scholarly journals Next generation of tumor-activating type I IFN enhances anti-tumor immune responses to overcome therapy resistance

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuezhi Cao ◽  
Yong Liang ◽  
Zhenxiang Hu ◽  
Huiyu Li ◽  
Jiaming Yang ◽  
...  

AbstractType I interferon is promising in treating different kinds of tumors, but has been limited by its toxicity, lack of tumor targeting, and very short half-life. To target tumors, reduce systemic toxicity, and increase half-life, here we engineer a masked type I IFN-Fc (ProIFN) with its natural receptor connected by a cleavable linker that can be targeted by tumor-associated proteases. ProIFN has a prolonged serum half-life and shows an improved tumor-targeting effect. Interestingly, ProIFN-treated mice show enhanced DC cross-priming and significant increased CD8+ infiltration and effector function in the tumor microenvironment. ProIFN is able to improve checkpoint blockade efficacy in established tumors, as well as radiation efficacy for both primary and metastatic tumors. ProIFN exhibits superior long-term pharmacokinetics with minimal toxicity in monkeys. Therefore, this study demonstrates an effective tumor-activating IFN that can increase targeted immunity against primary tumor or metastasis and reduce periphery toxicity to the host.

Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 530
Author(s):  
Rosa C. Coldbeck-Shackley ◽  
Nicholas S. Eyre ◽  
Michael R. Beard

Zika Virus (ZIKV) and Dengue Virus (DENV) are related viruses of the Flavivirus genus that cause significant disease in humans. Existing control measures have been ineffective at curbing the increasing global incidence of infection for both viruses and they are therefore prime targets for new vaccination strategies. Type-I interferon (IFN) responses are important in clearing viral infection and for generating efficient adaptive immune responses towards infection and vaccination. However, ZIKV and DENV have evolved multiple molecular mechanisms to evade type-I IFN production. This review covers the molecular interactions, from detection to evasion, of these viruses with the type-I IFN response. Additionally, we discuss how this knowledge can be exploited to improve the design of new vaccine strategies.


2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (14) ◽  
pp. 7140-7150 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Chico ◽  
A. Martinez-Lopez ◽  
M. Ortega-Villaizan ◽  
A. Falco ◽  
L. Perez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Surface glycoproteins of enveloped virus are potent elicitors of type I interferon (IFN)-mediated antiviral responses in a way that may be independent of the well-studied genome-mediated route. However, the viral glycoprotein determinants responsible for initiating the IFN response remain unidentified. In this study, we have used a collection of 60 synthetic 20-mer overlapping peptides (pepscan) spanning the full length of glycoprotein G (gpG) of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) to investigate what regions of this protein are implicated in triggering the type I IFN-associated immune responses. Briefly, two regions with ability to increase severalfold the basal expression level of the IFN-stimulated mx gene and to restrict the spread of virus among responder cells were mapped to amino acid residues 280 to 310 and 340 to 370 of the gpG protein of VHSV. In addition, the results obtained suggest that an interaction between VHSV gpG and integrins might trigger the host IFN-mediated antiviral response after VHSV infection. Since it is known that type I IFN plays an important role in determining/modulating the protective-antigen-specific immune responses, the identification of viral glycoprotein determinants directly implicated in the type I IFN induction might be of special interest for designing new adjuvants and/or more-efficient and cost-effective viral vaccines as well as for improving our knowledge on how to stimulate the innate immune system.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (12) ◽  
pp. 5487-5492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Cao ◽  
Lei Sun ◽  
Pornpun Aramsangtienchai ◽  
Nicole A. Spiegelman ◽  
Xiaoyu Zhang ◽  
...  

