New perspectives on the role of vitiligo in immune responses to melanoma

Melanoma-associated vitiligo is the best-studied example of the linkage between tumor immunity and autoimmunity. Although vitiligo is an independent positive prognostic factor for melanoma patients, the autoimmune destruction of melanocytes was long thought to be merely a side effect of robust anti-tumor immunity. However, new data reveal a key role for vitiligo in supporting T cell responses to melanoma. This research perspective reviews the history of melanoma-associated vitiligo in patients, the experimental studies that form the basis for understanding this relationship, and the unique characteristics of melanoma-specific CD8 T cells found in hosts with vitiligo. We also discuss the implications of our recent findings for the interpretation of patient responses, and the design of next-generation cancer immunotherapies.     

Genetic vaccination with "self" tyrosinase-related protein 2 causes melanoma eradication but not vitiligo

"Self" melanocyte differentiation antigens are potential targets for specific melanoma immunotherapy. Vaccination against murine tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1/gp75 was shown recently to cause melanoma rejection, which was accompanied by autoimmune skin depigmentation (vitiligo). To further explore the linkage between immunotherapy and autoimmunity, we studied the response to vaccination with a related antigen, TRP-2. i.m. inoculation of plasmid DNA encoding murine trp-2 elicited antigen-specific CTLs that recognized the B16 mouse melanoma and protected the mice from challenge with tumor cells. Furthermore, mice bearing established s.c. B16 melanomas rejected the tumor upon vaccination with a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding trp-2. Depletion experiments showed that CD8+ lymphocytes and natural killer cells were crucial for the antitumor activity of the trp-2-encoding vaccines. Mice that rejected the tumor did not develop generalized vitiligo, indicating that protective immunity can be achieved in the absence of widespread autoimmune aggression.     

Antitumor effects of the combination therapy with TNF-alpha gene-modified tumor cells and interleukin 12 in a melanoma model in mice

In the present study, TNF-alpha gene-transduced B78 melanoma cells (B78/TNF) were used as a vaccine and combined with interleukin (IL)-12 in the treatment of B78 melanoma-bearing mice. The combined administration of genetically modified melanoma cells and IL-12 induced specific protective antitumor immunity resulting in a decreased rate of the tumor take following a rechallenge with parental B78 cells. When used therapeutically, intratumoral injections of irradiated B78/TNF melanoma cells and IL-12 exerted strong antitumor effects and led to complete regression of established tumors in 50% of mice. Injections of irradiated B78/TNF cells alone did not influence tumor development and IL-12 itself significantly delayed tumor growth but without curative effect. FACS analysis of parental B78 melanoma cells and its B78/TNF genetically modified variant showed that a proportion of cells of both cell lines expressed 87-1 (CD80) costimulatory molecule and that the expression of this molecule was increased during incubation with IFN-gamma. Moreover, IFN-gamma markedly augmented expression of major histocompatibility class (MHC) class I and II molecules on B78/TNF cells that were primarily MHC class I and II negative with no substantial effect on MHC-negative parental B78 melanoma. IFN-gamma also synergized in cytostatic/cytotoxic effects with TNF-alpha against B78 melanoma in vitro. Lymphocyte depletion studies in vivo showed reduction of the antitumor response in mice treated with anti - NK monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as well as in mice treated with anti-CD4+ anti-CD8 mAbs. The results suggest that, when used therapeutically, IL-12 and a vaccine containing TNF-alpha gene-transduced tumor cells may reciprocally augment their overall antitumor effectiveness by facilitating development of systemic antitumor immunity and by stimulating local effector mechanisms of the tumor destruction.     

