaccines might be used to activate and expand tumour-specific T cells as part of combination approaches with agents that target tumour-associated immune mechanisms of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichwaku Rastogi
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Anusha Muralidhar
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Douglas G McNeel
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
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Hawlina S, Zorec R, Chowdhury HH. Potential of Personalized Dendritic Cell-Based Immunohybridoma Vaccines to Treat Prostate Cancer. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1498. [PMID: 37511873 PMCID: PMC10382052 DOI: 10.3390/life13071498] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of death due to cancer. About 30% of patients with PCa who have been castrated develop a castration-resistant form of the disease (CRPC), which is incurable. In the last decade, new treatments that control the disease have emerged, slowing progression and spread and prolonging survival while maintaining the quality of life. These include immunotherapies; however, we do not yet know the optimal combination and sequence of these therapies with the standard ones. All therapies are not always suitable for every patient due to co-morbidities or adverse effects of therapies or both, so there is an urgent need for further work on new therapeutic options. Advances in cancer immunotherapy with an immune checkpoint inhibition mechanism (e.g., ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA-4 inhibitor) have not shown a survival benefit in patients with CRPC. Other immunological approaches have also not given clear results, which has indirectly prevented breakthrough for this type of therapeutic strategy into clinical use. Currently, the only approved form of immunotherapy for patients with CRPC is a cell-based medicine, but it is only available to patients in some parts of the world. Based on what was gained from recently completed clinical research on immunotherapy with dendritic cell-based immunohybridomas, the aHyC dendritic cell vaccine for patients with CRPC, we highlight the current status and possible alternatives that should be considered in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Hawlina
- Clinical Department of Urology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Robert Zorec
- Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Celica Biomedical, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Helena H Chowdhury
- Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Celica Biomedical, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Campana LG, Daud A, Lancellotti F, Arroyo JP, Davalos RV, Di Prata C, Gehl J. Pulsed Electric Fields in Oncology: A Snapshot of Current Clinical Practices and Research Directions from the 4th World Congress of Electroporation. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3340. [PMID: 37444450 PMCID: PMC10340685 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The 4th World Congress of Electroporation (Copenhagen, 9-13 October 2022) provided a unique opportunity to convene leading experts in pulsed electric fields (PEF). PEF-based therapies harness electric fields to produce therapeutically useful effects on cancers and represent a valuable option for a variety of patients. As such, irreversible electroporation (IRE), gene electrotransfer (GET), electrochemotherapy (ECT), calcium electroporation (Ca-EP), and tumour-treating fields (TTF) are on the rise. Still, their full therapeutic potential remains underappreciated, and the field faces fragmentation, as shown by parallel maturation and differences in the stages of development and regulatory approval worldwide. This narrative review provides a glimpse of PEF-based techniques, including key mechanisms, clinical indications, and advances in therapy; finally, it offers insights into current research directions. By highlighting a common ground, the authors aim to break silos, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and pave the way to novel possibilities for intervention. Intriguingly, beyond their peculiar mechanism of action, PEF-based therapies share technical interconnections and multifaceted biological effects (e.g., vascular, immunological) worth exploiting in combinatorial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca G. Campana
- Department of Surgery, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Rd., Manchester M13 9WL, UK;
| | - Adil Daud
- Department of Medicine, University of California, 550 16 Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA;
| | - Francesco Lancellotti
- Department of Surgery, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Rd., Manchester M13 9WL, UK;
| | - Julio P. Arroyo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (J.P.A.); (R.V.D.)
| | - Rafael V. Davalos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (J.P.A.); (R.V.D.)
- Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Claudia Di Prata
- Department of Surgery, San Martino Hospital, 32100 Belluno, Italy;
| | - Julie Gehl
- Department of Clinical Oncology and Palliative Care, Zealand University Hospital, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark;
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1165 Copenhagen, Denmark
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Vishweshwaraiah YL, Dokholyan NV. mRNA vaccines for cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1029069. [PMID: 36591226 PMCID: PMC9794995 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1029069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a breakthrough strategy in cancer treatment. mRNA vaccines are an attractive and powerful immunotherapeutic platform against cancer because of their high potency, specificity, versatility, rapid and large-scale development capability, low-cost manufacturing potential, and safety. Recent technological advances in mRNA vaccine design and delivery have accelerated mRNA cancer vaccines' development and clinical application. In this review, we present various cancer vaccine platforms with a focus on nucleic acid vaccines. We discuss rational design and optimization strategies for mRNA cancer vaccine development. We highlight the platforms available for delivery of the mRNA vaccines with a focus on lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) based delivery systems. Finally, we discuss the limitations of mRNA cancer vaccines and future challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nikolay V. Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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Liu J, Fu M, Wang M, Wan D, Wei Y, Wei X. Cancer vaccines as promising immuno-therapeutics: platforms and current progress. J Hematol Oncol 2022; 15:28. [PMID: 35303904 PMCID: PMC8931585 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-022-01247-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 108.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on tumor immunotherapy has made tremendous progress in the past decades, with numerous studies entering the clinical evaluation. The cancer vaccine is considered a promising therapeutic strategy in the immunotherapy of solid tumors. Cancer vaccine stimulates anti-tumor immunity with tumor antigens, which could be delivered in the form of whole cells, peptides, nucleic acids, etc. Ideal cancer vaccines could overcome the immune suppression in tumors and induce both humoral immunity and cellular immunity. In this review, we introduced the working mechanism of cancer vaccines and summarized four platforms for cancer vaccine development. We also highlighted the clinical research progress of the cancer vaccines, especially focusing on their clinical application and therapeutic efficacy, which might hopefully facilitate the future design of the cancer vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Liu
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Minyang Fu
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Manni Wang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Dandan Wan
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuquan Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiawei Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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8
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Singh P, Muhammad I, Nelson NE, Tran KTM, Vinikoor T, Chorsi MT, D’Orio E, Nguyen TD. Transdermal delivery for gene therapy. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2022; 12:2613-2633. [PMID: 35538189 PMCID: PMC9089295 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-022-01138-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapy is a critical constituent of treatment approaches for genetic diseases and has gained tremendous attention. Treating and preventing diseases at the genetic level using genetic materials such as DNA or RNAs could be a new avenue in medicine. However, delivering genes is always a challenge as these molecules are sensitive to various enzymes inside the body, often produce systemic toxicity, and suffer from off-targeting problems. In this regard, transdermal delivery has emerged as an appealing approach to enable a high efficiency and low toxicity of genetic medicines. This review systematically summarizes outstanding transdermal gene delivery methods for applications in skin cancer treatment, vaccination, wound healing, and other therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parbeen Singh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA
| | - I’jaaz Muhammad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA
| | - Nicole E. Nelson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA
| | - Khanh T. M. Tran
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA
| | - Tra Vinikoor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA
| | - Meysam T. Chorsi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA ,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA
| | - Ethan D’Orio
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA ,Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Advanced Manufacturing for Energy Systems, Storrs, USA
| | - Thanh D. Nguyen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA ,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA
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Li Z, Fang X, Yu D. Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems and Their Use in Obesity Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12754. [PMID: 34884558 PMCID: PMC8657870 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) has recently emerged as an effective alternative to oral and injection administration because of its less invasiveness, low rejection rate, and excellent ease of administration. TDD has made an important contribution to medical practice such as diabetes, hemorrhoids, arthritis, migraine, and schizophrenia treatment, but has yet to fully achieve its potential in the treatment of obesity. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally and posed a significant threat to human health. Various approaches, including oral and injection administration have widely been used in clinical setting for obesity treatment. However, these traditional options remain ineffective and inconvenient, and carry risks of adverse effects. Therefore, alternative and advanced drug delivery strategies with higher efficacy and less toxicity such as TDD are urgently required for obesity treatment. This review summarizes current TDD technology, and the main anti-obesity drug delivery system. This review also provides insights into various anti-obesity drugs under study with a focus on the recent developments of TDD system for enhanced anti-obesity drug delivery. Although most of presented studies stay in animal stage, the application of TDD in anti-obesity drugs would have a significant impact on bringing safe and effective therapies to obese patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dahai Yu
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China; (Z.L.); (X.F.)
