An infection-enhanced oncolytic adenovirus secreting H. pylori neutrophil-activating protein with therapeutic effects on neuroendocrine tumors. Mol Ther. 2013;21:2008-2018. [PMID: 23817216 PMCID: PMC3831034 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2013.153]

Personalizing Oncolytic Immunovirotherapy Approaches

Development of successful cancer therapeutics requires exploration of the differences in genetics, metabolism, and interactions with the immune system among malignant and normal cells. The clinical observation of spontaneous tumor regression following natural infection with microorganism has created the premise of their use as cancer therapeutics. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) originate from viruses with attenuated virulence in humans, well-characterized vaccine strains of known human pathogens, or engineered replication-deficient viral vectors. Their selectivity is based on receptor expression level and post entry restriction factors that favor replication in the tumor, while keeping the normal cells unharmed. Clinical trials have demonstrated a wide range of patient responses to virotherapy, with subgroups of patients significantly benefiting from OV administration. Tumor-specific gene signatures, including antiviral interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression profile, have demonstrated a strong correlation with tumor permissiveness to infection. Furthermore, the combination of OVs with immunotherapeutics, including anticancer vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitors [ICIs, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 or anti-CTLA-4 and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T or CAR-NK cells], could synergistically improve the therapeutic outcome. Creating response prediction algorithms represents an important step for the transition to individualized immunovirotherapy approaches in the clinic. Integrative predictors could include tumor mutational burden (TMB), inflammatory gene signature, phenotype of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, tumor microenvironment (TME), and immune checkpoint receptor expression on both immune and target cells. Additionally, the gut microbiota has recently been recognized as a systemic immunomodulatory factor and could further be used in the optimization of individualized immunovirotherapy algorithms.

Special Issue "Bacterial Toxins and Cancer"

Infection is a major contributor to the development of cancer, with more than 15% of new cancer diagnoses estimated to be caused by infection [...].

Oncolytic virotherapy evolved into the fourth generation as tumor immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

Oncolytic virotherapy (OVT) is a promising anti-tumor modality that utilizes oncolytic viruses (OVs) to preferentially attack cancers rather than normal tissues. With the understanding particularly in the characteristics of viruses and tumor cells, numerous innovative OVs have been engineered to conquer cancers, such as Talimogene Laherparepvec (T-VEC) and tasadenoturev (DNX-2401). However, the therapeutic safety and efficacy must be further optimized and balanced to ensure the superior safe and efficient OVT in clinics, and reasonable combination therapy strategies are also important challenges worthy to be explored.

MAIN BODY

Here we provided a critical review of the development history and status of OVT, emphasizing the mechanisms of enhancing both safety and efficacy. We propose that oncolytic virotherapy has evolved into the fourth generation as tumor immunotherapy. Particularly, to arouse T cells by designing OVs expressing bi-specific T cell activator (BiTA) is a promising strategy of killing two birds with one stone. Amazing combination of therapeutic strategies of OVs and immune cells confers immense potential for managing cancers. Moreover, the attractive preclinical OVT addressed recently, and the OVT in clinical trials were systematically reviewed.

CONCLUSION

OVs, which are advancing into clinical trials, are being envisioned as the frontier clinical anti-tumor agents coming soon.

The Role of Helicobacter pylori Neutrophil-Activating Protein in the Pathogenesis of H. pylori and Beyond: From a Virulence Factor to Therapeutic Targets and Therapeutic Agents

Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein (HP-NAP), a major virulence factor of H. pylori, plays a role in bacterial protection and host inflammation. HP-NAP activates a variety of innate immune cells, including neutrophils, monocytes, and mast cells, to induce their pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory activities. This protein also induces T-helper type 1 (Th1) immune response and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity, supporting that HP-NAP is able to promote gastric inflammation by activation of adaptive immune responses. Thus, HP-NAP is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of H. pylori-induced gastric inflammation. The inflammatory responses triggered by HP-NAP are mediated by a PTX-sensitive G protein-coupled receptor and Toll-like receptor 2. Drugs designed to block the interactions between HP-NAP and its receptors could alleviate the inflammation in gastric mucosa caused by H. pylori infection. In addition, HP-NAP acts as a promising therapeutic agent for vaccine development, allergy treatment, and cancer immunotherapy. The high antigenicity of HP-NAP makes this protein a component of vaccines against H. pylori infection. Due to its immunomodulatory activity to stimulate the Th1-inducing ability of dendritic cells, enhance Th1 immune response and CTL activity, and suppress Th2-mediated allergic responses, HP-NAP could also act as an adjuvant in vaccines, a drug candidate against allergic diseases, and an immunotherapeutic agent for cancer. This review highlights the role of HP-NAP in the pathogenesis of H. pylori and the potential for this protein to be a therapeutic target in the treatment of H. pylori infection and therapeutic agents against H. pylori-associated diseases, allergies, and cancer.

Effects of helicobacter pylori on tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy responses

Helicobacter pylori is closely associated with gastric cancer. During persistent infection, Helicobacter pylori can form a microenvironment in gastric mucosa which facilitates the survival and colony formation of Helicobacter pylori. Tumor stromal cells are involved in this process, including tumor-associated macrophages, mesenchymal stem cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and so on. The immune checkpoints are also regulated by Helicobacter pylori infection. Helicobacter pylori virulence factors can also act as immunogens or adjuvants to elicit or enhance immune responses, indicating their potential applications in vaccine development and tumor immunotherapy. This review highlights the effects of Helicobacter pylori on the immune microenvironment and its potential roles in tumor immunotherapy responses.

HP-NAP of Helicobacter pylori: The Power of the Immunomodulation

The miniferritin HP-NAP of Helicobacter pylori was originally described as a neutrophil-activating protein because of the capacity to activate neutrophils to generate oxygen radicals and adhere to endothelia. Currently, the main feature for which HP-NAP is known is the ability to promote Th1 responses and revert the immune suppressive profile of macrophages. In this review, we discuss the immune modulating properties of the protein regarding the H. pylori infection and the evidence that support the potential clinical application of HP-NAP in allergy and cancer immunotherapy.

Macrophage-Mediated Melanoma Reduction after HP-NAP Treatment in a Zebrafish Xenograft Model

The Helicobacter pylori Neutrophil Activating Protein (HP-NAP) is endowed with immunomodulatory properties that make it a potential candidate for anticancer therapeutic applications. By activating cytotoxic Th1 responses, HP-NAP inhibits the growth of bladder cancer and enhances the anti-tumor activity of oncolytic viruses in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. The possibility that HP-NAP exerts its anti-tumor effect also by modulating the activity of innate immune cells has not yet been explored. Taking advantage of the zebrafish model, we examined the therapeutic efficacy of HP-NAP against metastatic human melanoma, limiting the observational window to 9 days post-fertilization, well before the maturation of the adaptive immunity. Human melanoma cells were xenotransplanted into zebrafish embryos and tracked in the presence or absence of HP-NAP. The behavior and phenotype of macrophages and the impact of their drug-induced depletion were analyzed exploiting macrophage-expressed transgenes. HP-NAP administration efficiently inhibited tumor growth and metastasis and this was accompanied by strong recruitment of macrophages with a pro-inflammatory profile at the tumor site. The depletion of macrophages almost completely abrogated the ability of HP-NAP to counteract tumor growth. Our findings highlight the pivotal role of activated macrophages in counteracting melanoma growth and support the notion that HP-NAP might become a new biological therapeutic agent for the treatment of metastatic melanomas.

