scholarly journals 602 STING agonist-based treatment promotes vascular normalization and tertiary lymphoid structure formation in the therapeutic melanoma microenvironment

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A637-A637
Author(s):  
Manoj Chelvanambi ◽  
Ronald Fecek ◽  
Jennifer Taylor ◽  
Walter Storkus

BackgroundThe degree of immune infiltration in tumors, especially CD8+ T cells, greatly impacts patient disease course and response to interventional immunotherapy. Hence, enhancement of TIL prevalence is a preferred clinical endpoint, one that may be achieved via administration of agents that normalize the tumor vasculature (VN) leading to improved immune cell recruitment and/or that induce the development of local tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) within the tumor microenvironment (TME).MethodsLow-dose STING agonist ADU S-100 (5 μg/mouse) was delivered intratumorally to established s.c. B16.F10 melanomas on days 10, 14 and 17 post-tumor inoculation under an IACUC-approved protocol. Treated and control, untreated tumors were isolated at various time points to assess transcriptional changes associated with VN and TLS formation via qPCR, with corollary immune cell composition changes determined using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy. In vitro assays were performed on CD11c+ BMDCs treated with 2.5 μg/mL ADU S-100 (vs PBS control) and associated transcriptional changes analyzed via qPCR or profiled using DNA microarrays. For TCRβ-CDR3 analyses, CDR3 was sequenced from gDNA isolated from enzymatically digested tumors and splenocytes.ResultsWe report that activation of STING within the TME leads to slowed melanoma growth in association with increased production of angiostatic factors including Tnfsf15 (Vegi), Cxcl10 and Angpt1, and TLS inducing factors including Ccl19, Ccl21, Lta, Ltb and Tnfsf14 (Light). Therapeutic responses from intratumoral STING activation were characterized by increased vascular normalization (VN), enhanced tumor infiltration by CD8+ T cells and CD11c+ DCs and local TLS neo-genesis, all of which were dependent on host expression of STING. Consistent with a central role for DC in TLS formation, ex vivo ADU S-100-activated mCD11c+ DCs also exhibited upregulated expression of TLS promoting factors including lymphotoxin-α (LTA), IL-36, inflammatory chemokines and type I interferons. TLS formation was associated with the development of a therapeutic TIL TCR repertoire enriched in T cell clonotypes uniquely detected within the tumor but not the peripheral circulation in support or local T cell cross-priming within the TME.ConclusionsOur data support the premise that i.t. delivery of STING agonist promotes a pro-inflammatory TME in support of VN and TLS formation, leading to the local expansion of unique TIL repertoire in association with superior anti-melanoma efficacy.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e001906
Author(s):  
Manoj Chelvanambi ◽  
Ronald J Fecek ◽  
Jennifer L Taylor ◽  
Walter J Storkus

BackgroundThe degree of immune infiltration in tumors, especially CD8+ T cells, greatly impacts patient disease course and response to interventional immunotherapy. Enhancement of tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) is a critical element of efficacious therapy and one that may be achieved via administration of agents that promote tumor vascular normalization (VN) and/or induce the development of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) within the tumor microenvironment (TME).MethodsLow-dose stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist ADU S-100 (5 µg/mouse) was delivered intratumorally to established subcutaneous B16.F10 melanomas on days 10, 14 and 17 post-tumor inoculation. Treated and control tumors were isolated at various time points to assess transcriptional changes associated with VN and TLS formation via quantitative PCR (qPCR), with corollary immune cell composition changes in isolated tissues determined using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy. In vitro assays were performed on CD11c+ BMDCs treated with 2.5 µg/mL ADU S-100 or CD11c+ DCs isolated from tumor digests and associated transcriptional changes analyzed via qPCR or profiled using DNA microarrays. For T cell repertoireβ-CDR3 analyses, T cell CDR3 was sequenced from gDNA isolated from splenocytes and enzymatically digested tumors.ResultsWe report that activation of STING within the TME leads to slowed melanoma growth in association with increased production of antiangiogenic factors including Tnfsf15 (Vegi) and Cxcl10, and TLS-inducing factors including Ccl19, Ccl21, Lta, Ltb and Light. Therapeutic responses resulting from intratumoral STING activation were characterized by improved VN, enhanced tumor infiltration by CD8+ T cells and CD11c+ DCs and local TLS neogenesis, all of which were dependent on host expression of STING. Consistent with a central role for DC in TLS formation, ADU S-100-activated mCD11c+ DCs also exhibited upregulated expression of TLS promoting factors including lymphotoxin-α (LTA), interleukin (IL)-36, inflammatory chemokines and type I interferons in vitro and in vivo. TLS formation in ADU S-100-treated mice was associated with the development of a highly oligoclonal TIL repertoire enriched in expanded T cell clonotypes unique to the TME and not detected in the periphery.ConclusionsOur data support the premise that i.t. delivery of low-dose STING agonist promotes VN and a proinflammatory TME supportive of TLS formation, enrichment in the TIL repertoire and tumor growth control.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1294
Author(s):  
Richard M. Powell ◽  
Marlies J. W. Peeters ◽  
Anne Rahbech ◽  
Pia Aehnlich ◽  
Tina Seremet ◽  
...  