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Alimardani V, Abolmaali SS, Yousefi G, Rahiminezhad Z, Abedi M, Tamaddon A, Ahadian S. Microneedle Arrays Combined with Nanomedicine Approaches for Transdermal Delivery of Therapeutics. J Clin Med 2021; 10:E181. [PMID: 33419118 PMCID: PMC7825522 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10020181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Organic and inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have shown promising outcomes in transdermal drug delivery. NPs can not only enhance the skin penetration of small/biomacromolecule therapeutic agents but can also impart control over drug release or target impaired tissue. Thanks to their unique optical, photothermal, and superparamagnetic features, NPs have been also utilized for the treatment of skin disorders, imaging, and biosensing applications. Despite the widespread transdermal applications of NPs, their delivery across the stratum corneum, which is the main skin barrier, has remained challenging. Microneedle array (MN) technology has recently revealed promising outcomes in the delivery of various formulations, especially NPs to deliver both hydrophilic and hydrophobic therapeutic agents. The present work reviews the advancements in the application of MNs and NPs for an effective transdermal delivery of a wide range of therapeutics in cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy, photothermal and photodynamic therapy, peptide/protein vaccination, and the gene therapy of various diseases. In addition, this paper provides an overall insight on MNs' challenges and summarizes the recent achievements in clinical trials with future outlooks on the transdermal delivery of a wide range of nanomedicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Alimardani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45794, Iran; (V.A.); (Z.R.); (M.A.); (A.T.)
| | - Samira Sadat Abolmaali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45794, Iran; (V.A.); (Z.R.); (M.A.); (A.T.)
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45794, Iran;
| | - Gholamhossein Yousefi
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45794, Iran;
| | - Zahra Rahiminezhad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45794, Iran; (V.A.); (Z.R.); (M.A.); (A.T.)
| | - Mehdi Abedi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45794, Iran; (V.A.); (Z.R.); (M.A.); (A.T.)
| | - Alimohammad Tamaddon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45794, Iran; (V.A.); (Z.R.); (M.A.); (A.T.)
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45794, Iran;
| | - Samad Ahadian
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
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Gamat-Huber M, Jeon D, Johnson LE, Moseman JE, Muralidhar A, Potluri HK, Rastogi I, Wargowski E, Zahm CD, McNeel DG. Treatment Combinations with DNA Vaccines for the Treatment of Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC). Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12102831. [PMID: 33008010 PMCID: PMC7601088 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12102831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The only vaccine approved by FDA as a treatment for cancer is sipuleucel-T, a therapy for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Most investigators studying anti-tumor vaccines believe they will be most effective as parts of combination therapies, rather than used alone. Unfortunately, the cost and complexity of sipuleucel-T makes it difficult to feasibly be used in combination with many other agents. In this review article we discuss the use of DNA vaccines as a simpler vaccine approach that has demonstrated efficacy in several animal species. We discuss the use of DNA vaccines in combination with traditional treatments for mCRPC, and other immune-modulating treatments, in preclinical and early clinical trials for patients with mCRPC. Abstract Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is a challenging disease to treat, with poor outcomes for patients. One antitumor vaccine, sipuleucel-T, has been approved as a treatment for mCRPC. DNA vaccines are another form of immunotherapy under investigation. DNA immunizations elicit antigen-specific T cells that cause tumor cell lysis, which should translate to meaningful clinical responses. They are easily amenable to design alterations, scalable for large-scale manufacturing, and thermo-stable for easy transport and distribution. Hence, they offer advantages over other vaccine formulations. However, clinical trials with DNA vaccines as a monotherapy have shown only modest clinical effects against tumors. Standard therapies for CRPC including androgen-targeted therapies, radiation therapy and chemotherapy all have immunomodulatory effects, which combined with immunotherapies such as DNA vaccines, could potentially improve treatment. In addition, many investigational drugs are being developed which can augment antitumor immunity, and together with DNA vaccines can further enhance antitumor responses in preclinical models. We reviewed the literature available prior to July 2020 exploring the use of DNA vaccines in the treatment of prostate cancer. We also examined various approved and experimental therapies that could be combined with DNA vaccines to potentially improve their antitumor efficacy as treatments for mCRPC.
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Kiełbik A, Szlasa W, Saczko J, Kulbacka J. Electroporation-Based Treatments in Urology. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2208. [PMID: 32784598 PMCID: PMC7465806 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The observation that an application of a pulsed electric field (PEF) resulted in an increased permeability of the cell membrane has led to the discovery of the phenomenon called electroporation (EP). Depending on the parameters of the electric current and cell features, electroporation can be either reversible or irreversible. The irreversible electroporation (IRE) found its use in urology as a non-thermal ablative method of prostate and renal cancer. As its mechanism is based on the permeabilization of cell membrane phospholipids, IRE (as well as other treatments based on EP) provides selectivity sparing extracellular proteins and matrix. Reversible EP enables the transfer of genes, drugs, and small exogenous proteins. In clinical practice, reversible EP can locally increase the uptake of cytotoxic drugs such as cisplatin and bleomycin. This approach is known as electrochemotherapy (ECT). Few in vivo and in vitro trials of ECT have been performed on urological cancers. EP provides the possibility of transmission of genes across the cell membrane. As the protocols of gene electrotransfer (GET) over the last few years have improved, EP has become a well-known technique for non-viral cell transfection. GET involves DNA transfection directly to the cancer or the host skin and muscle tissue. Among urological cancers, the GET of several plasmids encoding prostate cancer antigens has been investigated in clinical trials. This review brings into discussion the underlying mechanism of EP and an overview of the latest progress and development perspectives of EP-based treatments in urology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksander Kiełbik
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (A.K.); (W.S.)
| | - Wojciech Szlasa
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (A.K.); (W.S.)
