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Wang X, Jia QN, Wu M, Liu M, Li J. A Bibliometric Analysis of Melanoma Treated with Vaccinations Research from 2013 to 2023: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1113. [PMID: 37376502 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11061113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Melanoma is a malignant tumor that originates from melanocytes and is known for its aggressive behavior and high metastatic potential. In recent years, vaccine therapy has emerged as a promising approach for the treatment of melanoma, offering targeted and individualized immunotherapy options. In this study, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to assess the global research trends and impact of publications related to melanoma and vaccine therapy. METHODS We retrieved relevant literature from the Web of Science database from the past decade (2013-2023) using keywords such as "melanoma", "vaccine therapy", and "cancer vaccines". We used bibliometric indicators including publication trends, citation analysis, co-authorship analysis, and journal analysis to evaluate the research landscape of this field. RESULTS After screening, a total of 493 publications were included in the analysis. We found that melanoma and vaccine therapy have gained significant attention in the field of cancer immunotherapy, as evidenced by the numerous research output and increasing citation impact. The United States, China, and their organizations are the leading countries/institutes in terms of publication output, and collaborative research networks are prominent in this field. Clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of vaccination treatment in melanoma patients are the focus of research. CONCLUSIONS This study provide valuable insights into the novel research landscape of vaccine treatment of melanoma, which could inform future research directions and facilitate knowledge exchange among researchers in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Wang
- Department of Dermatology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Qian-Nan Jia
- Department of Dermatology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Mengyin Wu
- Department of Dermatology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Mingjuan Liu
- Department of Dermatology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Dermatology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing 100730, China
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2
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Dong H, Li Q, Zhang Y, Ding M, Teng Z, Mou Y. Biomaterials Facilitating Dendritic Cell-Mediated Cancer Immunotherapy. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2301339. [PMID: 37088780 PMCID: PMC10288267 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic cell (DC)-based cancer immunotherapy has exhibited remarkable clinical prospects because DCs play a central role in initiating and regulating adaptive immune responses. However, the application of traditional DC-mediated immunotherapy is limited due to insufficient antigen delivery, inadequate antigen presentation, and high levels of immunosuppression. To address these challenges, engineered biomaterials have been exploited to enhance DC-mediated immunotherapeutic effects. In this review, vital principal components that can enhance DC-mediated immunotherapeutic effects are first introduced. The parameters considered in the rational design of biomaterials, including targeting modifications, size, shape, surface, and mechanical properties, which can affect biomaterial optimization of DC functions, are further summarized. Moreover, recent applications of various engineered biomaterials in the field of DC-mediated immunotherapy are reviewed, including those serve as immune component delivery platforms, remodel the tumor microenvironment, and synergistically enhance the effects of other antitumor therapies. Overall, the present review comprehensively and systematically summarizes biomaterials related to the promotion of DC functions; and specifically focuses on the recent advances in biomaterial designs for DC activation to eradicate tumors. The challenges and opportunities of treatment strategies designed to amplify DCs via the application of biomaterials are discussed with the aim of inspiring the clinical translation of future DC-mediated cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Dong
- Nanjing Stomatological HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University30 Zhongyang RoadNanjingJiangsu210008P. R. China
| | - Qiang Li
- Nanjing Stomatological HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University30 Zhongyang RoadNanjingJiangsu210008P. R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Nanjing Stomatological HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University30 Zhongyang RoadNanjingJiangsu210008P. R. China
| | - Meng Ding
- Nanjing Stomatological HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University30 Zhongyang RoadNanjingJiangsu210008P. R. China
| | - Zhaogang Teng
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information DisplaysJiangsu Key Laboratory for BiosensorsInstitute of Advanced MaterialsJiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Centre for Advanced MaterialsNanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications9 Wenyuan RoadNanjingJiangsu210023P. R. China
| | - Yongbin Mou
- Nanjing Stomatological HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University30 Zhongyang RoadNanjingJiangsu210008P. R. China
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3
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Poole A, Karuppiah V, Hartt A, Haidar JN, Moureau S, Dobrzycki T, Hayes C, Rowley C, Dias J, Harper S, Barnbrook K, Hock M, Coles C, Yang W, Aleksic M, Lin AB, Robinson R, Dukes JD, Liddy N, Van der Kamp M, Plowman GD, Vuidepot A, Cole DK, Whale AD, Chillakuri C. Therapeutic high affinity T cell receptor targeting a KRAS G12D cancer neoantigen. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5333. [PMID: 36088370 PMCID: PMC9464187 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32811-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Neoantigens derived from somatic mutations are specific to cancer cells and are ideal targets for cancer immunotherapy. KRAS is the most frequently mutated oncogene and drives the pathogenesis of several cancers. Here we show the identification and development of an affinity-enhanced T cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes a peptide derived from the most common KRAS mutant, KRASG12D, presented in the context of HLA-A*11:01. The affinity of the engineered TCR is increased by over one million-fold yet fully able to distinguish KRASG12D over KRASWT. While crystal structures reveal few discernible differences in TCR interactions with KRASWT versus KRASG12D, thermodynamic analysis and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that TCR specificity is driven by differences in indirect electrostatic interactions. The affinity enhanced TCR, fused to a humanized anti-CD3 scFv, enables selective killing of cancer cells expressing KRASG12D. Our work thus reveals a molecular mechanism that drives TCR selectivity and describes a soluble bispecific molecule with therapeutic potential against cancers harboring a common shared neoantigen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Poole
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | | | - Annabelle Hartt
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, USA
| | - Jaafar N Haidar
- Eli Lilly & Co, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - Sylvie Moureau
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Tomasz Dobrzycki
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Conor Hayes
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | | | - Jorge Dias
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Stephen Harper
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Keir Barnbrook
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Miriam Hock
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Charlotte Coles
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Wei Yang
- Eli Lilly & Co, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - Milos Aleksic
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Aimee Bence Lin
- Eli Lilly & Co, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - Ross Robinson
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Joe D Dukes
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Nathaniel Liddy
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Marc Van der Kamp
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, USA
| | - Gregory D Plowman
- Eli Lilly & Co, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - Annelise Vuidepot
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - David K Cole
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA
| | - Andrew D Whale
- Immunocore Ltd., 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY, USA.
