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Xiao Y, Xu H, Guo W, Zhao Y, Luo Y, Wang M, He Z, Ding Z, Liu J, Deng L, Sha F, Ma X. Update on treatment and preventive interventions against COVID-19: an overview of potential pharmacological agents and vaccines. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2020; 1:16. [PMID: 34765999 PMCID: PMC7711057 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-020-00017-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) triggered by the new member of the coronaviridae family, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has created an unprecedented challenge for global health. In addition to mild to moderate clinical manifestations such as fever, cough, and fatigue, severe cases often developed lethal complications including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute lung injury. Given the alarming rate of infection and increasing trend of mortality, the development of underlying therapeutic and preventive treatment, as well as the verification of its effectiveness, are the top priorities. Current research mainly referred to and evaluated the application of the empirical treatment based on two precedents, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), including antiviral drugs targeting different stages of virus replication, immunotherapy modulating the overactivated inflammation response, and other therapies such as herbal medicine and mesenchymal stem cells. Besides, the ongoing development of inventing prophylactic interventions such as various vaccines by companies and institutions worldwide is crucial to decline morbidity and mortality. This review mainly focused on promising candidates for the treatment of COVID-19 and collected recently updated evidence relevant to its feasibility in clinical practice in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinan Xiao
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
- West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Hanyue Xu
- West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Wen Guo
- West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Yunuo Zhao
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Yuling Luo
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Ming Wang
- Infectious Diseases Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Zhiyao He
- Department of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Zhenyu Ding
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Jiyan Liu
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Lei Deng
- Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, 10465 USA
| | - Fushen Sha
- Department of Internal Medicine, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, 11203 USA
| | - Xuelei Ma
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
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2
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Chen Y, Xue SA, Behboudi S, Mohammad GH, Pereira SP, Morris EC. Ex Vivo PD-L1/PD-1 Pathway Blockade Reverses Dysfunction of Circulating CEA-Specific T Cells in Pancreatic Cancer Patients. Clin Cancer Res 2017; 23:6178-6189. [PMID: 28710313 PMCID: PMC5683391 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-1185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a candidate target for cellular immunotherapy of pancreatic cancer. In this study, we have characterized the antigen-specific function of autologous cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) specific for the HLA-A2-restricted peptide, pCEA691-699, isolated from the peripheral T-cell repertoire of pancreatic cancer patients and sought to determine if ex vivo PD-L1 and TIM-3 blockade could enhance CTL function.Experimental Design: CD8+ T-cell lines were generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 18 HLA-A2+ patients with pancreatic cancer and from 15 healthy controls. In vitro peptide-specific responses were evaluated by flow cytometry after staining for intracellular cytokine production and carboxy fluorescein succinimydyl ester cytotoxicity assays using pancreatic cancer cell lines as targets.Results: Cytokine-secreting functional CEA691-specific CTL lines were successfully generated from 10 of 18 pancreatic cancer patients, with two CTL lines able to recognize and kill both CEA691 peptide-loaded T2 cells and CEA+ HLA-A2+ pancreatic cancer cell lines. In the presence of ex vivo PD-L1 blockade, functional CEA691-specific CD8+ T-cell responses, including IFNγ secretion and proliferation, were enhanced, and this effect was more pronounced on Ag-specific T cells isolated from tumor draining lymph nodes.Conclusions: These data demonstrate that CEA691-specific CTL can be readily expanded from the self-restricted T-cell repertoire of pancreatic cancer patients and that their function can be enhanced by PD-L1 blockade. Clin Cancer Res; 23(20); 6178-89. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Chen
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shao-An Xue