There is an increasing interest in the development of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases inhibitors (RTKIs) for cancer treatment, as dysregulation of RTK expression can govern oncogenesis. Among the newer generations of RTKIs, many target Mer Tyrosine Kinase (MERTK) and Fms related RTK 3 (FLT3). Next to being overexpressed in many cancers, MERTK and FLT3 have important roles in immune cell development and function. In this study, we address how the new generation and potent RTKIs of MERTK/FLT3 affect human primary CD8+ T cell function. Using ex vivo T cell receptor (TCR)-activated CD8+ T cells, we demonstrate that use of dual MERTK/FLT3 inhibitor UNC2025 restricts CD8+ T proliferation at the G2 phase, at least in part by modulation of mTOR signaling. Cytokine production and activation remain largely unaffected. Finally, we show that activated CD8+ T cells express FLT3 from day two post activation, and FLT3 inhibition with AC220 (quizartinib) or siRNA-mediated knockdown affects cell cycle kinetics. These results signify that caution is needed when using potent RTKIs in the context of antitumor immune responses.


Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1046-1046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth-Anne Langan ◽  
Alberto Japp ◽  
Michael Gonzalez ◽  
Rozena Rasheed ◽  
Sheila K Pierson ◽  
...  

Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a rare hematologic illness involving episodic disease flares with polyclonal cytokine-induced lymphoproliferation, systemic inflammation, and life-threatening multi-organ dysfunction. iMCD is further classified by clinical features and the most severe cases of iMCD often fall into the thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever/elevated C-reactive protein, reticulin myelofibrosis, renal dysfunction, and organomegaly (TAFRO) clinical subtype. A cytokine storm involving interleukin(IL)-6 drives disease pathogenesis in a subset of patients, however only 34% of patients were found to respond to anti-IL-6 therapy with siltuximab in its registrational clinical trial. The identification of next generation therapeutics for iMCD-TAFRO patients has been challenging as the etiology, pathological cell types, and signaling pathways involved in iMCD-TAFRO are largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to identify cellular drivers and pathophysiological mechanisms of iMCD-TAFRO through the use of an unbiased multi-omics approach. We obtained paired bulk peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a cohort of ten iMCD-TAFRO patients isolated during disease flare and clinical remission. These paired PBMC samples were utilized for flow cytometry to assess immune cell frequency and phenotype between iMCD-TAFRO flare and remission as well as between flare and age/sex matched healthy donors (n = 10). Three paired iMCD-TAFRO samples were also selected for transcriptional profiling using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq). We observed phenotypic differences across the T cell, monocyte, and NK cell compartments. We observed a significant increase in the frequency of CD8 T cells within the T cell compartment as well as an increased frequency of granzyme B and perforin expressing CD8 T cells in iMCD-TAFRO flare compared to healthy donors. We also observed a significant increase in the frequency of CD56+ NK cells within the NK cell compartment and a significant increase in the frequency of CD14+ monocytes within the monocyte compartment during iMCD-TAFRO flare compared to healthy donors. Together, these data suggest activation and involvement of CD8 T cell, NK cell, and monocyte subsets during iMCD-TAFRO flare. We next utilized Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) of our single-cell transcriptomics dataset to ask whether circulating immune cell frequencies display enrichment of the 50 Hallmark gene sets during flare compared to remission across three iMCD-TAFRO patients. We found significant enrichment (FDR < 0.01) of genes within the Interferon Alpha Response gene set in circulating non-naïve CD8 T cells, classical