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4
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Sušac L, Vuong MT, Thomas C, von Bülow S, O'Brien-Ball C, Santos AM, Fernandes RA, Hummer G, Tampé R, Davis SJ. Structure of a fully assembled tumor-specific T cell receptor ligated by pMHC. Cell 2022; 185:3201-3213.e19. [PMID: 35985289 PMCID: PMC9630439 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The T cell receptor (TCR) expressed by T lymphocytes initiates protective immune responses to pathogens and tumors. To explore the structural basis of how TCR signaling is initiated when the receptor binds to peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) molecules, we used cryogenic electron microscopy to determine the structure of a tumor-reactive TCRαβ/CD3δγε2ζ2 complex bound to a melanoma-specific human class I pMHC at 3.08 Å resolution. The antigen-bound complex comprises 11 subunits stabilized by multivalent interactions across three structural layers, with clustered membrane-proximal cystines stabilizing the CD3-εδ and CD3-εγ heterodimers. Extra density sandwiched between transmembrane helices reveals the involvement of sterol lipids in TCR assembly. The geometry of the pMHC/TCR complex suggests that efficient TCR scanning of pMHC requires accurate pre-positioning of T cell and antigen-presenting cell membranes. Comparisons of the ligand-bound and unliganded receptors, along with molecular dynamics simulations, indicate that TCRs can be triggered in the absence of spontaneous structural rearrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Sušac
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mai T Vuong
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Christoph Thomas
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sören von Bülow
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Caitlin O'Brien-Ball
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Ana Mafalda Santos
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Ricardo A Fernandes
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Gerhard Hummer
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Robert Tampé
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Simon J Davis
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
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5
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Keller GLJ, Weiss LI, Baker BM. Physicochemical Heuristics for Identifying High Fidelity, Near-Native Structural Models of Peptide/MHC Complexes. Front Immunol 2022; 13:887759. [PMID: 35547730 PMCID: PMC9084917 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.887759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is long-standing interest in accurately modeling the structural features of peptides bound and presented by class I MHC proteins. This interest has grown with the advent of rapid genome sequencing and the prospect of personalized, peptide-based cancer vaccines, as well as the development of molecular and cellular therapeutics based on T cell receptor recognition of peptide-MHC. However, while the speed and accessibility of peptide-MHC modeling has improved substantially over the years, improvements in accuracy have been modest. Accuracy is crucial in peptide-MHC modeling, as T cell receptors are highly sensitive to peptide conformation and capturing fine details is therefore necessary for useful models. Studying nonameric peptides presented by the common class I MHC protein HLA-A*02:01, here we addressed a key question common to modern modeling efforts: from a set of models (or decoys) generated through conformational sampling, which is best? We found that the common strategy of decoy selection by lowest energy can lead to substantial errors in predicted structures. We therefore adopted a data-driven approach and trained functions capable of predicting near native decoys with exceptionally high accuracy. Although our implementation is limited to nonamer/HLA-A*02:01 complexes, our results serve as an important proof of concept from which improvements can be made and, given the significance of HLA-A*02:01 and its preference for nonameric peptides, should have immediate utility in select immunotherapeutic and other efforts for which structural information would be advantageous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant L J Keller
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Laura I Weiss
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Brian M Baker
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
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6
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Hopkins JR, MacLachlan BJ, Harper S, Sewell AK, Cole DK. Unconventional modes of peptide-HLA-I presentation change the rules of TCR engagement. DISCOVERY IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 1:kyac001. [PMID: 38566908 PMCID: PMC10917088 DOI: 10.1093/discim/kyac001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The intracellular proteome of virtually every nucleated cell in the body is continuously presented at the cell surface via the human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) antigen processing pathway. This pathway classically involves proteasomal degradation of intracellular proteins into short peptides that can be presented by HLA-I molecules for interrogation by T-cell receptors (TCRs) expressed on the surface of CD8+ T cells. During the initiation of a T-cell immune response, the TCR acts as the T cell's primary sensor, using flexible loops to mould around the surface of the pHLA-I molecule to identify foreign or dysregulated antigens. Recent findings demonstrate that pHLA-I molecules can also be highly flexible and dynamic, altering their shape according to minor polymorphisms between different HLA-I alleles, or interactions with different peptides. These flexible presentation modes have important biological consequences that can, for example, explain why some HLA-I alleles offer greater protection against HIV, or why some cancer vaccine approaches have been ineffective. This review explores how these recent findings redefine the rules for peptide presentation by HLA-I molecules and extend our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern TCR-mediated antigen discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade R Hopkins
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | - Bruce J MacLachlan
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Andrew K Sewell
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | - David K Cole
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
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7
