1
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Nussbaum J, Cao X, Railkar RA, Sachs JR, Spellman DS, Luk J, Shaw CA, Cejas PJ, Citron MP, Al-Ibrahim M, Han D, Pagnussat S, Stoch SA, Lai E, Bett AJ, Espeseth AS. Evaluation of a stabilized RSV pre-fusion F mRNA vaccine: Preclinical studies and Phase 1 clinical testing in healthy adults. Vaccine 2023; 41:6488-6501. [PMID: 37777449 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.05.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes a substantial proportion of respiratory tract infections worldwide. Although RSV reinfections occur throughout life, older adults, particularly those with underlying comorbidities, are at risk for severe complications from RSV. There is no RSV vaccine available to date, and treatment of RSV in adults is largely supportive. A correlate of protection for RSV has not yet been established, but antibodies targeting the pre-fusion conformation of the RSV F glycoprotein play an important role in RSV neutralization. We previously reported a Phase 1 study of an mRNA-based vaccine (V171) expressing a pre-fusion-stabilized RSV F protein (mDS-Cav1) in healthy adults. Here, we evaluated an mRNA-based vaccine (V172) expressing a further stabilized RSV pre-fusion F protein (mVRC1). mVRC1 is a single chain version of RSV F with interprotomer disulfides in addition to the stabilizing mutations present in the mDS-Cav1 antigen. The immunogenicity of the two mRNA-based vaccines encoding mVRC1 (V172) or a sequence-optimized version of mDS-Cav1 to improve transcriptional fidelity (V171.2) were compared in RSV-naïve and RSV-experienced African green monkeys (AGMs). V172 induced higher neutralizing antibody titers than V171.2 and demonstrated protection in the AGM challenge model. We conducted a Phase 1, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of 25 μg, 100 μg, 200 μg, or 300 μg of V172 in healthy older adults (60-79 years old; N = 112) and 100 μg, 200 μg, or 300 μg of V172 in healthy younger adults (18-49 years old; N = 48). The primary clinical objectives were to evaluate the safety and tolerability of V172, and the secondary objective was to evaluate RSV serum neutralization titers. The most commonly reported solicited adverse events were injection-site pain, injection-site swelling, headache, and tiredness. V172 was generally well tolerated in older and younger adults and increased serum neutralizing antibody titers, pre-fusion F-specific competing antibody titers, and RSV F-specific T-cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xin Cao
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA
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2
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Flynn JA, Weber T, Cejas PJ, Cox KS, Touch S, Austin LA, Ou Y, Citron MP, Luo B, Gindy ME, Bahl K, Ciaramella G, Espeseth AS, Zhang L. Characterization of humoral and cell-mediated immunity induced by mRNA vaccines expressing influenza hemagglutinin stem and nucleoprotein in mice and nonhuman primates. Vaccine 2022; 40:4412-4423. [PMID: 35680500 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.03.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In response to immune pressure, influenza viruses evolve, producing drifted variants capable of escaping immune recognition. One strategy for inducing a broad-spectrum immune response capable of recognizing multiple antigenically diverse strains is to target conserved proteins or protein domains. To that end, we assessed the efficacy and immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines encoding either the conserved stem domain of a group 1 hemagglutinin (HA), a group 2 nucleoprotein (NP), or a combination of the two antigens in mice, as well as evaluated immunogenicity in naïve and influenza seropositive nonhuman primates (NHPs). HA stem-immunized animals developed a robust anti-stem antibody binding titer, and serum antibodies recognized antigenically distinct group 1 HA proteins. These antibodies showed little to no neutralizing activity in vitro but were active in an assay measuring induction of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. HA-directed cell-mediated immunity was weak following HA stem mRNA vaccination; however, robust CD4 and CD8 T cell responses were detected in both mice and NHPs after immunization with mRNA vaccines encoding NP. Both HA stem and NP mRNA vaccines partially protected mice from morbidity following lethal influenza virus challenge, and superior efficacy against two different H1N1 strains was observed when the antigens were combined. In vivo T cell depletion suggested that anti-NP cell-mediated immunity contributed to protection in the mouse model. Taken together, these data show that mRNA vaccines encoding conserved influenza antigens, like HA stem and NP in combination, induce broadly reactive humoral responses as well as cell-mediated immunity in mice and NHPs, providing protection against homologous and heterologous influenza infection in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Yangsi Ou
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | | | - Bin Luo
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Lan Zhang
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.
