scholarly journals Microdevices for examining immunological responses of single cells to HIV

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonghoon Choi ◽  
Yoon Jeong ◽  
Hyung-Seop Han ◽  
Kwan Hyi Lee

More than 60 million people in the world have been diagnosed with HIV infections since the virus was recognized as the causative agent of AIDS in the 1980s. Even though more than half of the infected patients have died, effective disease treatment and prevention measures have not been established. ART (antiretroviral therapy) is the only proven HIV treatment that sustains the suppression of patient viraemia. Current routine approaches to treat HIV infections are targeted at developing vaccines that will induce humoral or cell memory immune responses. However, developing an effective vaccine has been challenging because the HIV mutates rapidly, which allows the virus to evade immune surveillances established against the previous strain. In addition, the virus is able to quickly establish a reservoir and treatment is difficult because of the general lack of knowledge about HIV immune response mechanisms. This review introduces common disease symptoms and the progression of HIV infection with a brief summary of the current treatment approaches. Different cellular immune responses against HIV are also discussed, with emphasis on a nanotechnology research that has focused on probing T-cell response to HIV infection. Furthermore, we discuss recent noteworthy nanotechnology updates on T-cell response screening that is focused on HIV infection. Finally, we review potential future treatment strategies based on the correlations between T-cell response and HIV infection.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miao Lu ◽  
Zhi Yang Xia ◽  
Lang Bao

Mycobacterium tuberculosisinfection is still a major global public health problem. Presently the only tuberculosis (TB) vaccine available is Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), although it fails to adequately protect against pulmonary TB in adults. To solve this problem, the development of a new effective vaccine is urgently desired. BCG-prime DNA-booster vaccinations strategy has been shown to induce greater protection against tuberculosis (TB) than BCG alone. Some studies have demonstrated that the two genes (Rv1769 and Rv1772) are excellent T-cell antigens and could induce T-cell immune responses. In this research, we built BCG-C or BCG-P prime-recombination plasmid PcDNA3.1-Rv1769 or PcDNA3.1-Rv1772 boost vaccinations strategy to immunize BALB/c mice and evaluated its immunogenicity. The data suggests that the BCG-C+3.1-72 strategy could elicit the most long-lasting and strongest Th1-type cellular immune responses and the BCG-C+3.1-69 strategy could induce the high level CD8+ T-cell response at certain time points. These findings support the ideas that the prime-boost strategy as a combination of vaccines may be better than a single vaccine for protection against tuberculosis.


2012 ◽  
Vol 188 (9) ◽  
pp. 4289-4296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc A. Frahm ◽  
Ralph A. Picking ◽  
JoAnn D. Kuruc ◽  
Kara S. McGee ◽  
Cynthia L. Gay ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e001157
Author(s):  
Juliane Schuhmacher ◽  
Sonja Heidu ◽  
Torben Balchen ◽  
Jennifer Rebecca Richardson ◽  
Camilla Schmeltz ◽  
...  

BackgroundPeptide-based vaccination is a rational option for immunotherapy of prostate cancer. In this first-in-man phase I/II study, we assessed the safety, tolerability and immunological impact of a synthetic long peptide vaccine targeting Ras homolog gene family member C (RhoC) in patients with prostate cancer. RhoC is a small GTPase overexpressed in advanced solid cancers, metastases and cancer stem cells.MethodsTwenty-two patients who had previously undergone radical prostatectomy received subcutaneous injections of 0.1 mg of a single RhoC-derived 20mer peptide emulsified in Montanide ISA-51 every 2 weeks for the first six times, then five times every 4 weeks for a total treatment time of 30 weeks. The drug safety and vaccine-specific immune responses were assessed during treatment and thereafter within a 13-month follow-up period. Serum level of prostate-specific antigen was measured up to 26 months postvaccination.ResultsMost patients (18 of 21 evaluable) developed a strong CD4 T cell response against the vaccine, which lasted at least 10 months following the last vaccination. Three promiscuouslypresented HLA-class II epitopes were identified. Vaccine-specific CD4 T cells were polyfunctional and effector memory T cells that stably expressed PD-1 (CD279) and OX-40 (CD134), but not LAG-3 (CD223). One CD8 T cell response was detected in addition. The vaccine was well tolerated and no treatment-related adverse events of grade ≥3 were observed.ConclusionTargeting of RhoC induced a potent and long-lasting T cell immunity in the majority of the patients. The study demonstrates an excellent safety and tolerability profile. Vaccination against RhoC could potentially delay or prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis formation.Trial registration numberNCT03199872.


Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Perdiguero ◽  
Suresh C. Raman ◽  
Cristina Sánchez-Corzo ◽  
Carlos Oscar S. Sorzano ◽  
José Ramón Valverde ◽  
...  

An effective vaccine against Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) still remains the best solution to provide a sustainable control and/or eradication of the virus. We have previously generated the HIV-1 vaccine modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA)-B, which exhibited good immunogenicity profile in phase I prophylactic and therapeutic clinical trials, but was unable to prevent viral rebound after antiretroviral (ART) removal. To potentiate the immunogenicity of MVA-B, here we described the design and immune responses elicited in mice by a new T cell multi-epitopic B (TMEP-B) immunogen, vectored by DNA, when administered in homologous or heterologous prime/boost regimens in combination with MVA-B. The TMEP-B protein contained conserved regions from Gag, Pol, and Nef proteins including multiple CD4 and CD8 T cell epitopes functionally associated with HIV control. Heterologous DNA-TMEP/MVA-B regimen induced higher HIV-1-specific CD8 T cell responses with broader epitope recognition and higher polyfunctional profile than the homologous DNA-TMEP/DNA-TMEP or the heterologous DNA-GPN/MVA-B combinations. Moreover, higher HIV-1-specific CD4 and Tfh immune responses were also detected using this regimen. After MVA-B boost, the magnitude of the anti-VACV CD8 T cell response was significantly compromised in DNA-TMEP-primed animals. Our results revealed the immunological potential of DNA-TMEP prime/MVA-B boost regimen and supported the application of these combined vectors in HIV-1 prevention and/or therapy.