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Genetic Engineering Laboratory, School of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Xi'An University, Xi'An, P. R. China
| | | | - Goran H Mohammad
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Chemistry Department, College of Science, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimanyah, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
| | - Stephen P Pereira
- Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma C Morris
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Aurisicchio L, Fridman A, Bagchi A, Scarselli E, La Monica N, Ciliberto G. A novel minigene scaffold for therapeutic cancer vaccines. Oncoimmunology 2014; 3:e27529. [PMID: 24790791 PMCID: PMC4002591 DOI: 10.4161/onci.27529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Revised: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 12/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic vaccines are emerging as a powerful modality to induce T-cell responses to target tumor associated antigens (TAA). Viral or plasmid DNA or RNA vectors harbor an expression cassette encoding the antigen of choice delivered in vivo by vaccination. In this context, immunizations with minigenes containing selected, highly antigenic, T-cell epitopes of TAAs may have several advantages relative to full-length proteins. The objective of this study was to identify an optimal scaffold for minigene construction. We generated a number of minigenes containing epitopes from the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) model TAA and utilized muscle DNA electro-gene-transfer (DNA-EGT) to vaccinate HLA-A*0201 (HHD) and CEA/HHD double transgenic mice. The components utilized to construct the minigenes included CD8+ T cell epitopes and (or) anchor modified analogs that were selected on the basis of their predicted binding to HLA-*A0201, their uniqueness in the human proteome, and the likelihood of cancer cell natural processing and presentation via MHC-I. Other candidate components comparatively tested included: helper CD4+ T-cell epitopes, flanking regions for optimal epitope processing (including both proteasome-dependent and furin-dependent polypeptide processing mechanisms), and immunoenhancing moieties. Through a series of comparative studies and iterations we have identified an optimal minigene scaffold comprising the following elements: human tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) signal peptide, T-cell epitopes connected by furin sensitive linkers, and the E. Coli enterotoxin B subunit. The selected epitope modified minigenes (EMM) delivered by DNA-EGT were able to break immune tolerance in CEA/HHD mice and induce a strong immune response against all epitopes tested, independently of their relative positions within the scaffold. Furthermore, the optimized EMMs delivered via DNA-EGT were more immunogenic and exerted more powerful antitumor effects in a B16-CEA/HHD metastatic melanoma model than a DNA vector encoding the full-length protein or a mixture of the same peptides injected subcutaneously. Our data may shed light on the optimal design of a universal vehicle for epitope-targeted, genetic cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Gennaro Ciliberto
- IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale; Napoli, Italy
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Inhibition and promotion of tumor growth with adeno-associated virus carcinoembryonic antigen vaccine and Toll-like receptor agonists. Cancer Gene Ther 2011; 18:850-8. [PMID: 21869824 PMCID: PMC4143190 DOI: 10.1038/cgt.2011.54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a cancer vaccines target. Several feature of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) are attractive for vaccine applications. Combining other viral vector vaccines with Toll like receptor (TLR) agonists enhances antitumor immunity. Wild-type and CEA transgenic (Tg) mice were immunized with rAAV expressing CEA, the TLR9 agonist, ODN1826, and the TLR7 agonist, imiquimod. Mice were challenged with MC38 colon tumor cells and MC38 cells expressing CEA. rAAV-CEA immunization combined with ODN1826 or imiquimod enhanced CEA-specific T-helper-1 immunity and protected against tumor challenge in wild-type but not in CEA-Tg mice. In contrast, immunization with rAAV-CEA in CEA-Tg mice could abrogate the antitumor effects of ODN1826 and promote tumor growth. Compared to wild-type, CEA-Tg mice were characterized by a greater myeloid suppressor cell and T-helper 2 response to TLR agonists and to syngeneic tumors. Depleting PDCA1+ plasmacytoid dendritic cells and Gr1+ myeloid cells increased anti-CEA immune responses in CEA-Tg mice to rAAV-CEA-ODN1826 immunization; depleting CD25+ T cells did not. There are differences in the response of wild-type and CEA-Tg mice to rAAV-CEA, TLR agonists, and syngeneic tumor. In CEA-Tg mice tumor growth can be promoted with rAAV-CEA and TLR agonists. Dendritic and myeloid cells play a regulatory role.