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Ndreu L, Sasse S, Karlberg AT, Karlsson I. Haptenation of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor: A Potential Biomarker for Contact Hypersensitivity. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 4:856614. [PMID: 35465102 PMCID: PMC9019732 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2022.856614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunological response in contact hypersensitivity is incited by small electrophilic compounds, known as haptens, that react with endogenous proteins after skin absorption. However, the identity of hapten-modified proteins seen as immunogenic remains as yet largely unknown. In a recent study, we have for the first time identified a hapten-modified protein in the local lymph nodes of mice treated topically with the model hapten tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC). The TRITC modification was located on the N-terminal proline of the protein macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). The focus of the current study was to investigate the presence of the same hapten-protein conjugate in blood samples from mice treated topically with TRITC. Furthermore, TRITC modifications of the two major blood proteins, namely hemoglobin (Hb) and albumin (Alb), as well as TRITC modifications of MIF other than the N-terminal proline, were examined. Following incubation with different molar ratios of TRITC, a proteomic approach was applied to characterize conjugate formation of the three aforementioned proteins, using high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The targeted screening of the TRITC-treated mice blood and lymph node samples for these sites led to the identification of only the same TRITC-MIF conjugate previously detected in the lymph nodes. No Hb and Alb conjugates were detected. Quantification of both the TRITC-modified and unmodified N-terminal peptide of MIF in blood and lymph node samples gave interesting insights of MIF’s role in murine contact hypersensitivity. Incubation of MIF with four different haptens encompassing different reactivity mechanisms and potencies, showed adduct formation at different amino acid residues, suggesting that MIF can be the preferred target for a wide variety of haptens. The present study provides essential progress toward understanding of hapten-protein conjugate formation in contact hypersensitivity and identifies hapten-modified MIF as a potential biomarker for this condition. Further investigation of MIF as a target protein can be a next step to determine if MIF is a biomarker that can be used to develop better diagnostic tools and targeted therapeutics for individuals with allergic contact dermatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Ndreu
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Samantha Sasse
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ann-Therese Karlberg
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Dermatochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Isabella Karlsson
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Isabella Karlsson,
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8
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Barber C, De Souza VA, Paterson RL, Martin‐Urdiroz M, Mulakkal NC, Srikannathasan V, Connolly M, Phillips G, Foong‐Leong T, Pengelly R, Karuppiah V, Grant T, Dembek M, Verma A, Gibbs‐Howe D, Blicher TH, Knox A, Robinson RA, Cole DK, Leonard S. Structure-guided stabilization of pathogen-derived peptide-HLA-E complexes using non-natural amino acids conserves native TCR recognition. Eur J Immunol 2022; 52:618-632. [PMID: 35108401 PMCID: PMC9306587 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202149745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The nonpolymorphic class Ib molecule, HLA-E, primarily presents peptides from HLA class Ia leader peptides, providing an inhibitory signal to NK cells via CD94/NKG2 interactions. Although peptides of pathogenic origin can also be presented by HLA-E to T cells, the molecular basis underpinning their role in antigen surveillance is largely unknown. Here, we solved a co-complex crystal structure of a TCR with an HLA-E presented peptide (pHLA-E) from bacterial (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) origin, and the first TCR-pHLA-E complex with a noncanonically presented peptide from viral (HIV) origin. The structures provided a molecular foundation to develop a novel method to introduce cysteine traps using non-natural amino acid chemistry that stabilized pHLA-E complexes while maintaining native interface contacts between the TCRs and different pHLA-E complexes. These pHLA-E monomers could be used to isolate pHLA-E-specific T cells, with obvious utility for studying pHLA-E restricted T cells, and for the identification of putative therapeutic TCRs.
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9
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Mooring stone-like Arg 114 pulls diverse bulged peptides: first insight into African swine fever virus-derived T cell epitopes presented by swine MHC class I. J Virol 2021; 96:e0137821. [PMID: 34851145 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01378-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of African swine fever (ASF), which is a devastating pig disease threatening the global pork industry. However, currently no commercial vaccines are available. During the immune response, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules select viral peptide epitopes and present them to host cytotoxic T lymphocytes, thereby playing critical roles in eliminating viral infections. Here we screened peptides derived from ASFV and determined the molecular basis of ASFV-derived peptides presented by the swine leukocyte antigen (SLA)-1*0101. We found that peptide binding in SLA-1*0101 differs from the traditional mammalian binding patterns. Unlike the typical B and F pockets used by the common MHC-I molecule, SLA-1*0101 uses the D and F pockets as major peptide anchor pockets. Furthermore, the conformationally stable Arg114 residue located in the peptide-binding groove (PBG) was highly selective for the peptides. Arg114 draws negatively charged residues at positions P5 to P7 of the peptides, which led to multiple bulged conformations of different peptides binding to SLA-1*0101 and creating diversity for T cells receptor docking. Thus, the solid Arg114 residue acts as a "mooring stone" and pulls the peptides into the PBG of SLA-1*0101. Notably, the T cells recognition and activation of p72-derived peptides were verified by SLA-1*0101 tetramer-based flow cytometry in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the donor pigs. These results refresh our understanding of MHC I molecular anchor peptides, and provide new insights into vaccine development for the prevention and control of ASF. IMPORTANCE The spread of African swine fever virus (ASFV) has caused enormous losses to the pork industry worldwide. Here, a series of ASFV-derived peptides were identified, which could bind to swine leukocyte antigen SLA-1*0101, a prevalent SLA allele among Yorkshire pigs. The crystal structure of four ASFV-derived peptides and one foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV)-derived peptide complexed with SLA-1*0101 revealed an unusual peptide anchoring mode of SLA-1*0101 with D and F pockets as anchoring pockets. Negatively-charged residues are preferred within the middle portion of SLA-1*0101-binding peptides. Notably, we determined an unexpected role of Arg114 of SLA-1*0101 as a "mooring stone" which pulls the peptide anchoring into the PBG in diverse "M" or "n" shaped conformation. Furthermore, T cells from donor pigs could activate through the recognition of ASFV-derived peptides. Our study sheds light on the uncommon presentation of ASFV peptides by swine MHC I and benefits the development of ASF vaccines.