CAR T cells expressing a bacterial virulence factor trigger potent bystander antitumour responses in solid cancers

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR T cells) are effective against haematologic malignancies. However, in solid tumours, their potency is hampered by local immunosuppression and by the heterogeneous expression of the antigen that the CAR targets. Here we show that CAR T cells expressing a pluripotent pro-inflammatory neutrophil-activating protein (NAP) from Helicobacter pylori trigger endogenous bystander T-cell responses against solid cancers. In mice with subcutaneous murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, neuroblastomas or colon carcinomas, CAR(NAP) T cells led to slower tumour growth and higher survival rates than conventional mouse CAR T cells, regardless of target antigen, tumour type and host haplotype. In tumours with heterogeneous antigen expression, NAP secretion induced the formation of an immunologically 'hot' microenvironment that supported dendritic cell maturation and bystander responses, as indicated by epitope spreading and infiltration of cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cells targeting tumour-associated antigens other than the CAR-targeted antigen. CAR T cells armed with NAP neither increased off-tumour toxicity nor hampered the efficacy of CAR T cells, and hence may have advantageous translational potential.

Concurrent expression of HP-NAP enhances antitumor efficacy of oncolytic vaccinia virus but not for Semliki Forest virus

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent promising therapeutic agents for cancer therapy by selective oncolysis and induction of anti-tumor immunity. OVs can be engineered to express tumor-associated antigens and immune-modulating agents to provoke stronger antitumor immunity. Here, we engineered vaccinia virus (VV) and Semliki Forest virus (SFV) to express neuroblastoma-associated antigen disialoganglioside (GD2) and the immune modulator Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein (NAP) and compared their therapeutic potency. Oncolytic VV did not exhibit any antitumor benefits, whereas SFV was able to delay subcutaneous neuroblastoma (NXS2) tumor growth. Additional expression of the GD2 mimotope (GD2m) by VV-GD2m or SFV-GD2m did not improve their anti-tumor capacity compared to the parent viruses. Further arming these OVs with NAP resulted in contrasting anti-tumor efficacy. VV (VV-GD2m-NAP) significantly improved therapeutic efficacy compared to VV-GD2m, which was also associated with a significantly elevated anti-GD2 antibody, whereas there was no additive antitumor efficacy for SFV-GD2m-NAP compared to SFV-GD2m, nor was the anti-GD2 antibody response improved. Instead, NAP induced higher neutralizing antibodies against SFV. These observations suggest that distinct immune stimulation profiles are elicited when the same immunostimulatory factor is expressed by different OVs. Therefore, careful consideration and detailed characterization are needed when engineering OVs with immune-modulators.

Design, expression, and purification of a multi-epitope vaccine against Helicobacter Pylori based on Melittin as an adjuvant

Helicobacter Pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium in the human stomach, causes adenocarcinoma and MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue) lymphoma in addition to infection and gastric ulcer. With regard to Helicobacter Pylori prevalence rate and widespread, producing an effective vaccine against this bacterium appears reasonable and necessary. Today, vaccine design by immunoinformatics is a promising solution in vaccine field. In the present study, potential immunodominant CD4⁺ T cell epitopes of UreB, HpaA, and NapA antigens were selected with a focus on IFN-γ secretion inducing ability. After joining the selected epitopes with KK and GPGPG linkers, sequence of Melittin, the major active protein of honey bee venom, was put in C-terminal by DPRVPSS linker as adjuvant. After reverse translation and codon optimization, the designed vaccine was cloned into pET-23a vector. The final construct was estimated as antigenic (71 & 74%) and non-allergenic with molecular weight of 36.785KD. The instability index (II) and codon frequency distribution were predicted to be 26.5 and 92%, respectively. The pET-23a vector transformed to the E.coli BL21 (DE3) strain. The evaluation of expression by SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the optimized expression is in SOB medium 8 h after induction by 0.5 mM IPTG. Finally, purification was performed by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and Western blot analysis validated the purified protein. Future research is needed to investigate the designed vaccine efficiency against H. pylori, and also it's potential as a gastric cancer-preventive candidate.

Recombination Lactococcus lactis expressing Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein A attenuates food allergy symptoms in mice

BACKGROUND

Food allergy has been a significant public health issue with growing severity, prevalence and limited treatments. The neutrophil-activating protein A subunit (NapA) of Helicobacter pylori has been shown to have therapeutic potential in allergic diseases.

METHODS

The NapA expression efficiency of recombinant Lactococcus lactis(L.lactis) were determined. The effects of recombinant bacterium on food allergy in Balb/c mice were also investigated.