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3
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Zohar T, Hsiao JC, Mehta N, Das J, Devadhasan A, Karpinski W, Callahan C, Citron MP, DiStefano DJ, Touch S, Wen Z, Sachs JR, Cejas PJ, Espeseth AS, Lauffenburger DA, Bett AJ, Alter G. Upper and lower respiratory tract correlates of protection against respiratory syncytial virus following vaccination of nonhuman primates. Cell Host Microbe 2021; 30:41-52.e5. [PMID: 34879230 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a major cause of respiratory illness in infants and the elderly. Although several vaccines have been developed, none have succeeded in part due to our incomplete understanding of the correlates of immune protection. While both T cells and antibodies play a role, emerging data suggest that antibody-mediated mechanisms alone may be sufficient to provide protection. Therefore, to map the humoral correlates of immunity against RSV, antibody responses across six different vaccines were profiled in a highly controlled nonhuman primate-challenge model. Viral loads were monitored in both the upper and lower respiratory tracts, and machine learning was used to determine the vaccine platform-agnostic antibody features associated with protection. Upper respiratory control was associated with virus-specific IgA levels, neutralization, and complement activity, whereas lower respiratory control was associated with Fc-mediated effector mechanisms. These findings provide critical compartment-specific insights toward the rational development of future vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomer Zohar
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jeff C Hsiao
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Nickita Mehta
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jishnu Das
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Anush Devadhasan
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Wiktor Karpinski
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Zhiyun Wen
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | | | | | | | - Douglas A Lauffenburger
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Galit Alter
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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4
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Espeseth AS, Cejas PJ, Citron MP, Wang D, DiStefano DJ, Callahan C, Donnell GO, Galli JD, Swoyer R, Touch S, Wen Z, Antonello J, Zhang L, Flynn JA, Cox KS, Freed DC, Vora KA, Bahl K, Latham AH, Smith JS, Gindy ME, Ciaramella G, Hazuda D, Shaw CA, Bett AJ. Modified mRNA/lipid nanoparticle-based vaccines expressing respiratory syncytial virus F protein variants are immunogenic and protective in rodent models of RSV infection. NPJ Vaccines 2020; 5:16. [PMID: 32128257 PMCID: PMC7021756 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-020-0163-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The RSV Fusion (F) protein is a target for neutralizing antibody responses and is a focus for vaccine discovery; however, the process of RSV entry requires F to adopt a metastable prefusion form and transition to a more stable postfusion form, which displays less potent neutralizing epitopes. mRNA vaccines encode antigens that are translated by host cells following vaccination, which may allow conformational transitions similar to those observed during natural infection to occur. Here we evaluate a panel of chemically modified mRNA vaccines expressing different forms of the RSV F protein, including secreted, membrane associated, prefusion-stabilized, and non-stabilized structures, for conformation, immunogenicity, protection, and safety in rodent models. Vaccination with mRNA encoding native RSV F elicited antibody responses to both prefusion- and postfusion-specific epitopes, suggesting that this antigen may adopt both conformations in vivo. Incorporating prefusion stabilizing mutations further shifts the immune response toward prefusion-specific epitopes, but does not impact neutralizing antibody titer. mRNA vaccine candidates expressing either prefusion stabilized or native forms of RSV F protein elicit robust neutralizing antibody responses in both mice and cotton rats, similar to levels observed with a comparable dose of adjuvanted prefusion stabilized RSV F protein. In contrast to the protein subunit vaccine, mRNA-based vaccines elicited robust CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses in mice, highlighting a potential advantage of the technology for vaccines requiring a cellular immune response for efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy S Espeseth
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Pedro J Cejas
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Dai Wang
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Cheryl Callahan
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | | | - Ryan Swoyer
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Sinoeun Touch
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Zhiyun Wen
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Lan Zhang
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Jessica A Flynn
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Kara S Cox
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Daniel C Freed
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Kalpit A Vora
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Andrew H Latham
- 5Pharmaceutical Science, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Jeffrey S Smith
