Rational approaches to immune regulation

Our laboratory is interested in the properties of proteins that render them immunogenic, and how such immunogenicity may be modulated in vivo. We are attempting to enhance the immune response in the design of more effective vaccines against viral diseases, such as HIV, and against tumor antigens expressed on breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer and B cell lymphomas. Our main approach is to use a facultative intracellular bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes, which has the unusual ability to live and grow in the cytoplasm of the cell and is thus an excellent vector for targeting passenger antigens to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I pathway of antigen processing with the generation of authentic cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) epitopes. In the field of tumor immunotherapy, we are also developing nonliving vaccine vectors for tumor antigens.     

模式生物在肿瘤学研究中的应用

肿瘤细胞系、永生化细胞以及原代培养细胞是研究肿瘤病因学和发病机制的重要模型。然而,诸多肿瘤的发生、发展和转归缺乏真正意义上的整体研究模型,成为肿瘤学研究过程中的主要障碍。果蝇、线虫、小鼠、斑马鱼和非洲蟾蜍等作为模式生物的应用很好的解决了这个问题。所谓模式生物是人们在长期研究生命科学的过程中建立起来的与人类某个特定的生理和病理过程相似的模型,这些模型结构简单,变化容易观察,使许多难以解决的人类难题变得明朗。     

CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞在肿瘤免疫中的作用

CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞(Tr)是体内自然发生的调节性T细胞的重要亚群,具有无反应性和免疫抑制两大特性,主要通过与靶细胞的直接接触而起作用,其在体内不仅参与自身免疫性疾病、移植排斥反应等,还在肿瘤的发生、发展及免疫治疗中发挥重要作用.近几年来,Tr在肿瘤免疫中的作用倍受关注.     

壳聚糖体内抗幽门螺杆菌作用及其对机体体液免疫反应的调节

目的研究壳聚糖体内抗幽门螺杆菌（Hp）作用，及其对机体体液免疫反应的调节作用。方法建立BALB／c小鼠Hp感染的动物模型后，随机分为8组：（1）对照组；（2）PPI组；（3）AM组；（4）AM＋PPI组；（5）壳聚糖组；（6）壳聚糖＋PPI组；（7）壳聚糖＋AM组；（8）壳聚糖＋AM＋PPI组。分别给予上述药物每日2次灌胃，共2周。停药后4周，处死小鼠，无菌条件下取胃黏膜、唾液和血清。采用定量Hp培养和病理改良Giemsa染色法检测胃黏膜内Hp感染。用ELISA法检测血清、唾液和胃黏膜内Hp抗体，用SP免疫组织化学法检测胃黏膜内分泌型IgA（sIgA）。结果以上8组的却根除率分别为0、0、41．7％、58．3％、58．3％、66．7％、83．3％、91．7％，其中（3）～（8）组的肋根除率与（1）和（2）组比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。Hp定植密度研究发现各组之间Hp定植密度差异有统计学意义（P〈0．001），坳定植密度在（3）～（8）组显著低于（1）和（2）组（P〈0．05），（7）组显著低于（3）组（P〈0．05），（8）组显著低于（4）组（P〈0．05）。血清中抗Hp　IgG、IgG1、IgG2a及唾液中抗Hp　IgA含量，各组差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。胃黏膜中抗Hp　IgA含量，在壳聚糖组和壳聚糖＋AM组显著高于无壳聚糖组（P〈0．05）。胃黏膜sIgA阳性腺体百分率，含壳聚糖组显著高于不含壳聚糖组（P〈0．05）。结论壳聚糖在体内有抗Hp作用，并与AM有协同作用，它与PPI和AM三者联用的Hp根除率高达91．7％，有望成为一抗Hp新药。壳聚糖可促进胃黏膜局部抗Hp　IgA和sIgA的产生，因此它在体内的抗Hp作用除了直接杀灭Hp外，其对机体免疫调节效应可能参与了抗菌机制。     

Cellular immunity in experimental Echinococcus multilocularis infection. II. Sequential and comparative phenotypic study of the periparasitic mononuclear cells in resistant and sensitive mice.

Cellular immune responses have been shown to be associated with differential evolutions of E. multilocularis infection in intermediate hosts. A relationship between course of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) against parasitic antigens and receptivity of murine strains has been demonstrated recently. The aim of this study was to correlate resistance and sensitivity to E. multilocularis infection with the phenotypic patterns of cells within the periparasitic granuloma. Evolution of the ratios, macrophages/T lymphocyte and Ly1/Ly2 T lymphocytes, was associated with the receptivity of the strains. Persistence of numerous L3T4 + T lymphocytes and low numbers of macrophages and Ly2 + T lymphocytes were observed in the 'resistant' C57BL.10 mice. Comparison of the results with course of the DTH against E. multilocularis antigens showed that the particular phenotypic pattern observed in resistant mice was associated with a particular profile of DTH after infection. These results and similar observations in human alveolar echinococcosis suggest that cell composition of the periparasitic granuloma might be of crucial importance in controlling the spontaneous development of E. multilocularis larvae in the intermediate host.     

Use of Air-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in Hydrophobic Microfluidic Channels for Disposable Flow Cytometers

This paper describes a disposable flow cytometer that uses an air-liquid two-phase microfluidic system to produce a focused high-speed liquid sample stream of particles and cells. The susceptibility of thin liquid columns to instabilities may suggest that focusing of sample liquids with streams of air would be difficult. The design of channel geometry, control of flow rates, and use of appropriate surface chemistries on the channel walls, however, enabled the generation of thin (15–100 m) and partially bounded sample streams that were stable and suitable for rapid cell analysis. Using an inverted epi-fluorescence microscope with a photo-multiplier tube, we demonstrated that the system is capable of counting the number of beads and C₂C₁₂ myoblast cells. The effects of different flow rates and surface chemistries of the channel walls on the air-liquid two-phase flows were characterized using optical and confocal microscopy. Use of air instead of liquids as a sheath fluid eliminates the need for large sheath liquid reservoirs, and reduces the volume and weight requirements. The low manufacturing cost and high volumetric efficiency make the air-sheath flow cytometer attractive for use as a stand-alone device or as an integrated component of bio-artificial hybrid microsystems.     