RESULTS

NapA were delivered and expressed efficiently via L. lactis. The engineered bacterium ameliorated food allergy symptoms (acute diarrhea and intestinal inflammation) and decreased serum histamine levels. In addition, the secretion of OVA-specific IgG2a, IFN-γ was promoted and the level of IL-4, OVA-specific IgE was restrained.

CONCLUSIONS

The recombinant strain may attenuate food allergy in mice through immune regulatory effect, which may be a promising approach for preventing or treating food allergy.

HP-NAP ameliorates OXA-induced atopic dermatitis symptoms in mice

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin inflammatory disease characterized by disequilibrium between Th1/Th2 lymphocytes. Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein (HP-NAP) has been reported that it has the potential immunomodulatory effect able to regulate the Th1/Th2 balance.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of HP-NAP in AD mice model.

METHODS

The model of AD was built with oxazolone (OXA) in BALB/c mice, then HP-NAP was used to treat AD by intraperitoneal injection. Ear thickness was measured by a digital thickness gauge. The ears tissues were collected and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and toluidine blue (TB) staining. The mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, and TNF-α) in ear tissue were measured using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The secretion of IgE, IL-4, and IFN-γ was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

Treatment with HP-NAP successfully alleviated the symptoms of AD, such as erythema, horny substance, and swelling. The infiltration of lymphocytes and mast cells were significantly reduced following HP-NAP therapy. The secretion of IgE and IL-4 was significantly attenuated following treatment with HP-NAP. Additionally, HP-NAP observably downregulated inflammatory cytokine expression (e.g. IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, and TNF-α) in ear tissues.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Taken together, our results showed that HP-NAP possessed the potential to be a novel immunomodulatory candidate drug against AD.

Production and delivery of Helicobacter pylori NapA in Lactococcus lactis and its protective efficacy and immune modulatory activity

Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein A subunit (NapA) has been identified as a virulence factor, a protective antigen and a potent immunomodulator. NapA shows unique application potentials for anti-H. pylori vaccines and treatment strategies of certain allergic diseases and carcinomas. However, appropriate production and utilization modes of NapA still remain uncertain to date. This work has established a novel efficient production and utilization mode of NapA by using L. lactis as an expression host and delivery vector, and demonstrated immune protective efficacy and immune modulatory activity of the engineered L. lactis by oral vaccination of mice. It was observed for the first time that H. pylori NapA promotes both polarized Th17 and Th1 responses, which may greatly affect the clinical application of NapA. This report offers a promising anti-H. pylori oral vaccine candidate and a potent mucosal immune modulatory agent. Meanwhile, it uncovers a way to produce and deliver the oral vaccine and immunomodulator by fermentation of food like milk, which might have striking effects on control of H. pylori infection, gastrointestinal cancers, and Th2 bias allergic diseases, including many food allergies.

Recombinant protein rMBP-NAP restricts tumor progression by triggering antitumor immunity in mouse metastatic lung cancer

Recombinant Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein fused with maltose-binding protein (rMBP-NAP), a potential TLR2 ligand, was reported to possess immunomodulatory effects on in situ tumors in our previous study. In the present work, we attempt to elucidate the effect of rMBP-NAP at the local immune modulation in B16-F10-induced metastatic lung cancer. Our results demonstrated that growth of B16-F10 melanoma metastases in the lung was significantly arrested after rMBP-NAP treatment, along with marked reduction in metastatic lung nodules and significant increase in survival. The treatment induced both local and systemic immune responses, which were associated with higher influx of CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T cells and drove toward Th1-like and cytotoxic immune environment. Moreover, rMBP-NAP also showed significant anti-angiogenic activity by reducing vascularization in lung tumor sections. rMBP-NAP could induce antitumor immunity through activating Th1 cells and producing pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are responsible for the effective cytotoxic immune response against cancer progression. Our findings indicate that rMBP-NAP might be a novel antitumor therapeutic strategy.

