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Chandran E, Meininger L, Karzai F, Madan RA. Signaling new therapeutic opportunities: cytokines in prostate cancer. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2022; 22:1233-1243. [PMID: 35930001 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2022.2108701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite FDA approval of sipuleucel-T in 2010, endeavors to use immune checkpoint inhibitors in unselected prostate cancer patients have not improved clinical outcomes. These efforts include studies with anti-PD1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 alone and in combination with existing standards of care. These strategies are generally T-cell centric and disregard the broader complex and pleiotropic components of the prostate cancer tumor microenvironment such as natural killer cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumor associated macrophages. AREAS COVERED We performed an online literature search and undertook a review of existing pre-clinical and clinical literature for cytokine-based therapy relating to prostate cancer, specifically on interleukin (IL)-2, IL-15, IL-12, IL-23, IL-8 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. EXPERT OPINION Cytokine-based therapies present an alternative immune strategy to target the pleiotropic prostate cancer tumor microenvironment beyond T-cells. Future immunotherapy strategies in prostate cancer should address these immune cell populations which may play more important roles in the prostate cancer tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Chandran
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Luke Meininger
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Fatima Karzai
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ravi A Madan
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Miri SM, Pourhossein B, Hosseini SY, Keshavarz M, Shahmahmoodi S, Zolfaghari MR, Mohebbi SR, Gorji A, Ghaemi A. Enhanced synergistic antitumor effect of a DNA vaccine with anticancer cytokine, MDA-7/IL-24, and immune checkpoint blockade. Virol J 2022; 19:106. [PMID: 35752792 PMCID: PMC9233788 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-022-01842-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background MDA-7/IL-24 cytokine has shown potent antitumor properties in various types of cancer without exerting any significant toxicity on healthy cells. It has also been proved to encompass pro-immune Th1 cytokine-like behavior. Several E7 DNA vaccines have developed against human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical cancer. However, the restricted immunogenicity has limited their clinical applications individually. To address this deficiency, we investigated whether combining the E7 DNA vaccine with MDA-7/IL-24 as an adjuvant would elicit efficient antitumor responses in tumor-bearing mouse models. Next, we evaluated how suppression of immunosuppressive IL-10 cytokine would enhance the outcome of our candidate adjuvant vaccine.
Methods For this purpose, tumor-bearing mice received either E7 DNA vaccine, MDA-7/IL-24 cytokine or combination of E7 vaccine with MDA-7/IL-24 adjuvant one week after tumor challenge and boosted two times with one-week interval. IL-10 blockade was performed by injection of anti-IL-10 mAb before each immunization. One week after the last immunization, mice were sacrificed and the treatment efficacy was evaluated through immunological and immunohistochemical analysis. Moreover, the condition of tumors was monitored every two days for six weeks intervals from week 2 on, and the tumor volume was measured and compared within different groups. Results A highly significant synergistic relationship was observed between the E7 DNA vaccine and the MDA-7/IL-24 cytokine against HPV-16+ cervical cancer models. An increase in proliferation of lymphocytes, cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells, the level of Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α) and IL-4, the level of apoptotic markers (TRAIL and caspase-9), and a decrease in the level of immunosuppressive IL-10 cytokine, together with the control of tumor growth and the induction of tumor regression, all prove the efficacy of adjuvant E7&IL-24 vaccine when compared to their individual administration. Surprisingly, vaccination with the DNA E7&IL-24 significantly reduced the population of Regulatory T cells (Treg) in the spleen of immunized mice compared to sole administration and control groups. Moreover, IL-10 blockade enhanced the effect of the co-administration by eliciting higher levels of IFN-γ and caspase-9, reducing Il-10 secretion and provoking the regression of tumor size. Conclusion The synergy between the E7 DNA vaccine and MDA-7/IL-24 suggests that DNA vaccines’ low immunogenicity can be effectively addressed by coupling them with an immunoregulatory agent. Moreover, IL-10 blockade can be considered a complementary treatment to improve the outcome of conventional or novel cancer therapies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12985-022-01842-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mohammad Miri
- Department of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, Pasteur Institute of Iran, P.O. Box: 1316943551, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behzad Pourhossein
- Department of Medical Virology, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran.,Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Younes Hosseini
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohsen Keshavarz
- The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Shohreh Shahmahmoodi
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Seyed Reza Mohebbi
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Gorji
- Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Neurology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany.,Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Ghaemi
- Department of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, Pasteur Institute of Iran, P.O. Box: 1316943551, Tehran, Iran.
