scholarly journals Lifting the innate immune barriers to antitumor immunity

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla V Rothlin ◽  
Sourav Ghosh

The immune system evolved for adequate surveillance and killing of pathogens while minimizing host damage, such as due to chronic or exaggerated inflammation and autoimmunity. This is achieved by negative regulators and checkpoints that limit the magnitude and time course of the immune response. Tumor cells often escape immune surveillance and killing. Therefore, disrupting the brakes built into the immune system should effectively boost the anticancer immune response. The success of anti-CTLA4, anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 have firmly established this proof of concept. Since the response rate of anti-CTLA4, anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 is still limited, there is an intense effort for the identification of new targets and development of approaches that can expand the benefits of immunotherapy to a larger patient pool. Additional T cell checkpoints are obvious targets; however, here we focus on the unusual suspects—cells that function to initiate and guide T cell activity. Innate immunity is both an obligate prerequisite for the initiation of adaptive immune responses and a requirement for the recruitment of activated T cells to the site of action. We discuss some of the molecules present in innate immune cells, including natural killer cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, endothelial cells and stromal cells, that can activate or enhance innate immune cell functions, and more importantly, the inhibitors or checkpoints present in these cells that restrain their functions. Boosting innate immunity, either by enhancing activator functions or, preferably, by blocking the inhibitors, may represent a new anticancer treatment modality or at least function as adjuvants to T cell checkpoint inhibitors.

Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 3523-3523
Author(s):  
Hong Xu ◽  
Jun Yan ◽  
Ziqiang Zhu ◽  
Lala-Rukh Hussain ◽  
Yiming Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 3523 Poster Board III-460 Adaptive immunity, especially T cells, has long been believed to be the dominant immune response in allogeneic transplantation. However, innate immunity has been recently shown to pose a significant barrier to the induction of tolerance to solid organ transplants. The role of the innate immune system in bone marrow cell alloreactivity has not been addressed. The innate immune system provides the first line of defense in the removal of pathogens because of the delay in generation of adaptive immune responses. Our present findings show that innate immunity is a significant first line barrier in bone marrow cell (BMC) rejection. To determine the effect of innate immune cell populations on rejection of donor BMCs, T cell deficient mice (TCR β/δ−/−) were used as BMC recipients in in vivo cytotoxicity assays (Figure A). TCRβ/δ−/− mice have normal innate immune cell populations but do not initiate adaptive cell-mediated cytotoxic or humoral responses. 20 × 106 CFSE labeled donor (high CFSE fluorescence intensity) and recipient control splenocytes (low CFSE fluorescence intensity) were injected into TCRβ/δ−/− and wildtype control B6 recipient mice. Donor cell survival was compared over time. Donor BALB/c splenocytes were eliminated in wildtype B6, with rejection complete by day 3. The kinetics of elimination of donor cells in TCRβ/δ−/− mice was similar to that for wildtype B6 controls, with donor cells eliminated by day 3. These results indicate that early rejection of the splenocytes in wildtype mice was T cell-independent. The acute rejection of BMC in wildtype B6 recipients occurred within 3 days, which is prior to the time required for T cell activation. Thus the effectors mediating BMC rejection would be the innate immune cells: macrophages, neutrophils, or NK cells. To rule out potential involvement of natural Abs in the cytotoxicity we observed in the TCRβ/δ−/− mice, Rag−/− mice were used as recipients (Figure B). Rag−/− mice do not produce mature T cells or B cells. 20 × 106 CFSE labeled donor (high CFSE intensity) and recipient control BM cells (low CFSE intensity) were injected into Rag−/−mice. Rag−/− and wildtype B6 control mice exhibited similar kinetics of donor cell cytolysis. The rapid elimination of allogeneic cells from immunocompetent mice is comparable with that observed in T cell- (TCRβ/δ−/−) or T and B cell- (Rag−/−) deficient mice indicates that allogeneic cells are subject to T cell-independent rejection at the early time period after cell infusion (≤ 3 days). As the kinetics of cytotoxicity were similar in experiments using either splenocytes or BMCs as target cells in our later experiments, our data suggest that the innate immune system is responsible for early allorejection of donor BMC at the early inductive period for adaptive immunity. These findings may have significant impact on the development of immune-based nonmyeloablative conditioning strategies and show for the first time that a dominant factor in BMC rejection is contributed by innate immune responses. Disclosures: Bozulic: Regenerex: Employment. Ildstad:Regenerex: Equity Ownership.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
Srikrishnan Rameshbabu ◽  
Brian W. Labadie ◽  
Anna Argulian ◽  
Akash Patnaik