Dendritic cells, pulsed with lysate of allogeneic tumor cells, are capable of stimulating MHC-restricted antigen-specific antitumor T cells

A variety of approaches have been used to deliver tumor-associated antigens (TAA) in conjunction with dendritic cells (DC) as cellular adjuvants. DC derived from monocytic precursors have been pulsed with whole tumor antigen using a variety of strategies and have been demonstrated to induce CD4+ and CD8+ antitumor responses. In the present study, monocyte-derived DC have been pulsed with lysate from an allogeneic melanoma cell line, A-375, and used to repeatedly stimulate T cells. The resultant T cells were examined for cytotoxic activity against A-375 targets as well as the HLA A2-positive melanoma cell line DFW. Uptake of FITC-labeled melanoma lysate by DC established that lysate of melanoma cells was efficiently endocytosed. Stimulation with lysate-pulsed DC resulted in strong proliferative responses by T cells, which could be inhibited by antibodies against both MHC class I and class II. T cells stimulated in vitro with lysate-pulsed DC demonstrated potent cytotoxicity against the melanoma targets which were blocked by antibodies against MHC class I. Lysate-pulsed DC also elicited IFN-gamma secretion by T cells as measured in an ELISPOT assay. We have also examined the ability of lysate-pulsed DC to present melanoma-associated antigens to T cells. ELISPOT assays with synthetic peptides of melanoma-associated antigens, such as gp100, mage1, NY-ESO, and MART-1, revealed that lysate-pulsed DC could stimulate T cells in an antigen-specific manner. The results demonstrate that lysate from allogeneic tumor cells may be used as a source of antigens to stimulate tumor-specific T cells in melanoma.     

NK1.1+ Cells and CD8+ T Cells Mediate the Antitumor Activity of Cl-IB-MECA in a Mouse Melanoma Model

Cl-IB-MECA, synthetic A₃ adenosine receptor agonist, is a potential anticancer agent. In this study, we have examined the effect of Cl-IB-MECA in a mouse melanoma model. Cl-IB-MECA significantly inhibited tumor growth in immune-competent mice. Notably, the number of tumor-infiltrating NK1.1⁺ cells and CD8⁺ T cells was significantly increased in Cl-IB-MECA-treated mice. This effect was correlated with high levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interferon γ in melanoma tissue. Depletion of either CD8⁺ T cells or NK1.1⁺ cells completely abrogated the antitumor effect of Cl-IB-MECA. Accordingly, Cl-IB-MECA did not affect tumor growth in nude mice. In addition, we also found that the number of mature and active conventional dendritic cells at the tumor site was increased after Cl-IB-MECA administration. Moreover, Cl-IB-MECA significantly increased TNF-α and IL-12p40 release from splenic CD11c⁺ cells. In conclusion, our study provides novel insights into the mechanism by which Cl-IB-MECA leads to an effective antitumor response that involves the activation of natural killer cells and CD8⁺ T cells and further highlights its therapeutic potential.     

Two new trifunctional antibodies for the therapy of human malignant melanoma

Trifunctional antibodies are able to redirect T cells and Fcgamma receptor(+) accessory immune cells to tumor targets. The simultaneous activation of these different classes of effector cells results in efficient killing of the tumor cells by different mechanisms such as phagocytosis and perforin-mediated cytotoxicity. Here, we introduce 2 new trifunctional antibodies specific for human melanoma. These trifunctional antibodies recognize with one binding arm CD3 on human T cells. The other binding arm is directed against melanoma-associated proteoglycans or melanoma-associated gangliosides (GD2 as well as GD3). They mediate specific lysis of various melanoma cell lines in correlation with the level of antigen expression in short-term cytotoxicity experiments. A combination of the 2 trifunctional antibodies was equally or even more efficient. Moreover, they induced a strong Th1 cytokine pattern with high amounts of IFN-gamma and low or no IL-4. Accordingly, CD4(+) and especially CD8(+) T cells expanded, whereas B cells, NK cells and monocytes decreased. The cytokine response was up to 16-fold higher when tumor cells were present. IFN-gamma reached cytotoxic concentrations for SK-MEL-23 melanoma cells. The induction of a T-cell-activatory and melanoma cell-inhibitory cytokine milieu together with the redirection of T-cell- and accessory cell-mediated cytotoxicity are interesting features of these trifunctional antibodies. They may be a new option for the therapy of human malignant melanoma.     