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Krishnan A, Wang Z, Srivastava T, Rawal R, Manchanda P, Diamond DJ, La Rosa C. A novel approach to evaluate the immunogenicity of viral antigens of clinical importance in HLA transgenic murine models. Immunol Lett 2008; 120:108-16. [PMID: 18706443 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2008.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2008] [Revised: 07/12/2008] [Accepted: 07/17/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic (Tg) mice expressing HLA class I alleles and lacking murine MHC class I represent a useful model for the pre-clinical evaluation of human vaccines, which focus on induction of CD8(+) T-cell responses. We have developed a platform to be used in Tg mice for exploring the immunogenicity of T-cell targets, whose immunologic epitopes have yet to be defined. To test the attributes of the evaluation system in the context of an important human pathogen, we have explored multiple antigens from cytomegalovirus (CMV). A panel of recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vectors, expressing various CMV proteins (CMV-MVA) was used to immunize HLA-A*0201, B*0702 and A*1101 Tg mice. Immune splenocytes were in vitro stimulated (IVS) either using syngeneic lipo-polysaccharide activated lymphoblasts or Tg HLA-I matched human EBV-transformed B-lymphoblastoid cells (LCL), both loaded with peptide libraries, encompassing the CMV protein under investigation. IVS performed with peptide library loaded lymphoblasts failed to provide a reliable stimulation. In contrast, the usage of LCL as antigen presenting cells (APC) of CMV peptide libraries resulted in a consistent and specific amplification of the Tg T-cell response in animals immunized with CMV-MVAs. The LCL IVS method reliably allowed defining the immunogenicity and immunodominant CD8(+) T-cell regions of uncharacterized CMV antigens. The combination of CMV-MVA vectors, unbiased pools of CMV-specific peptide libraries presented by Tg HLA-I matched LCL constitutes a valid tool for the pre-clinical evaluation of model candidate vaccines. This convenient method could find application to investigate the immunogenicity profile of cancer antigens or proteins from infectious human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Krishnan
- Laboratory of Vaccine Research, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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Luo Y, Markowitz D, Xiang R, Zhou H, Reisfeld RA. FLK-1-based minigene vaccines induce T cell-mediated suppression of angiogenesis and tumor protective immunity in syngeneic BALB/c mice. Vaccine 2006; 25:1409-15. [PMID: 17113202 PMCID: PMC1995657 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2006.10.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2006] [Revised: 10/17/2006] [Accepted: 10/24/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Angiogenesis is a rate-limiting step in the development of tumors. Here, we demonstrate that oral minigene DNA vaccines against murine vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (FLK-1), a self-antigen overexpressed on proliferating endothelial cells in the tumor vasculature, induced protection against tumors of different origin in syngeneic BALB/c mice. This protection is mediated by CD8 T cells, which specifically kill FLK-1(+) endothelial cells, resulting in marked suppression of tumor angiogenesis. More importantly, the minigene vaccine proved to be of similar efficacy as a vaccine encoding the whole FLK-1 gene. These data suggest a FLK-1 minigene vaccine provides a more flexible alternative to the whole gene vaccine and will facilitate their future design and clinical applications in cancer therapy and prevention.