The majority of current cancer immunotherapy strategies target and potentiate antitumor adaptive immune responses. Unfortunately, the efficacy of these treatments has been limited to a fraction of patients within a subset of tumor types, with an aggregate response rate of approximately 20% to date across all malignancies. The success of therapeutic inhibition of programmed death protein 1 (PD-1), protein death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has been limited to “hot” tumors characterized by preexisting T cell infiltration, whereas “cold” tumors, which lack T cell infiltration, have not achieved durable benefit. There are several mechanisms by which “cold” tumors fail to generate spontaneous immune infiltration, which converge upon the generation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The role of the innate immune system in tumor immunosurveillance and generation of antitumor immune responses has been long recognized. In recent years, novel strategies to target innate immunity in cancer therapy have emerged, including therapeutic stimulation of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs); the DNA sensing cGAS/STING pathway; nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs), such as NLRP3; and the retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs). In addition, therapeutic modulation of key innate immune cell types, such as macrophages and natural killer cells, has been investigated. Herein, we review therapeutic approaches to activate innate immunity within the TME to enhance antitumor immune responses, with the goal of disease eradication in “cold” tumors. In addition, we discuss rational immune-oncology combination strategies that activate both innate and adaptive immunity, with the potential to enhance the efficacy of current immunotherapeutic approaches.


Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 138 (Suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuntian Shen ◽  
Qiang Zhao ◽  
Jiangbo Wu ◽  
Zhuoran Wang ◽  
Wei Yang

Introduction: Cardiac arrest (CA) is associated with high mortality and morbidity, which is in part due to infectious complications developed in CA patients. Infection complications, particularly pneumonia, occur in approximately 60% of CA patients. Given this high incidence, we hypothesized that after CA, the immune system is impaired, which increases the susceptibility of CA patients to potential infections. Therefore, in this study, we systematically examined the immune response in the brain and peripheral immune organs after CA. Methods: Mice were subjected to CA and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CA/CPR). Flow cytometry, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative PCR were used to analyze the immune response in various post-CA organs. Results: First, we characterized the time course of the immune response in the spleen after CA/CPR. CA/CPR induced significant changes in all major immune cell populations. Notably, B cell frequencies decreased, while T cell frequencies increased, in various organs on day 3 post-CA. Further, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, eg IL-6, were markedly increased in the blood and brain after CA. Critically, we found that the lymphocyte counts in the spleen and thymus were dramatically lower in CA mice than in sham mice. Interestingly, CA/CPR caused progressive atrophy of the spleen and thymus. Since it has been shown that CA/CPR alters activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, we speculated that CA-induced atrophy of lymphoid organs is mediated by the HPA axis. Thus, we treated CA mice with RU486, a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist. Indeed, this treatment reversed CA-induced organ atrophy and mitigated immune cell depletion, both in the thymus and spleen. Conclusions: We provided for the first time evidence that CA/CPR rapidly induced a systemic inflammatory response followed by impairment of the immune system, which eventually led to a massive loss of immune cells in the peripheral immune organs. This CA-induced immunodeficiency appears to be mediated by dysregulation of the HPA axis. Our findings here may be of high clinical significance, considering the high incidence of infectious complications in CA patients and their detrimental effects on CA outcome.


2020 ◽  
pp. 2001584
Author(s):  
Jason Girkin ◽  
Su-Ling Loo ◽  
Camille Esneau ◽  
Steven Maltby ◽  
Francesca Mercuri ◽  
...  

Research questionAssessment of whether TLR2 activation boosts the innate immune response to rhinovirus infection, as a treatment strategy for virus-induced respiratory diseases.MethodsWe employed treatment with a novel TLR2 agonist (INNA-X) prior to rhinovirus infection in mice, and INNA-X treatment in differentiated human bronchial epithelial cells derived from asthmatic-donors. We assessed viral load, immune cell recruitment, cytokines, type I and III IFN production, as well as the lung tissue and epithelial cell immune transcriptome.ResultsWe show in vivo, that a single INNA-X treatment induced innate immune priming characterised by low-level IFN-λ, Fas ligand, chemokine expression and airway lymphocyte recruitment. Treatment 7-days before infection significantly reduced lung viral load, increased IFN-β/λ expression and inhibited neutrophilic inflammation. Corticosteroid treatment enhanced the anti-inflammatory effects of INNA-X. Treatment 1-day before infection increased expression of 190 lung tissue immune genes. This tissue gene expression signature was absent with INNA-X treatment 7-days before infection, suggesting an alternate mechanism, potentially via establishment of immune cell-mediated mucosal innate immunity. In vitro, INNA-X treatment induced a priming response defined by upregulated IFN-λ, chemokine and anti-microbial gene expression that preceded an accelerated response to infection enriched for NF-κB-regulated genes and reduced viral loads, even in epithelial cells derived from asthmatic donors with intrinsic delayed anti-viral immune response.ConclusionAirway epithelial cell TLR2 activation induces prolonged innate immune priming, defined by early NF-κB activation, IFN-λ expression and lymphocyte recruitment. This response enhanced anti-viral innate immunity and reduced virus-induced airway inflammation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 3357
Author(s):  
Yang Xu ◽  
Huan Zhao ◽  
Yang Tian ◽  
Kaixia Ren ◽  
Nan Zheng ◽  
...  

