Dendritic cell-based tumor vaccine for cervical cancer II: results of a clinical pilot study in 15 individual patients

Purpose Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 and 18 are the most prevalent genotypes in cervical cancer. The viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 are considered to be tumor-specific targets for immunotherapy. HPV E7 antigen-loaded autologous dendritic cells (DC) were evaluated as cellular tumor vaccine in a case series of cervical cancer patients.Methods Autologous monocyte-derived DCs were pulsed with recombinant HPV16 E7 or HPV18 E7 oncoprotein and administered to 15 stage IV cervical cancer patients. Safety, toxicity, and induction of serological and cellular immune responses were monitored.Results The vaccine was well-tolerated and no local or systemic side effects or toxicity were recorded. A specific serologic response was seen in 3/11 evaluated patients. Specific cellular immune responses (4/11) were detected with 2/10 positive de novo reactions plus one boosted preexistent response in proliferation assays and 3/11 in IFN- ELISpot assays. A transient drop in tumor marker SCC was observed in 5/9 evaluable patients but did not correlate with markers of the immune response. No objective clinical response was observed. Tumor biopsies available from four patients showed severe or complete loss of HLA expression in three of the advanced tumors.Conclusion Autologous dendritic cells pulsed with HPV E7 protein can induce T cell responses in a portion of late stage cervical cancer patients. Boosting of immune responses by adjuvants and vaccination of tumor HLA-positive patients will be mandatory in future trials.Abbreviations B-LCL B-lymphoblastoid cell line - CTL Cytotoxic T lymphocyte - DC Dendritic cell - IL Interleukin - IFN- Interferon gamma - GM-CSF Granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor - HPV Human papillomavirus - PBL Peripheral blood lymphocytes - PBS Phosphate-buffered saline - TIL Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes - TNF- Tumor necrosis factor alphaA. Ferrara and M. Nonn contributed equally to this work     

胰腺癌细胞总RNA转染树突细胞诱导特异性CTL能力的体外研究

目的观察人胰腺癌Mia Pa Ca-2细胞总RNA电转染树突细胞(Dendritic Cell,DC)体外激发抗原特异性细胞毒T淋巴细胞(Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte,CTL)的能力。方法自6例胰腺癌患者外周血单核细胞中分离、培养DC。使用电穿孔法将Mia Pa Ca-2细胞总RNA体外转录和PCR扩增的MUC1m RNA转染DC,以未负载抗原的DC为对照。采用实时定量PCR技术检测各组DC中MUC1表达。四甲基偶氮唑盐(MTT)检测转染各组DC存活率变化;混合细胞培养法评价各组DC体外刺激自体T淋巴细胞增殖能力;ELISA法检测各组DC体外激发抗原特异性CTL细胞因子释放量。结果 Mia Pa Ca-2总RNA与MUC1 m RNA分别转染后48 h DC中目标抗原的相对表达量分别为37.24±3.17和34.53±2.02,两者比较无显著差异(P0.05)。电转染后96 h Mia Pa Ca-2总RNA转染组DC存活率降至60.81%,低于MUC1 m RNA单转染时DC的存活率(80%左右)(P0.05)。转染Mia Pa Ca-2总RNA DC刺激自体T细胞增殖指数为8 432±611.25,显著高于MUC1单独转染组3 664±305.17(P0.05);且转染Mia Pa Ca-2总RNA DC激发特异性CTL分泌IL-2、IL-10、Granzyme B、IFN-γ水平亦显著高于MUC1 m RNA单独转染组(P0.05)。结论胰腺癌肿瘤细胞总RNA转染的DC较单一胰腺癌相关抗原负载DC有更强的体外抗原特异性CTL激发能力。     

