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Zhang M, Wang X, Wu J, Wang Q, Cui H, Chen X, Zhao Z, Liu S, Ye S. Preparation empty peptide-receptive MHC class I complex for large-scale detection through photolabile peptide ligands. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 276:133781. [PMID: 38992528 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) multimers are wide recognized as the premier technique for detecting, characterizing, and isolating antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell subsets. These multimers are specifically useful in studying infections, autoimmune conditions, and cancer through single-cell analysis techniques such as flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. However, the development of high-throughput assays with commercially available pMHC tetramers can be expensive, while in-house production may pose challenges for most biology research laboratories. In this context, we introduce a cost-friendly and uncomplicated protocol to prepare empty MHC class I tetramers using disulfide-stabilized molecules and photolabile peptide ligands. Our method relies on disulfide bond-stabilized MHC-I molecules, which demonstrated stability when folded into stable monomers in the presence of a photolabile epitope. These monomers, upon ultraviolet irradiation and streptavidin binding, efficiently assemble into tetramers devoid of any peptide. Following a short incubation with the peptide of interest under gentle conditions, the resulting pMHC tetramer effectively detects patient-sourced, neoantigen-specific T cells. Our unique approach streamlines large-scale pMHC generation, thus paving the way for advancements in T cell-based diagnostics and personalized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyu Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xiangyao Wang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Junjie Wu
- Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Qiwei Wang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Haozhe Cui
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaofeng Chen
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zhiming Zhao
- The Faculty of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Si Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Sheng Ye
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China.
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In vitro study of the trypanocidal activity of anilinophenanthrolines against Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasitol Int 2021; 83:102338. [PMID: 33766741 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is present in Latin America, North America, Europe, and Asia, where between 6 and 7 million people are infected. This illness is transmitted mainly by the insect vector during blood feeding and by oral transmission. Chagas disease is treated with benznidazole and its effectiveness depends on which phase of the disease the treatment starts. Therefore, the identification of new compounds with anti-Chagas activities is important. Protozoan parasites present cysteine proteases, important for host cell infection and differentiation, which have been explored as valid targets against pathogenic parasites. In the present study, the effects of 10 new 1,10-phenanthroline derivatives were evaluated on T. cruzi. Three of them were effective against amastigotes (IC50 from 0.5 to 3 μM), epimastigotes (IC50 from 0.5 to at least 10 μM) and trypomastigotes (and LD50 from 1 to 10 μM), and they were not toxic to mammalian cells (CC50 ≥ 20 μM). These compounds also promoted the formation of autophagosomes, alter the level of heterochromatin condensation, caused the loss of kDNA topology, and the elongated cell body shape. Apart from ultrastructural alterations, an increased generation of ROS and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential were observed. Therefore, these drugs revealed potential trypanocidal effects and warrant further antiparasitic studies against Chagas disease.
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Maeng H, Terabe M, Berzofsky JA. Cancer vaccines: translation from mice to human clinical trials. Curr Opin Immunol 2018; 51:111-122. [PMID: 29554495 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic cancer vaccines have been a long-sought approach to harness the exquisite specificity of the immune system to treat cancer, but until recently have not had much success as single agents in clinical trials. However, new understanding of the immunoregulatory mechanisms exploited by cancers has allowed the development of approaches to potentiate the effect of vaccines by removing the brakes while the vaccines step on the accelerator. Thus, vaccines that had induced a strong T cell response but no clinical therapeutic effect may now reach their full potential. Here, we review a number of promising approaches to cancer vaccines developed initially in mouse models and their translation into clinical trials, along with combinations of vaccines with other therapies that might allow cancer vaccines to finally achieve clinical efficacy against many types of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoyoung Maeng
- Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, United States
| | - Masaki Terabe
- Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, United States
| | - Jay A Berzofsky
- Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay A Berzofsky