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10
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Haydar D, Ibañez-Vega J, Krenciute G. T-Cell Immunotherapy for Pediatric High-Grade Gliomas: New Insights to Overcoming Therapeutic Challenges. Front Oncol 2021; 11:718030. [PMID: 34760690 PMCID: PMC8573171 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.718030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research, pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors remain the most debilitating, difficult to treat, and deadliest cancers. Current therapies, including radiation, chemotherapy, and/or surgery, are unable to cure these diseases and are associated with serious adverse effects and long-term impairments. Immunotherapy using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has the potential to elucidate therapeutic antitumor immune responses that improve survival without the devastating adverse effects associated with other therapies. Yet, despite the outstanding performance of CAR T cells against hematologic malignancies, they have shown little success targeting brain tumors. This lack of efficacy is due to a scarcity of targetable antigens, interactions with the immune microenvironment, and physical and biological barriers limiting the homing and trafficking of CAR T cells to brain tumors. In this review, we summarize experiences with CAR T-cell therapy for pediatric CNS tumors in preclinical and clinical settings and focus on the current roadblocks and novel strategies to potentially overcome those therapeutic challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giedre Krenciute
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
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11
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Man S, Redman JE, Cross DL, Cole DK, Can I, Davies B, Hashimdeen SS, Reid R, Llewellyn-Lacey S, Miners KL, Ladell K, Lissina A, Brown PE, Wooldridge L, Price DA, Rizkallah PJ. Synthetic Peptides with Inadvertent Chemical Modifications Can Activate Potentially Autoreactive T Cells. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2021; 207:1009-1017. [PMID: 34321228 PMCID: PMC7615501 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The human CD8+ T cell clone 6C5 has previously been shown to recognize the tert-butyl-modified Bax161-170 peptide LLSY(3-tBu)FGTPT presented by HLA-A*02:01. This nonnatural epitope was likely created as a by-product of fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl protecting group peptide synthesis and bound poorly to HLA-A*02:01. In this study, we used a systematic approach to identify and characterize natural ligands for the 6C5 TCR. Functional analyses revealed that 6C5 T cells only recognized the LLSYFGTPT peptide when tBu was added to the tyrosine residue and did not recognize the LLSYFGTPT peptide modified with larger (di-tBu) or smaller chemical groups (Me). Combinatorial peptide library screening further showed that 6C5 T cells recognized a series of self-derived peptides with dissimilar amino acid sequences to LLSY(3-tBu)FGTPT. Structural studies of LLSY(3-tBu)FGTPT and two other activating nonamers (IIGWMWIPV and LLGWVFAQV) in complex with HLA-A*02:01 demonstrated similar overall peptide conformations and highlighted the importance of the position (P) 4 residue for T cell recognition, particularly the capacity of the bulky amino acid tryptophan to substitute for the tBu-modified tyrosine residue in conjunction with other changes at P5 and P6. Collectively, these results indicated that chemical modifications directly altered the immunogenicity of a synthetic peptide via molecular mimicry, leading to the inadvertent activation of a T cell clone with unexpected and potentially autoreactive specificities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Man
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom;
| | - James E Redman
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Deborah L Cross
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - David K Cole
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ilona Can
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Bethan Davies
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Shaikh Shimaz Hashimdeen
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Reiss Reid
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sian Llewellyn-Lacey
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Kelly L Miners
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Kristin Ladell
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Anya Lissina
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Paul E Brown
- The Zeeman Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and
| | - Linda Wooldridge
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - David A Price
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Systems Immunity Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre J Rizkallah
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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12
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Tavares ABMLA, Albuquerque EL. Quantum binding energies of checkpoint CTLA-4 in complex with the immuno-oncological drug ipilimumab. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:15620-15627. [PMID: 34264254 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp01977e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Inhibition of the checkpoint protein CTLA-4 by the US-FDA's approved monoclonal antibody ipilimumab has delivered breakthrough therapies against a wide range of cancers, being an important issue for clinical research. To date, many structural properties of this drug have been unveiled. However, the binding energy features of the receptor CTLA-4 in complex with its drug inhibitor, based on crystallographic data, need a deeper understanding. Within this context, by employing quantum chemistry we investigate in silico the binding energy features of the checkpoint protein CTLA-4 in complex with its drug inhibitor, highlighting the most relevant residue-residue interactions, looking for new insights into the mechanisms of pathway blockade to further engineer its affinity and selectivity. Our computational results not only give a better understanding of the binding mechanisms, but also point to an efficient alternative towards the development of antibody-based drugs, leading to new treatments for cancer therapy based upon immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Beatriz M L A Tavares
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970, Natal-RN, Brazil. and Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50.670-901, Recife-PE, Brazil
| | - E L Albuquerque
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970, Natal-RN, Brazil.