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MESH Headings
- Administration, Oral
- Animals
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Cancer Vaccines/genetics
- Cancer Vaccines/immunology
- Cancer Vaccines/pharmacology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Colonic Neoplasms/blood supply
- Colonic Neoplasms/immunology
- Colonic Neoplasms/prevention & control
- Colonic Neoplasms/therapy
- Endothelial Cells/cytology
- Endothelial Cells/immunology
- Female
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/blood supply
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/immunology
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/prevention & control
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/therapy
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Neoplasms, Experimental/blood supply
- Neoplasms, Experimental/immunology
- Neoplasms, Experimental/prevention & control
- Neoplasms, Experimental/therapy
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/immunology
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/therapy
- Vaccines, DNA/genetics
- Vaccines, DNA/immunology
- Vaccines, DNA/pharmacology
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2/genetics
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2/immunology
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Hance KW, Zeytin HE, Greiner JW. Mouse models expressing human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a transgene: evaluation of CEA-based cancer vaccines. Mutat Res 2005; 576:132-54. [PMID: 15888344 PMCID: PMC2845972 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2004.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2004] [Revised: 10/12/2004] [Accepted: 10/15/2004] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, investigators have carried out several studies designed to evaluate whether human tumor-associated antigens might be exploited as targets for active specific immunotherapy, specifically human cancer vaccines. Not too long ago such an approach would have been met with considerable skepticism because the immune system was believed to be a rigid discriminator between self and non-self which, in turn, protected the host from a variety of pathogens. That viewpoint has been challenged in recent years by a series of studies indicating that antigenic determinants of self have not induced absolute host immune tolerance. Moreover, under specific conditions that evoke danger signals, peptides from self-antigen can be processed by the antigen-presenting cellular machinery, loaded onto the major histocompatibility antigen groove to serve as targets for immune intervention. Those findings provide the rationale to investigate a wide range of tumor-associated antigens, including differentiation antigens, oncogenes, and tumor suppressor genes as possible immune-based targets. One of those tumor-associated antigens is the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Described almost 40 years ago, CEA is a M(r) 180-200,000 oncofetal antigen that is one of the more widely studied human tumor-associated antigens. This review will provide: (i) a brief overview of the CEA gene family, (ii) a summary of early preclinical findings on overcoming immune tolerance to CEA, and (iii) the rationale to develop mouse models which spontaneously develop gastrointestinal tumors and express the CEA transgene. Those models have been used extensively in the study of overcoming host immune tolerance to CEA, a self, tumor-associated antigen, and the experimental findings have served as the rationale for the design of early clinical trials to evaluate CEA-based cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth W. Hance
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hasan E. Zeytin
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - John W. Greiner
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 301 496 9813; fax: +1 301 496 2756. (J.W. Greiner)
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Zhou H, Luo Y, Lo JF, Kaplan CD, Mizutani M, Mizutani N, Lee JD, Primus FJ, Becker JC, Xiang R, Reisfeld RA. DNA-based vaccines activate innate and adaptive antitumor immunity by engaging the NKG2D receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2005; 102:10846-51. [PMID: 16040807 PMCID: PMC1182421 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0502208102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction of NKG2D, a stimulatory receptor expressed on natural killer (NK) cells and activated CD8(+) T cells, and its ligands mediates stimulatory and costimulatory signals to these cells. Here, we demonstrate that DNA-based vaccines, encoding syngeneic or allogeneic NKG2D ligands together with tumor antigens such as survivin or carcinoembryonic antigen, markedly activate both innate and adaptive antitumor immunity. Such vaccines result in highly effective, NK- and CD8(+) T cell-mediated protection against either breast or colon carcinoma cells in prophylactic and therapeutic settings. Notably, this protection was irrespective of the NKG2D ligand expression level of the tumor cells. Hence, this strategy has the potential to lead to widely applicable and possibly clinically useful DNA-based cancer vaccines.
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MESH Headings
- Adaptation, Physiological
- Animals
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Cancer Vaccines/genetics
- Cancer Vaccines/pharmacology
- Carcinoembryonic Antigen/genetics
- Carcinoembryonic Antigen/immunology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Female
- HLA-A2 Antigen/genetics
- HLA-A2 Antigen/metabolism
- Humans
- Immunity, Innate
- Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Ligands
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics
- Microtubule-Associated Proteins/immunology
- Microtubule-Associated Proteins/metabolism
- Minor Histocompatibility Antigens/genetics
- Minor Histocompatibility Antigens/immunology
- Minor Histocompatibility Antigens/metabolism
- NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K
- Neoplasms, Experimental/immunology
- Neoplasms, Experimental/therapy
- Receptors, Immunologic/genetics
- Receptors, Immunologic/immunology
- Receptors, Immunologic/metabolism
- Receptors, Natural Killer Cell
- Repressor Proteins
- Survivin
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology
- Vaccines, DNA/genetics
- Vaccines, DNA/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
- He Zhou
- Department of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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