1
|
Hainisch EK, Jindra C, Kirnbauer R, Brandt S. Papillomavirus-like Particles in Equine Medicine. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020345. [PMID: 36851559 PMCID: PMC9966523 DOI: 10.3390/v15020345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Papillomaviruses (PVs) are a family of small DNA tumor viruses that can induce benign lesions or cancer in vertebrates. The observation that animal PV capsid-proteins spontaneously self-assemble to empty, highly immunogenic virus-like particles (VLPs) has led to the establishment of vaccines that efficiently protect humans from specific PV infections and associated diseases. We provide an overview of PV-induced tumors in horses and other equids, discuss possible routes of PV transmission in equid species, and present recent developments aiming at introducing the PV VLP-based vaccine technology into equine medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edmund K. Hainisch
- Research Group Oncology (RGO), Clinical Unit of Equine Surgery, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, Veterinary University, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Jindra
- Research Group Oncology (RGO), Clinical Unit of Equine Surgery, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, Veterinary University, 1210 Vienna, Austria
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Haematology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Reinhard Kirnbauer
- Laboratory of Viral Oncology (LVO), Department of Dermatology, Medical University, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Brandt
- Research Group Oncology (RGO), Clinical Unit of Equine Surgery, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, Veterinary University, 1210 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Strohmayer C, Klang A, Kummer S, Walter I, Jindra C, Weissenbacher-Lang C, Redmer T, Kneissl S, Brandt S. Tumor Cell Plasticity in Equine Papillomavirus-Positive Versus-Negative Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11020266. [PMID: 35215208 PMCID: PMC8875230 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is a common malignant tumor in humans and animals. In humans, papillomavirus (PV)-induced HNSCCs have a better prognosis than papillomavirus-unrelated HNSCCs. The ability of tumor cells to switch from epithelial to mesenchymal, endothelial, or therapy-resistant stem-cell-like phenotypes promotes disease progression and metastasis. In equine HNSCC, PV-association and tumor cell phenotype switching are poorly understood. We screened 49 equine HNSCCs for equine PV (EcPV) type 2, 3 and 5 infection. Subsequently, PV-positive versus -negative lesions were analyzed for expression of selected epithelial (keratins, β-catenin), mesenchymal (vimentin), endothelial (COX-2), and stem-cell markers (CD271, CD44) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF; keratins/vimentin, CD44/CD271 double-staining) to address tumor cell plasticity in relation to PV infection. Only EcPV2 PCR scored positive for 11/49 equine HNSCCs. IHC and IF from 11 EcPV2-positive and 11 EcPV2-negative tumors revealed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition events, with vimentin-positive cells ranging between <10 and >50%. CD44- and CD271-staining disclosed the intralesional presence of infiltrative tumor cell fronts and double-positive tumor cell subsets independently of the PV infection status. Our findings are indicative of (partial) epithelial–mesenchymal transition events giving rise to hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal and stem-cell-like tumor cell phenotypes in equine HNSCCs and suggest CD44 and CD271 as potential malignancy markers that merit to be further explored in the horse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carina Strohmayer
- Clinical Unit of Diagnostic Imaging, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (C.S.); (S.K.)
| | - Andrea Klang
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (A.K.); (C.W.-L.)
| | - Stefan Kummer
- VetCore Facility for Research, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (S.K.); (I.W.)
| | - Ingrid Walter
- VetCore Facility for Research, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (S.K.); (I.W.)
- Institute of Morphology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Jindra
- Research Group Oncology (RGO), Clinical Unit of Equine Surgery, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Christiane Weissenbacher-Lang
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (A.K.); (C.W.-L.)
| | - Torben Redmer
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Sibylle Kneissl
- Clinical Unit of Diagnostic Imaging, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (C.S.); (S.K.)
| | - Sabine Brandt
- Research Group Oncology (RGO), Clinical Unit of Equine Surgery, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-12-5077-5308
| |
Collapse
|