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13
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Zhang D, Wang Y, Li G, Zhang B. Tanshinone IIA alleviates vitiligo by suppressing AKT mediated CD8 + T cells activation in a mouse model. Dermatol Ther 2021; 34:e15086. [PMID: 34350676 DOI: 10.1111/dth.15086] [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: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Tanshinone IIA has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects, while it is not clear whether Tanshinone IIA has protective role in vitiligo. Premelanosome (PMEL) CD8+ T cells were adoptive transferred into Krt14- Kitl* mice with Kit ligand (KITL) over-expressed, to construct the vitiligo model. Pdk1fl/fl and Stat3fl/fl mice were crossed with Cd8cre mice to establish Pdk1TKO and Stat3TKO mice. Tanshinone IIA (200 μg) was intravenous injected to treat vitiligo in mice every 3 days. The accumulation of macrophages and CD8+ T cells in the ear skin was assayed by flow cytometry. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were induced and stimulated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and IL-4. It was found that Tanshinone IIA alleviated the development of vitiligo, impaired PMEL CD8+ T cells accumulation in the ear skin, and inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β expression and secretion in BMDMs, which could also inhibit IL-4-induced Arg-1 and Mrc-1 expression in BMDMs. In addition, Tanshinone IIA could inhibit the proliferation and cytotoxic function of CD8+ T cells indicated by the expression of Perforin, Granzymeb, and IFN-γ. Furthermore, Tanshinone IIA treated Pdk1TKO mice, not Stat3TKO mice, showed impaired PMEL CD8+ T cells accumulation in the ear skin. In summary, Tanshinone IIA alleviates vitiligo development with impaired CD8+ T cells accumulation and activation of Pdk1-Akt pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yujie Wang
- Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang, Qingzhou, China
| | - Guangzhi Li
- Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang, Qingzhou, China
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14
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Structures suggest an approach for converting weak self-peptide tumor antigens into superagonists for CD8 T cells in cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2100588118. [PMID: 34074778 PMCID: PMC8201969 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100588118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor vaccines using modified self-antigens that structurally enhance T cell receptor–peptide–major histocompatibility complex interactions greatly improve a T cell protective response against the tumor’s unmodified self-antigen. X-ray crystal structures of these interactions explain how the native and modified peptides can interact with the same T cell receptor, but with different affinities and abilities to drive T cell proliferation and differentiation. Tumors frequently express unmutated self-tumor–associated antigens (self-TAAs). However, trial results using self-TAAs as vaccine targets against cancer are mixed, often attributed to deletion of T cells with high-affinity receptors (TCRs) for self-TAAs during T cell development. Mutating these weak self-TAAs to produce higher affinity, effective vaccines is challenging, since the mutations may not benefit all members of the broad self-TAA–specific T cell repertoire. We previously identified a common weak murine self-TAA that we converted to a highly effective antitumor vaccine by a single amino acid substitution. In this case the modified and natural self-TAAs still raised very similar sets of CD8 T cells. Our structural studies herein show that the modification of the self-TAA resulted in a subtle change in the major histocompatibility complex I–TAA structure. This amino acid substitution allowed a dramatic conformational change in the peptide during subsequent TCR engagement, creating a large increase in TCR affinity and accounting for the efficacy of the modified self-TAA as a vaccine. These results show that carefully selected, well-characterized modifications to a poorly immunogenic self-TAA can rescue the immune response of the large repertoire of weakly responding natural self-TAA–specific CD8 T cells, driving them to proliferate and differentiate into functional effectors. Subsequently, the unmodified self-TAA on the tumor cells, while unable to drive this response, is nevertheless a sufficient target for the CD8 cytotoxic effectors. Our results suggest a pathway for more efficiently identifying variants of common self-TAAs, which could be useful in vaccine development, complementing other current nonantigen-specific immunotherapies.
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15
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Pettmann J, Huhn A, Abu Shah E, Kutuzov MA, Wilson DB, Dustin ML, Davis SJ, van der Merwe PA, Dushek O. The discriminatory power of the T cell receptor. eLife 2021; 10:e67092. [PMID: 34030769 PMCID: PMC8219380 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells use their T cell receptors (TCRs) to discriminate between lower-affinity self and higher-affinity non-self peptides presented on major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) antigens. Although the discriminatory power of the TCR is widely believed to be near-perfect, technical difficulties have hampered efforts to precisely quantify it. Here, we describe a method for measuring very low TCR/pMHC affinities and use it to measure the discriminatory power of the TCR and the factors affecting it. We find that TCR discrimination, although enhanced compared with conventional cell-surface receptors, is imperfect: primary human T cells can respond to pMHC with affinities as low as KD ∼ 1 mM. The kinetic proofreading mechanism fit our data, providing the first estimates of both the time delay (2.8 s) and number of biochemical steps (2.67) that are consistent with the extraordinary sensitivity of antigen recognition. Our findings explain why self pMHC frequently induce autoimmune diseases and anti-tumour responses, and suggest ways to modify TCR discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Pettmann
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Anna Huhn
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Enas Abu Shah
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Mikhail A Kutuzov
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Daniel B Wilson
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Boston University, Department of Mathematics and StatisticsBostonUnited States
| | - Michael L Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Simon J Davis
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Omer Dushek
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
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16
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Zhu Y, Huang C, Su M, Ge Z, Gao L, Shi Y, Wang X, Chen J. Characterization of amino acid residues of T-cell receptors interacting with HLA-A*02-restricted antigen peptides. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:495. [PMID: 33850892 PMCID: PMC8039679 DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background The present study aimed to explore residues’ properties interacting with HLA-A*02-restricted peptides on T-cell receptors (TCRs) and their effects on bond types of interaction and binding free energy. Methods We searched the crystal structures of HLA-A*02-restricted peptide-TCR complexes from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) database and subsequently collected relevant parameters. We then employed Schrodinger to analyze the bond types of interaction and Gromacs 2019 to evaluate the TCR-antigen peptide complex’s molecular dynamics simulation. Finally, we compared the changes of bond types of interaction and binding free energy before and after residue substitution to ensure consistency of the conditions before and after residue substitution. Results The main sites on the antigen peptides that formed the intermolecular interaction [hydrogen bond (HB) and pi stack] with TCRs were P4, P8, P2, and P6. The hydrophobicity of the amino acids inside or outside the disulfide bond of TCRs may be related to the intermolecular interaction and binding free energy between TCRs and peptides. Residues located outside the disulfide bond of TCR α or β chains and forming pi stack force played favorable roles in the complex intermolecular interaction and binding free energy. The residues of the TCR α or β chains that interacted with peptides were replaced by alanine (Ala) or glycine (Gly), and their intermolecular binding free energy of the complex had been improved. However, it had nothing to do with the formation of HB. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that the hydrophobic nature of the amino acids inside or outside the disulfide bonds on the TCR may be associated with the intermolecular interaction and binding between the TCR and polypeptide. The residues located outside the TCR α or β single-chain disulfide bond and forming the pi-stack force showed a beneficial effect on the intermolecular interaction and binding of the complex. In addition, the part of the residues on the TCR α or β single chain that produced bond types of interaction with the polypeptide after being replaced by Ala or Gly, the intermolecular binding free energy of the complex was increased, regardless of whether HB was formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhu
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Changxin Huang
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meng Su
- Master Class, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zuanmin Ge
- Master Class, Hangzhou Normal University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lanlan Gao
- Master Class, Hangzhou Normal University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanfei Shi
- Master Class, Hangzhou Normal University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuechun Wang
- Master Class, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianfeng Chen
- Department of Proctology, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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17
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Pereira ACL, Bezerra KS, Santos JLS, I N Oliveira J, Freire VN, Fulco UL. In silico approach of modified melanoma peptides and their immunotherapeutic potential. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:2836-2845. [PMID: 33470998 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05322h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer with increasing incidence worldwide and high lethality. Conventional forms of treatment are not effective in advanced cancer stages. Hence, immunotherapeutic approaches have been tested to modulate immune response against tumor cells. Some vaccine models using tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) such as glycoprotein 100 (gp100) have been studied, but their expected effectiveness has not been shown until now. Antigen immunogenicity is a crucial point to improve the immune response, and therefore mutations are inserted in peptide sequences. It is possible to understand the interactions which occur between peptides and immune system molecules through computer simulation, and this is essential in order to guide efficient vaccine models. In this work, we have calculated the interaction binding energies of crystallographic data based on modified gp100 peptides and HLA-A*0201 using density functional theory (DFT) and the molecular fractionation with conjugated caps (MFCC) approach. Our results show the most relevant residue-residue interactions, the impact of three mutations in their binding sites, and the main HLA-A*0201 amino acids for peptide-HLA binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C L Pereira
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970, Natal-RN, Brazil.
| | - K S Bezerra
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970, Natal-RN, Brazil.
| | - J L S Santos
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970, Natal-RN, Brazil.
| | - J I N Oliveira
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970, Natal-RN, Brazil.
| | - V N Freire
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Ceará, 60455-760, Fortaleza-CE, Brazil
| | - U L Fulco
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970, Natal-RN, Brazil.
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Razavi A, Keshavarz-Fathi M, Pawelek J, Rezaei N. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for melanoma. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2021; 17:209-223. [PMID: 33481629 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2021.1880895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has emerged as a cancer treatment. After initial therapeutic success for hematologic malignancies, this approach has been extended for the treatment of solid tumors including melanoma. AREAS COVERED T cells need to be reprogramed to recognize specific antigens expressed only in tumor cells, a difficult problem since cancer cells are simply transformed normal cells. Tumor antigens, namely, CSPG4, CD70, and GD2 have been targeted by CAR-T cells for melanoma. Moreover, different co-stimulatory signaling domains need to be selected to direct T cell fate. In this review, various approaches for the treatment of melanoma and their effectiveness are comprehensively reviewed and the current status, challenges, and future perspective of CAR-T cell therapy for melanoma are discussed. Literature search was accomplished in three databases (PubMed, Google scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov). Published papers and clinical trials were screened and relevant documents were included by checking pre-defined eligibility criteria. EXPERT OPINION Despite obstacles and the risk of adverse events, CAR T cell therapy could be used for patients with treatment-resistant cancer. Clinical trials are underway to determine the efficacy of this approach for the treatment of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azadehsadat Razavi
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biology Sciences, University of Kharazmi, Tehran, Iran.,Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Keshavarz-Fathi
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - John Pawelek
- Department of Dermatology and the Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Stockholm, Sweden
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19
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Patra P, Bhattacharya M, Sharma AR, Ghosh P, Sharma G, Patra BC, Mallick B, Lee SS, Chakraborty C. Identification and Design of a Next-Generation Multi Epitopes Bases Peptide Vaccine Candidate Against Prostate Cancer: An In Silico Approach. Cell Biochem Biophys 2020; 78:495-509. [PMID: 32347457 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-020-00912-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most diagnosed cancer in men and ranked fifth in overall cancer diagnosis. During the past decades, it has arisen as a significant life-threatening disease in men at an older age. At the early onset of illness when it is in localized form, radiation and surgical treatments are applied against this disease. In case of adverse situations androgen deprivation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, etc. are widely used as a therapeutic element. However, studies found the occurrences of several side effects after applying these therapies. In current work, several immunoinformatic techniques were applied to formulate a multi-epitopic vaccine from the overexpressed antigenic proteins of PCa. A total of 13 epitopes were identified from the five prostatic antigenic proteins (PSA, PSMA, PSCA, STEAP, and PAP), after validation with several in silico tools. These epitopes were fused to form a vaccine element by (GGGGS)3 peptide linker. Afterward, 5, 6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA) was used as an adjuvant to initiate and induce STING-mediated cytotoxic cascade. In addition, molecular docking was performed between the vaccine element and HLA class I antigen with the low ACE value of -251 kcal/mol which showed a significant binding. Molecular simulation using normal mode analysis (NMA) illustrated the docking complex as a stable one. Therefore, this observation strongly indicated that our multi epitopes bases peptide vaccine molecule will be an effective candidate for the treatment of the PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanta Patra
- Department of Zoology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, 721102, India
| | - Manojit Bhattacharya
- Department of Zoology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, 721102, India
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopedic Surgery, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, Chuncheon, 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Ashish Ranjan Sharma
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopedic Surgery, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, Chuncheon, 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Pratik Ghosh
- Department of Zoology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, 721102, India
| | - Garima Sharma
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Toxicology Program, College of Pharmacy, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Bidhan Chandra Patra
- Department of Zoology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, 721102, India
| | - Bidyut Mallick
- Departments of Applied Science, Galgotias College of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida, India
| | - Sang-Soo Lee
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopedic Surgery, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, Chuncheon, 24252, Republic of Korea.
| | - Chiranjib Chakraborty
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopedic Surgery, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, Chuncheon, 24252, Republic of Korea.