| | - Jolanta Saczko
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Julita Kulbacka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland;
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Petrushina I, Hovakimyan A, Harahap-Carrillo IS, Davtyan H, Antonyan T, Chailyan G, Kazarian K, Antonenko M, Jullienne A, Hamer MM, Obenaus A, King O, Zagorski K, Blurton-Jones M, Cribbs DH, Lander H, Ghochikyan A, Agadjanyan MG. Characterization and preclinical evaluation of the cGMP grade DNA based vaccine, AV-1959D to enter the first-in-human clinical trials. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 139:104823. [PMID: 32119976 PMCID: PMC8772258 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The DNA vaccine, AV-1959D, targeting N-terminal epitope of Aβ peptide, has been proven immunogenic in mice, rabbits, and non-human primates, while its therapeutic efficacy has been shown in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we report for the first time on IND-enabling biodistribution and safety/toxicology studies of cGMP-grade AV-1959D vaccine in the Tg2576 mouse model of AD. We also tested acute neuropathology safety profiles of AV-1959D in another AD disease model, Tg-SwDI mice with established vascular and parenchymal Aβ pathology in a pre-clinical translational study. Biodistribution studies two days after the injection demonstrated high copy numbers of AV-1959D plasmid after single immunization of Tg2576 mice at the injection sites but not in the tissues of distant organs. Plasmids persisted at the injection sites of some mice 60 days after vaccination. In Tg2576 mice with established amyloid pathology, we did not observe short- or long-term toxicities after multiple immunizations with three doses of AV-1959D. Assessment of the repeated dose acute safety of AV-1959D in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) prone Tg-SwDI mice did not reveal any immunotherapy-induced vasogenic edema detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or increased microhemorrhages. Multiple immunizations of Tg-SwDI mice with AV-1959D did not induce T and B cell infiltration, glial activation, vascular deposition of Aβ, or neuronal degeneration (necrosis and apoptosis) greater than that in the control group determined by immunohistochemistry of brain tissues. Taken together, the safety data from two different mouse models of AD substantiate a favorable safety profile of the cGMP grade AV-1959D vaccine supporting its progression to first-in-human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Petrushina
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Armine Hovakimyan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
| | | | - Hayk Davtyan
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA; Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tatevik Antonyan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
| | - Gor Chailyan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
| | - Konstantin Kazarian
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
| | - Maxim Antonenko
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
| | - Amandine Jullienne
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Mary M Hamer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Andre Obenaus
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Preclinical and Translational Imaging Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Olga King
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
| | - Karen Zagorski
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
| | - Mathew Blurton-Jones
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - David H Cribbs
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Harry Lander
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
| | - Anahit Ghochikyan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA.
| | - Michael G Agadjanyan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA, USA.
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Demchuk AM, Patel TR. The biomedical and bioengineering potential of protein nanocompartments. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 41:107547. [PMID: 32294494 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Protein nanocompartments (PNCs) are self-assembling biological nanocages that can be harnessed as platforms for a wide range of nanobiotechnology applications. The most widely studied examples of PNCs include virus-like particles, bacterial microcompartments, encapsulin nanocompartments, enzyme-derived nanocages (such as lumazine synthase and the E2 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex), ferritins and ferritin homologues, small heat shock proteins, and vault ribonucleoproteins. Structural PNC shell proteins are stable, biocompatible, and tolerant of both interior and exterior chemical or genetic functionalization for use as vaccines, therapeutic delivery vehicles, medical imaging aids, bioreactors, biological control agents, emulsion stabilizers, or scaffolds for biomimetic materials synthesis. This review provides an overview of the recent biomedical and bioengineering advances achieved with PNCs with a particular focus on recombinant PNC derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M Demchuk
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
| | - Trushar R Patel
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming, School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology and Discovery Lab, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, 6-010 Katz Center for Health Research, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada.
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Geboers B, Scheffer HJ, Graybill PM, Ruarus AH, Nieuwenhuizen S, Puijk RS, van den Tol PM, Davalos RV, Rubinsky B, de Gruijl TD, Miklavčič D, Meijerink MR. High-Voltage Electrical Pulses in Oncology: Irreversible Electroporation, Electrochemotherapy, Gene Electrotransfer, Electrofusion, and Electroimmunotherapy. Radiology 2020; 295:254-272. [PMID: 32208094 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2020192190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This review summarizes the use of high-voltage electrical pulses (HVEPs) in clinical oncology to treat solid tumors with irreversible electroporation (IRE) and electrochemotherapy (ECT). HVEPs increase the membrane permeability of cells, a phenomenon known as electroporation. Unlike alternative ablative therapies, electroporation does not affect the structural integrity of surrounding tissue, thereby enabling tumors in the vicinity of vital structures to be treated. IRE uses HVEPs to cause cell death by inducing membrane disruption, and it is primarily used as a radical ablative therapy in the treatment of soft-tissue tumors in the liver, kidney, prostate, and pancreas. ECT uses HVEPs to transiently increase membrane permeability, enhancing cellular cytotoxic drug uptake in tumors. IRE and ECT show immunogenic effects that could be augmented when combined with immunomodulatory drugs, a combination therapy the authors term electroimmunotherapy. Additional electroporation-based technologies that may reach clinical importance, such as gene electrotransfer, electrofusion, and electroimmunotherapy, are concisely reviewed. HVEPs represent a substantial advancement in cancer research, and continued improvement and implementation of these presented technologies will require close collaboration between engineers, interventional radiologists, medical oncologists, and immuno-oncologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Geboers
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Hester J Scheffer
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Philip M Graybill
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Alette H Ruarus
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Sanne Nieuwenhuizen
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Robbert S Puijk
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Petrousjka M van den Tol
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Rafael V Davalos
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Boris Rubinsky
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Tanja D de Gruijl
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Damijan Miklavčič
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
| | - Martijn R Meijerink
- From the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (B.G., H.J.S., A.H.R., S.N., R.S.P., M.R.M.), Surgery (P.M.v.d.T.), and Medical Oncology (T.D.d.G.), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Bioelectromechanical Systems Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, Va (P.M.G., R.V.D.); Department of Bioengineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif (B.R.); and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (D.M.)
