scholarly journals Recruitment of Immune Effector Cells against Glioblastoma-Multiforme by a MHC-Chlorotoxin Chimeric Protein

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (S4) ◽  
pp. S1-S1
Author(s):  
O. Cohen-Inbar
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Glioblastoma Multiforme ◽  
Cytotoxic T Cells ◽  
Chimeric Protein ◽  
Human Leukocyte ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Single Chain

Glioblastoma Multiforme is the most common malignant primary brain tumor, having a mean overall survival <2 years. The lack of an efficient immune response against the tumor have been attributed to its immunosuppressive capabilities and an immunosuppressing local environment. Aim: We set out to design a chimeric molecule that recognizes and binds tissue inducible metalloproteinase known to be induced in GBM cells (MMP-2) on one end. Its other end, the effector domain, mobilizes and recruits cytotoxic T-cells to mount an effective anti-tumor reaction. Methods: The targeting moiety is the small 36-amino acids Chlorotoxin, derived from the venom of the Israeli Yellow scorpion. The effector end is a single chain HLA-A2 (Human leukocyte antigen subtype A2) covalently bound to phosphoprotein-65 derived from the cytomegalovirus, to which most of the human population has developed a specific immune response. Results: The molecular construct was cloned and expressed in E.coli. The protein product was isolated, purified, and then folded in vitro. Various activity assays employed demonstrated retained activity of each domain, including flow-cytometry, intracellular staining, fluorescence immunohistochemistry, radiolabeled toxicity assays etc. Initial in-vivo studies show great promise. Conclusions: We present a proof of concept study for a new immunotherapy approach to battle GBM. A molecular construct which contains a non-antibody compact and highly specific targeting domain, combined with the ability to recruit anti-CMV T-cell lymphocyte population. The recruitment of potent memory CTL’s to the tumor’s milieu may prove resistant to the previously described local immunosuppressive environment brought about by the tumor.

scholarly journals Characterization of Weissella viridescens UCO-SMC3 as a Potential Probiotic for the Skin: Its Beneficial Role in the Pathogenesis of Acne Vulgaris

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1486
Author(s):  
Marcela Espinoza-Monje ◽  
Jorge Campos ◽  
Eduardo Alvarez Villamil ◽  
Alonso Jerez ◽  
Stefania Dentice Maidana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Oral Treatment ◽  
Acne Vulgaris ◽  
Topical Administration ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Mice Model ◽  
Cutibacterium Acnes ◽  
Snail Helix Aspersa

Previously, we isolated lactic acid bacteria from the slime of the garden snail Helix aspersa Müller and selected Weissella viridescens UCO-SMC3 because of its ability to inhibit in vitro the growth of the skin-associated pathogen Cutibacterium acnes. The present study aimed to characterize the antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties of W. viridescens UCO-SMC3 and to demonstrate its beneficial effect in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Our in vitro studies showed that the UCO-SMC3 strain resists adverse gastrointestinal conditions, inhibits the growth of clinical isolates of C. acnes, and reduces the adhesion of the pathogen to keratinocytes. Furthermore, in vivo studies in a mice model of C. acnes infection demonstrated that W. viridescens UCO-SMC3 beneficially modulates the immune response against the skin pathogen. Both the oral and topical administration of the UCO-SCM3 strain was capable of reducing the replication of C. acnes in skin lesions and beneficially modulating the inflammatory response. Of note, orally administered W. viridescens UCO-SMC3 induced more remarkable changes in the immune response to C. acnes than the topical treatment. However, the topical administration of W. viridescens UCO-SMC3 was more efficient than the oral treatment to reduce pathogen bacterial loads in the skin, and effects probably related to its ability to inhibit and antagonize the adhesion of C. acnes. Furthermore, a pilot study in acne volunteers demonstrated the capacity of a facial cream containing the UCO-SMC3 strain to reduce acne lesions. The results presented here encourage further mechanistic and clinical investigations to characterize W. viridescens UCO-SMC3 as a probiotic for acne vulgaris treatment.