The smallest histone deacetylase (HDAC) and the only class IV HDAC member, HDAC11, is reported to regulate immune activation and tumorigenesis, yet its biochemical function is largely unknown. Here we identify HDAC11 as an efficient lysine defatty-acylase that is >10,000-fold more efficient than its deacetylase activity. Through proteomics studies, we hypothesized and later biochemically validated SHMT2 as a defatty-acylation substrate of HDAC11. HDAC11-catalyzed defatty-acylation did not affect the enzymatic activity of SHMT2. Instead, it affects the ability of SHMT2 to regulate type I IFN receptor ubiquitination and cell surface level. Correspondingly, HDAC11 depletion increased type I IFN signaling in both cell culture and mice. This study not only demonstrates that HDAC11 has an activity that is much more efficient than the corresponding deacetylase activity, but also expands the physiological functions of HDAC11 and protein lysine fatty acylation, which opens up opportunities to develop HDAC11-specific inhibitors as therapeutics to modulate immune responses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A907-A907
Author(s):  
Kristy Kuplast-Barr ◽  
Kristy Kuplast-Barr ◽  
Melissa Johnson ◽  
Manish Patel ◽  
Timothy Yap ◽  
...  

BackgroundPARP7 is a mono-ART that is upregulated in response to cellular stress (e.g., viral infection, cigarette smoke), and suppresses the Type I interferon (IFN) response following cytosolic nucleic acid sensing. RBN-2397 is a first-in-class PARP7 inhibitor, inducing cancer cell autonomous and immune stimulatory effects in preclinical models through enhanced Type I IFN signaling in cancer cells. Moreover, RBN-2397 induces CD8 T cell-dependent tumor-specific immune memory in an immunocompetent mouse cancer model.1 RBN-2397 is currently being tested in an ongoing Phase I clinical study (NCT04053673).2 Here we aimed to compare biomarker results from preclinical models and patient samples.MethodsIn preclinical models, interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression was assessed by qPCR, NanoString, or ELISA. Plasma CXCL10 from patients was measured by MSD while ISG expression in PBMCs was measured by NanoString. Baseline and on-treatment patient tumor biopsies were analyzed by NanoString, CD8/GZMB IHC, and MIBI-TOF to characterize immune changes in the tumor microenvironment.ResultsRBN-2397 potently restored tumoral Type I IFN signaling in preclinical models as demonstrated by increases in ISGs, namely CXCL10, which were not observed in non-tumor tissue (e.g. spleen, PBMCs). In peripheral blood from patients treated with RBN-2397, neither plasma nor PBMC CXCL10 increased more than 2-fold over baseline. Expression of 42 ISGs was not consistently induced in a dose-dependent manner in PBMCs. However, in tumor types of interest (e.g. cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract), CXCL10 expression increased 1.5 to 8-fold, with similar effects observed for a subset of ISGs in 5 evaluable paired biopsy samples.Confirming preclinical studies [1], up to 8-fold increases in CD8 T cell infiltration along with induction of granzyme B expression were observed in 4 of 5 paired patient tumor biopsies by immunohistochemistry. Using the MIBI-TOF technology, we observed up to 50-fold increases in intratumoral activated T cells as well as monocytes and M1 macrophages, most strikingly in two NSCLC patients.ConclusionsInhibition of PARP7 with RBN-2397 restores tumor-intrinsic Type I IFN signaling in preclinical models leading to enhanced adaptive immunity, resulting in CD8 T cell-dependent durable tumor regressions. These observations are mirrored in samples from patients treated with RBN-2397 in that pharmacodynamic effects of RBN-2397 were preferentially observed in tumor tissue relative to the periphery, including an increase in immune infiltration into the tumor microenvironment. These data provide evidence for induction of an adaptive immune response and confirm the tumor-intrinsic, immunomodulatory mechanism of action of RBN-2397 in patients.ReferencesGozgit, et al. PARP7 negatively regulates the type I interferon response in cancer cells and its inhibition triggers antitumor immunity. Cancer Cell 2021; In press.Falchook, et al. A first-in-human phase 1 study of a novel PARP7 inhibitor RBN-2397 in patients with advanced solid tumors. ASCO 2021; oral presentation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Shahnazaryan ◽  
Rana Khalil ◽  
Claire Wynne ◽  
Caroline A. Jefferies ◽  
Joan Ní Gabhann-Dromgoole ◽  
...  