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16
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Bovine papillomavirus prostate cancer antigen virus-like particle vaccines are efficacious in advanced cancers in the TRAMP mouse spontaneous prostate cancer model. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 69:641-651. [DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02493-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Abstract
With the spotlight on cancer immunotherapy and the expanding use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, strategies to improve the response rate and duration of current cancer immunotherapeutics are highly sought. In that sense, investigators around the globe have been putting spurs on the development of effective cancer vaccines in humans after decades of efforts that led to limited clinical success. In more than three decades of research in pursuit of targeted and personalized immunotherapy, several platforms have been incorporated into the list of cancer vaccines from live viral or bacterial agents harboring antigens to synthetic peptides with the hope of stronger and durable immune responses that will tackle cancers better. Unlike adoptive cell therapy, cancer vaccines can take advantage of using a patient's entire immune system that can include more than engineered receptors or ligands in developing antigen-specific responses. Advances in molecular technology also secured the use of genetically modified genes or proteins of interest to enhance the chance of stronger immune responses. The formulation of vaccines to increase chances of immune recognition such as nanoparticles for peptide delivery is another area of great interest. Studies indicate that cancer vaccines alone may elicit tumor-specific cellular or humoral responses in immunologic assays and even regression or shrinkage of the cancer in select trials, but novel strategies, especially in combination with other cancer therapies, are under study and are likely to be critical to achieve and optimize reliable objective responses and survival benefit. In this review, cancer vaccine platforms with different approaches to deliver tumor antigens and boost immunity are discussed with the intention of summarizing what we know and what we need to improve in the clinical trial setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoyoung M. Maeng
- Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jay A. Berzofsky
- Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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18
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Sun X, Zeng L, Huang Y. Transcutaneous delivery of DNA/mRNA for cancer therapeutic vaccination. J Gene Med 2019; 21:e3089. [PMID: 30958606 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic vaccination is a promising strategy for the immunotherapy of cancers. It eradicates cancer cells by evoking and strengthening the patient's own immune system. Because of the easy access and sophisticated immune networks, the skin becomes an ideal target organ for vaccination. Genetic vaccines have been widely investigated, with the advantages of the delivery of multiple antigens and a lower cost for production compared to protein/peptide vaccines. This review summarizes the advances made with respect to the transcutaneous delivery of DNA/mRNA for cancer therapeutic vaccination and also gives a brief description of the immunological milieu of the skin and the importance of dendritic cell-targeting in vaccine delivery, as well as the technologies that aim to facilitate antigen delivery and modulate antigen-presenting cells, thus improving cellular responses. The applications of genetic vaccines encoding tumor antigens delivered through the skin route, both in preclinical and clinical trials, are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Sun
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Linghui Zeng
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongzhuo Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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19
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Lopes A, Vandermeulen G, Préat V. Cancer DNA vaccines: current preclinical and clinical developments and future perspectives. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2019; 38:146. [PMID: 30953535 PMCID: PMC6449928 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1154-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent developments in immuno-oncology have opened an unprecedented avenue for the emergence of vaccine strategies. Therapeutic DNA cancer vaccines are now considered a very promising strategy to activate the immune system against cancer. In the past, several clinical trials using plasmid DNA vaccines demonstrated a good safety profile and the activation of a broad and specific immune response. However, these vaccines often demonstrated only modest therapeutic effects in clinical trials due to the immunosuppressive mechanisms developed by the tumor. To enhance the vaccine-induced immune response and the treatment efficacy, DNA vaccines could be improved by using two different strategies. The first is to increase their immunogenicity by selecting and optimizing the best antigen(s) to be inserted into the plasmid DNA. The second strategy is to combine DNA vaccines with other complementary therapies that could improve their activity by attenuating immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment or by increasing the activity/number of immune cells. A growing number of preclinical and clinical studies are adopting these two strategies to better exploit the potential of DNA vaccination. In this review, we analyze the last 5-year preclinical studies and 10-year clinical trials using plasmid DNA vaccines for cancer therapy. We also investigate the strategies that are being developed to overcome the limitations in cancer DNA vaccination, revisiting the rationale for different combinations of therapy and the different possibilities in antigen choice. Finally, we highlight the most promising developments and critical points that need to be addressed to move towards the approval of therapeutic cancer DNA vaccines as part of the standard of cancer care in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Lopes
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Avenue Mounier, 73, B1.73.12, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gaëlle Vandermeulen
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Avenue Mounier, 73, B1.73.12, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Véronique Préat
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Avenue Mounier, 73, B1.73.12, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
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20
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Chen X. Current and future technological advances in transdermal gene delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018; 127:85-105. [PMID: 29273516 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2017.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Revised: 11/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Transdermal gene delivery holds significant advantages as it is able to minimize the problems of systemic administration such as enzymatic degradation, systemic toxicity, and poor delivery to target tissues. This technology has the potential to transform the treatment and prevention of a range of diseases. However, the skin poses a great barrier for gene delivery because of the "bricks-and-mortar" structure of the stratum corneum and the tight junctions between keratinocytes in the epidermis. This review systematically summarizes the typical physical and chemical approaches to overcome these barriers and facilitate gene delivery via skin for applications in vaccination, wound healing, skin cancers and skin diseases. Next, the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches are discussed and the insights for future development are provided.
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21
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Yang Y, Shao Z, Gao J. Antitumor Effect of a DNA Vaccine Harboring Prostate Cancer-Specific Antigen with IL-12 as an Intramolecular Adjuvant. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 27:168-174. [PMID: 28772273 DOI: 10.1159/000477245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
To improve the lower immune intensity of DNA vaccines, we developed a DNA vaccine based on prostate cancer-specific antigen (PSA), which has been suggested as a potential target for prostate cancer therapy, and enhanced the DNA vaccine potency using interleukin-12 (IL-12) as an intramolecular adjuvant. A series of DNA plasmids encoding human PSA, IL-12, and their conjugates was constructed and injected into female mice intramuscularly, followed by an electric pulse. The humoral and cellular immune responses after immunization were detected by ELISA and ELISPOT, respectively. To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of these plasmids, a mouse model with a PSA-expressing tumor was constructed. Mice vaccinated with PSA-IL-12 plasmids elicited the strongest PSA-specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Furthermore, these vaccinations inhibited the growth of PSA-expressing tumors and prolonged mouse survival. These observations emphasize the potential of the IL-12 gene as an intramolecular adjuvant for DNA vaccines. Moreover, the vaccine based on PSA and IL-12 may be a promising treatment for prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yang
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
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22
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Abstract
DNA vaccines offer many advantages over other anti-tumor vaccine approaches due to their simplicity, ease of manufacturing, and safety. Results from several clinical trials in patients with cancer have demonstrated that DNA vaccines are safe and can elicit immune responses. However, to date few DNA vaccines have progressed beyond phase I clinical trial evaluation. Studies into the mechanism of action of DNA vaccines in terms of antigen-presenting cell types able to directly present or cross-present DNA-encoded antigens, and the activation of innate immune responses due to DNA itself, have suggested opportunities to increase the immunogenicity of these vaccines. In addition, studies into the mechanisms of tumor resistance to anti-tumor vaccination have suggested combination approaches that can increase the anti-tumor effect of DNA vaccines. This review focuses on these mechanisms of action and mechanisms of resistance using DNA vaccines, and how this information is being used to improve the anti-tumor effect of DNA vaccines. These approaches are then specifically discussed in the context of human prostate cancer, a disease for which DNA vaccines have been and continue to be explored as treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Zahm
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, United States
| | - Viswa Teja Colluru
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, United States
| | - Douglas G McNeel
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, United States.