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Arakelian T, Oosterhuis K, Tondini E, Los M, Vree J, van Geldorp M, Camps M, Teunisse B, Zoutendijk I, Arens R, Zondag G, Ossendorp F, van Bergen J. Pyroptosis-inducing active caspase-1 as a genetic adjuvant in anti-cancer DNA vaccination. Vaccine 2022; 40:2087-2098. [PMID: 35177300 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Pyroptosis is a recently discovered form of inflammatory programmed necrosis characterized by caspase-1-mediated and gasdermin D-dependent cell death leading to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β). Here, we evaluated whether pyroptosis could be exploited in DNA vaccination by incorporating a constitutively active variant of caspase-1 to the antigen-expressing DNA. In vitro, transfection with constitutively active caspase-1 DNA induced pro-IL-1β maturation and IL-1β release as well as gasdermin D-dependent cell death. To test active caspase-1 as a genetic adjuvant for the induction of antigen-specific T cell responses, mice were vaccinated intradermally with a DNA vaccine consisting of the active caspase-1 plasmid together with a plasmid encoding an ovalbumin-derived CD8 T cell epitope. Active caspase-1 accelerated and amplified antigen-specific CD8 T cell responses when administered simultaneously with the DNA vaccine at an equimolar dose. Moreover, upon challenge with melanoma cells expressing ovalbumin, mice vaccinated with the antigen vaccine adjuvanted with active caspase-1 showed significantly better survival compared to the non-adjuvanted group. In conclusion, we have developed a novel genetic adjuvant that for the first time employs the pyroptosis pathway to improve DNA vaccination against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsolere Arakelian
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Koen Oosterhuis
- Immunetune BV, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Elena Tondini
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Mandy Los
- Immunetune BV, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jana Vree
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Mariska van Geldorp
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel Camps
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Ramon Arens
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Gerben Zondag
- Immunetune BV, Leiden, the Netherlands; Synvolux Therapeutics BV, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ferry Ossendorp
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Jeroen van Bergen
- Immunetune BV, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Chen YP, Lin CC, Xie YX, Chen CY, Qiu JT. Enhancing immunogenicity of HPV16 E 7 DNA vaccine by conjugating codon-optimized GM-CSF to HPV16 E 7 DNA. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2021; 60:700-705. [PMID: 34247810 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjog.2021.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To generate immunity against human papillomavirus (HPV), the use of a recombinant DNA vaccine to carry an appropriate target gene is a promising and cost-effective approach. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a potent immunomodulatory cytokine that enhances the efficacy of vaccines by promoting the development and prolongation of humoral and cellular immunity. In this study, we linked codon-optimized GM-CSF (cGM-CSF) to the HPV16 E7 sequence as fused protein and evaluated the immunogenic potential of this DNA vaccine. MATERIALS AND METHODS We have demonstrated that cGM-CSF enhanced immunity against tumor challenges by generating and promoting the proliferation of HPV16 E7-specific CD8+ T cells, which secrete IFN-γ in the murine model. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the immunogenic potential of DNA vaccine that constructed by linking codon-optimized GM-CSF to HPV16 E7 sequence in the animal model. We study the half-life of RNA decay and cellular location of HPV16 E7 by Q-PCR and Western blot. We also assess immune response in the animal model by flow cytometry and ELISA. RESULTS The cGM-CSF-E7 sequence increased and extended the expression of E7 mRNA, in comparison with the E7 sequence alone. Mice vaccinated with the cGM-CSF-E7 DNA vaccine exhibited a slower rate of tumor growth than those vaccinated with the unconjugated E7 DNA vaccine. We also found that the CD4 and CD8+ T cells from these mice showed strong secretion of IFN-γ. CONCLUSION Through in vivo antibody depletion experiments, we demonstrated that both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells play an important role in the suppression of tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Pin Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan, ROC; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chu-Chi Lin
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Xin Xie
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chia-Yuan Chen
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - J Timothy Qiu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
