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Ademe M. Immunomodulation for the Treatment of Fungal Infections: Opportunities and Challenges. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:469. [PMID: 33042859 PMCID: PMC7522196 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Opportunistic fungal infections are major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with single or multiple defects in their immunity. Antifungal agents targeting the pathogen remain the treatment of choice for fungal infections. However, antifungal agents are toxic to the host mainly due to the close evolutionary similarity of fungi and humans. Moreover, antifungal therapy is ineffective in patients with immunosuppression. For this reason, there is an increased demand to develop novel strategies to enhance immune function and augment the existing antifungal drugs. In recent times, targeting the immune system to improve impaired host immune responses becomes a reasonable approach to improve the effectiveness of antifungal drugs. In this regard, immunomodulating therapeutic agents that turn up the immune response in the fight against fungal infections hold promise for enhancing the efficacy and safety of conventional antifungal therapy. In general, immunomodulating therapies are safe with decreased risk of resistance and broad spectrum of activity. In this review, therefore, clinical evidences supporting the opportunities and challenges of immunomodulation therapies in the treatment of invasive fungal infections are included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muluneh Ademe
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Interferon-gamma as adjunctive immunotherapy for invasive fungal infections: a case series. BMC Infect Dis 2014; 14:166. [PMID: 24669841 PMCID: PMC3987054 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Invasive fungal infections are very severe infections associated with high mortality rates, despite the availability of new classes of antifungal agents. Based on pathophysiological mechanisms and limited pre-clinical and clinical data, adjunctive immune-stimulatory therapy with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) may represent a promising candidate to improve outcome of invasive fungal infections by enhancing host defence mechanisms. Methods In this open-label, prospective case series, we describe eight patients with invasive Candida and/or Aspergillus infections who were treated with recombinant IFN-γ (rIFN-γ, 100 μg s.c., thrice a week) for 2 weeks in addition to standard antifungal therapy. Results Recombinant IFN-γ treatment in patients with invasive Candida and/or Aspergillus infections partially restored immune function, as characterized by an increased HLA-DR expression in those patients with a baseline expression below 50%, and an enhanced capacity of leukocytes from treated patients to produce proinflammatory cytokines involved in antifungal defence. Conclusions The present study provides evidence that adjunctive immunotherapy with IFN-γ can restore immune function in fungal sepsis patients, warranting future clinical studies to assess its potential clinical benefit. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov - NCT01270490
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de Azevedo MTA, Saad STO, Gilli SCO. IL4 and IFNalpha generation of dendritic cells reveals great migratory potential and NFkB and cJun expression in IL4DCs. Immunol Invest 2013; 42:711-25. [PMID: 23845179 DOI: 10.3109/08820139.2013.809580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) recently revealed as a potent tumor vaccine component, are commonly differentiated from monocytes by cultivation with IL-4 and GM-CSF. Despite the different opinions, the use of IFNalpha can promote DCs differentiation and activation. The aim of this study was to compare the functionality and phenotypic characterization of monocyte-derived DC generated by IL-4 (IL4DC) and IFNalpha (IFNalphaDC) modified protocols. To this aim, we investigated the expression of maturation markers, co-stimulatory molecules, relevant miRNA, cytokine and migratory profiles and the functional ability of these cells to stimulate autologous T cells in vitro. We herein investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the parameters previously described, as the relative expression of NF-kB p65, c-fos and c-jun, transcription factors. Our results demonstrated that IL4DC presented a stable phenotype, an increase in migratory capacity and NF-KB activation, in addition to lower levels of miR-146 a and miR-221. We believe that the IL4DC migratory potential and increase in NFkBp65 expression may be involved in higher IL12 expression and migration, suggesting a preferential activation of TH1 immune responses by IL4DC.
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Orr SJ, Burg AR, Chan T, Quigley L, Jones GW, Ford JW, Hodge D, Razzook C, Sarhan J, Jones YL, Whittaker GC, Boelte KC, Lyakh L, Cardone M, O'Connor GM, Tan C, Li H, Anderson SK, Jones SA, Zhang W, Taylor PR, Trinchieri G, McVicar DW. LAB/NTAL facilitates fungal/PAMP-induced IL-12 and IFN-γ production by repressing β-catenin activation in dendritic cells. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003357. [PMID: 23675302 PMCID: PMC3649983 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2012] [Accepted: 03/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens elicit cytokine responses downstream of immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-coupled or hemiITAM-containing receptors and TLRs. The Linker for Activation of B cells/Non-T cell Activating Linker (LAB/NTAL) encoded by Lat2, is a known regulator of ITAM-coupled receptors and TLR-associated cytokine responses. Here we demonstrate that LAB is involved in anti-fungal immunity. We show that Lat2-/- mice are more susceptible to C. albicans infection than wild type (WT) mice. Dendritic cells (DCs) express LAB and we show that it is basally phosphorylated by the growth factor M-CSF or following engagement of Dectin-2, but not Dectin-1. Our data revealed a unique mechanism whereby LAB controls basal and fungal/pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP)-induced nuclear β-catenin levels. This in turn is important for controlling fungal/PAMP-induced cytokine production in DCs. C. albicans- and LPS-induced IL-12 and IL-23 production was blunted in Lat2-/- DCs. Accordingly, Lat2-/- DCs directed reduced Th1 polarization in vitro and Lat2-/- mice displayed reduced Natural Killer (NK) and T cell-mediated IFN-γ production in vivo/ex vivo. Thus our data define a novel link between LAB and β-catenin nuclear accumulation in DCs that facilitates IFN-γ responses during anti-fungal immunity. In addition, these findings are likely to be relevant to other infectious diseases that require IL-12 family cytokines and an IFN-γ response for pathogen clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selinda J. Orr
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ashley R. Burg
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tim Chan
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Laura Quigley
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Gareth W. Jones
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales
| | - Jill W. Ford
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Deborah Hodge
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Catherine Razzook
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Joseph Sarhan
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Yava L. Jones
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Gillian C. Whittaker
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kimberly C. Boelte
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lyudmila Lyakh
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Marco Cardone
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Geraldine M. O'Connor
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cuiyan Tan
- Experimental Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Hongchuan Li
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
- Basic Research Program, SAIC-Frederick Inc., National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stephen K. Anderson
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
- Basic Research Program, SAIC-Frederick Inc., National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick Maryland, United States of America
| | - Simon A. Jones
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales
| | - Weiguo Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Philip R. Taylor
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales
| | - Giorgio Trinchieri
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Daniel W. McVicar
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
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