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23
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McNeel DG, Bander NH, Beer TM, Drake CG, Fong L, Harrelson S, Kantoff PW, Madan RA, Oh WK, Peace DJ, Petrylak DP, Porterfield H, Sartor O, Shore ND, Slovin SF, Stein MN, Vieweg J, Gulley JL. The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer consensus statement on immunotherapy for the treatment of prostate carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer 2016; 4:92. [PMID: 28031820 PMCID: PMC5170901 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-016-0198-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy and second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. In recent years, several new agents, including cancer immunotherapies, have been approved or are currently being investigated in late-stage clinical trials for the management of advanced prostate cancer. Therefore, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened a multidisciplinary panel, including physicians, nurses, and patient advocates, to develop consensus recommendations for the clinical application of immunotherapy for prostate cancer patients. To do so, a systematic literature search was performed to identify high-impact papers from 2006 until 2014 and was further supplemented with literature provided by the panel. Results from the consensus panel voting and discussion as well as the literature review were used to rate supporting evidence and generate recommendations for the use of immunotherapy in prostate cancer patients. Sipuleucel-T, an autologous dendritic cell vaccine, is the first and currently only immunotherapeutic agent approved for the clinical management of metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The consensus panel utilized this model to discuss immunotherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer, issues related to patient selection, monitoring of patients during and post treatment, and sequence/combination with other anti-cancer treatments. Potential immunotherapies emerging from late-stage clinical trials are also discussed. As immunotherapy evolves as a therapeutic option for the treatment of prostate cancer, these recommendations will be updated accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas G McNeel
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, 7007 WIMR, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
| | - Neil H Bander
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Laboratory of Urological Oncology E-300, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10021 USA
| | - Tomasz M Beer
- Oregon Health and Science University Knight Cancer Institute, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239 USA
| | - Charles G Drake
- Johns Hopkins University, 1650 Orleans Street Room 410, Baltimore, MD 21287 USA
| | - Lawrence Fong
- University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Ave, Room HSF 301, Box 1270, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
| | - Stacey Harrelson
- Carolina Urologic Research Center, 823 82nd Parkway, Suite B, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 USA
| | - Philip W Kantoff
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021 USA
| | - Ravi A Madan
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - William K Oh
- Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1079, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - David J Peace
- University of Illinois, 840 S Wood Street, Suite 820, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | | | - Hank Porterfield
- Alliance for Prostate Cancer Prevention, 17660 Tamiami Trail, Suite 106, Fort Myers, FL 33908 USA
| | - Oliver Sartor
- Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, SL-42, New Orleans, LA 70112 USA
| | - Neal D Shore
- Carolina Urologic Research Center, 823 82nd Parkway, Suite B, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 USA
| | - Susan F Slovin
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021 USA
| | - Mark N Stein
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08903 USA
| | - Johannes Vieweg
- Nova Southeastern University, 3200 South University Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328 USA
| | - James L Gulley
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, 10 Center Drive, 13N240, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
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Zeng Q, Gammon JM, Tostanoski LH, Chiu YC, Jewell CM. In Vivo Expansion of Melanoma-Specific T Cells Using Microneedle Arrays Coated with Immune-Polyelectrolyte Multilayers. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 3:195-205. [PMID: 28286864 PMCID: PMC5338335 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
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Microneedles
(MNs) are micron-scale polymeric or metallic structures
that offer distinct advantages for vaccines by efficiently targeting
skin-resident immune cells, eliminating injection-associated pain,
and improving patient compliance. These advantages, along with recent
studies showing therapeutic benefits achieved using traditional intradermal
injections in human cancer patients, suggest MN delivery might enhance
cancer vaccines and immunotherapies. We recently developed a new class
of polyelectrolyte multilayers based on the self-assembly of model
peptide antigens and molecular toll-like receptor agonists (TLRa)
into ultrathin, conformal coatings. Here, we reasoned that these immune
polyelectrolyte multilayers (iPEMs) might be a useful platform for
assembling cancer vaccine components on MN arrays for intradermal
delivery from these substrates. Using conserved human melanoma antigens
and a potent TLRa vaccine adjuvant, CpG, we show that iPEMs can be
assembled on MNs in an automated fashion. These films, prepared with
up to 128 layers, are approximately 200 nm thick but provide cancer
vaccine cargo loading >225 μg/cm2. In cell culture,
iPEM cargo released from MNs is internalized by primary dendritic
cells, promotes activation of these cells, and expands T cells during
coculture. In mice, application of iPEM-coated MNs results in the
codelivery of tumor antigen and CpG through the skin, expanding tumor-specific
T cells during initial MN applications and resulting in larger memory
recall responses during a subsequent booster MN application. This
study support MNs coated with PEMs built from tumor vaccine components
as a well-defined, modular system for generating tumor-specific immune
responses, enabling new approaches that can be explored in combination
with checkpoint blockade or other combination cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Zeng
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park , 8228 Paint Branch Drive, 2212 Jeong H. Kim Building, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Joshua M Gammon
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park , 8228 Paint Branch Drive, 2212 Jeong H. Kim Building, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Lisa H Tostanoski
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park , 8228 Paint Branch Drive, 2212 Jeong H. Kim Building, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Yu-Chieh Chiu
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park , 8228 Paint Branch Drive, 2212 Jeong H. Kim Building, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Christopher M Jewell
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, 8228 Paint Branch Drive, 2212 Jeong H. Kim Building, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Medical School, 685 West Baltimore Street, HSF-I Suite 380, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States; Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, 22 S. Greene Street, Suite N9E17, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
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25
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Tiptiri-Kourpeti A, Spyridopoulou K, Pappa A, Chlichlia K. DNA vaccines to attack cancer: Strategies for improving immunogenicity and efficacy. Pharmacol Ther 2016; 165:32-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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26
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McCoy JR, Mendoza JM, Spik KW, Badger C, Gomez AF, Schmaljohn CS, Sardesai NY, Broderick KE. A multi-head intradermal electroporation device allows for tailored and increased dose DNA vaccine delivery to the skin. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2015; 11:746-54. [PMID: 25839221 DOI: 10.4161/21645515.2014.978223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of an effective and tolerable delivery method is a necessity for the success of DNA vaccines in the clinic. This article describes the development and validation of a multi-headed intradermal electroporation device which would be applicable for delivering multiple DNA vaccine plasmids simultaneously but spatially separated. Reporter gene plasmids expressing green and red fluorescent proteins were used to demonstrate the impact of spatial separation on DNA delivery to increase the number of transfected cells and avoid interference through visible expression patterns. To investigate the impact of plasmid interference on immunogenicity, a disease target was investigated where issues with multi-valent vaccines had been previously described. DNA-based Hantaan and Puumala virus vaccines were delivered separately or as a combination and the effect of multi-valence was determined by appropriate assays. While a negative impact was observed for both antigenic vaccines when delivered together, these effects were mitigated when the vaccine was delivered using the multi-head device. We also demonstrate how the multi-head device facilitates higher dose delivery to the skin resulting in improved immune responses. This new multi-head platform device is an efficient, tolerable and non-invasive method to deliver multiple plasmid DNA constructs simultaneously allowing the tailoring of delivery sites for combination vaccines. Additionally, this device would allow the delivery of multi-plasmid vaccine formulations without risk of impacted immune responses through interference. Such a low-cost, easy to use device platform for the delivery of multi-agent DNA vaccines would have direct applications by the military and healthcare sectors for mass vaccination purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay R McCoy