Protein kinase C-δ (PKC-δ) is an important protein in the immune system of higher vertebrates. Lampreys, as the most primitive vertebrates, have a uniquevariable lymphocyte receptor (VLR) immune system. PKC-δ-like is a crucial functional gene in lampreys and is highly expressed in their immune organs. In this study, lampreys were stimulated with different immunogens, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was found to increase the expression of PKC-δ-like. Overexpression of PKC-δ-like could also effectively activate the innate immune response. We further demonstrated that PKC-δ-like-CF, a catalytic fragment of PKC-δ-like, is responsible for activating the innate immune response, and Thr-211, which is Thr-419 of PKC-δ-like, was confirmed to be the key site affecting PKC-δ-like-CF activity. These results indicated that PKC-δ-like from lamprey may have an important role in the innate immune response.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 77-77
Author(s):  
Hong Xu ◽  
Jun Yan ◽  
Ziqiang Zhu ◽  
Yiming Huang ◽  
Yujie Wen ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 77 Adaptive immunity, especially T cells, has long been believed to be the dominant immune barrier in allogeneic transplantation. Targeting host T cells significantly reduces conditioning for bone marrow cell (BMC) engraftment. Innate immunity has been recently shown to pose a significant barrier in solid organ transplantation, but has not been addressed in bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Using T cell deficient (TCR-β/δ−/−) or T and B cell deficient (Rag−/−) mice, we found that allogeneic BMC rejection occurred early before the time required for T cell activation and was T- and B-cell independent, suggesting an effector role for innate immune cells in BMC rejection. Therefore, we hypothesized that by controlling both innate and adaptive immunity, the donor BMC would have a window of advantage to engraft. Survival of BMC in vivo was significantly improved by depleting recipient macrophages and/or NK cells, but not neutrophils. Moreover, depletion of macrophages and NK cells in combination with co-stimulatory blockade with anti-CD154 and rapamycin as a novel form of conditioning resulted in 100% allogeneic engraftment without any irradiation and T cell depletion. Donor chimerism remained stable and durable up to 6 months. Moreover, specific Vβ5½ and Vβ11 clonal deletion was detected in host CD4+ T cells in chimeras, indicating central tolerance to donor alloantigens. Whether and how the innate immune system recognizes or responds to allogeneic BMCs remains unknown. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a class of proteins that play a key role in the innate immune system. The signaling function of TLR depends on intracellular adaptors. The adaptor MyD88 transmits signals emanating from all TLR, except TLR3 while TRIF specifically mediates TLR3 and TLR4 signaling via type 1 IFN. To further determine the innate signaling pathways in allogeneic BMC rejection, B6 background (H2b) MyD88−/− and TRIF−/− mice were conditioned with anti-CD154/rapamycin plus 100 cGy total body irradiation and transplanted with 15 × 106 BALB/c (H2d) BMC. Only 33.3% of MyD88−/− recipients engrafted at 1 month, resembling outcomes for wild-type B6 mice. In contrast, 100% of TRIF−/− mice engrafted. The level of donor chimerism in TRIF−/− mice was 5.1 ± 0.6% at one month, significantly higher than in MyD88−/− and wild-type B6 controls (P < 0.005). To determine the mechanism of innate signaling in BMC rejection, we examined whether TRIF linked TLR3 or TLR4 is the key pattern recognition receptor involved in BMC recognition. To this end, TLR3−/− and TLR4−/− mice were transplanted with BALB/c BMC with same conditioning. None of the TLR3−/− mice engrafted. In contrast, engraftment was achieved in 100% of TLR4−/− mice up to 6 months follow up. Taken together, these results suggest that rejection of allogeneic BMC is uniquely dependent on the TLR4/TRIF signaling pathway. Thus, our results clearly demonstrate a previously unappreciated role for innate immunity in allogeneic BMC rejection. Our current findings are distinct from prior reports demonstrating a critical role of MyD88 in rejection of allogeneic skin grafts and lung, and may reflect unique features related to BMC. The findings of the role of innate immunity in BMC rejection would lead to revolutionary changes in our understanding and management of BMT. This would be informative in design of more specific innate immune targeted conditioning proposals in BMT to avoid the toxicity. Disclosures: Bozulic: Regenerex LLC: Employment. Ildstad:Regenerex LLC: Equity Ownership.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-269
Author(s):  
Adina Huțanu ◽  
Anca Meda Georgescu ◽  
Akos Vince Andrejkovits ◽  
William Au ◽  
Minodora Dobreanu