MT95‐4, a fully humanized antibody raised against aminopeptidase N,reduces tumor progression in a mouse model

Aminopeptidase N (APN/CD13) is involved in tumor cell invasion and tumor angiogenesis and is considered a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer. To develop a novel monoclonal antibody‐based cancer therapy targeting APN/CD13, we established a fully humanized anti‐APN/CD13 monoclonal antibody, MT95‐4. In vitro, MT95‐4 inhibited APN/CD13 enzymatic activity on the tumor cell surface and blocked tumor cell invasion. B16 mouse melanoma cells stably expressing human APN/CD13 were also established and were inoculated s.c. or injected i.v. into nude mice. We found that expression of human APN/CD13 in murine melanoma cells increased the size of subcutaneous tumors, extent of lung metastasis and degree of angiogenesis in the subcutaneous tumors; these tumor‐promoting and angiogenesis‐promoting characteristics were reduced by the i.p. administration of MT95‐4. To further verify the specificity of MT95‐4 for neutralization of APN/CD13 activity, MT95‐4 was administered into NOD/SCID mice inoculated s.c. with H1299 or PC14 cells, which exhibit high expression of APN/CD13, or with A549 cells, which exhibit weak expression of APN/CD13. MT95‐4 reduced tumor growth and angiogenesis in mice bearing H1299‐derived and PC14‐derived tumors, but not in mice bearing A549‐derived tumors. These results suggested that the antitumor and anti‐angiogenic effects of MT95‐4 were dependent on APN/CD13 expression in tumor cells. Given that MT95‐4 is the first fully humanized monoclonal antibody against APN/CD13, MT95‐4 should be recognized as a promising candidate for monoclonal antibody therapy against tumors expressing APN/CD13.     

Melanoma-infiltrating dendritic cells induce protective antitumor responses mediated by T cells

Dendritic cells are the most potent antigen-presenting cells inducing innate and adaptive immune response. Dendritic cells infiltrate melanomas, but their ability to induce host antitumor immunity remains obscure. In a previous study, we have observed that melanoma-infiltrating dendritic cells have the capacity to process antigens and migrate to lymph nodes to prime T lymphocytes. Here, we observed that melanoma-infiltrating dendritic cells extracted from melanoma without any additional manipulations were able to protect naive mice against a lethal challenge with the tumor. Remarkably, this was achieved with reinjection of 10(5) melanoma-infiltrating dendritic cells, a number that did not exceed the total number of melanoma-infiltrating dendritic cells recovered from one single tumor. Three observations indicate that protection was due to the natural loading of melanoma-infiltrating dendritic cells with tumor antigens. First, the protective effect was not observed with equivalent numbers of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. Second, the protection induced was specific for the tumor from which the tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells were isolated. Third, depletion experiments indicate that both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes were required during the effector phase of the antitumor response. Hence, designing strategies aimed at rendering melanoma-infiltrating dendritic cells visible to host T cells may boost spontaneous antitumor immunity.     

Effective particle-mediated vaccination against mouse melanoma by coadministration of plasmid DNA encoding Gp100 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

Particle-mediated gene delivery was used to immunize mice against melanoma. Mice were immunized with a plasmid cDNA coding for the human melanoma-associated antigen, gp100. Murine B16 melanoma, stably transfected with human gp100 expression plasmid, was used as a tumor model. Particle-mediated delivery of gp100 plasmid into the skin of na?ve mice resulted in significant protection from a subsequent tumor challenge. Co-delivery of murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) expression plasmid together with the gp100 plasmid consistently resulted in a greater level of protection from tumor challenge. The inclusion of the GM-CSF plasmid with the gp100 DNA vaccine allowed a reduction in the gp100 plasmid dose required for antitumor efficacy. Protection from tumor challenge was achieved with as little as 62.5 ng of gp100 DNA per vaccination. Tumor protection induced by the gp100 + GM-CSF gene combination was T cell mediated, because it was abrogated in vaccinated mice treated with anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 monoclonal antibodies. In addition, administration of the gp100 + GM-CSF DNA vaccine to mice bearing established 7-day tumors resulted in significant suppression of tumor growth. These results indicate that inclusion of GM-CSF DNA augments the efficacy of particle-mediated vaccination with gp100 DNA, and this form of combined gp100 + GM-CSF DNA vaccine warrants clinical evaluation in melanoma patients.     