- a Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. ; Blue Bell , PA USA
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27
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Lambricht L, Lopes A, Kos S, Sersa G, Préat V, Vandermeulen G. Clinical potential of electroporation for gene therapy and DNA vaccine delivery. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2015; 13:295-310. [PMID: 26578324 DOI: 10.1517/17425247.2016.1121990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Electroporation allows efficient delivery of DNA into cells and tissues, thereby improving the expression of therapeutic or immunogenic proteins that are encoded by plasmid DNA. This simple and versatile method holds a great potential and could address unmet medical needs such as the prevention or treatment of many cancers or infectious diseases. AREAS COVERED This review explores the electroporation mechanism and the parameters affecting its efficacy. An analysis of past and current clinical trials focused on DNA electroporation is presented. The pathologies addressed, the protocol used, the treatment outcome and the tolerability are highlighted. In addition, several of the possible optimization strategies for improving patient compliance and therapeutic efficacy are discussed such as plasmid design, use of genetic adjuvants for DNA vaccines, choice of appropriate delivery site and electrodes as well as pulse parameters. EXPERT OPINION The growing number of clinical trials and the results already available underline the strong potential of DNA electroporation which combines both safety and efficiency. Nevertheless, it remains critical to further increase fundamental knowledge to refine future strategies, to develop concerted and common DNA electroporation protocols and to continue exploring new electroporation-based therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Lambricht
- a Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute , Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials , Brussels , Belgium
| | - Alessandra Lopes
- a Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute , Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials , Brussels , Belgium
| | - Spela Kos
- b Institute of Oncology Ljubljana , Department of Experimental Oncology , Ljubljana , Slovenia
| | - Gregor Sersa
- b Institute of Oncology Ljubljana , Department of Experimental Oncology , Ljubljana , Slovenia
| | - Véronique Préat
- a Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute , Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials , Brussels , Belgium
| | - Gaëlle Vandermeulen
- a Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute , Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials , Brussels , Belgium
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28
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Aghazadeh-Habashi A, Yang Y, Tang K, Lőbenberg R, Doschak MR. Transdermal drug delivery: feasibility for treatment of superficial bone stress fractures. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2015; 5:540-51. [DOI: 10.1007/s13346-015-0257-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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29
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Intradermal DNA Electroporation Induces Cellular and Humoral Immune Response and Confers Protection against HER2/neu Tumor. J Immunol Res 2015; 2015:159145. [PMID: 26247038 PMCID: PMC4515534 DOI: 10.1155/2015/159145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Revised: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Skin represents an attractive target for DNA vaccine delivery because of its natural richness in APCs, whose targeting may potentiate the effect of vaccination. Nevertheless, intramuscular electroporation is the most common delivery method for ECTM vaccination. In this study we assessed whether intradermal administration could deliver the vaccine into different cell types and we analyzed the evolution of tissue infiltrate elicited by the vaccination protocol. Intradermal electroporation (EP) vaccination resulted in transfection of different skin layers, as well as mononuclear cells. Additionally, we observed a marked recruitment of reactive infiltrates mainly 6–24 hours after treatment and inflammatory cells included CD11c+.
Moreover, we tested the efficacy of intradermal vaccination against Her2/neu antigen in cellular and humoral response induction and consequent protection from a Her2/neu tumor challenge in Her2/neu nontolerant and tolerant mice. A significant delay in transplantable tumor onset was observed in both BALB/c (p ≤ 0,0003) and BALB-neuT mice (p = 0,003). Moreover, BALB-neuT mice displayed slow tumor growth as compared to control group (p < 0,0016). In addition, while in vivo cytotoxic response was observed only in BALB/c mice, a significant antibody response was achieved in both mouse models. Our results identify intradermal EP vaccination as a promising method for delivering Her2/neu DNA vaccine.
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30
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Cole G, McCaffrey J, Ali AA, McCarthy HO. DNA vaccination for prostate cancer: key concepts and considerations. Cancer Nanotechnol 2015; 6:2. [PMID: 26161151 PMCID: PMC4488504 DOI: 10.1186/s12645-015-0010-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
While locally confined prostate cancer is associated with a low five year mortality rate, advanced or metastatic disease remains a major challenge for healthcare professionals to treat and is usually terminal. As such, there is a need for the development of new, efficacious therapies for prostate cancer. Immunotherapy represents a promising approach where the host's immune system is harnessed to mount an anti-tumour effect, and the licensing of the first prostate cancer specific immunotherapy in 2010 has opened the door for other immunotherapies to gain regulatory approval. Among these strategies DNA vaccines are an attractive option in terms of their ability to elicit a highly specific, potent and wide-sweeping immune response. Several DNA vaccines have been tested for prostate cancer and while they have demonstrated a good safety profile they have faced problems with low efficacy and immunogenicity compared to other immunotherapeutic approaches. This review focuses on the positive aspects of DNA vaccines for prostate cancer that have been assessed in preclinical and clinical trials thus far and examines the key considerations that must be employed to improve the efficacy and immunogenicity of these vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Cole
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL Northern Ireland UK
| | - Joanne McCaffrey
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL Northern Ireland UK
| | - Ahlam A Ali
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL Northern Ireland UK
| | - Helen O McCarthy
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL Northern Ireland UK
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31
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Bloy N, Buqué A, Aranda F, Castoldi F, Eggermont A, Cremer I, Sautès-Fridman C, Fucikova J, Galon J, Spisek R, Tartour E, Zitvogel L, Kroemer G, Galluzzi L. Trial watch: Naked and vectored DNA-based anticancer vaccines. Oncoimmunology 2015; 4:e1026531. [PMID: 26155408 PMCID: PMC4485755 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2015.1026531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
One type of anticancer vaccine relies on the administration of DNA constructs encoding one or multiple tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). The ultimate objective of these preparations, which can be naked or vectored by non-pathogenic viruses, bacteria or yeast cells, is to drive the synthesis of TAAs in the context of an immunostimulatory milieu, resulting in the (re-)elicitation of a tumor-targeting immune response. In spite of encouraging preclinical results, the clinical efficacy of DNA-based vaccines employed as standalone immunotherapeutic interventions in cancer patients appears to be limited. Thus, efforts are currently being devoted to the development of combinatorial regimens that allow DNA-based anticancer vaccines to elicit clinically relevant immune responses. Here, we discuss recent advances in the preclinical and clinical development of this therapeutic paradigm.