- 5Pharmaceutical Science, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Marian E Gindy
- 5Pharmaceutical Science, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Daria Hazuda
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Andrew J Bett
- 1ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
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5
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Ng B, Cash-Mason T, Wang Y, Seitzer J, Burchard J, Brown D, Dudkin V, Davide J, Jadhav V, Sepp-Lorenzino L, Cejas PJ. Intratracheal Administration of siRNA Triggers mRNA Silencing in the Lung to Modulate T Cell Immune Response and Lung Inflammation. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2019; 16:194-205. [PMID: 30901578 PMCID: PMC6426712 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Clinical application of siRNA-based therapeutics outside of the liver has been hindered by the inefficient delivery of siRNA effector molecules into extra-hepatic organs and cells of interest. To understand the parameters that enable RNAi activity in vivo, it is necessary to develop a systematic approach to identify which cells within a tissue are permissive to oligonucleotide internalization and activity. In the present study, we evaluate the distribution and activity within the lung of chemically stabilized siRNA to characterize cell-type tropism and structure-activity relationship. We demonstrate intratracheal delivery of fully modified siRNA for RNAi-mediated target knockdown in lung CD11c+ cells (dendritic cells, alveolar macrophages) and alveolar epithelial cells. Finally, we use an allergen-induced model of lung inflammation to demonstrate the capacity of inhaled siRNA to induce target knockdown in dendritic cells and ameliorate lung pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Ng
- Department of RNA Therapeutics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Tanesha Cash-Mason
- Department of RNA Therapeutics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of RNA Therapeutics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Jessica Seitzer
- Department of RNA Therapeutics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Julja Burchard
- Department of RNA Therapeutics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Duncan Brown
- Department of RNA Therapeutics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Vadim Dudkin
- Department of RNA Therapeutics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Joseph Davide
- Department of RNA Therapeutics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Vasant Jadhav
- Department of RNA Therapeutics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | | | - Pedro J Cejas
- Department of RNA Therapeutics, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA.
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6
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Flynn JA, Durr E, Swoyer R, Cejas PJ, Horton MS, Galli JD, Cosmi SA, Espeseth AS, Bett AJ, Zhang L. Stability Characterization of a Vaccine Antigen Based on the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Fusion Glycoprotein. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164789. [PMID: 27764150 PMCID: PMC5072732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) causes both upper and lower respiratory tract disease in humans, leading to significant morbidity and mortality in both young children and older adults. Currently, there is no licensed vaccine available, and therapeutic options are limited. During the infection process, the type I viral fusion (F) glycoprotein on the surface of the RSV particle rearranges from a metastable prefusion conformation to a highly stable postfusion form. In people naturally infected with RSV, most potent neutralizing antibodies are directed to the prefusion form of the F protein. Therefore, an engineered RSV F protein stabilized in the prefusion conformation (DS-Cav1) is an attractive vaccine candidate. Long-term stability at 4°C or higher is a desirable attribute for a commercial subunit vaccine antigen. To assess the stability of DS-Cav1, we developed assays using D25, an antibody which recognizes the prefusion F-specific antigenic site Ø, and a novel antibody 4D7, which was found to bind antigenic site I on the postfusion form of RSV F. Biophysical analysis indicated that, upon long-term storage at 4°C, DS-Cav1 undergoes a conformational change, adopting alternate structures that concomitantly lose the site Ø epitope and gain the ability to bind 4D7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Flynn
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Discovery, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Eberhard Durr
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Discovery, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Ryan Swoyer
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Discovery, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Pedro J. Cejas
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Discovery, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Melanie S. Horton
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Discovery, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jennifer D. Galli
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Discovery, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Scott A. Cosmi
- Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Professional Scientific Services, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Amy S. Espeseth