Positive Helicobacter pylori status is associated with better overall survival for gastric cancer patients: evidence from case-cohort studies

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection increases the gastric cancer risk; however, the influences of H. pylori infection status on the outcomes for gastric cancer patients have not yet clearly defined. Herein, we systematically assessed the epidemiological studies regarding the associations between the H.pylori infection status at diagnosis and the prognosis for gastric cancer patients with the meta-analysis methods. Thirty-three eligibility studies with 8,199 participants that had determined the H.pylori infection status and the outcomes for gastric cancer patients were identified through searching the PubMed and MEDLINE databases updated to March 1^st, 2017. The random-effects model suggested that positive H. pylori infection was associated with better overall survival with the pooled hazard ratio (HR) was 0.79 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.66-0.93; Q = 134.86, df = 32, P-heterogeneity < 0.001; I² = 76.3%] compared to negative patients. The association was found to be more prominent in studies with higher quality, longer following-up time and more sensitive detection methods. An inverse but not statistically significant association between the H.pylori status and the disease-free survival of the patients (pooled HR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.61-1.05;Q = 30.48, df = 11, P-heterogeneity = 0.001; I² = 63.9%) was found, while no significant association was noticed in any subgroup analyses. These results suggested that gastric cancer patients with positive H.pylori infection status at diagnosis have better overall survival compared to negative; however, more studies are warranted to confirm the results and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

The study of H. pylori putative candidate factors for single- and multi-component vaccine development

Helicobacter pylori has grown to colonize inside the stomach of nearly half of the world's population, turning into the most prevalent infections in the universe. Medical care failures noticeably confirm the need for a vaccine to hinder or deal with H. pylori. This review is planned to discuss the most known factors as a vaccine candidate, including single (AhpC, BG, CagA, KatA, Fla, Hsp, HWC, Lpp, LPS, NAP, OMP, OMV, SOD, Tpx, Urease, VacA) and multi-component vaccines. Many promising results in the field of single and multivalent vaccine can be seen, but there is no satisfactory outcome and neither a prophylactic nor a therapeutic vaccine to treat or eradicate the infection in human has been acquired. Hence, selecting suitable antigen is an important factor as an appropriate adjuvant. Taken all together, the development of efficient anti-H. pylori vaccines relies on the fully understanding of the interactions between H. pylori and its host immune system. Therefore, more work should be done on epitope mapping, analysis of molecular structure, and determination of the antigen determinant region as well due to design a vaccine, preferably a multi-component vaccine to elicit specific CD4 T-cell responses that are required for H. pylori vaccine efficacy.

Antitumor and immunomodulatory effects of recombinant fusion protein rMBP-NAP through TLR-2 dependent mechanism in tumor bearing mice

The pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of Helicobacter pylori neutrophil activating protein (Hp-NAP) not only make it to play an important role in disease pathogenesis but also make it to be a potential candidate for therapeutic applications, including vaccine and drug development. Our previous work demonstrated that the recombinant Hp-NAP fused with the maltose binding protein of Escherichia coli (rMBP-NAP) play an important role in regulating the differentiation of Th1 cells. In this study, we investigated the ability of rMBP-NAP to induce antitumor immunity using two murine models of hepatoma H22 and sarcoma S180. Subcutaneous administration of mice with rMBP-NAP resulted in an about 40%-50% decrease of tumor growth compared with that of the control mice. Splenocytes from the tumor-bearing mice treated with rMBP-NAP showed a significant accumulation of CD4(+) IFN-γ-secreting cells, which is a cytokine profile of Th1 cells. Furthermore, intravenous injection of T2.5, toll like receptor (TLR) 2 blocking antibody, significantly recede the antitumor effect of rMBP-NAP and the production of IFN-γ induced by rMBP-NAP. Our findings indicate that potentiality of rMBP-NAP to be a candidate for the development of immunomodulatory antitumoral drugs.

