scholarly journals Human Papillomavirus Type 16 (HPV-16) Virus-Like Particle L1-Specific CD8+ Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTLs) Are Equally Effective as E7-Specific CD8+ CTLs in Killing Autologous HPV-16-Positive Tumor Cells in Cervical Cancer Patients: Implications for L1 Dendritic Cell-Based Therapeutic Vaccines

2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (13) ◽  
pp. 6779-6789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Bellone ◽  
Karim El-Sahwi ◽  
Emiliano Cocco ◽  
Francesca Casagrande ◽  
Marilisa Cargnelutti ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Papillomavirus-like particles (VLPs) based on L1 capsid protein represent a promising prophylactic vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. However, cell-mediated immune responses against this antigen are believed to be of limited therapeutic value in established HPV-infected cervical lesions and, for this reason, have not been intensively investigated in cervical cancer patients. In this study we analyzed and quantified by real-time PCR (RT-PCR) the RNA expression levels of E6, E7, and L1 genes in flash-frozen HPV-16 cervical carcinomas. In addition, the kinetics of expression of E6, E7, and L1 in HPV-16-infected primary cell lines established as long-term cultures in vitro was also evaluated at RNA and protein levels. Finally, in order to evaluate the therapeutic potential of L1-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes responses in cervical cancer patients, L1 VLP-loaded dendritic cells (DCs) were used to stimulate peripheral blood lymphocytes from cervical cancer patients and such responses were compared to those elicited by the E7 oncoprotein. We show that 22 of 22 (100%) flash-frozen cervical biopsy samples collected from HPV-16-positive cervical cancer patients harbor L1, in addition to E6 and E7 RNA, as detected by RT-PCR. E7 RNA copy number (mean, 176.2) was significantly higher in HPV-16-positive cervical cancers compared to the E6 RNA copy number (mean, 47.3) and the L1 copy number (mean, 58.3) (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.001, respectively). However, no significant differences in expression levels between E6 and L1 were found. Kinetic studies of E6, E7, and L1 RNA and protein expression levels in primary tumors showed a sharp reduction in L1 expression after multiple in vitro passages compared to E6 and E7. Autologous DCs pulsed with HPV-16 VLPs or recombinant full-length E7 elicited strong type 1 L1- and E7-specific responses in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from cervical cancer patients. Importantly, L1 VLP-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes expressed strong cytolytic activity against autologous tumor cells and were as effective as E7-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in lysing naturally HPV-16-infected autologous tumor cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate a consistent expression of L1 in primary cervical tumors and the possibility of inducing effective L1/tumor-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte responses in patients harboring HPV-infected cervical cancer. These results may have important implications for the treatment of patients harboring established HPV-infected lesions with L1 VLPs or combined E7/L1 DC-based vaccinations.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hemavathi Dhandapani ◽  
Hascitha Jayakumar ◽  
Abirami Seetharaman ◽  
Shirley Sunder Singh ◽  
Selvaluxmy Ganeshrajah ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy is capable of activating the immune system and in particular tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) to eradicate the tumor. However, major limitations are the availability of autologous tumor cells as antigenic source and the selection of antigen that may have potential to activate both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in immune-specific manner. Recently, we reported the expression of sperm associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) that is associated with various types of malignancies including cervical cancer. We examined the recombinant human SPAG9 (rhSPAG9) as an antigenic source for generating efficient DCs to stimulate CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses for future DCs-based vaccine trials in cervical cancer patients. Methods Human monocytes derived DCs were pulsed with different concentrations (250 ng/ml to 1000 ng/ml) of recombinant human SPAG9 (rhSPAG9) and evaluated for their phenotypic and functional ability. The efficacy of DCs primed with 750 ng/ml of rhSPAG9 (SPDCs) was compared with DCs primed with autologous tumor lysates (TLDCs), to induce CD4+, CD8+ T cells and activating NK cells. In addition, we investigated the effect of the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin on phenotypic and functional potential of SPDCs. Results Phenotypic and functional characterization of DCs pulsed with 750 ng/ml rhSPAG9 was found to be optimal and effective for priming DCs. SPDCs were also capable of stimulating allogeneic T cells similar to TLDCs. SPDCs showed a statistically insignificant increase in the expression of maturation marker CD83 and migration towards CCL19 and CCL21 compared with TLDCs (CD83; P = 0.4; migration; P = 0.2). In contrast, although TLDCs showed better proliferation and secretion of Th1 cytokines (IL12p40, IL12p70 and IFNγ) compared to SPDCs, this difference was not statistically significant (IL12p40, P = 0.06). Further we also observed that clinical dose of cisplatin (200 µM) treated SPDCs were able to stimulate the proliferation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes without increasing the FOXP3+ Tregs in autologous co-cultures. Conclusions In summary, in order to overcome the limitation of the availability of autologous tumor cells as antigenic sources, our present strategy provides an insight to consider rhSPAG9 as a strong immunogen for DC-based immunotherapy for cervical cancer trials and warrants further studies. This is the first report to suggest that rhSPAG9 is an effective antigen for pulsing DCs that are capable of eliciting a potent Th1 response which, in turn, may help in decreasing the tumor burden when used along with a cisplatin based combinatorial regimen for therapeutic intervention.