AbstractHerpes simplex keratitis (HSK), caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, is the commonest cause of infectious blindness in the developed world. Following infection the virus is initially suspended in the tear film, where it encounters a multi-pronged immune response comprising enzymes, complement, immunoglobulins and crucially, a range of anti-viral and pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, given that HSV-1 can overcome innate immune responses to establish lifelong latency throughout a susceptible individual’s lifetime, there is significant interest in understanding the mechanisms employed by HSV-1 to downregulate the anti-viral type I interferon (IFN) mediated immune responses. This study aimed to investigate the interactions between infected cell protein (ICP)0 and key elements of the IFN pathway to identify possible novel targets that contribute to viral immune evasion. Reporter gene assays demonstrated the ability of ICP0 to inhibit type I IFN activity downstream of pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) which are known to be involved in host antiviral defences. Further experiments identified interferon regulatory factor (IRF)7, a driver of type I IFN, as a potential target for ICP0. These findings increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of HSK and suggest IRF7 as a potential therapeutic target.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 3090
Author(s):  
Toshimasa Shimizu ◽  
Hideki Nakamura ◽  
Atsushi Kawakami

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the salivary and lacrimal glands and extra-glandular lesions. Adaptive immune response including T- and B-cell activation contributes to the development of SS. However, its pathogenesis has not yet been elucidated. In addition, several patients with SS present with the type I interferon (IFN) signature, which is the upregulation of the IFN-stimulated genes induced by type I IFN. Thus, innate immune responses including type I IFN activity are associated with SS pathogenesis. Recent studies have revealed the presence of activation pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) including Toll-like receptors, RNA sensor retinoic acid-inducible gene I and melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5, and inflammasomes in infiltrating and epithelial cells of the salivary glands among patients with SS. In addition, the activation of PRRs via the downstream pathway such as the type I IFN signature and nuclear factor kappa B can directly cause organ inflammation, and it is correlated with the activation of adaptive immune responses. Therefore, this study assessed the role of the innate immune signal pathway in the development of inflammation and immune abnormalities in SS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Batten ◽  
Mark W. Robinson ◽  
Arthur White ◽  
Cathal Walsh ◽  
Barbara Fazekas ◽  
...  

AbstractType I interferon (IFN) dysregulation is a major contributory factor in the development of several autoimmune diseases, termed type I interferonopathies, and is thought to be the pathogenic link with chronic inflammation in these conditions. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-Associated Vasculitis (AAV) is an autoimmune disease characterised by necrotising inflammation of small blood vessels. The underlying biology of AAV is not well understood, however several studies have noted abnormalities in type I IFN responses. We hypothesised that type I IFN responses are systemically dysregulated in AAV, consistent with features of a type I interferonopathy. To investigate this, we measured the expression of seven interferon regulated genes (IRGs) (ISG15, SIGLEC1, STAT1, RSAD2, IFI27, IFI44L and IFIT1) in peripheral blood samples, as well as three type I IFN regulated proteins (CXCL10, MCP-1 and CCL19) in serum samples from AAV patients, healthy controls and disease controls. We found no difference in type I IFN regulated gene or protein expression between AAV patients and healthy controls. Furthermore, IRG and IFN regulated protein expression did not correlate with clinical measurements of disease activity in AAV patients. Thus, we conclude that systemic type I IFN responses are not key drivers of AAV pathogenesis and AAV should not be considered a type I interferonopathy.


2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (51) ◽  
pp. E10981-E10990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith L. Stone ◽  
Katherine B. Chiappinelli ◽  
Huili Li ◽  
Lauren M. Murphy ◽  
Meghan E. Travers ◽  
...  