scholarly journals Angiostatic activity of the antitumor cytokine interleukin-21

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (13) ◽  
pp. 4940-4947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolien Castermans ◽  
Sebastien P. Tabruyn ◽  
Rong Zeng ◽  
Judy R. van Beijnum ◽  
Cheryl Eppolito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Tumor Angiogenesis ◽  
Chorioallantoic Membrane ◽  
Antitumor Immune Response ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Type I ◽  
Stat3 Phosphorylation ◽  
Interleukin 21

Abstract Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a recently described immunoregulatory cytokine. It has been identified as a very potent immunotherapeutic agent in several cancer types in animal models, and clinical studies are ongoing. IL-21 belongs to the type I cytokine family of which other members, ie, IL-2, IL-15, and IL-4, have been shown to exert activities on vascular endothelial cells (ECs). We hypothesized that IL-21, in addition to inducing the antitumor immune response, also inhibits tumor angiogenesis. In vitro experiments showed a decrease of proliferation and sprouting of activated ECs after IL-21 treatment. We found that the IL-21 receptor is expressed on vascular ECs. Furthermore, in vivo studies in the chorioallantoic membrane of the chick embryo and in mouse tumors demonstrated that IL-21 treatment disturbs vessel architecture and negatively affects vessel outgrowth. Our results also confirm the earlier suggested angiostatic potential of IL-2 in vitro and in vivo. The angiostatic effect of IL-21 is confirmed by the decrease in expression of angiogenesis-related genes. Interestingly, IL-21 treatment of ECs leads to a decrease of Stat3 phosphorylation. Our research shows that IL-21 is a very powerful antitumor compound that combines the induction of an effective antitumor immune response with inhibition of tumor angiogenesis.

Evaluation of immunotoxins containing single-chain ribosome-inactivating proteins and an anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody (OM124): in vitro and in vivo studies

1998 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Bolognesi ◽  
Pier Luigi Tazzari ◽  
Fabiola Olivieri ◽  
Letizia Polito ◽  
Roberto Lemoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
Ribosome Inactivating Proteins

scholarly journals Anti-Inflammatory Fibronectin-AgNP for Regulation of Biological Performance and Endothelial Differentiation Ability of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (17) ◽  
pp. 9262
Author(s):  
Huey-Shan Hung ◽  
Kai-Bo Chang ◽  
Cheng-Ming Tang ◽  
Tian-Ren Ku ◽  
Mei-Lang Kung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Silver Nanoparticles ◽  
Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Vascular Regeneration ◽  
Anti Inflammatory

The engineering of vascular regeneration still involves barriers that need to be conquered. In the current study, a novel nanocomposite comprising of fibronectin (denoted as FN) and a small amount of silver nanoparticles (AgNP, ~15.1, ~30.2 or ~75.5 ppm) was developed and its biological function and biocompatibility in Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and rat models was investigated. The surface morphology as well as chemical composition for pure FN and the FN-AgNP nanocomposites incorporating various amounts of AgNP were firstly characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Among the nanocomposites, FN-AgNP with 30.2 ppm silver nanoparticles demonstrated the best biocompatibility as assessed through intracellular ROS production, proliferation of MSCs, and monocytes activation. The expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, were also examined. FN-AgNP 30.2 ppm significantly inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine expression compared to other materials, indicating superior performance of anti-immune response. Mechanistically, FN-AgNP 30.2 ppm significantly induced greater expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal-cell derived factor-1 alpha (SDF-1α) and promoted the migration of MSCs through matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) signaling pathway. Besides, in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that FN-AgNP 30.2 ppm stimulated greater protein expressions of CD31 and von Willebrand Factor (vWF) as well as facilitated better endothelialization capacity than other materials. Furthermore, the histological tissue examination revealed the lowest capsule formation and collagen deposition in rat subcutaneous implantation of FN-AgNP 30.2 ppm. In conclusion, FN-AgNP nanocomposites may facilitate the migration and proliferation of MSCs, induce endothelial cell differentiation, and attenuate immune response. These finding also suggests that FN-AgNP may be a potential anti-inflammatory surface modification strategy for vascular biomaterials.

scholarly journals Multifunctional 3D-Printed Magnetic Polycaprolactone/Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 3825
Author(s):  
Mauro Petretta ◽  
Alessandro Gambardella ◽  
Giovanna Desando ◽  
Carola Cavallo ◽  
Isabella Bartolotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Bone Tissue Engineering ◽  
Bone Tissue ◽  
Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Osteogenic Potential ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Good Cell