1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (7) ◽  
pp. 5402-5410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro D. Santin ◽  
Paul L. Hermonat ◽  
Antonella Ravaggi ◽  
Maurizio Chiriva-Internati ◽  
Dejin Zhan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 (HPV 16) and HPV type 18 (HPV 18) are implicated in the induction and progression of the majority of cervical cancers. Since the E6 and E7 oncoproteins of these viruses are expressed in these lesions, such proteins might be potential tumor-specific targets for immunotherapy. In this report, we demonstrate that recombinant, full-length E7-pulsed autologous dendritic cells (DC) can elicit a specific CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against autologous tumor target cells in three patients with HPV 16- or HPV 18-positive cervical cancer. E7-specific CTL populations expressed strong cytolytic activity against autologous tumor cells, did not lyse autologous concanavalin A-treated lymphoblasts or autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL), and showed low levels of cytotoxicity against natural killer cell-sensitive K562 cells. Cytotoxicity against autologous tumor cells could be significantly blocked by anti-HLA class I (W6/32) and anti-CD11a/LFA-1 antibodies. Phenotypically, all CTL populations were CD3+/CD8+, with variable levels of CD56 expression. CTL induced by E7-pulsed DC were also highly cytotoxic against an allogeneic HLA-A2+ HPV 16-positive matched cell line (CaSki). In addition, we show that specific lymphoproliferative responses by autologous CD4+ T cells can also be induced by E7-pulsed autologus DC. E7-specific CD4+ T cells proliferated in response to E7-pulsed LCL but not unpulsed LCL, and this response could be blocked by anti-HLA class II antibody. Finally, with two-color flow cytometric analysis of intracellular cytokine expression at the single-cell level, a marked Th1-like bias (as determined by the frequency of gamma interferon- and interleukin 4-expressing cells) was observable for both CD8+ and CD4+ E7-specific lymphocyte populations. Taken together, these data demonstrate that full-length E7-pulsed DC can induce both E7-specific CD4+ T-cell proliferative responses and strong CD8+ CTL responses capable of lysing autologous naturally HPV-infected cancer cells in patients with cervical cancer. These results may have important implications for the treatment of cervical cancer patients with active or adoptive immunotherapy.


Author(s):  
Riyanti Weni Syafitri ◽  
Azzania Fibriani ◽  
Reza Aditama

Cervical cancer cases caused by infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV), especially HPV 16 (60.5% of cases) continue to increase every year with a high mortality rate. The current anti-cancer drugs were not only specifically targeting cancer cells, but healthy cells and can cause serious side effects. Therefore, it is necessary to find safer alternative therapies, e.g., using active compounds from natural products. The purpose of this study was to find the active compounds of Indonesian medicinal plants potentially as an inhibitor of oncoprotein E6 and E7 HPV 16, the main protein causing cervical cancer by in silico method. In this study, 711 active compounds from 187 medicinal plant species were selected based on molecular weight, solubility, gastrointestinal absorption index, and drug-likeness. Compounds that meet the criteria were tested for their affinity and interaction profile with E6 and E7 proteins through the molecular docking method. The results of this study showed 164 compounds that met the criteria. The molecular docking analysis showed nine of the most potent compounds as E6 inhibitors on the E6AP binding site and six compounds on the p53 binding site. Besides that, there were eleven most potent compounds as E7 inhibitors.  The results of this study indicate that there are natural compounds that can inhibit E6 and E7 proteins and have further potential to be used as anti-HPV drugs. However, further research is needed to test these compounds in vitro and in vivo.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1577
Author(s):  
Matteo Tanzi ◽  
Michela Consonni ◽  
Michela Falco ◽  
Federica Ferulli ◽  
Enrica Montini ◽  
...  