B7.2-Ig fusion proteins enhance IL-4-dependent differentiation of tumor-sensitized CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors

The B7/CD28 co-stimulatory pathway plays a critical role in T cell activation and differentiation. Our previous study demonstrated that administration of B7.2-Ig fusion proteins to tumor-bearing mice elicits IL-4-dependent, CD8+ T cell-mediated tumor regression. Here, we investigated whether B7.2-Ig stimulation of tumor-sensitized CD8+ CTL precursors during in vitro antigen re-sensitization actually results in their differentiation into mature CTLs and if so, whether such a process depends on IL-4 signals. Splenocytes from tumor-sensitized (tumor-bearing or tumor-immunized) mice exhibited low levels of anti-tumor CTL responses upon culturing alone, but induced strikingly enhanced CTL responses when stimulated in vitro with B7.2-Ig fusion proteins. Because CTLs were not generated from normal splenocytes even by B7.2-Ig stimulation, the expression of the B7.2-Ig effect required the in vivo tumor sensitization of CD8+ CTL precursors. Administration of anti-CD4 or anti-CD40 ligand (CD40L) to mice before tumor sensitization resulted in almost complete inhibition of CTL responses generated in the subsequent culture containing B7.2-Ig. In contrast, anti-IL-4 did not influence in vivo tumor sensitization required for CTL induction. However, B7.2-Ig stimulation of tumor-sensitized splenocytes enhanced IL-4 production and neutralization of this IL-4 with anti-IL-4 potently down-regulated CTL responses. These results indicate that B7.2-Ig enhances IL-4-dependent differentiation of anti-tumor CD8+ CTL precursors that can be sensitized in vivo depending on collaboration with CD4+ T cells involving CD40L function.     

High-efficiency gene transfer to primary T lymphocytes by recombinant adenovirus vectors

Recombinant, replication-deficient adenoviruses are efficient vectors for gene transfer to a wide range of cell types, with the exception of T lymphocytes. Here, we show that primary T lymphocytes from peripheral blood, cord blood, and the Jurkat T cell line are efficiently transduced by recombinant adenovirus. Nearly 100% infection efficiency of primary T cells is obtained with high multiplicity of infection (MOI) (5000) of recombinant adenovirus coding for lacZ. Similar infection efficiency by adenovirus-mediated gene transfer was obtained at lower MOI (3000) by activating primary T cells with PHA and PMA. Addition of cationic liposomes together with RAdlacZ markedly enhanced the infection efficiency at lower MOI (1000) resulting in over 90% infection efficiency. Primary T cells express low levels of coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), a cell surface receptor for adenovirus fiber attachment, as well as _vβ₃ and _vβ₅ integrins, cellular receptors for adenovirus internalization. This suggests that adenovirus entry to T cells at high MOI is mediated by other mechanisms. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that genes can be efficiently transferred to primary lymphocytes by adenovirus vectors at high MOI or in combination with cationic liposomes.     

乙型肝炎表面抗原对BALB/c小鼠细胞免疫应答的影响

目的研究不同来源乙肝表面抗原(HBsAg)对BALB/c小鼠的某些细胞免疫应答的影响.方法采用血源、CHO和酵母HBsAg分别免疫BALB/c小鼠,于免疫后不同时间制备脾脏单个核细胞(MNC),测定MNC对刀豆蛋白(ConA)和细菌脂多糖(LPS)的增殖反应性;采用绵羊红细胞(SRBC)作为致敏原,测定不同HBsAg免疫小鼠后迟发性超敏反应(DTH)的发生程度.结果不同来源HBsAg对ConA或LPS刺激的反应指数(SI)表现出不同的时间曲线,一般于免疫20?d和25?d时显著升高,其中血源HBsAg较高,酵母较低.H.M.-HBsAg在免疫5?d时即显出较高的SI值.CHO-HBsAg对SRBC诱导的DTH反应具有显著的抑制作用(P＜0.05).结论不同来源HBsAg诱导细胞免疫反应的类型和程度存在差异,CHO细胞来源的HBsAg对TH1细胞介导的DTH反应有抑制作用.     

负性刺激分子PD-L对T细胞介导小鼠L929肿瘤细胞免疫效应的影响

目的：探讨负性刺激分子在肿瘤细胞逃避免疫效应中的作用.方法：以L929细胞为靶细胞,体内致敏C57BL/6小鼠,注入PD-L1、PD-L2抗体阻断,并设立未致敏对照组.分离小鼠脾细胞,体外采用3H-TdR掺入法、荧光标记双染色FCM以及PI染色FCM法分别检测淋巴细胞增殖反应、活化诱导的细胞凋亡以及脾细胞及其培养上清对肿瘤细胞的杀伤效应.结果：L929细胞表达PD-L1,而不表达PD-L2.体内与体外联合应用PD-L1抗体,能显著增强L929肿瘤细胞诱导的致敏组小鼠脾细胞的增殖活性和特异性杀伤效应,并可抑制活化诱导的T细胞凋亡;PD-L1抗体亦可增加L929细胞诱导的未致敏组小鼠脾细胞的增殖活性和促进其脾细胞培养上清对L929细胞的杀伤效应.结论：PD-L1抗体可通过阻断PD1/PDL途径促进初始T细胞和致敏T细胞介导的抗瘤效应.