Retrovirology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (S3) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Makedonas ◽  
I Frank ◽  
D Guidonis ◽  
MA Ostrowski ◽  
KJ Weinhold ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bobby Brooke Herrera ◽  
Wen-Yang Tsai ◽  
Charlotte A. Chang ◽  
Donald J. Hamel ◽  
Wei-Kung Wang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Recent studies on the role of T cells in Zika virus (ZIKV) infection have shown that T cell responses to Asian ZIKV infection are important for protection, and that previous dengue virus (DENV) exposure amplifies the protective T cell response to Asian ZIKV. Human T cell responses to African ZIKV infection, however, remain unexplored. Here, we utilized the modified anthrax toxin delivery system to develop a flavivirus enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) assay. Using human ZIKV and DENV samples from Senegal, West Africa, our results demonstrate specific and cross-reactive T cell responses to nonstructural protein 3 (NS3). Specifically, we found that T cell responses to NS3 protease are ZIKV and DENV specific, but responses to NS3 helicase are cross-reactive. Sequential sample analyses revealed immune responses sustained many years after infection. These results have important implications for African ZIKV/DENV vaccine development, as well as for potential flavivirus diagnostics based on T cell responses. IMPORTANCE The recent Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in Latin America and the associated congenital microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome have raised questions as to why we have not recognized these distinct clinical diseases in Africa. The human immunologic response to ZIKV and related flaviviruses in Africa represents a research gap that may shed light on the mechanisms contributing to protection. The goal of our study was to develop an inexpensive assay to detect and characterize the T cell response to African ZIKV and DENV. Our data show long-term specific and cross-reactive human immune responses against African ZIKV and DENV, suggesting the usefulness of a diagnostic based on the T cell response. Additionally, we show that prior flavivirus exposure influences the magnitude of the T cell response. The identification of immune responses to African ZIKV and DENV is of relevance to vaccine development.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 3267-3267
Author(s):  
Lauren T. Southerland ◽  
Jian-Ming Li ◽  
Sohrab Hossain ◽  
Cynthia Giver ◽  
Wayne Harris ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The severe morbidity and mortality associated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is caused by uninhibited immune responses to alloantigen and suppressed immune responses to pathogens. Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) is an immunomodulatory neuropeptide produced by T-cells and nerve fibers in peripheral lymphoid organs that suppresses immune responses by induction of tolerogenic dendritic cells. In order to determine the immunoregulatory effects of VIP, we examined T-cell immune responses to allo- and viral-antigens in VIP knockout (KO) mice and mouse BMT recipients of hematopoietic cells from VIP KO donors. Methods: VIP KO mice and VIP WT littermates were infected with lethal or sub-lethal doses (5 × 104− 5 × 105 PFU) of murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) and the T-cell response to viral antigen was measured by flow cytometry for mCMV peptide-MHC class 1-tetramer+ CD8+ T-cells. We transplanted 5 × 106 BM plus 1 × 106 splenocytes (SP) either from VIP KO or VIP WT donors in an C57BL/6 to F1(BL/6 × Balb/c) allo-BMT model and assessed survival, GvHD, donor T-cell expansion, chimerism, and response to mCMV vaccination and mCMV infection. Results: B-cell, αβ and γδ T-cell, CD8+ T-cell, CD11b+ myeloid cell, and dendritic cell numbers were equivalent between VIP KO and WT mice, while VIP KO mice had higher number of CD4+ and CD4+CD62L+CD25+ T-cells. Non-transplanted VIP KO mice survived mCMV infection better compared to VIP WT, with a brisker anti-viral T-cell response in the blood. In the allogeneic BMT setting, recipients of VIP KO BM plus VIP KO SP had more weight loss and lower (40%) 100 day post-transplant survival compared to the recipients of VIP KO BM plus WT SP (80% survival), recipients of WT BM plus KO SP (100% survival), and recipients of WT BM plus WT SP (80% survival). Recipients of VIP KO grafts had a significantly greater anti-mCMV response that peaked four days earlier than the tetramer response of mice transplanted with WT cells. This increased anti-viral response to vaccination correlated with a greater and more rapid T-cell response to secondary viral challenge. Conclusions: These experiments suggest that the absence of all VIP in the body, or the absence of VIP in a transplanted immune system, enhances anti-viral immunity and allo-immune responses. Modulation of the VIP pathway is a novel method to regulate post-transplant immunity. Figure 1: VIP knockout(KO) mice have an increased CMV tetramer response. VIP KO and VIP WT mice were infected (day 0) with either a sub-lethal low dose (5 × 10^4 PFU) or a lethal high dose (5 × 10^5 PFU) of CMV. Peripheral blood was stained for T cell markers and tetramer and analyzed by flow cytometry. On day 3, high dosed VIP KO mice had a higher number of tetramer positive CD8 T cells and better survival than WT mice (all high dose VIP WT died prior to day 10). VIP KO mice had a significant increase in tetramer positive CD8 T cells between days 3 and 10. *** p<0.01, difference between VIP KO and VIP WT littermate at designated dose level and day. Figure 1:. VIP knockout(KO) mice have an increased CMV tetramer response. VIP KO and VIP WT mice were infected (day 0) with either a sub-lethal low dose (5 × 10^4 PFU) or a lethal high dose (5 × 10^5 PFU) of CMV. Peripheral blood was stained for T cell markers and tetramer and analyzed by flow cytometry. On day 3, high dosed VIP KO mice had a higher number of tetramer positive CD8 T cells and better survival than WT mice (all high dose VIP WT died prior to day 10). VIP KO mice had a significant increase in tetramer positive CD8 T cells between days 3 and 10. *** p<0.01, difference between VIP KO and VIP WT littermate at designated dose level and day.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 2023-2023
Author(s):  
Deepa Kolaseri Krishnadas ◽  
Fanqi Bai ◽  
Kenneth Lucas