- Adamas University, North, 24 Parganas, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700126, India.
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20
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Yazdani Z, Rafiei A, Irannejad H, Yazdani M, Valadan R. Designing a novel multiepitope peptide vaccine against melanoma using immunoinformatics approach. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 40:3312-3324. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1846625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Yazdani
- Department of Immunology, Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Alireza Rafiei
- Department of Immunology, Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Hamid Irannejad
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | | | - Reza Valadan
- Department of Immunology, Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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21
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Barros LRC, Souza-Santos PTD, Pretti MAM, Vieira GF, Bragatte MADS, Mendes MFDA, De Freitas MV, Scherer NDM, De Oliveira IM, Rapozo DCM, Fernandes PV, Simão TDA, Soares-Lima SC, Boroni M, Ribeiro Pinto LF, Bonamino MH. High infiltration of B cells in tertiary lymphoid structures, TCR oligoclonality, and neoantigens are part of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma microenvironment. J Leukoc Biol 2020; 108:1307-1318. [PMID: 32827331 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.5ma0720-710rrr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCA) exhibits high intratumoral molecular heterogeneity posing a challenge to cancer therapy. Immune checkpoint blockade therapy has been approved for this disease, but with modest results. RNA-Seq data from paired tumor and surrounding nonmalignant tissue from 14 patients diagnosed with ESCA without previous treatment and from The Cancer Genome Atlas-ESCA cohort were analyzed. Herein, we investigated ESCA immune landscape including mutation-derived neoantigens and immune cell subpopulations. Tumor-associated antigen expression was determined by in silico analyses and confirmed by immunohistochemistry showing that PRAME, CEACAM4, and MAGEA11 proteins are expressed on tumors. Immune checkpoint molecules gene expression was higher in the tumor compared with surrounding nonmalignant tissue, but its expression varies greatly among patients. TCR repertoire and BCR transcripts analysis evidenced low clonal diversity with one TCR clone predicted to be specific for a MAGEA11-derived peptide. A high number of B-cell clones infiltrating the tumors and the abundance of these cells in tertiary lymphoid structures observed in ESCA tumors support B cells as a potential immune modulator in this tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marco Antonio Marques Pretti
- Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer-INCA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Laboratório de Bioinformática e Biologia Computacional, Instituto Nacional de Câncer, INCA
| | - Gustavo Fioravanti Vieira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade La Salle, Canoas, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Alves De Souza Bragatte
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marcus Fabiano De Almeida Mendes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Martiela Vaz De Freitas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Tatiana De Almeida Simão
- Departamento de Bioquímica, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana Boroni
- Laboratório de Bioinformática e Biologia Computacional, Instituto Nacional de Câncer, INCA
| | - Luis Felipe Ribeiro Pinto
- Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer-INCA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Martin Hernan Bonamino
- Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer-INCA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Vice-Presidência de Pesquisa e Coleções Biológicas (VPPCB), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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22
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Coles CH, McMurran C, Lloyd A, Hock M, Hibbert L, Raman MCC, Hayes C, Lupardus P, Cole DK, Harper S. T cell receptor interactions with human leukocyte antigen govern indirect peptide selectivity for the cancer testis antigen MAGE-A4. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:11486-11494. [PMID: 32532817 PMCID: PMC7450119 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell-mediated immunity is governed primarily by T cell receptor (TCR) recognition of peptide-human leukocyte antigen (pHLA) complexes and is essential for immunosurveillance and disease control. This interaction is generally stabilized by interactions between the HLA surface and TCR germline-encoded complementarity-determining region (CDR) loops 1 and 2, whereas peptide selectivity is guided by direct interactions with the TCR CDR3 loops. Here, we solved the structure of a newly identified TCR in complex with a clinically relevant peptide derived from the cancer testis antigen melanoma antigen-A4 (MAGE-A4). The TCR bound pHLA in a position shifted toward the peptide's N terminus. This enabled the TCR to achieve peptide selectivity via an indirect mechanism, whereby the TCR sensed the first residue of the peptide through HLA residue Trp-167, which acted as a tunable gateway. Amino acid substitutions at peptide position 1 predicted to alter the HLA Trp-167 side-chain conformation abrogated TCR binding, indicating that this indirect binding mechanism is essential for peptide recognition. These findings extend our understanding of the molecular rules that underpin antigen recognition by TCRs and have important implications for the development of TCR-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David K Cole
- Immunocore Ltd., Abingdon, United Kingdom .,Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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23
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Yang X, Xie S, Yang X, Cueva JC, Hou X, Tang Z, Yao H, Mo F, Yin S, Liu A, Lu X. Opportunities and Challenges for Antibodies against Intracellular Antigens. Am J Cancer Res 2019; 9:7792-7806. [PMID: 31695801 PMCID: PMC6831482 DOI: 10.7150/thno.35486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic antibodies are one most significant advances in immunotherapy, the development of antibodies against disease-associated MHC-peptide complexes led to the introduction of TCR-like antibodies. TCR-like antibodies combine the recognition of intracellular proteins with the therapeutic potency and versatility of monoclonal antibodies (mAb), offering an unparalleled opportunity to expand the repertoire of therapeutic antibodies available to treat diseases like cancer. This review details the current state of TCR-like antibodies and describes their production, mechanisms as well as their applications. In addition, it presents an insight on the challenges that they must overcome in order to become commercially and clinically validated.
