Th1 Polarization and Apoptosis-Inducing Activity of CD4+T -Cells in Cytokine-Induced Killers Might Favor the Antitumor Cytotoxicity of Cytokine-Induced KillersIn Vivo

Prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in melanoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are associated with prognosis in various tumors. However, it remains controversial whether the presence of TILs is related to an improved prognosis in melanoma. This meta-analysis confirmed the favorable prognostic role of the CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, FOXP3+, and CD20+ TILs in the overall survival of melanoma patients and found an association between the TILs present and improved overall survival. Additionally, subgroup analysis demonstrated that brisk TILs were obviously associated with OS, RFS and DSS/MSS. Thus, TILs may be a predictive biomarker in melanoma. This analysis will provide more insight into the study of TILs and predictive biomarker.

Novel vaccines for glioblastoma: clinical update and perspective

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain cancer. Aggressive treatment with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy provides limited overall survival benefit. Glioblastomas have a formidable tumor microenvironment that is hostile to immunological effector cells and these cancers produce profound systemic immunosuppression. However, surgical resection of these tumors creates conditions that favor the use of immunotherapeutic strategies. Therefore, extensive surgical resection, when feasible, will remain part of the equation to provide an environment in which active specific immunotherapy has the greatest chance of working. Toward that end, a number of vaccination protocols are under investigation. Vaccines studied to date have produced cellular and humoral antitumor responses, but unequivocal clinical efficacy has yet to be demonstrated. In addition, focus is shifting toward the prospect of therapies involving vaccines in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors and other immunomodulatory agents so that effector cells remain active against their targets systemically and within the tumor microenvironment.

New attempt in tuberculosis treatment: autologous cytokine-induced killer after chemotherapy treatment failure in a case of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MTB)

A 32-year-old woman was diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis 15 years ago and recurred several times due to long-term nonstandard treatment. Drug sensitivity test indicated that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis had emerged and we determined relevant therapeutic schedule according to this result. However, it didn't show any amelioration of the disease after 3-month chemotherapy. We formulated 3-course CIK immunotherapy based on patient's condition. After 3 courses of immunotherapy, we found obvious amelioration of the patient's condition. And there was no recurrence during the follow-up in the past 3 years. Therefore, we considered that the CIK immunotherapy is an effective method for tuberculosis treatment and recurrence prevention. (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2017; 34: 97-99).

Challenges in the development of a survivin vaccine (SurVaxM) for malignant glioma

There is growing interest in immunotherapy for malignant gliomas. This interest stems from a number of immunological observations, together with the failure of conventional therapeutic agents to produce broad and clinically meaningful improvements in survival and quality of life. The challenges faced in translating laboratory-based immunological observations to Phase I and II clinical trials for immunotherapy of gliomas are substantial. Nevertheless, as our understanding of the effects of active specific vaccination in glioma patients grows, results support optimism that such methods may eventually prove useful as an adjunctive treatment for these cancers. This paper highlights a number of barriers encountered in the translational development of a survivin-targeted peptide vaccine (SurVaxM) for patients with malignant gliomas.

The metalloproteinase ADAMTS1: a comprehensive review of its role in tumorigenic and metastatic pathways

As it was first characterized in 1997, the ADAMTS (A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease with ThromboSpondin motifs) metalloprotease family has been associated with many physiological and pathological conditions. Of the 19 proteases belonging to this family, considerable attention has been devoted to the role of its first member ADAMTS1 in cancer. Elevated ADAMTS1 promotes pro-tumorigenic changes such as increased tumor cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis and altered vascularization. Importantly, it facilitates significant peritumoral remodeling of the extracellular matrix environment to promote tumor progression and metastasis. However, discrepancy exists, as several studies also depict ADAMTS1 as a tumor suppressor. This article reviews the current understanding of ADAMTS1 regulation and the consequence of its dysregulation in primary cancer and ADAMTS1-mediated pathways of cancer progression and metastasis.

Synergistic effect of CH-296 and interferon gamma on cytokine-induced killer cells expansion for patients with advanced-stage malignant solid tumors

BACKGROUND

Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIKs) are heterogenous antitumor effectors including interferon gamma (IFN-γ)-amplified CD3(+)CD56(+) cells. CH-296 has been shown to stimulate T-cell proliferation in the presence of T cell receptor (TCR)-stimulating signals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of CH-296 and IFN-γ on expansion of CIKs for treating patients with advanced-stage malignant solid tumors.

METHODS

CIKs were cultured with immobilized CH-296 in the presence (retronectin [RN]-CIKs) or absence of IFN-γ (RN-CIKs/del) for 14 days. Proliferation, apoptosis, phenotype, and cytotoxicity were detected. Twenty (20) patients (18 patients with stage IV solid tumors) received three cycles of RN-CIKs treatment. The clinical responses were evaluated using Karnofsky Performance Status scoring and computed-tomography scanning.

RESULTS

CH-296 promoted CIKs expansion in a time-dependent manner by inhibiting apoptosis and increasing proliferation. Costimulation of CH-296 and IFN-γ amplified more antitumor effectors of CIKs with activated T-cell phenotype, which displayed potent cytotoxicity and increased cytokines secretion upon antigen priming. Sixteen (16) patients receiving RN-CIKs experienced relief of clinical symptoms. The overall clinical response rate was 65% (13/20) and the mean overall survival was 16.95±6.10 months. No severe adverse events were observed in the clinical trial.

CONCLUSIONS

CH-296 and IFN-γ synergistically promote antitumor efficiency of CIKs by increasing proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis, and enhancing cytotoxicity.