Antitumor effects of polyvalent and monovalent vaccines coupled with interleukin-2 in a metastatic melanoma model

We have previously reported that preimmunization of mice with formalinized extracellular antigens (fECA) derived from melanoma cells, in combination with interleukin 2 (IL-2) treatment and surgical resection, decreased subsequent tumor growth and increased survival of mice in a new model for spontaneous metastasis of melanoma. In this study, we have modified the sequence of tumor growth and therapy to more closely mimic the clinical situation. Mice were challenged subcutaneously in the tail with 5 x 10(5) B16 F10 melanoma cells and, by day 21, all of them had developed localized melanoma tumors. The primary tumor-bearing tails of control and experimental animals were then resected distal to the base of the tail, and therapy of the mice was initiated the following day. Groups of mice received different polyvalent and monovalent murine melanoma vaccines (including native or formalin treated extracellular antigens, intact melanoma cells, or purified B700 antigen), with or without concomitant low doses of IL-2. The results demonstrate that the vaccine therapies elicited significant increases in survival of the mice, accompanied by reductions in the size of lymph nodes and in the number of pulmonary metastases. These effects, particularly with the intact melanoma cell vaccine, could be improved even further with concomitant IL-2 treatment.     

Correlation between mammary tumor and blood glucose, serum insulin, and free fatty acids in mice

The blood glucose level and serum levels of insulin, glucagon, and free fatty acids were examined in 7- to 8-mo-old female SHN mice with or without spontaneous mammary tumors (MT). Blood glucose levels in the females with MT were significantly higher than in those without MT, rising in proportion to the increase in size of MT up to 30 mm in diameter. In 4-mo-old male SHN and 11-mo-old female C57BL mice bearing mammary tumor grafts (MTg), the blood glucose level was significantly higher than in mice without MTg. Serum insulin and free fatty acids in female SHN mice with MT rose to higher levels than in mice without MT, whereas serum glucagon levels were unaltered. In 50% of mice with MT, pancreatic islets contained a large number of pyknotic cells. Livers of mice with MT or MTg were significantly heavier than those of mice without MT or MTg. In both female SHN mice with spontaneous MT and male SHN and female C57BL mice with MTg, the total number of hepatocytes and the total amount of liver DNA increased significantly compared with values from corresponding controls without MT or MTg. These findings suggest that MT or MTg induce a hyperglycemic state and an enhanced production of free fatty acids and insulin, which may in turn stimulate the growth of mammary tumors and the liver.     

Growth and metastasis of fresh human melanoma tissue in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency

Cryopreserved cell suspensions of freshly excised melanoma metastases from nine patients were injected s.c. into C.B-17 severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. All 9 tumors grew as s.c. masses and six of nine were successfully transplanted into other SCID mice. Transplant inocula as low as 5 x 10(5) cells resulted in 100% tumor incidence. Moreover, seven of nine tumors metastasized, five from the original s.c. implants and two from transplanted s.c. tumors. Metastases were detected mainly in the lungs but also were found in abdominal viscera (liver, spleen, and pancreas) and thoracic lymph nodes. Flow cytometric analysis showed that expression of a panel of melanoma antigens, melanoma-associated proteoglycan, ganglioside GD3, and ganglioside GD2, was maintained with SCID passage. The original tumor inocula contained a variable percentage of tumor-associated lymphocytes (1-76%). Flow cytometry analysis indicated that these were mainly CD3+ T-cells. However, there was no correlation between the percentage of tumor-associated lymphocytes and the time required for development of a palpable tumor after s.c. injection or the ability to metastasize. These results demonstrate the growth and spontaneous metastasis of fresh human melanoma in SCID mice and suggest that this model could be important for therapeutic and basic biological studies.     