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal of all gynecological cancers, and there is an urgent unmet need to develop new therapies. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is characterized by an immune suppressive microenvironment, and response of ovarian cancers to immune therapies has thus far been disappointing. We now find, in a mouse model of EOC, that clinically relevant doses of DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors (DNMTi and HDACi, respectively) reduce the immune suppressive microenvironment through type I IFN signaling and improve response to immune checkpoint therapy. These data indicate that the type I IFN response is required for effective in vivo antitumorigenic actions of the DNMTi 5-azacytidine (AZA). Through type I IFN signaling, AZA increases the numbers of CD45+ immune cells and the percentage of active CD8+ T and natural killer (NK) cells in the tumor microenvironment, while reducing tumor burden and extending survival. AZA also increases viral defense gene expression in both tumor and immune cells, and reduces the percentage of macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the tumor microenvironment. The addition of an HDACi to AZA enhances the modulation of the immune microenvironment, specifically increasing T and NK cell activation and reducing macrophages over AZA treatment alone, while further increasing the survival of the mice. Finally, a triple combination of DNMTi/HDACi plus the immune checkpoint inhibitor α-PD-1 provides the best antitumor effect and longest overall survival, and may be an attractive candidate for future clinical trials in ovarian cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi181-vi181
Author(s):  
Yuanfan Yang ◽  
Michael Brown ◽  
Kevin Stevenson ◽  
Giselle lopez ◽  
Reb Kornahrens ◽  
...  

Abstract Immunotherapy with polio:rhinovirus recombinant (PVSRIPO) has shown evidence of efficacy in a phase I clinical trial for recurrent GBM, resulting in durable radiographic responses and 21% long-term survival at 36 months. Ongoing research aims to enhance the clinical response rate by resolving the mechanisms of action and therapy resistance in vivo, thereby devising more effective therapies. Mouse glioma (CT2A) cells were intracranially implanted (day 0) in transgenic mice carrying poliovirus receptor CD155, and treated with intratumor PVSRIPO (5×105 pfu; day 6) to dissect early and late events following therapy. A blinded pathological review of 45 post-treatment tumors was performed. On day 8, a histological response, featured by tumor dissociation and shrinkage, with inflammation and microglia enrichment in the treated hemisphere, was common in PVSRIPO group (6/7) compared to controls (0/4). However, the response rate fell over time (7/12 on day 12; 1/7 on day 15) and the therapy was overcome by aggressive tumor regrowth. RNAseq was performed and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of the tumor microenvironment revealed an acute type-I interferon (IFN)-related inflammation, correlating with the histological findings of profound proinflammatory engagement of microglia (Iba1+) widespread in the treated hemisphere. Microglia proliferation (Ki67+) was observed in the treated hemisphere, likely resulting from PVSRIPO infection, in CT2A and B16 intracranial models. This suggests an association of adaptive antitumor immunity—elicited by immediate intratumor type-I IFN-dominant inflammation—with tumor regression. Thus, buttressing type-I IFN directed antitumor CD8+T cell immunity, e.g. with blockade of the PD1:PD-L1 immune checkpoint, might contribute to tumor remission. Indeed, combination therapy with αPD-L1 antibody in the CT2A model showed longer median survival and higher long-term remission rate compared to monotherapy alone; CD8 T cell depletion can completely abrogate this efficacy with this therapy combination, confirming the role of anti-tumor immunity in this approach.


2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (18) ◽  
pp. 9778-9789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet L. Weslow-Schmidt ◽  
Nancy A. Jewell ◽  
Sara E. Mertz ◽  
J. Pedro Simas ◽  
Joan E. Durbin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The respiratory tract is a major mucosal site for microorganism entry into the body, and type I interferon (IFN) and dendritic cells constitute a first line of defense against viral infections. We have analyzed the interaction between a model DNA virus, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and type I IFN during lung infection of mice. Our data show that murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (γHV68) inhibits type I IFN secretion by dendritic cells and that plasmacytoid dendritic cells are necessary for conventional dendritic cell maturation in response to γHV68. Following γHV68 intranasal inoculation, the local and systemic IFN-α/β response is below detectable levels, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells are activated and recruited into the lung with a tissue distribution that differs from that of conventional dendritic cells. Our results suggest that plasmacytoid dendritic cells and type I IFN have important but independent roles during the early response to a respiratory γHV68 infection. γHV68 infection inhibits type I IFN production by dendritic cells and is a poor inducer of IFN-α/β in vivo, which may serve as an immune evasion strategy.


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