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Discovery, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Andrew J. Bett
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Discovery, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Lan Zhang
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Discovery, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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7
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Walsh MC, Pearce EL, Cejas PJ, Lee J, Wang LS, Choi Y. IL-18 synergizes with IL-7 to drive slow proliferation of naive CD8 T cells by costimulating self-peptide-mediated TCR signals. J Immunol 2014; 193:3992-4001. [PMID: 25200954 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1400396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Naive T cell populations are maintained in the periphery at relatively constant levels via mechanisms that control expansion and contraction and are associated with competition for homeostatic cytokines. It has been shown that in a lymphopenic environment naive T cells undergo expansion due, at least in part, to additional availability of IL-7. We have previously found that T cell-intrinsic deletion of TNFR-associated factor (TRAF) 6 (TRAF6ΔT) in mice results in diminished peripheral CD8 T cell numbers. In this study, we report that whereas naive TRAF6ΔT CD8 T cells exhibit normal survival when transferred into a normal T cell pool, proliferation of naive TRAF6ΔT CD8 T cells under lymphopenic conditions is defective. We identified IL-18 as a TRAF6-activating factor capable of enhancing lymphopenia-induced proliferation (LIP) in vivo, and that IL-18 synergizes with high-dose IL-7 in a TRAF6-dependent manner to induce slow, LIP/homeostatic-like proliferation of naive CD8 T cells in vitro. IL-7 and IL-18 act synergistically to upregulate expression of IL-18R genes, thereby enhancing IL-18 activity. In this context, IL-18R signaling increases PI3K activation and was found to sensitize naive CD8 T cells to a model noncognate self-peptide ligand in a way that conventional costimulation via CD28 could not. We propose that synergistic sensitization by IL-7 and IL-18 to self-peptide ligand may represent a novel costimulatory pathway for LIP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Walsh
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104; and
| | - Erika L Pearce
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104; and
| | - Pedro J Cejas
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104; and
| | - JangEun Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104; and
| | - Li-San Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104; and Institute for Biomedical Informatics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Yongwon Choi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104; and
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8
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Han D, Walsh MC, Cejas PJ, Dang NN, Kim YF, Kim J, Charrier-Hisamuddin L, Chau L, Zhang Q, Bittinger K, Bushman FD, Turka LA, Shen H, Reizis B, Defranco AL, Wu GD, Choi Y. Dendritic cell expression of the signaling molecule TRAF6 is critical for gut microbiota-dependent immune tolerance. Immunity 2013; 38:1211-22. [PMID: 23791643 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2013.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Accepted: 02/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The intracellular signaling molecule TRAF6 is critical for Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated activation of dendritic cells (DCs). We now report that DC-specific deletion of TRAF6 (TRAF6ΔDC) resulted, unexpectedly, in loss of mucosal tolerance, characterized by spontaneous development of T helper 2 (Th2) cells in the lamina propria and eosinophilic enteritis and fibrosis in the small intestine. Loss of tolerance required the presence of gut commensal microbiota but was independent of DC-expressed MyD88. Further, TRAF6ΔDC mice exhibited decreased regulatory T (Treg) cell numbers in the small intestine and diminished induction of iTreg cells in response to model antigen. Evidence suggested that this defect was associated with diminished DC expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2). Finally, we demonstrate that aberrant Th2 cell-associated responses in TRAF6ΔDC mice could be mitigated via restoration of Treg cell activity. Collectively, our findings reveal a role for TRAF6 in directing DC maintenance of intestinal immune tolerance through balanced induction of Treg versus Th2 cell immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daehee Han
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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9
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Ramón HE, Cejas PJ, LaRosa D, Rahman A, Harris JE, Zhang J, Hunter C, Choi Y, Turka LA. EGR-2 is not required for in vivo CD4 T cell mediated immune responses. PLoS One 2010; 5:e12904. [PMID: 20886122 PMCID: PMC2944839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2010] [Accepted: 07/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The zinc finger transcription factor EGR-2 has been shown to play an important role in the induction of T cell anergy and the regulation of peripheral T cell tolerance. In vitro, a prior study has show that T cells deficient in EGR-2 are hyperproliferative to IL-2 and produce elevated levels of the effector cytokine IFN-γ. EGR-2 deficient mice have increased levels of CD44high T cells in peripheral lymphoid organs, and with age, develop autoimmune-like features. Principal Findings Here we show that despite increased numbers of cells bearing an activated CD44highCD62Llow phenotype, T cells from young healthy EGR-2 deficient mice have normal proliferative and cytokine responses, and the mice themselves mount normal immune responses against minor histocompatibility antigens, and the pathogens Toxoplasma gondii and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Conclusions Our results indicate that EGR-2 is not required to mount normal acute in vivo immune responses against foreign antigens, and suggest instead that it may serve to regulate the response to chronic antigenic exposure, such as that which occurs to autoantigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilda E. Ramón