Interleukin-12 inhibits angiogenesis and growth of transplanted but not in situ mouse mammary tumor virus-induced mammary carcinomas

We examined the ability of recombinant murine interleukin-12 (rmIL-12) to inhibit the vasculature and growth of mammary carcinomas arising in situ in mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-infected female C3H/HeN mice. Although it is a potent antiangiogenic and antitumor agent in many transplanted murine tumor models, rmIL-12 failed to inhibit the vascularity, reduce the perfusion, or alter the growth of these autochthonous carcinomas. Factors intrinsic to these tumor cells were unlikely to be responsible for therapy failure. This is because primary cells derived from these carcinomas responded to IFN-gamma, and rmIL-12 was effective against transplanted tumors arising from Mm5MT cells, a line established from a MMTV-induced mammary carcinoma in C3H mice. Factors intrinsic to the mice that host the autochthonous mammary carcinomas were also not responsible for failure, because they sponsored rmIL-12 antiangiogenic and antitumor effects against transplanted K1735 murine melanoma tumors. Instead, the autochthonous nature of the mammary carcinomas and their possession of a high percentage of mature, pericyte-covered vessels that are resistant to therapeutic regression may be responsible. This is supported by the observation that transplanted Mm5MT tumors had a lower proportion of pericyte-covered vessels and responded to rmIL-12 therapy. These results point to significant differences between the vasculature of transplanted and autochthonous murine tumors and indicate that their susceptibility to antivascular therapy may differ substantially.     

Homeostatic proliferation plus regulatory T-cell depletion promotes potent rejection of B16 melanoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the antitumor efficacy of T-cell anergy reversal through homeostatic proliferation and regulatory T-cell (Treg) depletion in a clinically relevant murine adoptive immunotherapy model. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: B16 melanoma cells were engineered to express the model SIYRYYGL (SIY) antigen to enable immune monitoring. Tumor-specific T cells expanded in tumor-challenged wild-type hosts but became hyporesponsive. To examine whether lymphopenia-induced homeostatic proliferation could reverse tumor-induced T-cell anergy, total splenic T cells were transferred into lymphopenic RAG2-/- mice or control P14/RAG2-/- mice. Tumor growth was measured, and SIY-specific immune responses were monitored using ELISPOT and SIY/K(b) tetramers. To determine whether Treg depletion could synergize with homeostatic proliferation, RAG2-/- mice received total or CD25-depleted T cells, followed or preceded by B16.SIY challenge. This approach was further investigated in wild-type mice lymphodepleted with sublethal total body irradiation. RESULTS: Adoptive transfer of total splenic T cells into RAG2-/- mice moderately affected the growth rate of B16.SIY. As Treg expansion occurred in tumor-bearing mice, CD25+ T cells were depleted from total T cells before adoptive transfer. Interestingly, transfer of CD25-depleted T cells into RAG2-/- mice resulted in potent rejection of B16 melanoma in both prophylactic and short-term preimplanted tumor settings and was associated with maintained T-cell effector function. Using a clinically applicable approach, wild-type mice were lymphodepleted using sublethal total body irradiation, which similarly supported tumor rejection upon transfer of CD25-depleted T cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that combined CD25 depletion and homeostatic proliferation support a potent antitumor immune response--an approach with potential for clinical translation.     