DDMC-p53 gene therapy with or without cisplatin and microwave ablation

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of death in cancer patients. Severe treatment side effects and late stage of disease at diagnosis continue to be an issue. We investigated whether local treatment using 2-diethylaminoethyl-dextran methyl methacrylate copolymer with p53 (DDMC-p53) with or without cisplatin and/or microwave ablation enhances disease control in BALBC mice. We used a Lewis lung carcinoma cell line to inoculate 140 BALBC mice, which were divided into the following seven groups; control, cisplatin, microwave ablation, DDMC-p53, DDMC-p53 plus cisplatin, DDMC-p53 plus microwave, and DDMC-p53 plus cisplatin plus microwave. Microwave ablation energy was administered at 20 W for 10 minutes. Cisplatin was administered as 1 mL/mg and the DDMC-p53 complex delivered was 0.5 mL. Increased toxicity was observed in the group receiving DDMC-p53 plus cisplatin plus microwave followed by the group receiving DDMC-p53 plus cisplatin. Infection after repeated treatment administration was a major issue. We conclude that a combination of gene therapy using DDMC-p53 with or without cisplatin and microwave is an alternative method for local disease control. However, more experiments are required in a larger model to identify the appropriate dosage profile.

High yield purification of Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein overexpressed in Escherichia coli

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein (HP-NAP) is involved in H. pylori-induced gastric inflammation. Due to its immunogenic and immunomodulatory properties, HP-NAP has been used for developing vaccines against H. pylori infection and new drugs for cancer therapy.

RESULTS

Here, we provide a simple process for high-yield production of HP-NAP by applying one-step negative chromatography to purify recombinant HP-NAP expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli). In our E. coli expression system, recombinant HP-NAP constitutes nearly 70% of the total protein. Overexpressed recombinant HP-NAP is almost completely soluble upon cell lysis at pH 9.5. Under the optimal condition at pH 8.0, recombinant HP-NAP with purity higher than 95% can be obtained from E. coli by collecting the unbound fraction using diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) Sephadex resin in batch mode. The overall yield of HP-NAP from a 50-ml E. coli culture is ~19 mg. The purified HP-NAP folds into a multimer with a secondary structure of α-helix and is able to trigger the production of reactive oxygen species by neutrophils.

CONCLUSIONS

Purification of recombinant HP-NAP overexpressed in E. coli using DEAE Sephadex negative mode batch chromatography is an efficient method for high-yield production of highly pure HP-NAP in its native state. The purified HP-NAP is useful for various clinical applications including vaccine development, diagnosis, and new drug development.

Beyond the stomach: An updated view of Helicobacter pylori pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an extremely common, yet underappreciated, pathogen that is able to alter host physiology and subvert the host immune response, allowing it to persist for the life of the host. H. pylori is the primary cause of peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. In the United States, the annual cost associated with peptic ulcer disease is estimated to be $6 billion and gastric cancer kills over 700000 people per year globally. The prevalence of H. pylori infection remains high (> 50%) in much of the world, although the infection rates are dropping in some developed nations. The drop in H. pylori prevalence could be a double-edged sword, reducing the incidence of gastric diseases while increasing the risk of allergies and esophageal diseases. The list of diseases potentially caused by H. pylori continues to grow; however, mechanistic explanations of how H. pylori could contribute to extragastric diseases lag far behind clinical studies. A number of host factors and H. pylori virulence factors act in concert to determine which individuals are at the highest risk of disease. These include bacterial cytotoxins and polymorphisms in host genes responsible for directing the immune response. This review discusses the latest advances in H. pylori pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. Up-to-date information on correlations between H. pylori and extragastric diseases is also provided.

Vector-encoded Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein promotes maturation of dendritic cells with Th1 polarization and improved migration

Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein (HP-NAP) is a major virulence factor involved in H. pylori infection. Both HP-NAP protein and oncolytic viruses encoding HP-NAP have been suggested as immunotherapeutic anticancer agents and adjuvants for vaccination but with little known about its mode of action to activate adaptive immunity. Dendritic cells (DCs) are key players in bridging innate and adaptive immune responses, and in this study we aim to evaluate the effect of HP-NAP on DC maturation, migration, and induction of adaptive immune response. Maturation markers CD83, CD80, CD86, HLA-DR, CD40, and CCR7 were upregulated on human DCs after treatment with supernatants from HP-NAP adenovirus-infected cells. HP-NAP-activated DCs had a Th1 cytokine secretion profile, with high IL-12 and relatively low IL-10 secretion, and migrated toward CCL19. Ag-specific T cells were efficiently expanded by Ag-presenting HP-NAP-activated DCs, which is an important property of functionally mature DCs. Furthermore, intradermal injections of HP-NAP-encoding adenovirus in C57BL/6 mice enhanced resident DC migration to draining lymph nodes, which was verified by imaging lymph nodes by two-photon microscopy and by phenotyping migrating cells by flow cytometry. In conclusion, therapeutic effects of HP-NAP are mediated by maturation of DCs and subsequent activation of Ag-specific T cells in addition to provoking innate immunity.

Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein: From molecular pathogenesis to clinical applications

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) neutrophil-activating protein (HP-NAP) was originally identified as a virulence factor of H. pylori for its ability to activate neutrophils to generate respiratory burst by releasing reactive oxygen species. Later on, HP-NAP was also found to be involved in the protection of H. pylori from DNA damage, supporting the survival of H. pylori under oxidative stress. This protein is highly conserved and expressed by virtually all clinical isolates of H. pylori. The majority of patients infected with H. pylori produced antibodies specific for HP-NAP, suggesting its important role in immunity. In addition to acting as a pathogenic factor by activating the innate immunity through a wide range of human leukocytes, including neutrophils, monocytes, and mast cells, HP-NAP also mediates adaptive immunity through the induction of T helper cell type I responses. The pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of HP-NAP not only make it play an important role in disease pathogenesis but also make it a potential candidate for clinical use. Even though there is no convincing evidence to link HP-NAP to a disease outcome, recent findings supporting the pathogenic role of HP-NAP will be reviewed. In addition, the potential clinical applications of HP-NAP in vaccine development, clinical diagnosis, and drug development will be discussed.

Gene therapy in endocrine tumors: a comprehensive overview

Effective treatment strategies that help tackle the complex problems associated with managing endocrine cancers are in great demand. Because of the shortcomings in current treatments and the problems associated with the treatment strategies used in the cure and/or management of endocrine cancers, considerable effort must be devoted to developing new and effective therapeutic strategies. Gene therapy represents an area of both basic and clinical research that can potentially be considered a therapeutic option in treating endocrine cancers. Therefore, we consider it timely to summarize the studies related to gene-therapy interventions that are available for treating endocrine cancers and to highlight the major limitations of and the recent progress made in these therapies. After systematically reviewing the literature, we provide a comprehensive overview of distinct studies conducted to evaluate gene-therapy approaches in various endocrine cancers. Some of these successful studies have been extended toward translational investigations. The emerging view is that an integrative approach is required to combat the pitfalls associated with gene-therapy studies, especially in endocrine cancers.

Intratumoral gene therapy versus intravenous gene therapy for distant metastasis control with 2-diethylaminoethyl-dextran methyl methacrylate copolymer non-viral vector-p53

Lung cancer still remains to be challenged by novel treatment modalities. Novel locally targeted routes of administration are a methodology to enhance treatment and reduce side effects. Intratumoral gene therapy is a method for local treatment and could be used either in early-stage lung cancer before surgery or at advanced stages as palliative care. Novel non-viral vectors are also in demand for efficient gene transfection to target local cancer tissue and at the same time protect the normal tissue. In the current study, C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups: (a) control, (b) intravenous and (c) intatumoral gene therapy. The novel 2-Diethylaminoethyl-Dextran Methyl Methacrylate Copolymer Non-Viral Vector (Ryujyu Science Corporation) was conjugated with plasmid pSicop53 from the company Addgene for the first time. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of targeted gene therapy in a Lewis lung cancer model. Indeed, although the pharmacokinetics of the different administration modalities differs, the intratumoral administration presented increased survival and decreased distant metastasis. Intratumoral gene therapy could be considered as an efficient local therapy for lung cancer.