Multifunctional and resistant 3D structures represent a great promise and a great challenge in bone tissue engineering. This study addresses this problem by employing polycaprolactone (PCL)-based scaffolds added with hydroxyapatite (HAp) and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION), able to drive on demand the necessary cells and other bioagents for a high healing efficiency. PCL-HAp-SPION scaffolds with different concentrations of the superparamagnetic component were developed through the 3D-printing technology and the specific topographical features were detected by Atomic Force and Magnetic Force Microscopy (AFM-MFM). AFM-MFM measurements confirmed a homogenous distribution of HAp and SPION throughout the surface. The magnetically assisted seeding of cells in the scaffold resulted most efficient for the 1% SPION concentration, providing good cell entrapment and adhesion rates. Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) seeded onto PCL-HAp-1% SPION showed a good cell proliferation and intrinsic osteogenic potential, indicating no toxic effects of the employed scaffold materials. The performed characterizations and the collected set of data point on the inherent osteogenic potential of the newly developed PCL-HAp-1% SPION scaffolds, endorsing them towards next steps of in vitro and in vivo studies and validations.

scholarly journals A Method for Individualizing the Prediction of Immunogenicity of Protein Vaccines and Biologic Therapeutics: Individualized T Cell Epitope Measure (iTEM)

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Cohen ◽  
Leonard Moise ◽  
Matthew Ardito ◽  
William Martin ◽  
Anne S. De Groot
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Cell Epitope ◽  
Protein Therapeutics ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
T Cell Epitope ◽  
Hla Binding

The promise of pharmacogenomics depends on advancing predictive medicine. To address this need in the area of immunology, we developed the individualized T cell epitope measure (iTEM) tool to estimate an individual's T cell response to a protein antigen based on HLA binding predictions. In this study, we validated prospective iTEM predictions using data from in vitro and in vivo studies. We used a mathematical formula that convertsDRB1∗allele binding predictions generated by EpiMatrix, an epitope-mapping tool, into an allele-specific scoring system. We then demonstrated that iTEM can be used to define an HLA binding threshold above which immune response is likely and below which immune response is likely to be absent. iTEM's predictive power was strongest when the immune response is focused, such as in subunit vaccination and administration of protein therapeutics. iTEM may be a useful tool for clinical trial design and preclinical evaluation of vaccines and protein therapeutics.

scholarly journals Development of EphA2 siRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles and combination with a small-molecule histone demethylase inhibitor in prostate cancer cells and tumor spheroids

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezgi Oner ◽  
Mustafa Kotmakci ◽  
Anne-Marie Baird ◽  
Steven G. Gray ◽  
Bilge Debelec Butuner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Cellular Uptake ◽  
Transfection Efficiency ◽  
Cationic Lipid ◽  
Lipid Nanoparticles ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Tumor Spheroids

Abstract Background: siRNAs hold a great potential for cancer therapy, however, poor stability in body fluids and low cellular uptake limit their use in the clinic. To enhance the bioavailability of siRNAs in tumors, novel, safe, and effective carriers are needed. Results: Here, we developed cationic solid lipid nanoparticles (cSLNs) to carry siRNAs targeting EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase (siEphA2), which is overexpressed in many solid tumors including prostate cancer (PCa). Using DDAB cationic lipid instead of DOTMA reduced nanoparticle size and enhanced both cellular uptake and gene silencing in PCa cells. DDAB-cSLN showed better cellular uptake efficiency with similar silencing compared to commercial transfection reagent Dharmafect-2. After verifying the efficacy of siEphA2-loaded nanoparticles, we further evaluated a potential combination with a histone lysine demethylase inhibitor, JIB-04. Silencing EphA2 by siEphA2-loaded DDAB-cSLN did not affect the viability (2D and 3D), migration, and clonogenicity of PC-3 cells alone. However, upon co-administration, there was a decrease in the aforementioned cellular responses due to JIB-04. Furthermore, JIB-04 decreased EphA2 expression, and thus, silencing efficiency of siEphA2-loaded nanoparticles was further increased with co-treatment. Conclusions: We have successfully developed a novel siRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticle for targeting EphA2. Moreover, detailed preliminary results of the effects of JIB-04, alone and in combination with siEphA2, on PCa cells and tumor spheroids were presented for the first time. Our delivery system provides high transfection efficiency and shows a great promise for targeting other genes and cancer types in further in vitro and in vivo studies.