The limited efficacy of Natural Killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy results in part from the suboptimal expansion and persistence of the infused cells. Recent reports suggest that the generation of NK cells with memory-like properties upon in vitro activation with defined cytokines might be an effective way of ensuring long-lasting NK cell function in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that activation with IL-12, IL-15 and IL-18 followed by a one-week culture with optimal doses of Interleukin (IL-2) and IL-15 generates substantial numbers of memory-like NK cells able to persist for at least three weeks when injected into NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice. This approach induces haploidentical donor-derived memory-like NK cells that are highly lytic against patients’ myeloid or lymphoid leukemia blasts, independent of the presence of alloreactive cell populations in the donor and with negligible reactivity against patients’ non-malignant cells. Memory-like NK cells able to lyse autologous tumor cells can also be generated from patients with solid malignancies. The anti-tumor activity of allogenic and autologous memory-like NK cells is significantly greater than that displayed by NK cells stimulated overnight with IL-2, supporting their potential therapeutic value both in patients affected by high-risk acute leukemia after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and in patients with advanced solid malignancies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A803-A803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro Teijeira ◽  
Saray Garasa ◽  
Itziar Migueliz ◽  
Assunta Cirella ◽  
Ignacio Melero

BackgroundNeutrophils are expanded and abundant in an important fraction (up to 35% of patients) in cancer-bearing hosts. When neutrophils are expanded, they usually promote exert immunomodulatory functions promoting tumor progression and the generation of metastases. Neutrophils can undergo a specialized form of cell death called NETosis that is characterized by the extrusion of their DNA to contain infections. In cancer NETs have been described to promote metastases in mouse models. IL-8, a CXCR1/2 ligand clinically targeted by blocking antibodies, has been described to induce NETosis and is upregulated in many cancer patients. Our hypothesis is that chemokines secreted by cancer cells can mediate NETosis in tumor associated neutrophils and that NETs can be one of the immunomodulatory mechanisms provided by tumor associated neutrophils.MethodsNETosis induction of peripheral neutrophils and granulocytic myeloid derived suppressor cells by different chemotactic stimuli, tumor cell supernatants and cocultures upon CXCR1/2 blockade. NET immunodetection in mouse models and xenograft tumors upon CXCR1/2 blockade. In vitro tumor cytotoxicity assays in the presence/absence of NETs, and videomicroscopy studies in vitro and by intravital imaging to test NETs inhibition of immune cytotoxicity by immune-cell/target-cell inhibition. Tumor growth studies and metastases models in the presence of NETosis inhibitors and in combination with checkpoint blockade in mouse cancer models.ResultsUnder the influence of CXCR1 and CXCR2 chemokine receptor agonists and other chemotactic factors produced by tumors, neutrophils, and granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) from cancer patients extrude their neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). In our hands, CXCR1 and CXCR2 agonists proved to be the major mediators of cancer-promoted NETosis. NETs wrap and coat tumor cells and shield them from cytotoxicity, as mediated by CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, by obstructing contact between immune cells and the surrounding target cells. Tumor cells protected from cytotoxicity by NETs underlie successful cancer metastases in mice and the immunotherapeutic synergy of protein arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) inhibitors, which curtail NETosis with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Intravital microscopy provides evidence of neutrophil NETs interfering cytolytic cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and NK cell contacts with tumor cells.ConclusionsCXCR1 and 2 are the main receptors mediating NETosis of tumor associated neutrophils in our in-vitro and in vivo systems expressing high levels of CXCR1 and 2 ligands. NETs limit cancer cell cytotoxicity by impeding contacts with cancer cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samira Sanami ◽  
Fatemeh Azadegan-Dehkordi ◽  
Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei ◽  
Majid Salehi ◽  
Maryam Ghasemi-Dehnoo ◽  
...  