Cytotoxic effect of trans-cinnamaldehyde on human leukemia K562 cells

AIM

To investigate the effects of trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA) on the human leukemia K562 cell line and the cytotoxicity of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells against K562 cells.

METHODS

Apoptosis, Fas expression, and mitochondrial transmembrane potential in K652 cells were analyzed using flow cytometry. K562 cells were labeled with CFSE. The cytotoxic effect of expanded CIK cells on CFSE-labeled K562 cells was determined by FACS flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Treatment with TCA 180 micromol/L for 9 h induced apoptosis in 8.9%+/-1.23% of K562 cells. Treatment with 120 or 180 micromol/L TCA for 24 h significantly increased the apoptotic cells to 18.63%+/-1.42 % and 38.98%+/-2.74%, respectively. TCA significantly upregulates Fas expression and decreases mitochondrial transmembrane potential in K562 cells. TCA treatment at 120 and 180 micromol/L for 9 h enhanced the percentage of lysis of K562 cells by expanded CIK cells from 34.84%+/-2.13% to 48.21%+/-2.22 % and 64.81%+/-3.22% at the E:F ratio of 25:1 and from 49.26%+/-3.22% to 57.81%+/-5.13% and 73.36%+/-5.98% at E:F ratio of 50:1.

CONCLUSION

TCA exerts cytotoxic effects on human leukemia K562 cells by inducing apoptosis and synergizing the cytotoxicity of CIK cells against K562 cells. These properties of TCA are beneficial to the treatment of leukemia, even in the patients who have received hematopoietic stem cells transplantation (HSCT).

CD4+T cells in CIKs (CD4+ CIKs) reversed resistance to fas-mediated apoptosis through CD40/CD40L ligation rather than IFN-gamma stimulation

BACKGROUND

Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIKs) are nonspecific antitumor effectors with superior advantages. CD4+ CIKs can induce Fas-dependent apoptosis in sensitive Raji cells. Here, a Fas-dependent apoptosis was detected in resistant breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells, and underlying mechanisms were discriminated.

METHODS

Amplification of CIKs and purification of CD4+ CIKs were performed in 15 patients with malignant solid tumors. The expression of CD40L and soluble cytokines in CD4+ CIKs were analyzed. The apoptotic rates of tumor cells and the expression of Fas on membranes were detected using flow cytometry assay. The specific blocking antibodies against FasL, CD40L, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were added to abolish their effects. The changes of 4 apoptosis-related genes (Bcl-2, Bax, Fas-associating protein with death domain [FADD], and FLICE inhibitory protein [c-FLIP]) in MDA-MB-231 cells cocultured with CD4+ CIKs were measured by real-time quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction after 6 hours and 24 hours with or without blocking antibodies.

RESULTS

Upregulated expression of membrane-attached CD40L and dramatically increased secretion of soluble CD40L and IFN-gamma were identified in CD4+ CIK. The susceptibility to Fas-mediated apoptosis of insensitive MDA-MB-231 cells was elevated after being pretreated with supernatants from CD4+ CIK. After coculture with CD4+ CIK, apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells paralleled with enhanced expression of Fas was blocked fully by either anti-FasL or anti-CD40L, but only partly by anti-IFN-gamma antibodies. The anti-CD40L monoclonal antibody (McAb) rather than anti-IFN-gamma McAb induced significant increase of c-FLIP, which negatively correlated with the apoptosis observed in MDA-MB-231 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells induced by CD4+ CIK is Fas-dependent. The reversion of Fas resistance is mediated through CD40/CD40L ligation rather than IFN-gamma stimulation by inhibiting synthesis of c-FLIP.

The differential effect of Eriobotrya japonica hydrophilic leaf extract on cytokines production and modulation

Stimulating or modulating the release of cytokines by immunomodulators or immunostimulating agents is an attractive mode for treating several diseases such as viral infections. For instance, patients with viral infections may be in need of increasing or inducing T helper 1 (Th1) or proinflammatory cytokines, which ultimately activate T cytotoxic and Natural killer lymphocytes to kill virally infected cells. Of these agents, we found that Eriobotrya japonica hydrophilic leaf extract (EJHE) can induce and modulate cytokines in dose-dependent manner. Twenty-four hour exposure of increasing concentrations of EJHE increased significantly (p<0.001) the production of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, from PHA+LPS-stimulated whole blood. However, the production of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha plateaued at high EJHE concentrations (10-100 microg/ml). No significant changes in the production of IL-10 were seen. In addition, EJHE at 1 and 10 microg/ml reversed significantly (p < 0.01) the inhibitory effect of hydrocortisone on the IL-12 p70, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production from PHAS+LPS stimulated whole blood. Without PHA and LPS, EJHE was found to induce significantly (p<0.001) IFN-gamma, IL-12 p70, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 from whole blood culture in concentration dependent manner. The maximum induction of IFN-gamma, IL-12 p70, and TNF-alpha by EJHE was at 1 and 10 microg/ml. On the other hand, IL-10 induction kept increasing even at the highest concentration used (100 microg/ml) of EJHE. Furthermore, intra-peritoneal injection of EJHE into mice increased significantly serum cytokines level mainly at 10 and 100 microg/ml. Two-hour post i.p. injection, EJHE increased serum IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 to approximately 750, 1000, and 250 pg/ml, respectively. However, 24h post i.p. injection, the levels of TNF-alpha, and IL-10 were similar to basal levels but IFN-gamma levels were 200 pg/ml. These results indicate that EJHE induces proinflammatory and Th1 cytokines in concentration dependent manner and the effect of this induction should be studied further in viral models to check the efficacy of such cytokine induction.