Sorafenib relieves cell‐intrinsic and cell‐extrinsic inhibitions of effector T cells in tumor microenvironment to augment antitumor immunity

Sorafenib, a multitargeted antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is the standard of care for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cumulating evidence suggests that sorafenib differentially affects immune cells; however, whether this immunomodulatory effect has any impact on antitumor immune responses is unknown. Using an orthotopic mouse model of HCC and tumor‐free mice, we investigated the effects of sorafenib on antitumor immunity and characterized the underlying mechanisms. Sorafenib treatment inhibited tumor growth and augmented antitumor immune responses in mice bearing established orthotopic HCC. The tumor‐specific effector T cell functions were upregulated, while the proportion of PD‐1‐expressing CD8⁺ T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs) was reduced in tumor microenvironment of sorafenib‐treated mice. Mechanistically, the sorafenib‐mediated effects on Tregs could be independent of its direct tumor‐suppressing activities. Sorafenib treatment reduced Treg numbers by inhibiting their proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Moreover, sorafenib inhibited the function of Tregs, characterized by diminished expression of Treg‐associated molecules important for their function and by their impaired suppressive capacity. These data reveal that sorafenib treatment enhanced functions of tumor‐specific effector T cells as well as relieved PD‐1‐mediated intrinsic and Treg‐mediated non‐cell‐autonomous inhibitions in tumor microenvironment leading to effective antitumor immune responses. In addition to the well‐known tumor‐inhibiting activity of sorafenib, its enhancement of antitumor immunity may also contribute to the clinical efficacy. Our findings uncover a previously unrecognized mechanism of action of sorafenib and indicate that sorafenib represents a potential targeted agent suitable to be combined with immunotherapeutic approaches to treat cancer patients.     

Immunogenicity, including vitiligo, and feasibility of vaccination with autologous GM-CSF-transduced tumor cells in metastatic melanoma patients.

PURPOSE: To determine the feasibility, toxicity, and immunologic effects of vaccination with autologous tumor cells retrovirally transduced with the GM-CSF gene, we performed a phase I/II vaccination study in stage IV metastatic melanoma patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-four patients were randomly assigned to receive three vaccinations of high-dose or low-dose tumor cells at 3-week intervals. Tumor cell vaccine preparation succeeded for 56 patients (88%), but because of progressive disease, the well-tolerated vaccination was completed in only 28 patients. We analyzed the priming of T cells against melanoma antigens, MART-1, tyrosinase, gp100, MAGE-A1, and MAGE-A3 using human leukocyte antigen/peptide tetramers and functional assays. RESULTS: The high-dose vaccination induced the infiltration of T cells into the tumor tissue. Three of 14 patients receiving the high-dose vaccine showed an increase in MART-1- or gp100-specific T cells in the peripheral blood during vaccination. Six patients experienced disease-free survival for more than 5 years, and two of these patients developed vitiligo at multiple sites after vaccination. MART-1- and gp100-specific T cells were found infiltrating in vitiligo skin. Upon vaccination, the T cells acquired an effector phenotype and produced interferon-gamma on specific antigenic stimulation. CONCLUSION: We conclude that vaccination with GM-CSF-transduced autologous tumor cells has limited toxicity and can enhance T-cell activation against melanocyte differentiation antigens, which can lead to vitiligo. Whether the induction of autoimmune vitiligo may prolong disease-free survival of metastatic melanoma patients who are surgically rendered as having no evidence of disease before vaccination is worthy of further investigation.     

Vaccination-induced autoimmune vitiligo is a consequence of secondary trauma to the skin

A major concern for cancer vaccines targeting self-tumor antigens is the risk of autoimmune sequelae. Although antitumor immunity correlates with autoimmune disease in some preclinical models, the mechanism(s) linking antitumor immunity and subsequent autoimmune pathology remain(s) to be determined. In the current study, we demonstrated that intradermal (i.d.) immunization with a recombinant adenovirus (Ad) expressing the murine melanoma antigen tyrosinase-related protein 2 (AdmTrp-2) results in a moderate level of tumor protection against the B16F10 murine melanoma without any vitiligo. Similar immunization with an Ad encoding human Trp-2 (AdhTrp-2) resulted in 50-fold greater protective immunity and produced vitiligo in all of the mice, suggesting that the development of autoimmunity may reflect the potency of the vaccine. Interestingly, delivery of AdhTrp-2 by i.m. injection generated protective immunity comparable with that seen in mice that received the vaccine by the i.d. route, but none of the recipients in the i.m. group developed vitiligo. The cellular and humoral responses in the i.m. immunized mice were greater than in the i.d. group; therefore, the lack of vitiligo was not caused by reduced efficacy of the vaccine. These results led us to hypothesize that vaccine-induced vitiligo was associated with local inflammatory responses. Mice immunized i.m. with AdhTrp-2 did develop vitiligo when they subsequently were injected i.d. with either a control Ad vector or complete Freund's adjuvant, suggesting that vitiligo is initiated by some form of trauma within the skin. Our data demonstrated that autoimmune pathology is not an unavoidable outcome of effective cancer vaccines directed against self-tumor antigens.     