双胰腺癌相关抗原RNA转染树突细胞诱导特异性抗癌免疫反应的实验研究

目的研究人胰腺癌MUC4与Survivin mRNA联合转染树突细胞(DC)诱导的特异性抗肿瘤免疫反应,为构建负载多抗原表位DC疫苗治疗胰腺癌提供实验依据。方法自胰腺癌患者外周血单核细胞中分离、培养DCs。使用体外转录和胰腺癌PCR技术扩增MUC4和Survivin mRNA后用电穿孔法将其联合转染DC。采用Western blot技术检测DCs中MUC4和Survivin的表达。用四甲基偶氮唑盐(MTT)法检测转染前后DCs存活率变化;使用IFN-γ酶联免疫法检测MUC4 mRNA与Survivin mRNA联合转染后DC诱导的细胞毒性T淋巴细胞(CTL)的活化反应。采用51Cr标准细胞毒实验检测转染MUC4和Survivin mRNA后DCs诱导的特异性CTL对体外胰腺癌细胞的杀伤作用。结果 MUC4与Survivin mRNA联合转染后72 h DCs中两者的相对表达量低于其分别转染。顺序转染后96 h DCs存活率降至50.2%,低于MUC4 mRNA与Survivin mRNA分别转染时DC 80%的存活率(P0.05)。MUC4和Survivin mRNA联合转染DC诱导的特异性CTL 24 h IFN-γ释放量达(33.84±3.51)U/mL,高于MUC4与Survivin mRNA分别转染DC诱导的CTL IFN-γ释放水平[(21.87±4.12)U/mL和(16.61±2.09)U/mL,P0.05]。DCs经MUC4 mRNA与Survivin mRNA联合转染后,可有效诱导HLA-A2+/MUC4+/Survivin+特异性CTL免疫反应,对体外培养的胰腺癌细胞具有显著的杀伤作用。结论 MUC4与Survivin mRNA联合转染的DCs可较单胰腺癌相关抗原负载DCs诱导出更加显著的特异性CTL抗肿瘤免疫。     

Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells pulsed with tumor lysates induce anti-tumor immunity against gastric cancer ex vivo

AIM： To investigate whether bone marrow-derived denritic cells pulsed with tumor lysates induce immunity against gastric cancer ex vivo. METHODS： c-kit＋ hematopoietic progenitor cells were magnetically isolated with a MiniMACS separator from BALB/c mice bone marrow cells. These cells were cultured with cytokines GM-CSF, IL-4, and TNFα to induce their maturation. They were analysed by morphological observation, phenotype analysis, and mixed lymphocyte reaction （MLR）. Bone marrowderived DCs （BM-DCs） were pulsed with tumor cell lysate obtained by rapid freezing and thawing at a 1：3 DC：tumor cell ratio. Finally, cytotoxic T lymphocyte （CTL） activity and interferon gamma （IFNγ） secretion was evaluated ex vivo. RESULTS： c-kit^＋ hematopoietic progenitor cells from mice bone marrow cells cultured with cytokines for 8 d showed the character of typical mature DCs.Morphologically, observed by light microscope, these cells were large with oval or irregularly shaped nuclei and with many small dendrites. Phenotypically, FACS analysis showed that they expressed.high levels of la, DEC-205, CD11b, CD80 and CD86 antigen, moderate levels of CD40, and negative for F4/80. Functionally, these cells gained the capacity to stimulate allogeneic T cells in MLR assay. However, immature DCs cultured with cytokines for 5 d did not have typical DCs phenotypic markers and could not stimulate allogeneic T cells. Ex vivo primed T cells with SGC-7901 tumor cell lysate-pulsed （TP） DCs were able to induce effective CTL activity against SGC-7901 tumor cells （E：T = 100：1, 69.55% ± 6.05% specific lysis）, but not B16 tumor cells, and produced higher levels of IFNγ, when stimulated with SGC-7901 tumor cells but not when stimulated with B16 tumor cells （1575.31 ± 60.25 pg/mL in SGC-7901 group vs 164.11± 18.52 pg/mL in B16 group, P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： BM-derived DCs pulsed with tumor lysates Can induce anti-tumor immunity specific to gastric cancer ex vivo.     