scholarly journals A self-amplified nanocatalytic system for achieving “1 + 1 + 1 > 3” chemodynamic therapy on triple negative breast cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lulu Zhou ◽  
Jinjin Chen ◽  
Yunhao Sun ◽  
Keke Chai ◽  
Zhounan Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Parp Inhibitor ◽  
Tumor Therapy ◽  
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Quinone Oxidoreductase

Abstract Background Chemodynamic therapy (CDT), employing Fenton or Fenton-like catalysts to convert hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into toxic hydroxyl radicals (·OH) to kill cancer cells, holds great promise in tumor therapy due to its high selectivity. However, the therapeutic effect is significantly limited by insufficient intracellular H2O2 level in tumor cells. Fortunately, β-Lapachone (Lapa) that can exert H2O2-supplementing functionality under the catalysis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) enzyme offers a new idea to solve this problem. However, extensive DNA damage caused by high levels of reactive oxygen species can trigger the “hyperactivation” of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), which results in the severe interruption of H2O2 supply and further the reduced efficacy of CDT. Herein, we report a self-amplified nanocatalytic system (ZIF67/Ola/Lapa) to co-deliver the PARP inhibitor Olaparib (Ola) and NQO1-bioactivatable drug Lapa for sustainable H2O2 production and augmented CDT (“1 + 1 + 1 > 3”). Results The effective inhibition of PARP by Ola can synergize Lapa to enhance H2O2 formation due to the continuous NQO1 redox cycling. In turn, the high levels of H2O2 further react with Co2+ to produce the highly toxic ·OH by Fenton-like reaction, dramatically improving CDT. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate the excellent antitumor activity of ZIF67/Ola/Lapa in NQO1 overexpressed MDA-MB-231 tumor cells. Importantly, the nanocomposite presents minimal systemic toxicity in normal tissues due to the low NQO1 expression. Conclusions This design of nanocatalytic system offers a new paradigm for combing PARP inhibitor, NQO1-bioactivatable drug and Fenton-reagents to obtain sustained H2O2 generation for tumor-specific self-amplified CDT. Graphic Abstract

scholarly journals Immuno informatics Approach in Designing a Novel Vaccine Using Epitopes from All the Structural Proteins of SARS-CoV-2

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1845-1862
Author(s):  
Leana Rich M. Herrera
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Tertiary Structure ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Structural Proteins ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Population Coverage ◽  
Viral Attachment

The rapid transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted to the death of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. With the devastating effects on the economy and healthcare system of many countries, it is crucial to acceleratevaccine development against SARS-CoV-2. Thus, thisworkutilizedimmunoinformaticsto efficiently design a novel multi-epitope vaccine that can potentially induce immune response through the immunogenic, and abundantly expressed structural proteins in SARS-CoV-2. Epitopes were screened and evaluated using various immunoinformatics tools and databases. Antigenicity, allergenicity, and population coverage were assessed. Epitopes were adjoined to form a single vaccine construct (Covax),linked with 50S ribosomal protein as an adjuvant. Physicochemical properties, cross-reactivity, antigenicity,andallergenicityof Covax were evaluated. The tertiary structure of Covax was modeled, refined and validated for docking with toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Binding affinity of Covax-TLR4 was estimated and compared with TLR4-adjuvant as control. Lastly,the immune response with Covax was simulated and compared withadjuvant alone. Total of 33 epitopes from S (21), E (3), M (5),and N (4)proteins were merged in Covax. These include epitopes on thereceptor-binding motif (RBM) of S protein known to beessential in the viral attachment. In silico evaluations classified Covax as stable, antigenic, and non-allergenic. Epitopes were estimated to have large worldwide population coverage, especially in areas with high infection rates, indicating broad potential efficacy of Covax as a vaccine for the most affected populations.Results in this work showed that Covax can bind to TLR4 whichindicates potential immunogenicity and superior properties necessary for a successful vaccine. Overall, this work efficiently minimized time, effort and cost in designing a candidate vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. In vitro and in vivo studies on Covax are anticipated.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document