- Molecular Immunogenetics and Vaccine Research Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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van den Broeke LT, Pendleton CD, Mackall C, Helman LJ, Berzofsky JA. Identification and epitope enhancement of a PAX-FKHR fusion protein breakpoint epitope in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma cells created by a tumorigenic chromosomal translocation inducing CTL capable of lysing human tumors. Cancer Res 2006; 66:1818-23. [PMID: 16452243 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-05-2549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Fusion proteins created by chromosomal translocations in tumors can create neoantigenic determinants at the breakpoint, which are unique to the tumor cells but shared by the vast majority of tumors of that histologic type. If the fusion protein is responsible for the malignant transformation, its expression cannot be lost by the tumor to escape immune responses against this tumor antigen. Here, we identify such a fusion protein breakpoint epitope in the PAX-FKHR fusion protein created by the t(2;13) translocation present in 80% of cases of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a highly aggressive pediatric soft-tissue sarcoma. We use autologous dendritic cells pulsed with the RS10 breakpoint fusion peptide to raise a human CTL line from a normal healthy HLA-B7+ blood donor specific for this peptide. These CTLs are CD8+ (CD4-CD56-) and restricted by HLA-B7. These human peptide-specific CTL lyse human HLA-B7+ rhabdomyosarcoma tumor cells. Therefore, the fusion protein is endogenously processed to produce this natural epitope presented by HLA-B7 and thus this peptide is a bone fide human tumor antigen. We also define a substitution that increases the affinity for HLA-B7 without loss of antigenicity. This epitope-enhanced peptide may serve as a candidate cancer vaccine for HLA-B7+ patients with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon T van den Broeke
- Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute/NIH, Building 10, Rm. 6B-04, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Berzofsky JA, Terabe M, Oh S, Belyakov IM, Ahlers JD, Janik JE, Morris JC. Progress on new vaccine strategies for the immunotherapy and prevention of cancer. J Clin Invest 2004; 113:1515-25. [PMID: 15173875 PMCID: PMC419494 DOI: 10.1172/jci21926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, great strides in understanding and regulating the immune system have led to new hope for harnessing its exquisite specificity to destroy cancer cells without affecting normal tissues. This review examines the fundamental immunologic advances and the novel vaccine strategies arising from these advances, as well as the early clinical trials studying new approaches to treat or prevent cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay A Berzofsky
- Molecular Immunogenetics and Vaccine Research Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
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Leggatt GR, Hosmalin A, Pendleton CD, Kumar A, Hoffman S, Berzofsky JA. The Importance of Pairwise Interactions Between Peptide Residues in the Delineation of TCR Specificity. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 1998. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.161.9.4728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
A minimal, nonamer epitope (TEMEKEGKI) from the reverse transcriptase protein of HIV-1, restricted by H-2Kk, was identified and the function of individual residues determined. Besides classical anchor residues at positions 2 and 9, methionine at position 3 was identified as an important MHC anchor and improved binding of a different (malarial) nonamer epitope to H-2Kk, albeit while also abolishing CTL recognition. Lysine at position 5 was replaceable by alanine for CTL raised against wild-type peptide but abolished recognition for CTL raised against the variant 5ALA peptide, indicating a unidirectional cross-reactivity. Interestingly, one CTL line raised against the 5ALA substituted peptide was permissive for a double substitution at positions 5 and 6, in which lysine was permissive at position 5 only if the adjacent glutamic acid was replaced by alanine. Extensive analysis revealed three distinct patterns of responses with peptides doubly substituted in this region: recognition of both single substitutions but not the double substitution, recognition of only one single substitution but also the double substitution, or recognition of both single substitutions and the double substitution. A second complementary substitution can therefore restore function lost through a first substitution. Thus, no residue acts independently of its neighbors, and pairs of substitutions may give results not predictable from the effects of each taken singly. This finding may have bearing on viral infections (such as HIV), in which the accumulation of two mutations in the epitope may lead to the reengagement of memory CTL previously silenced by the initial mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham R. Leggatt
- *Molecular Immunogenetics and Vaccine Research Section, Metabolism Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892; and
| | - Anne Hosmalin
- *Molecular Immunogenetics and Vaccine Research Section, Metabolism Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892; and
| | - C. David Pendleton
- *Molecular Immunogenetics and Vaccine Research Section, Metabolism Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892; and
| | - Anita Kumar
- †Malaria Program, Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20889
| | - Stephen Hoffman
- †Malaria Program, Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20889
| | - Jay A. Berzofsky
- *Molecular Immunogenetics and Vaccine Research Section, Metabolism Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892; and
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