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24
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Cervera-Carrascon V, Siurala M, Santos JM, Havunen R, Tähtinen S, Karell P, Sorsa S, Kanerva A, Hemminki A. TNFa and IL-2 armed adenoviruses enable complete responses by anti-PD-1 checkpoint blockade. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7:e1412902. [PMID: 29721366 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1412902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Releasing the patient's immune system against their own malignancy by the use of checkpoint inhibitors is delivering promising results. However, only a subset of patients currently benefit from them. One major limitation of these therapies relates to the inability of T cells to detect or penetrate into the tumor resulting in unresponsiveness to checkpoint inhibition. Virotherapy is an attractive tool for enabling checkpoint inhibitors as viruses are naturally recognized by innate defense elements which draws the attention of the immune system. Besides their intrinsic immune stimulating properties, the adenoviruses used here are armed to express tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). These cytokines result in immunological danger signaling and multiple appealing T-cell effects, including trafficking, activation and propagation. When these viruses were injected into B16.OVA melanoma tumors in animals concomitantly receiving programmed cell-death protein 1 (PD-1) blocking antibodies both tumor growth control (p < 0.0001) and overall survival (p < 0.01) were improved. In this set-up, the addition of adoptive cell therapy with OT-I lymphocytes did not increase efficacy further. When virus injections were initiated before antibody treatment in a prime-boost approach, 100% of tumors regressed completely and all mice survived. Viral expression of IL2 and TNFa altered the cytokine balance in the tumor microenvironment towards Th1 and increased the intratumoral proportion of CD8+ and conventional CD4+ T cells. These preclinical studies provide the rationale and schedule for a clinical trial where oncolytic adenovirus coding for TNFa and IL-2 (TILT-123) is used in melanoma patients receiving an anti-PD-1 antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Cervera-Carrascon
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - M Siurala
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - J M Santos
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - R Havunen
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - S Tähtinen
- Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - P Karell
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - S Sorsa
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - A Kanerva
- Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
| | - A Hemminki
- TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland.,Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Uusima, Finland
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25
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Cole DK, Fuller A, Dolton G, Zervoudi E, Legut M, Miles K, Blanchfield L, Madura F, Holland CJ, Bulek AM, Bridgeman JS, Miles JJ, Schauenburg AJA, Beck K, Evavold BD, Rizkallah PJ, Sewell AK. Dual Molecular Mechanisms Govern Escape at Immunodominant HLA A2-Restricted HIV Epitope. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1503. [PMID: 29209312 PMCID: PMC5701626 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Serial accumulation of mutations to fixation in the SLYNTVATL (SL9) immunodominant, HIV p17 Gag-derived, HLA A2-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope produce the SLFNTIAVL triple mutant “ultimate” escape variant. These mutations in solvent-exposed residues are believed to interfere with TCR recognition, although confirmation has awaited structural verification. Here, we solved a TCR co-complex structure with SL9 and the triple escape mutant to determine the mechanism of immune escape in this eminent system. We show that, in contrast to prevailing hypotheses, the main TCR contact residue is 4N and the dominant mechanism of escape is not via lack of TCR engagement. Instead, mutation of solvent-exposed residues in the peptide destabilise the peptide–HLA and reduce peptide density at the cell surface. These results highlight the extraordinary lengths that HIV employs to evade detection by high-affinity TCRs with a broad peptide-binding footprint and necessitate re-evaluation of this exemplar model of HIV TCR escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- David K Cole
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Fuller
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Garry Dolton
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Efthalia Zervoudi
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Mateusz Legut
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Kim Miles
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Lori Blanchfield
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Florian Madura
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J Holland
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Anna M Bulek
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - John S Bridgeman
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - John J Miles
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom.,James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrea J A Schauenburg
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Konrad Beck
- Cardiff University School of Dentistry, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Brian D Evavold
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Pierre J Rizkallah
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew K Sewell
- Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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26
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MacLachlan BJ, Greenshields-Watson A, Mason GH, Schauenburg AJ, Bianchi V, Rizkallah PJ, Sewell AK, Fuller A, Cole DK. Using X-ray Crystallography, Biophysics, and Functional Assays to Determine the Mechanisms Governing T-cell Receptor Recognition of Cancer Antigens. J Vis Exp 2017:54991. [PMID: 28287509 PMCID: PMC5408581 DOI: 10.3791/54991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Human CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are known to play an important role in tumor control. In order to carry out this function, the cell surface-expressed T-cell receptor (TCR) must functionally recognize human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-restricted tumor-derived peptides (pHLA). However, we and others have shown that most TCRs bind sub-optimally to tumor antigens. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms that define this poor recognition could aid in the development of new targeted therapies that circumnavigate these shortcomings. Indeed, present therapies that lack this molecular understanding have not been universally effective. Here, we describe methods that we commonly employ in the laboratory to determine how the nature of the interaction between TCRs and pHLA governs T-cell functionality. These methods include the generation of soluble TCRs and pHLA and the use of these reagents for X-ray crystallography, biophysical analysis, and antigen-specific T-cell staining with pHLA multimers. Using these approaches and guided by structural analysis, it is possible to modify the interaction between TCRs and pHLA and to then test how these modifications impact T-cell antigen recognition. These findings have already helped to clarify the mechanism of T-cell recognition of a number of cancer antigens and could direct the development of altered peptides and modified TCRs for new cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce J MacLachlan
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University
| | | | - Georgina H Mason
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University
| | - Andrea J Schauenburg
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University
| | - Valentina Bianchi
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University; Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV); Ludwig Insitutue for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne
| | - Pierre J Rizkallah
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University
| | - Andrew K Sewell
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University
| | - Anna Fuller
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University
| | - David K Cole
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University;
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