monocytes, nonclassical monocytes, NK cells, and dendritic cells. These data suggest that a number of circulating immune cell populations may be responding to Type I interferon (IFN-I) during iMCD-TAFRO flare. In addition, our group has recently reported mTORC1 activation in iMCD and has characterized in three iMCD-TAFRO patients a clinical response following mTOR inhibition with sirolimus. Within our scRNAseq dataset, we identified mTORC1 signaling to be enriched only in circulating classical and nonclassical monocytes during flare. Having observed enrichment of both the Interferon Alpha Response Gene set and the mTORC1 signaling gene set in circulating monocytes, we then asked whether the relative expression of IFN-I response genes and mTORC1 signaling genes are correlated within circulating classical and nonclassical monocytes. Indeed, we observed a significant positive correlation between the average relative expression of mTORC1 signaling genes and IFN-I Response genes across classical, but not nonclassical, monocytes from all three iMCD-TAFRO patients (all R2 ≥0.6, p<0.0001).These data suggest a potential link between IFN-I signaling and mTORC1 signaling activation in classical monocytes in iMCD-TAFRO flare. Following further characterization of this association, we propose investigation into the use of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors in iMCD, as JAK is a proximal signaling molecule downstream of the IFN-alpha/beta receptor (IFNAR) and upstream of mTORC1 signaling. In summary, this dataset demonstrates involvement of multiple immune cell populations and identifies IFN-I signaling as a novel inflammatory gene program that may contribute to iMCD-TAFRO pathogenesis and drive treatment identification. Disclosures van Rhee: Takeda: Consultancy; Sanofi Genzyme: Consultancy; Castleman Disease Collaborative Network: Consultancy; EUSA: Consultancy; Adicet Bio: Consultancy; Kite Pharma: Consultancy; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Consultancy. Fajgenbaum:Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 2143-2157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alak Manna ◽  
Timothy Kellett ◽  
Sonikpreet Aulakh ◽  
Laura J. Lewis-Tuffin ◽  
Navnita Dutta ◽  
...  

Abstract Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are characterized by monoclonal expansion of CD5+CD23+CD27+CD19+κ/λ+ B lymphocytes and are clinically noted to have profound immune suppression. In these patients, it has been recently shown that a subset of B cells possesses regulatory functions and secretes high levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10). Our investigation identified that CLL cells with a CD19+CD24+CD38hi immunophenotype (B regulatory cell [Breg]–like CLL cells) produce high amounts of IL-10 and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and are capable of transforming naive T helper cells into CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) in an IL-10/TGF-β-dependent manner. A strong correlation between the percentage of CD38+ CLL cells and Tregs was observed. CD38hi Tregs comprised more than 50% of Tregs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with CLL. Anti-CD38 targeting agents resulted in lethality of both Breg-like CLL and Treg cells via apoptosis. Ex vivo, use of anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy was associated with a reduction in IL-10 and CLL patient-derived Tregs, but an increase in interferon-γ and proliferation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells with an activated phenotype, which showed an improved ability to lyse patient-autologous CLL cells. Finally, effects of anti-CD38 mAb therapy were validated in a CLL–patient-derived xenograft model in vivo, which showed decreased percentage of Bregs, Tregs, and PD1+CD38hiCD8+ T cells, but increased Th17 and CD8+ T cells (vs vehicle). Altogether, our results demonstrate that targeting CD38 in CLL can modulate the tumor microenvironment; skewing T-cell populations from an immunosuppressive to immune-reactive milieu, thus promoting immune reconstitution for enhanced anti-CLL response.


Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 1994-1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masako Moriuchi ◽  
Hiroyuki Moriuchi

Abstract Although it is widely believed that viral clearance is mediated principally by the destruction of infected cells by cytotoxic T cells, noncytolytic antiviral activity of CD8+ T cells may play a role in preventing the progression to disease in infections with immunodeficiency viruses and hepatitis B virus. We demonstrate here that (1) replication of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is more readily detected from CD8+ T-cell–depleted (CD8−) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy HTLV-I carriers than from unfractionated PBMCs, (2) cocultures of CD8− PBMCs with autologous or allogeneic CD8+ T cells suppressed HTLV-I replication, and (3) CD8+ T-cell anti-HTLV-I activity is not abrogated intrans-well cultures in which CD8+ cells are separated from CD8− PBMCs by a permeable membrane filter. These results suggest that class I-unrestricted noncytolytic anti–HTLV-I activity is mediated, at least in part by a soluble factor(s), and may play a role in the pathogenesis of HTLV-I infection.


2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (10) ◽  
pp. 5187-5199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingsong Qin ◽  
Shwetank ◽  
Elizabeth L. Frost ◽  
Saumya Maru ◽  
Aron E. Lukacher

ABSTRACTMouse polyomavirus (MPyV) is a ubiquitous persistent natural mouse pathogen. A glutamic acid (E)-to-glycine (G) difference at position 91 of the VP1 capsid protein shifts the profile of tumors induced by MPyV from an epithelial to a mesenchymal cell origin. Here we asked if this tropism difference affects the MPyV-specific CD8 T cell response, which controls MPyV infection and tumorigenesis. Infection by the laboratory MPyV strain RA (VP1-91G) or a strain A2 mutant with an E-to-G substitution at VP1 residue 91 [A2(91G)] generated a markedly smaller virus-specific CD8 T cell response than that induced by A2(VP1-91E) infection. Mutant A2(91G)-infected mice showed a higher frequency of memory precursor (CD127hiKLRG1lo) CD8 T cells and a higher recall response than those of A2-infected mice. Using T cell receptor (TCR)-transgenic CD8 T cells and immunization with peptide-pulsed dendritic cells, we found that early bystander inflammation associated with A2 infection contributed to recruitment of the larger MPyV-specific CD8 T cell response. Beta interferon (IFN-β) transcripts were induced early during A2 or A2(91G) infections. IFN-β inhibited replication of A2 and A2(91G)in vitro. Using mice lacking IFN-αβ receptors (IFNAR−/−), we showed that type I IFNs played a role in controlling MPyV replicationin vivobut differentially affected the magnitude and functionality of virus-specific CD8 T cells recruited by A2 and A2(91G) viral infections. These data indicate that type I IFNs are involved in protection against MPyV infection and that their effect on the antiviral CD8 T cell response depends on capsid-mediated tropism properties of the MPyV strain.IMPORTANCEIsolates of the human polyomavirus JC virus from patients with the frequently fatal demyelinating brain disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) carry single amino acid substitutions in the domain of the VP1 capsid protein that binds the sialic acid moiety of glycoprotein/glycolipid receptors on host cells. These VP1 mutations may alter neural cell tropism or enable escape from neutralizing antibodies. Changes in host cell tropism can affect recruitment of virus-specific CD8 T cells. Using mouse polyomavirus, we demonstrate that a single amino acid difference in VP1 known to shift viral tropism profoundly affects the quantity and quality of the anti-polyomavirus CD8 T cell response and its differentiation into memory cells. These findings raise the possibility that CD8 T cell responses to infections by human polyomaviruses may be influenced by VP1 mutations involving domains that engage host cell receptors.


Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muzaffar H Qazilbash ◽  
Neeraj Y Saini ◽  
Cha Soung-chul ◽  
Zhe Wang ◽  
Edward Stadtmauer ◽  
...  