Unmasking immunosurveillance against a syngeneic colon cancer by elimination of CD4+ NKT regulatory cells and IL-13

We have previously observed a novel role of natural killer T (NKT) cells in negative regulation of antitumor immune responses against an immunogenic regressor tumor expressing a transfected viral antigen. Here, we investigated whether hidden spontaneous antitumor immunosurveillance, in the absence of a vaccine, could be revealed by disruption of this negative regulatory pathway involving CD4+ NKT cells and interleukin-13 (IL-13), in a murine pulmonary metastasis model of a nontransfected, nonregressor, syngeneic tumor, the CT26 colon carcinoma. Lung metastases of CT26 were decreased in CD4+ T cell-depleted BALB/c mice, suggesting that CD4+ T cells were involved in negative regulation of antitumor responses. CD1-knock out (CD1-KO) mice, which have conventional CD4+ T cells and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells but lack CD1-restricted CD4+ NKT cells, were significantly resistant to lung metastasis of CT26. The metastases were not further decreased in CD4+ T cell-depleted CD1-KO mice, implying that CD4+ NKT cells might be the primary negative regulator of antitumor immune responses in BALB/c mice. CD8+ T cells were found to act as effectors in antitumor immune responses, since the inhibition of lung metastases observed in naive CD1-KO or CD4+ T cell-depleted mice was abrogated by depletion of CD8+ T cells. Lung metastases were significantly decreased by treatment of mice with an IL-13 inhibitor, but not by deficiency or inhibition of IL-4. Thus, even for a nonregressor tumor, immunosurveillance exists but is negatively regulated via CD4+ NKT cells possibly mediated by IL-13, and can be unmasked by removal of these negative regulatory components.     

Cancer-retina antigens as potential paraneoplastic antigens in melanoma-associated retinopathy

Melanoma-associated retinopathy is a rare paraneoplastic neurological syndrome characterized by retinopathy in melanoma patients. The main photoreceptor proteins have been found to be expressed as cancer-retina antigens in melanoma. Here we present evidence that these can function as paraneoplastic antigens in melanoma-associated retinopathy. Sera and one tumor cell line of such patients were studied and ret-transgenic mice spontaneously developing melanoma were used as a murine model for melanoma-associated retinopathy. Splenocytes and sera were used for adoptive transfer from tumor-bearing or control mice to wild-type mice. Retinopathy was investigated in mice by funduscopy, electroretinography and eye histology. Expression of photoreceptor proteins and autoantibodies against arrestin and transducin were detected in melanoma-associated retinopathy patients. In tumor-bearing ret-transgenic mice, retinopathy was frequently (13/15) detected by electroretinogram and eye histology. These pathological changes were manifested in degenerations of photoreceptors, bipolar cells and pigment epithelium as well as retinal detachment. Mostly these defects were combined. Cancer-retina antigens were expressed in tumors of these mice, and autoantibodies against arrestin were revealed in some of their sera. Adoptive transfer of splenocytes and sera from tumor-bearing into wild-type mice led to the induction of retinopathy in 4/16 animals. We suggest that melanoma-associated retinopathy can be mediated by humoral and/or cellular immune responses against a number of cancer-retina antigens which may function as paraneoplastic antigens in melanoma-associated retinopathy.