AbstractCervical cancer, caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), is the fourth most common type of cancer among women worldwide. While HPV prophylactic vaccines are available, they have no therapeutic effects and do not clear up existing infections. This study aims to design a therapeutic vaccine against cervical cancer using reverse vaccinology. In this study, the E6 and E7 oncoproteins from HPV16 were chosen as the target antigens for epitope prediction. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and helper T lymphocytes (HTL) epitopes were predicted, and the best epitopes were selected based on antigenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity. The final vaccine construct was composed of the selected epitopes, along with the appropriate adjuvant and linkers. The multi-epitope vaccine was evaluated in terms of physicochemical properties, antigenicity, and allergenicity. The tertiary structure of the vaccine construct was predicted. Furthermore, several analyses were also carried out, including molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and in silico cloning of the vaccine construct. The results showed that the final proposed vaccine could be considered an effective therapeutic vaccine for HPV; however, in vitro and in vivo experiments are required to validate the efficacy of this vaccine candidate.


2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-309
Author(s):  
Xuelian Wang ◽  
Alessandro D. Santin ◽  
Stefania Bellone ◽  
Sushil Gupta ◽  
Mayumi Nakagawa

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (03) ◽  
pp. 174-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lan Ying Wen ◽  
Su-Mi Bae ◽  
Jin Hwan Do ◽  
Kye-Shin Park ◽  
Woong Shick Ahn

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising treatment for cancer that has been recently accepted in the clinic. In this study, we examined a biological significance of PDT with a chlorin-based photosensitizer, Photodithazine, on cervical cancer model. When human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16)- transformed mouse TC-1 cells were exposed to varied doses of Photodithazine with light irradiation (6.25 J/cm2), the significant growth inhibition of TC-1 cells was observed at 0.75 μg/mL of Photodithazine. The damaged cells by Photodithazine/PDT were categorized to be early and late apoptosis, as determined by annexin V staining. Photodithazine was primarily localized at lysosome apparatus within TC-1 cells while it was rapidly accumulated and sustained for initial 3 h in tumor tissue of TC-1 tumor bearing mice after IV injection. The tumor growth inhibition by Photodithazine/PDT with light irradiation (300 J/cm2) was examined after injection of various concentration of Photodithazine in tumor mice system. Our results show that Photodithazine/PDT might have significant advantages in the selective killing of tumor lesions in HPV 16 E6/E7 associated cervical cancer model, both in vitro and in vivo.


2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (16) ◽  
pp. 8219-8230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Somberg ◽  
Stefan Schwartz

ABSTRACT Our results presented here demonstrate that the most abundant human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) mRNAs expressing the viral oncogenes E6 and E7 are regulated by cellular ASF/SF2, itself defined as a proto-oncogene and overexpressed in cervical cancer cells. We show that the most frequently used 3′-splice site on the HPV-16 genome, site SA3358, which is used to produce primarily E4, E6, and E7 mRNAs, is regulated by ASF/SF2. Splice site SA3358 is immediately followed by 15 potential binding sites for the splicing factor ASF/SF2. Recombinant ASF/SF2 binds to the cluster of ASF/SF2 sites. Mutational inactivation of all 15 sites abolished splicing to SA3358 and redirected splicing to the downstream-located, late 3′-splice site SA5639. Overexpression of a mutant ASF/SF2 protein that lacks the RS domain, also totally inhibited the usage of SA3358 and redirected splicing to the late 3′-splice site SA5639. The 15 ASF/SF2 binding sites could be replaced by an ASF/SF2-dependent, HIV-1-derived splicing enhancer named GAR. This enhancer was also inhibited by the mutant ASF/SF2 protein that lacks the RS domain. Finally, silencer RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of ASF/SF2 caused a reduction in spliced HPV-16 mRNA levels. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the major HPV-16 3′-splice site SA3358 is dependent on ASF/SF2. SA3358 is used by the most abundantly expressed HPV-16 mRNAs, including those encoding E6 and E7. High levels of ASF/SF2 may therefore be a requirement for progression to cervical cancer. This is supported by our earlier findings that ASF/SF2 is overexpressed in high-grade cervical lesions and cervical cancer.


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