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Pedro J. Cejas
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David LaRosa
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Adeeb Rahman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - John E. Harris
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jidong Zhang
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christopher Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yongwon Choi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Laurence A. Turka
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Morales AA, Gutman D, Cejas PJ, Lee KP, Boise LH. Reactive oxygen species are not required for an arsenic trioxide-induced antioxidant response or apoptosis. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:12886-95. [PMID: 19279006 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m806546200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Arsenicals are both environmental carcinogens as well as therapeutic agents for the treatment of trypanosomiasis and more recently cancer. Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been successfully used for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and has activity in multiple myeloma (MM). While signaling events associated with carcinogenesis have been well studied, it still remains to be determined which of these events are involved in anti-cancer signaling. To better define this response, gene expression profiling following ATO treatment of four MM cell lines was performed. The pattern was consistent with a strong antioxidative response, particularly of genes activated by Nrf2. While Nrf2 is expressed constitutively at the mRNA level, the protein is not detected in untreated cells. Consistent with inactivation of Keap1, Nrf2 protein is stabilized and present in the nucleus within 6 h of ATO treatment. Despite the activation of this antioxidative response, ROS may not be important in ATO-induced death. Inhibition of ATO-induced ROS with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) does not affect Nrf2 activation or cell death. Moreover, silencing Nrf2 had no effect on ATO-induced apoptosis. Together these data suggest that ROS is not important in the induction of the antioxidative response or cellular death by ATO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejo A Morales
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and The Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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11
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Lindner I, Cejas PJ, Carlson LM, Torruellas J, Plano GV, Lee KP. Signal transduction in DC differentiation: winged messengers and Achilles' heel. Adv Exp Med Biol 2007; 590:1-29. [PMID: 17191374 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-34814-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Inna Lindner
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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King CG, Kobayashi T, Cejas PJ, Kim T, Yoon K, Kim GK, Chiffoleau E, Hickman SP, Walsh PT, Turka LA, Choi Y. TRAF6 is a T cell-intrinsic negative regulator required for the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Nat Med 2006; 12:1088-92. [PMID: 16921377 DOI: 10.1038/nm1449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2006] [Accepted: 06/16/2006] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
TRAF6 has a key role in the regulation of innate immune responses by mediating signals from both TNF receptor and interleukin-1 receptor/Toll-like receptor superfamilies. Here we show that T cell-specific deletion of TRAF6 unexpectedly results in multiorgan inflammatory disease. TRAF6-deficient T cells exhibit hyperactivation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway compared with wild-type T cells and, as a result, become resistant to suppression by CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells. These data identify a previously unrecognized role for TRAF6 in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance, and suggest the presence of a T cell-intrinsic control mechanism to render responder T cells susceptible to tolerizing signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn G King
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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13