Abstract The innate immune system is mandatory for the activation of antiviral host defense and eradication of the infection. In this regard, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, macrophages, neutrophils representing the cellular component, and cytokines, interferons, complement or Toll-Like Receptors, representing the mediators of unspecific response act together for both activation of the adaptive immune response and viral clearance. Of great importance is the proper functioning of the innate immune response from the very beginning. For instance, in the early stages of viral infection, the defective interferon response leads to uncontrolled viral replication and pathogen evasion, while hypersecretion during the later stages of infection generates hyperinflammation. This cascade activation of systemic inflammation culminates with cytokine storm syndrome and hypercoagulability state, due to a close interconnection between them. Thus an unbalanced reaction, either under- or over- stimulation of the innate immune system will lead to an uncoordinated response and unfavorable disease outcomes. Since both cellular and humoral factors are involved in the time-course of the innate immune response, in this review we aimed to address their gradual involvement in the antiviral response with emphasis on key steps in SARS-CoV-2 infection.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Minns ◽  
Katie Jane Smith ◽  
Emily Gwyer Findlay

Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in peripheral blood and respond rapidly to danger, infiltrating tissues within minutes of infectious or sterile injury. Neutrophils were long thought of as simple killers, but now we recognise them as responsive cells able to adapt to inflammation and orchestrate subsequent events with some sophistication. Here, we discuss how these rapid responders release mediators which influence later adaptive T cell immunity through influences on DC priming and directly on the T cells themselves. We consider how the release of granule contents by neutrophils—through NETosis or degranulation—is one way in which the innate immune system directs the phenotype of the adaptive immune response.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi249-vi249
Author(s):  
Di Chen ◽  
Gaopeng Li ◽  
Chunxia Ji ◽  
Qiqi Lu ◽  
Ying Qi ◽  
...  

Abstract The expression profiles of different immune checkpoint molecules are promising for triaging personalized targeted immunotherapy. Gliomas have been shown as potential targets for immune checkpoint inhibitors. Our study was performed to determine co-expression levels of two major B7 immune molecules PD-L1 and B7-H4 in gliomas in which both have demonstrated to inhibit anti-tumor host immunity. We assessed tumor issues from primary gliomas stage II–IV(n=505) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for protein levels of both PD-L1 and B7-H4. Gene co-expression analysis assessing clusters based on extent of PD-L1/B7-H4 classifier genes expression were investigated in two transcriptome datasets (TCGA and CGGA) to validate IHC expression profiles. Here, we found that 61% and 54% of patient samples were positive for PD-L1 and B7-H4 respectively, whereby high-expression of either protein was limited to 23% and 20% respectively. Co-expression of PD-L1 and B7-H4 in high levels was limited to 2%. Comparable results were seen in RNA-seq datasets when PD-L1 mRNA expression level corelated negatively with B7-H4. Gene co-expression modules clustered in each grade gliomas without Double-High modules (glioma cluster with high mRNA expression of both PD-L1 and B7-H4 classifier genes) also verified restricted co-expression pattern. B7-H4 mRNA expression level had negative correlation with extent of immune cell infiltration, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and High-B7-H4 module gliomas (high B7-H4 but low PD-L1 classifier genes expression) were related to a cold tumor with less TILs. The majority of gliomas express PD-L1 or B7-H4, however, co-expression of both at high levels is minimal. The High-B7-H4 module was significantly lacking in TILs, suggesting that B7-H4 might inhibit T cell trafficking into the central nervous system (CNS). This study demonstrates that PD-L1 expression alone is not fully informative in gliomas for immune targeted or active-specific immunotherapy, and PD-L1 and B7-H4 probably inhibit different aspects of the T cell functions.


2006 ◽  
Vol 273 (1600) ◽  
pp. 2571-2574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben M Sadd ◽  
Michael T Siva-Jothy

It has been a long-held assumption that the innate immune system of insects causes self-harm when used to combat an immune insult. We show empirically that this assumption is correct. Invertebrate innate immunity relies heavily on effector systems which, on activation, produce cytotoxins that kill pathogens. Reliance on these robust, fast-acting, generic killing mechanisms ensures a potent and rapid response to pathogen invasion, but has the potential disadvantage of causing self-damage. We show that the innate immune response against an immune insult produces measurable phenotypic and functional damage to self-tissue in the beetle Tenebrio molitor . This type of self-harm (autoreactivity) and the life-history implications that arise from it are important to understand evolutionary phenomena such as the dynamics between hosts and parasites as well as the nature of immune system costs.


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