Abstract Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor in children in the first year of life. Despite high-dose chemotherapy, irradiation and autologous stem cell transplantation, nearly half of these patients relapse, a group for whom there are limited treatment options. The cancer-testis (CT) antigens MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1 are expressed on neuroblastoma cells in low levels and we have previously shown that the demethylating chemotherapy drug decitabine (DAC) can upregulate the expression of CT antigens in neuroblastoma. We developed a clinical study combining DAC to upregulate CT antigens followed by a dendritic cell (DC) vaccine targeting CT antigens MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1. Here we report the effects of DAC/DC vaccine in generating antigen-specific immune response and evaluate if there exists a correlation between development of antigen-specific immune responses and clinical responses. The treatment regimen includes 4 cycles of therapy, each consisting of DAC 10mg/m2/day for 5 days, followed by 2 weekly vaccinations consisting of autologous DC pulsed with overlapping peptide mixes derived from full length MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1. The number of DC administered in the vaccine was based on patient weight, and ranged from 3 to 10 x106 cells. The topical TLR agonist imiquimod was used at the site of vaccination to facilitate immune responses to the vaccine. Peripheral blood was collected weekly to assess antigen-specific immune response. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were archived at various time points, stimulated for 24 h with MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1 peptide mixes and studied for the presence of CD137+ antigen-specific cells by flow cytometry. The regimen was well tolerated and highly feasible. We were able to culture DC for 10/10 neuroblastoma patients enrolled on the study. Development of an antibody or a T cell response to the vaccine was defined as either new onset or a two fold increase in the level of antibodies or number of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1 specific, CD137+ T cells over baseline levels. The clinical and immunological outcomes of seven neuroblastoma patients treated so far with the DAC/CT antigen vaccine is summarized in table 1. Two patients are in complete remission, one of whom is two years from completing therapy, and another patient is 9 months from therapy. Both these patients demonstrated an increase in the number of circulating CD3+CD8+CD137+ and CD3+CD4+CD137+ T cells against one of the CT antigens in the vaccine. Of the five patients who had disease progression, one had a partial response to his chemotherapy and radiation resistant tumor 2 months post-vaccine. This patient had an antibody response to these antigens post-vaccination but no CD8+ or CD4+ T cell response. Another patient who had no evidence of disease for 8 months following the last vaccine prior to disease recurrence had an antigen-specific CD8+ T cell response against MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1 antigens but no CD4+ T cell response. These data indicate that DAC/DC vaccine targeting MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1 are efficient in generating an antigen-specific immune response in four of seven patients studied and there exist a correlation between the presence of immune response and positive clinical outcome. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 21032-21032
Author(s):  
K. N. Heller ◽  
P. G. Steinherz ◽  
C. S. Portlock ◽  
C. Münz

21032 Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) asymptomatically establishes persistent infections in more than 90% of the adult population. However, due to effective immune control, only a minority of infected carriers develops spontaneous EBV-associated lymphomas. Since EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1) is the only protein expressed in all proliferating EBV infected cells we hypothesize that EBNA1 specific immune response is critical in preventing EBV-positive lymphomas. Methods: After informed consent, peripheral blood from healthy volunteers and lymphoma patients (prior to therapy- no evidence of cytopenia) were stimulated (ex vivo) with overlapping peptides covering the immunogenic EBNA1 (aa400–641) sequence. Frequency of EBNA1-specific T-cells were assessed by intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometric proliferation assays. Cytokine pattern, surface marker phenotype and functional reactivity against EBV specific and control antigens were analyzed. Results: Patient and volunteer immune responses to control antigens and other viruses were assessed and statistically indistinguishable. EBNA1 specific CD4+ T cell responses were detected among 18 of 20 healthy carriers, and among 10 of 16 patients with EBV-negative lymphoma (relative to healthy volunteers p=0.145 via paired student T test). None of the patients with EBV-positive lymphomas (n=8) had a detectable EBNA1-specific CD4+ T-cell response (p<0.003 relative to healthy volunteers and patients with EBV-negative lymphomas). Conclusions: Healthy volunteers and patients with EBV-negative lymphoma have statistically similar EBNA1-specific CD4+ T cell responses. Although patients with EBV-positive lymphoma have intact immune responses to common viruses and antigens, they selectively lack an EBNA1-specific CD4+ T cell response. An intact EBNA1 specific immune response among patients with EBV-negaitve lymphoma implies that lymphoma is not a cause of a selective immune deficiency. On the contrary, these findings suggest that EBNA1-specific CD4+ T cells are critical in the prevention of EBV mediated lymphomas, and a defect in EBNA1 specific immunity may leave EBV carriers suseptible to EBV-positive lymphomas. EBNA1- specific CD4+ T cell function may be a new target for therapies of EBV-associated malignancies. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


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