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Torroella-Kouri M, Ma X, Perry G, Ivanova M, Cejas PJ, Owen JL, Iragavarapu-Charyulu V, Lopez DM. Diminished expression of transcription factors nuclear factor kappaB and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein underlies a novel tumor evasion mechanism affecting macrophages of mammary tumor-bearing mice. Cancer Res 2006; 65:10578-84. [PMID: 16288051 PMCID: PMC2963077 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-05-0365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between malignant tumors and the host immune system shape the course of cancer progression. The molecular basis of such interactions is the subject of immense interest. Proinflammatory cytokines produced by macrophages are critical mediators of immune responses that contribute to the control of the advancement of neoplasia. We have shown that the expressions of interleukin 12 (IL-12) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) are decreased in macrophages from mammary tumor-bearing mice. In this study, we investigated the causes of IL-12 dysregulation and found deficient nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) expression and function in tumor bearers' peritoneal macrophages. The constitutive expressions of NFkappaB p50, c-rel, p65, and C/EBPalpha and beta, as well as the lipopolysaccharide-induced nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NFkappaB components and C/EBPalpha and beta, are profoundly impaired in macrophages from mice bearing D1-DMBA-3 tumors. Because similar findings occur with the iNOS gene, it seems that it represents a novel mechanism by which tumor-derived factors interfere with the host immune defenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Torroella-Kouri
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida
| | - Xiaojing Ma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York
| | - Giselle Perry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida
| | - Milena Ivanova
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida
| | - Pedro J. Cejas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida
| | - Jennifer L. Owen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida
| | | | - Diana M. Lopez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida
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Cejas PJ, Carlson LM, Kolonias D, Zhang J, Lindner I, Billadeau DD, Boise LH, Lee KP. Regulation of RelB expression during the initiation of dendritic cell differentiation. Mol Cell Biol 2005; 25:7900-16. [PMID: 16107733 PMCID: PMC1190284 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.25.17.7900-7916.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor RelB is required for proper development and function of dendritic cells (DCs), and its expression is upregulated early during differentiation from a variety of progenitors. We explored this mechanism of upregulation in the KG1 cell line model of a DC progenitor and in the differentiation-resistant KG1a subline. RelB expression is relatively higher in untreated KG1a cells but is upregulated only during differentiation of KG1 by an early enhancement of transcriptional elongation, followed by an increase in transcription initiation. Restoration of protein kinase CbetaII (PKCbetaII) expression in KG1a cells allows them to differentiate into DCs. We show that PKCbetaII also downregulated constitutive expression of NF-kappaB in KG1a-transfected cells and restores the upregulation of RelB during differentiation by increased transcriptional initiation and elongation. The two mechanisms are independent and sensitive to PKC signaling levels. Conversely, RelB upregulation was inhibited in primary human monocytes where PKCbetaII expression was knocked down by small interfering RNA targeting. Altogether, the data show that RelB expression during DC differentiation is controlled by PKCbetaII-mediated regulation of transcriptional initiation and elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro J Cejas
- University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, FL 33136, USA
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15
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Cejas PJ, Carlson LM, Zhang J, Padmanabhan S, Kolonias D, Lindner I, Haley S, Boise LH, Lee KP. Protein kinase C betaII plays an essential role in dendritic cell differentiation and autoregulates its own expression. J Biol Chem 2005; 280:28412-23. [PMID: 15917249 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m500345200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DC) arise from a diverse group of hematopoietic progenitors and have marked phenotypic and functional heterogeneity. The signal transduction pathways that regulate the ability of progenitors to undergo DC differentiation, as well as the specific characteristics of the resulting DC, are only beginning to be characterized. We have found previously that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by cytokines or phorbol esters drives normal human CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitors and myeloid leukemic blasts (KG1, K562 cell lines, and primary patient blasts) to differentiate into DC. We now report that PKC activation is also required for cytokine-driven DC differentiation from monocytes. Of the cPKC isoforms, only PKC-betaII was consistently activated by DC differentiation-inducing stimuli in normal and leukemic progenitors. Transfection of PKC-betaII into the differentiation-resistant KG1a subline restored the ability to undergo DC differentiation in a signal strength-dependent fashion as follows: 1) by development of characteristic morphology; 2) the up-regulation of DC surface markers; 3) the induction of expression of the NFkappaB family member Rel B; and 4) the potent ability to stimulate allo-T cells. Most unexpectedly, the restoration of PKC-betaII signaling in KG1a was not directly due to overexpression of the transfected classical PKC (alpha, betaII, or gamma) but rather through induction of endogenous PKC-beta gene expression by the transfected classical PKC. The mechanism of this positive autoregulation involves up-regulation of PKC-beta promoter activity by constitutive PKC signaling. These findings indicate that the regulation of PKC-betaII expression and signaling play critical roles in mediating progenitor to DC differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro J Cejas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33156, USA