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Key Words
- AFP, α-fetoprotein
- APC, antigen-presenting cell
- CDR, complementarity-determining region
- CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen
- CIN, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
- CTLA4, cytotoxic T lymphocyte protein 4
- DAMP, damage-associated molecular pattern
- DC, dendritic cell
- FDA, Food and Drug Administration
- GM-CSF, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor
- GX-188E
- HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma
- HNSCC, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
- HPV, human papillomavirus
- IL, interleukin
- OS, overall survival
- OVA, ovalbumin
- PAP, prostate acid phosphatase
- SCGB2A2, secretoglobin, family 2A, member 2
- SOX2, SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 2
- T, brachyury homolog
- TAA, tumor-associated antigen
- TLR, Toll-like receptor
- TRA, tumor rejection antigen
- Treg, regulatory T cell
- VGX-3100
- WT1, Wilms tumor 1
- adjuvants
- dendritic cell
- electroporation
- mucosal immunity
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Affiliation(s)
- Norma Bloy
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus; Villejuif, France
- INSERM, U1138; Paris, France
- Equipe 11 labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer; Center de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
| | - Aitziber Buqué
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus; Villejuif, France
- INSERM, U1138; Paris, France
- Equipe 11 labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer; Center de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
| | - Fernando Aranda
- Group of Immune receptors of the Innate and Adaptive System; Institut d’Investigacions Biomédiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS); Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesca Castoldi
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus; Villejuif, France
- INSERM, U1138; Paris, France
- Equipe 11 labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer; Center de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
- Faculté de Medicine; Université Paris Sud/Paris XI; Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Sotio a.c; Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Isabelle Cremer
- INSERM, U1138; Paris, France
- Equipe 13; Center de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI; Paris, France
| | - Catherine Sautès-Fridman
- INSERM, U1138; Paris, France
- Equipe 13; Center de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI; Paris, France
| | - Jitka Fucikova
- Sotio a.c; Prague, Czech Republic
- Dept. of Immunology; 2 Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol; Charles University; Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jérôme Galon
- INSERM, U1138; Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI; Paris, France
- Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology; Center de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V; Sorbonne Paris Cité; Paris, France
| | - Radek Spisek
- Sotio a.c; Prague, Czech Republic
- Dept. of Immunology; 2 Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol; Charles University; Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eric Tartour
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V; Sorbonne Paris Cité; Paris, France
- INSERM, U970; Paris, France
- Paris-Cardiovascular Research Center (PARCC); Paris, France
- Service d'Immunologie Biologique; Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou (HEGP); AP-HP; Paris, France
| | - Laurence Zitvogel
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus; Villejuif, France
- INSERM, U1015, CICBT507; Villejuif, France
| | - Guido Kroemer
- INSERM, U1138; Paris, France
- Equipe 11 labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer; Center de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI; Paris, France
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V; Sorbonne Paris Cité; Paris, France
- Pôle de Biologie; Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou; AP-HP; Paris, France
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms; Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus; Villejuif, France
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus; Villejuif, France
- INSERM, U1138; Paris, France
- Equipe 11 labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer; Center de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI; Paris, France
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V; Sorbonne Paris Cité; Paris, France
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32
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Broderick KE, Humeau LM. Electroporation-enhanced delivery of nucleic acid vaccines. Expert Rev Vaccines 2014; 14:195-204. [PMID: 25487734 DOI: 10.1586/14760584.2015.990890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The naked delivery of nucleic acid vaccines is notoriously inefficient, and an enabling delivery technology is required to direct efficiently these constructs intracellularly. A delivery technology capable of enhancing nucleic acid uptake in both cells in tissues and in culture is electroporation (EP). EP is a physical delivery mechanism that increases the permeability of mammalian cell membranes and allows the trafficking of large macromolecules into the cell. EP has now been used extensively in the clinic and been shown to be an effective method to increase both the uptake of the construct and the breadth and magnitude of the resulting immune responses. Excitingly, 2014 saw the announcement of the first EP-enhanced DNA vaccine Phase II trial demonstrating clinical efficacy. This review seeks to introduce the reader to EP as a technology to enhance the delivery of DNA and RNA vaccines and highlight several published clinical trials using this delivery modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate E Broderick
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc., 660 West Germantown Pike, Suite 110, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, USA
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33
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Abstract
Plasmid or non-viral gene therapy offers an alternative to classic viral gene delivery that negates the need for a biological vector. In this case, delivery is enhanced by a variety of approaches including lipid or polymer conjugation, particle-mediated delivery, hydrodynamic delivery, ultrasound or electroporation. Electroporation was originally used as a laboratory tool to deliver DNA to bacterial and mammalian cells in culture. Electrode development allowed this technique to be modified for in vivo use. After preclinical therapeutic studies, clinical delivery of cell impermeant chemotherapeutic agents progressed to clinical delivery of plasmid DNA. One huge benefit of this delivery technique is its malleability. The pulse protocol used for plasmid delivery can be fine-tuned to control the levels and duration of subsequent transgene expression. This fine-tuning allows transgene expression to be tailored to each therapeutic application. Effective and appropriate expression induces the desired clinical response that is a critical component for any gene therapy. This chapter focuses on clinical trials using in vivo electroporation or electrotransfer as a plasmid delivery method. The first clinical trial was initiated in 2004, and now more than fifty trials use electric fields for gene delivery. Safety and tolerability has been demonstrated by several groups, and early clinical efficacy results are promising in both cancer therapeutic and infectious disease vaccine applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Heller
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA; School of Medical Diagnostics and Translational Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Loree C Heller
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA; School of Medical Diagnostics and Translational Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
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34
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McCoy JR, Mendoza JM, Spik KW, Badger C, Gomez AF, Schmaljohn CS, Sardesai NY, Broderick KE. A multi-head intradermal electroporation device allows for tailored and increased dose DNA vaccine delivery to the skin. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2014; 10:3039-47. [PMID: 25483486 PMCID: PMC5443063 DOI: 10.4161/hv.29671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of an effective and tolerable delivery method is a necessity for the success of DNA vaccines in the clinic. This manuscript describes the development and validation of a multi-headed intradermal electroporation device which would be applicable for delivering multiple DNA vaccine plasmids simultaneously but spatially separated. Reporter gene plasmids expressing green and red fluorescent proteins were used to demonstrate the impact of spatial separation on DNA delivery to increase the number of transfected cells and avoid interference through visible expression patterns. To investigate the impact of plasmid interference on immunogenicity, a disease target was investigated where issues with multi-valent vaccines had been previously described. DNA-based Hantaan and Puumala virus vaccines were delivered separately or as a combination and the effect of multi-valence was determined by appropriate assays. While a negative impact was observed for both antigenic vaccines when delivered together, these effects were mitigated when the vaccine was delivered using the multi-head device. We also demonstrate how the multi-head device facilitates higher dose delivery to the skin resulting in improved immune responses. This new multi-head platform device is an efficient, tolerable and non-invasive method to deliver multiple plasmid DNA constructs simultaneously allowing the tailoring of delivery sites for combination vaccines. Additionally, this device would allow the delivery of multi-plasmid vaccine formulations without risk of impacted immune responses through interference. Such a low-cost, easy to use device platform for the delivery of multi-agent DNA vaccines would have direct applications by the military and healthcare sectors for mass vaccination purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay R McCoy
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Plymouth Meeting, PA USA
| | | | - Kristin W Spik
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases; Fort Detrick, MD USA
| | - Catherine Badger
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases; Fort Detrick, MD USA
| | - Alan F Gomez
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Plymouth Meeting, PA USA
| | - Connie S Schmaljohn
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases; Fort Detrick, MD USA
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35
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Abstract
This special issue is focused on DNA vaccines, marking the two decades since the first demonstration of pre-clinical protection was published in Science (Ulmer et al.; Heterologous protection against influenza by injection of DNA encoding a viral protein. 1993). This introductory article provides an overview of the field and highlights the observations of the articles in this special issue while placing them in the context of other recent publications.