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Xu X, Zhou Z, Li H, Fan Y. Towards customized cancer vaccines: a promising filed in personalized cancer medicine. Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 20:545-557. [PMID: 33769185 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1909479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cancer remains a major source of disease burden worldwide. Although cancer vaccines have been developed, most currently available cancer vaccines have limited therapeutic efficacy. Recent research using novel sequencing and bioinformatic tools has led scientists to realize that each tumor harbors a unique set of genetic mutations that can manifest as tumor-specific neoantigens. Therefore, it would be useful to develop personalized cancer vaccines that target neoantigens, which might improve the efficacy of these cancer treatments. AREAS COVERED This review covers cancer vaccine development and the emerging field of personalized cancer vaccines, with a discussion of future clinical trials for this promising treatment strategy. EXPERT OPINION Developing vaccines to treat tumors is one of the most promising and exciting fields in cancer research. However, cancer vaccines have shown limited efficacy in clinical trials for several decades, which may be related to the unique and complex processes underlying tumor development and progression. Recent studies have indicated that tumors express highly specific neoantigens, which are distinct from self-antigens. Thus, developing cancer vaccines that target these tumor-specific neoantigens is a promising strategy for developing personalized cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital),Hangzhou City, China.,Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences,Hangzhou City, China
| | - Zichao Zhou
- Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences,Hangzhou City, China.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou City, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital),Hangzhou City, China.,Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences,Hangzhou City, China
| | - Yun Fan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital),Hangzhou City, China.,Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences,Hangzhou City, China
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Non-viral COVID-19 vaccine delivery systems. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 169:137-151. [PMID: 33340620 PMCID: PMC7744276 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The novel corona virus termed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread throughout the globe at a formidable speed, causing tens of millions of cases and more than one million deaths in less than a year of its report in December 2019. Since then, companies and research institutions have raced to develop SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, ranging from conventional viral and protein-based vaccines to those that are more cutting edge, including DNA- and mRNA-based vaccines. Each vaccine exhibits a different potency and duration of efficacy, as determined by the antigen design, adjuvant molecules, vaccine delivery platforms, and immunization method. In this review, we will introduce a few of the leading non-viral vaccines that are under clinical stage development and discuss delivery strategies to improve vaccine efficacy, duration of protection, safety, and mass vaccination.
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Hollingsworth RE, Jansen K. Turning the corner on therapeutic cancer vaccines. NPJ Vaccines 2019; 4:7. [PMID: 30774998 PMCID: PMC6368616 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-019-0103-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 422] [Impact Index Per Article: 84.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in several areas are rekindling interest and enabling progress in the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines. These advances have been made in target selection, vaccine technology, and methods for reversing the immunosuppressive mechanisms exploited by cancers. Studies testing different tumor antigens have revealed target properties that yield high tumor versus normal cell specificity and adequate immunogenicity to affect clinical efficacy. A few tumor-associated antigens, normal host proteins that are abnormally expressed in cancer cells, have been demonstrated to serve as good targets for immunotherapies, although many do not possess the needed specificity or immunogenicity. Neoantigens, which arise from mutated proteins in cancer cells, are truly cancer-specific and can be highly immunogenic, though the vast majority are unique to each patient's cancer and thus require development of personalized therapies. Lessons from previous cancer vaccine expeditions are teaching us the type and magnitude of immune responses needed, as well as vaccine technologies that can achieve these responses. For example, we are learning which vaccine approaches elicit the potent, balanced, and durable CD4 plus CD8 T cell expansion necessary for clinical efficacy. Exploration of interactions between the immune system and cancer has elucidated the adaptations that enable cancer cells to suppress and evade immune attack. This has led to breakthroughs in the development of new drugs, and, subsequently, to opportunities to combine these with cancer vaccines and dramatically increase patient responses. Here we review this recent progress, highlighting key steps that are bringing the promise of therapeutic cancer vaccines within reach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathrin Jansen
- Vaccines Research and Development, Pfizer, Pearl River, NY 10965 USA
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