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16
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Kharfan-Dabaja MA, Ayala E, Lindner I, Cejas PJ, Bahlis NJ, Kolonias D, Carlson LM, Lee KP. Differentiation of acute and chronic myeloid leukemic blasts into the dendritic cell lineage: analysis of various differentiation-inducing signals. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2005; 54:25-36. [PMID: 15693136 PMCID: PMC11032788 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-004-0562-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2003] [Accepted: 04/09/2004] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Ex vivo differentiation of myeloid leukemic blasts into dendritic cells (DCs) holds significant promise for use as cellular vaccines, as they may present a constellation of endogenously expressed known and unknown leukemia antigens to the immune system. Although variety of stimuli can drive leukemia --> DC differentiation in vitro, these blast-derived DCs typically have aberrant characteristics compared with DCs generated from normal progenitors by the same stimuli. It is not clear whether this is due to underlying leukemogenic mechanisms (e.g., specific oncogenes), genetic defects, stage of maturation arrest, defects in cytokine receptor expression or signal transduction pathways, or whether different stimuli themselves induce qualitatively dissimilar DC differentiation. METHODS To assess what factors may contribute to aberrant leukemic blast --> DC differentiation, we have examined how the same leukemic blasts (AML and CML) respond to different DC differentiation signals--including extracellular (the cytokine combination GM-CSF + TNF-alpha + IL-4) and intracellular (the protein kinase C agonist PMA, the calcium ionophore A23187, and the combination of PMA plus A23187) stimuli. RESULTS We have found that the same leukemic blasts will develop qualitatively different sets of DC characteristics in response to differing stimuli, although no stimuli consistently induced all of the characteristic DC features. There were no clear differences in the responses relative to specific oncogene expression or stage of maturation arrest (AML vs CML). Signal transduction agonists that bypassed membrane receptors/proximal signaling (in particular, the combination of PMA and A23187) consistently induced the greatest capability to activate T cells. Interestingly, this ability did not clearly correlate with expression of MHC/costimulatory ligands. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that signal transduction may play an important role in the aberrant DC differentiation of leukemic blasts, and demonstrate that direct activation of PKC together with intracellular calcium signaling may be an effective method for generating immunostimulatory leukemia-derived DCs.
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MESH Headings
- Antigens, Surface/genetics
- Blast Crisis/genetics
- Blast Crisis/immunology
- Blast Crisis/metabolism
- Cell Differentiation/physiology
- Cell Line
- Cell Lineage/genetics
- Cell Lineage/immunology
- Cell Proliferation
- Dendritic Cells/cytology
- Dendritic Cells/immunology
- Dendritic Cells/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic
- Humans
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/immunology
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/immunology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Phenotype
- Signal Transduction/genetics
- Signal Transduction/immunology
- Signal Transduction/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A. Kharfan-Dabaja
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Ernesto Ayala
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Inna Lindner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Pedro J. Cejas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Nizar J. Bahlis
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Despina Kolonias
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Louise M. Carlson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Kelvin P. Lee
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Papanicolaou Bldg., Rm. 211, 1550 NW 10th Ave., Miami, FL 33136 USA