肝癌细胞裂解物致敏的树突状细胞瘤苗体外诱导特异性抗肝癌免疫

目的 探讨肝癌患者肿瘤细胞裂解物致敏的树突状细胞(DC)瘤苗体外诱导自体T淋巴细胞特异性抗肝癌免疫效应。 方法 从肝癌患者外周血单个核细胞中诱导D C,用重组人粒细胞-巨噬细胞集落刺激因子(rhGM-CSF)和白细胞介素-4(rhIL-4)刺激活化,经自体肝癌细胞裂解物致敏。用流式细胞仪检测D C细胞表面分子的表达,酶联免疫吸附法检测T淋巴细胞培养上清液中干扰素(I F N)γ和白细胞介索-12(IL-12)的含量,液体闪烁计数仪测定肝癌细胞裂解物致敏的D C刺激自体T淋巴细胞增殖效应,四甲基偶氮唑盐法检测肝癌细胞裂解物致敏D C诱导的细胞毒T淋巴细胞对自体肝癌细胞的特异性杀伤作用。 结果 肝癌细胞裂解物致敏的DC瘤苗可上调DC表面CD1 a、CD40、CD86和人类白细胞抗原-DR分子表达水平,其与T淋巴细胞共培养产生的IFN γ、IL-12的浓度明显高于未致敏的D C组(t值分别为2.30、2.14,P<0.05),肝癌细胞裂解物组(t值分别为14.01、15.40,P<0.01)和对照组(t值分别为14.85、16.87,P<0.01)。同时肝癌细胞裂解物致敏的瘤苗可明显诱导T淋巴细胞的增殖,其诱导的细胞毒性T淋巴细胞对自体肝癌细胞的杀伤率(81.72％±9.49％)显著高于对HepG2的杀伤率(49.37％±11.21％)和人鼻咽癌肿瘤细胞的杀伤率(17.14％±5.65％),P<0.01。 结论 肝癌细胞     

树突状细胞的非特异性免疫功能降低对HBV、HCV清除及细胞毒性T淋巴细胞应答无影响

目的 观察HBV、HCV感染者树突状细胞(DC)的非病毒特异性免疫功能状态与细胞毒性T淋巴细胞(CTL)免疫应答以及病毒清除的关系。方法 对25例成人慢性HBV和HCV合并感染者进行了间隔8年的两次调查、依据临床转归分为HBV和HCV均清除组(A组)14例、单独HCV清除者(B组)6例，单独HBV消除者(C组)3例，HBV和HCV均未清除者(D组)2例，对照组(N组)为同一地区健康献血员11例。体外分离培养DC，检测其表型及抗原摄取功能、刺激异体淋巴细咆增殖能力和4组感染者的CTL免疫应答情况。结果 B、C、D组与A组、N组比较，DC的非病毒特异性免疫功能降低，表现为CD86表达的降低、刺激异体淋巴细胞增殖的能力下降以及抗原摄取能力降低。A组对HBV和HCV的4条抗原表位多肽均有较高的CTL应签率(11／12)；B组对HCV的两条抗原表位多肽均有应答(5／5)，但无对HBV两条表位多肽均应签者、仅有1例对P2有反应；C组对HBV的抗原表位多肽均有应答，但无对两条HCV表位多肽均应答者；D组及N组对HBV或HCV所有实验多肽均无应答。结论 HBV和HCV的清除与病毒特异性的CTL应答相关。HBV和(或)HCV持续存在可能是导致DC功能异常的原因。     

Circulating tumor cells counts are associated with CD8+ T cell levels in programmed death-ligand 1-negative non-small cell lung cancer patients after radiotherapy: A retrospective study

This study aimed to explore the dynamics of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and CD8+ T cells in stage II–III non-small cell lung cancer patients with CTCs in different programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) status treated with radiotherapy and evaluate the correlation between CTCs and CD8+ T cells.This study was a retrospective study which reviewed 69 stage II–III non-small cell lung cancer patients underwent postoperative radiotherapy and peripheral blood tests of CTCs and T lymphocyte were available before radiation, 1 week after radiation and 1 month after radiation.In this study, 25 patients had PD-L1 positive CTCs and 44 patients had PD-L1 negative CTCs. The CTCs count was significantly decreased compared with baseline in patients with different PD-L1 status CTCs at 1 week and 1 month after radiotherapy. The proportion of CD8+ T cells was significantly increased at 1 month after radiotherapy compared with baseline in the total population (mean change, 7.24 ± 2.12; P < .05) and patients with PD-L1 negative CTCs (mean change, 7.17 ± 2.65; P < .05). One month after radiotherapy, the proportion of CD8+ T cells was negatively correlated with the CTCs count in the total population (r = −0.255, P = .034) and PD-L1 negative patients (r = –0.330, P = .029). In patients with PD-L1 negative CTCs, the CTCs count 1 week after radiotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.150 [95% confidence intervals., 0.027–0.840], P = .031) and the proportion of CD8+ T cells 1 month after radiotherapy (hazard ratio, 7.961 [95% confidence intervals, 1.028–61.68], P = .047) were independent prognostic factors for disease recurrence.After radiotherapy, only PD-L1-negative patients had a significant increase in the CD8+ T cell levels, while it was negatively correlated with CTCs count and was an independent prognostic factors of disease recurrence.