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36
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Cavallo F, Aurisicchio L, Mancini R, Ciliberto G. Xenogene vaccination in the therapy of cancer. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2014; 14:1427-42. [DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2014.927433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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37
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Marwah H, Garg T, Goyal AK, Rath G. Permeation enhancer strategies in transdermal drug delivery. Drug Deliv 2014; 23:564-78. [DOI: 10.3109/10717544.2014.935532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 254] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
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38
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Pol J, Bloy N, Obrist F, Eggermont A, Galon J, Hervé Fridman W, Cremer I, Zitvogel L, Kroemer G, Galluzzi L. Trial Watch: DNA vaccines for cancer therapy. Oncoimmunology 2014; 3:e28185. [PMID: 24800178 PMCID: PMC4008456 DOI: 10.4161/onci.28185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During the past 2 decades, the possibility that preparations capable of eliciting tumor-specific immune responses would mediate robust therapeutic effects in cancer patients has received renovated interest. In this context, several approaches to vaccinate cancer patients against their own malignancies have been conceived, including the administration of DNA constructs coding for one or more tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). Such DNA-based vaccines conceptually differ from other types of gene therapy in that they are not devised to directly kill cancer cells or sensitize them to the cytotoxic activity of a drug, but rather to elicit a tumor-specific immune response. In spite of an intense wave of preclinical development, the introduction of this immunotherapeutic paradigm into the clinical practice is facing difficulties. Indeed, while most DNA-based anticancer vaccines are well tolerated by cancer patients, they often fail to generate therapeutically relevant clinical responses. In this Trial Watch, we discuss the latest advances on the use of DNA-based vaccines in cancer therapy, discussing the literature that has been produced around this topic during the last 13 months as well as clinical studies that have been launched in the same time frame to assess the actual therapeutic potential of this intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Pol
- Gustave Roussy; Villejuif, France ; INSERM, U848; Villejuif, France ; Equipe 11 labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France ; Université Paris-Sud/Paris XI; Paris, France
| | - Norma Bloy
- Gustave Roussy; Villejuif, France ; INSERM, U848; Villejuif, France ; Equipe 11 labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France ; Université Paris-Sud/Paris XI; Paris, France
| | - Florine Obrist
- Gustave Roussy; Villejuif, France ; INSERM, U848; Villejuif, France ; Equipe 11 labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France ; Université Paris-Sud/Paris XI; Paris, France
| | | | - Jérôme Galon
- Université Paris Descartes/Paris V; Sorbonne Paris Cité; Paris, France ; Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI; Paris, France ; INSERM, UMRS1138; Paris, France ; Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology; Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
| | - Wolf Hervé Fridman
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI; Paris, France ; INSERM, UMRS1138; Paris, France ; Equipe 13, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Cremer
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI; Paris, France ; INSERM, UMRS1138; Paris, France ; Equipe 13, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France
| | - Laurence Zitvogel
- Gustave Roussy; Villejuif, France ; INSERM, U1015; CICBT507; Villejuif, France
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Pôle de Biologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP; Paris, France ; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy; Villejuif, France ; INSERM, U848; Villejuif, France ; Equipe 11 labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes/Paris V; Sorbonne Paris Cité; Paris, France
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Gustave Roussy; Villejuif, France ; Equipe 11 labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers; Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes/Paris V; Sorbonne Paris Cité; Paris, France
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Schoellhammer CM, Blankschtein D, Langer R. Skin permeabilization for transdermal drug delivery: recent advances and future prospects. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2014; 11:393-407. [PMID: 24392787 PMCID: PMC3980659 DOI: 10.1517/17425247.2014.875528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Transdermal delivery has potential advantages over other routes of administration. It could reduce first-pass metabolism associated with oral delivery and is less painful than injections. However, the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), limits passive diffusion to small lipophilic molecules. Therefore, methods are needed to safely permeabilize the SC so that ionic and larger molecules may be delivered transdermally. AREAS COVERED This review focuses on low-frequency sonophoresis, microneedles, electroporation and iontophoresis, and combinations of these methods to permeabilize the SC. The mechanisms of enhancements and developments in the last 5 years are discussed. Potentially high-impact applications, including protein delivery, vaccination and sensing are presented. Finally, commercial interest and clinical trials are discussed. EXPERT OPINION Not all permeabilization methods are appropriate for all applications. Focused studies into applications utilizing the advantages of each method are needed. The total dose and kinetics of delivery must be considered. Vaccination is one application where permeabilization methods could make an impact. Protein delivery and analyte sensing are also areas of potential impact, although the amount of material that can be delivered (or extracted) is of critical importance. Additional work on the miniaturization of these technologies will help to increase commercial interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl M Schoellhammer
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering , Room 76-661, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 , USA +1 617 253 3107 ; +1 617 258 8827 ;
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Riccardo F, Bolli E, Macagno M, Arigoni M, Cavallo F, Quaglino E. Chimeric DNA Vaccines: An Effective Way to Overcome Immune Tolerance. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2014; 405:99-122. [PMID: 25294003 DOI: 10.1007/82_2014_426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The fact that cancer immunotherapy is considered to be a safe and successful weapon for use in combination with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments means that it has recently been chosen as Breakthrough of the Year 2013 by Science editors. Anticancer vaccines have been extensively tested, in this field, both in preclinical cancer models and in the clinic. However, tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are often self-tolerated molecules and cancer patients suffer from strong immunosuppressive effects, meaning that the triggering of an effective anti-tumor immune response is difficult. One possible means to overcome immunological tolerance to self-TAAs is of course the use of vaccines that code for xenogeneic proteins. However, a low-affinity antibody response against the self-homologous protein expressed by cancer cells is generally induced by xenovaccination. This issue becomes extremely limiting when working with tumors in which the contribution of the humoral rather than the cellular immune response is required if tumor growth is to be hampered. A possible way to avoid this problem is to use hybrid vaccines which code for chimeric proteins that include both homologous and xenogeneic moieties. In fact, a superior protective anti-tumor immune response against ErbB2+ transplantable and autochthonous mammary tumors was observed over plasmids that coded for the fully rat or fully human proteins when hybrid plasmids that coded for chimeric rat/human ErbB2 protein were tested in ErbB2 transgenic mice. In principle, these findings may become the basis for a new rational means of designing effective vaccines against TAAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Riccardo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Bolli
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Marco Macagno
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Maddalena Arigoni
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Federica Cavallo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Elena Quaglino
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy.
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In vivo electroporation of minicircle DNA as a novel method of vaccine delivery to enhance HIV-1-specific immune responses. J Virol 2013; 88:1924-34. [PMID: 24284319 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02757-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA vaccines offer advantage over conventional vaccines, as they are safer to use, easier to produce, and able to induce humoral as well cellular immune responses. Unfortunately, no DNA vaccines have been licensed for human use for the difficulties in developing an efficient and safe in vivo gene delivery system. In vivo electroporation (EP)-based DNA delivery has attracted great attention for its potency to enhance cellular uptake of DNA vaccines and function as an adjuvant. Minicircle DNA (a new form of DNA containing only a gene expression cassette and lacking a backbone of bacterial plasmid DNA) is a powerful candidate of gene delivery in terms of improving the levels and the duration of transgene expression in vivo. In this study, as a novel vaccine delivery system, we combined in vivo EP and the minicircle DNA carrying a codon-optimized HIV-1 gag gene (minicircle-gag) to evaluate the immunogenicity of this system. We found that minicircle-gag conferred persistent and high levels of gag expression in vitro and in vivo. The use of EP delivery further increased minicircle-based gene expression. Moreover, when delivered by EP, minicircle-gag vaccination elicited a 2- to 3-fold increase in cellular immune response and a 1.5- to 3-fold augmentation of humoral immune responses compared with those elicited by a pVAX1-gag positive control. Increased immunogenicity of EP-assisted minicircle-gag may benefit from increasing local antigen expression, upregulating inflammatory genes, and recruiting immune cells. Collectively, in vivo EP of minicircle DNA functions as a novel vaccine platform that can enhance efficacy and immunogenicity of DNA vaccines.
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