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Cejas PJ, Martinez M, Karmally S, McKillop M, McKillop J, Plunkett JA, Oudega M, Eaton MJ. Lumbar transplant of neurons genetically modified to secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor attenuates allodynia and hyperalgesia after sciatic nerve constriction. Pain 2000; 86:195-210. [PMID: 10779676 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3959(00)00245-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Chronic delivery of anti-nociceptive molecules by means of cell grafts near the pain processing centers of the spinal cord is a newly developing technique for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The rat neuronal cell line, RN33B, derived from E13 rat brainstem raphe and immortalized with the SV40 temperature-sensitive allele of large T antigen (tsTag), was transfected with rat brain-derived neurotrophic factor cDNA (BDNF), and the BDNF-synthesizing cell line, 33BDNF.4, was isolated. The 33BDNF.4 cells synthesized mature BDNF protein at permissive temperature (33 degrees C), when the cells were proliferating, and during differentiation at non-permissive temperature (39 degrees C) in vitro. The bio-active BDNF protein was also secreted by the cells during both growth conditions, as measured by ELISA analysis of BDNF content and secretion. The bio-activity of the BDNF in 33BDNF.4 cell conditioned media was assessed by neurite outgrowth from E15 dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cultures. A control cell line, 33V1, transfected with the vector alone, did not synthesize or secrete any significant BDNF at either growth condition. Both cell lines were used as grafts in a model of chronic neuropathic pain induced by unilateral chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. Pain-related behaviors, including cold and tactile allodynia and thermal and tactile hyperalgesia, were evaluated after CCI in the affected hindpaw. When 33BDNF.4 and 33V1 cells were transplanted in the lumbar subarachnoid space of the spinal cord 1 week after CCI, they survived greater than 7 weeks on the pia mater around the spinal cord and the 33BDNF.4 cells continued to synthesize BDNF in vivo. Furthermore, the tactile and cold allodynia and tactile and thermal hyperalgesia induced by CCI was significantly reduced during the 2-7 week period after grafts of 33BDNF.4 cells. The maximal effect on chronic pain behaviors with the BDNF grafts occurred 2-3 weeks after transplant and the anti-nociceptive effects of the BDNF cell grafts was permanent. Transplants of the control 33V1 cells had no effect on the allodynia and hyperalgesia induced by CCI and these cells did not synthesize BDNF in vivo. These data suggest that a chronically applied, low local dose of BDNF supplied by transplanted cells near the spinal dorsal horn was able to reverse the development of chronic neuropathic pain following CCI. The use of neural cell lines that are able to deliver anti-nociceptive molecules, such as BDNF, in a model of chronic pain offers a novel approach to pain management and such 'biologic minipumps' can be developed for safe use in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- P J Cejas
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33136, USA
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18
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Eaton MJ, Karmally S, Martinez MA, Plunkett JA, Lopez T, Cejas PJ. Lumbar transplant of neurons genetically modified to secrete galanin reverse pain-like behaviors after partial sciatic nerve injury. J Peripher Nerv Syst 2000; 4:245-57. [PMID: 10642092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of cell lines as biologic "minipumps" to chronically deliver antinociceptive molecules such as the peptide galanin near the pain processing centers of the spinal cord after nerve injury is a newly developing technology for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The neuronal rat cell line, RN33B, derived from E13 brainstem raphe and immortalized with the SV40 temperature-sensitive allele of large T antigen (tsTag), was transfected with rat preprogalanin (GAL) cDNA and the galanin-synthesizing and -secreting cell line, 33GAL.19, was isolated [1]. The 33GAL.19 cells transfected with the GAL gene expressed immunoreactivity (ir) for the GAL protein and synthesized low levels of GAL-ir at permissive temperature (33 degrees C), when the cells were proliferating, and increased GAL-ir during terminal differentiation at non-permissive temperature (39 degrees C) in vitro. A control cell line, 33V.1, RN33B cells transfected with the pCEP4 vector alone and similarly isolated by subcloning, contained no detectible GAL-ir at either temperature in vitro. These cell lines were used as grafts in a model of chronic neuropathic pain induced by unilateral chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. Pain-related behaviors, including cold and tactile allodynia and thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia, were evaluated in the affected hindpaw after CCI and transplants. The 33GAL.19 and 33V.1 cells transplanted in the lumbar subarachnoid space near the spinal cord one week after CCI, survived at least seven weeks on the pial surface around the spinal cord and only the 33GAL.19 cells expressed GAL-ir in vivo after transplant. Furthermore, the tactile and cold allodynia and tactile and thermal hyperalgesia induced by CCI was significantly reduced or eliminated during the two to seven week period after grafts of 33GAL.19 cells. The maximal effect on chronic pain behaviors with the GAL grafts occurred one to three weeks after transplantation. Transplants of 33V.1 control cells had no effect on the allodynia and hyperalgesia induced by CCI. These data suggest that a chronically applied, low local dose of galanin supplied by transplanted cells near the lumbar spinal dorsal horn was able to reverse the development of chronic neuropathic pain following CCI. The use of transplants of genetically modified neural cell lines that are able to deliver antinociceptive molecules, such as galanin, offers a safe and novel approach to pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Eaton
- The Miami Project To Cure Paralysis, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33136, USA.
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