We hypothesized that combining adoptively transferred autologous T cells with a cancer vaccine strategy would enhance therapeutic efficacy by adding anti-myeloma idiotype-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (Id-KLH) vaccine to vaccine-specific co-stimulated T cells. In this randomized, phase II trial, eligible patients received either the control (KLH only) or Id-KLH vaccine, an auto-transplant, vaccine-specific co-stimulated T-cells expanded ex-vivo, and two booster doses of the assigned vaccine. In 36 patients (20 in KLH, 16 in Id-KLH) enrolled, no dose-limiting toxicity was seen in either arm. At last evaluation, 6 (30%) and 8 (50%) had achieved complete remission in KLH-only and Id-KLH, respectively (p=0.22) and no difference in 3-year progression-free survival was observed (59% and 56%, respectively; p=0.32). In a 594 Nanostring nCounter gene panel analyzed for immune reconstitution (IR), compared with KLH-only patients, there was a greater change in IR genes in T-cells in Id-KLH patients relative to baseline. Specifically, upregulation of genes associated with activation, induction of effector function, and generation of memory CD8+ T cells after Id-KLH, but not after KLH control vaccination, was observed. Similarly, responding patients across both arms were associated with upregulation of genes associated with T-cell activation. At baseline, all patients had greater expression of CD8+ T-cell exhaustion markers. These changes were associated with functional Id-specific immune responses in a subset of Id-KLH patients analyzed. In conclusion, in this combination immunotherapy approach, we observed a significantly more robust IR in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the Id-KLH arm, supporting further investigation of vaccine and adoptive immunotherapy strategies.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 111 (10) ◽  
pp. 5163-5172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Chen ◽  
Mike Petrus ◽  
Bonita R. Bryant ◽  
Vinh Phuc Nguyen ◽  
Mindy Stamer ◽  
...  

AbstractThe etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I). The HTLV-I protein Tax alters gene expression, including those of cytokines and their receptors, which plays an important role in early stages of ATL. Here we demonstrate that expression of interleukin-9 (IL-9) is activated by Tax via an NF-κB motif in its proximal promoter, whereas IL-9 receptor-α (IL-9Rα) expression is not induced by Tax. However, supporting a role for IL-9/IL-9Rα in ATL, a neutralizing monoclonal antibody directed toward IL-9Rα inhibited ex vivo spontaneous proliferation of primary ATL cells from several patients. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis of freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from these patients revealed high level expression of IL-9Rα on their CD14-expressing monocytes. Furthermore, purified T cells or monocytes alone from these patients did not proliferate ex vivo, whereas mixtures of these cell types manifested significant proliferation through a contact-dependent manner. Taken together, our data suggest that primary ATL cells, via IL-9, support the action of IL-9Rα/CD14-expressing monocytes, which subsequently support the ex vivo spontaneous proliferation of malignant T cells. In summary, these data support a role for IL-9 and its receptor in ATL by a paracrine mechanism.


2010 ◽  
Vol 207 (8) ◽  
pp. 1791-1804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth D. Thompson ◽  
Hilda L. Enriquez ◽  
Yang-Xin Fu ◽  
Victor H. Engelhard

Studies of T cell responses to tumors have focused on the draining lymph node (LN) as the site of activation. We examined the tumor mass as a potential site of activation after adoptive transfer of naive tumor-specific CD8 T cells. Activated CD8 T cells were present in tumors within 24 h of adoptive transfer and proliferation of these cells was also evident 4–5 d later in mice treated with FTY720 to prevent infiltration of cells activated in LNs. To confirm that activation of these T cells occurred in the tumor and not the tumor-draining LNs, we used mice lacking LNs. Activated and proliferating tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were evident in these mice 24 h and 4 d after naive cell transfer. T cells activated within tumors acquired effector function that was evident both ex vivo and in vivo. Both cross-presenting antigen presenting cells within the tumor and tumor cells directly presenting antigen activated these functional CD8 effectors. We conclude that tumors support the infiltration, activation, and effector differentiation of naive CD8 T cells, despite the presence of immunosuppressive mechanisms. Thus, targeting of T cell activation to tumors may present a tool in the development of cancer immunotherapy.


Blood ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 2084-2093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander D. McLellan ◽  
Michaela Kapp ◽  
Andreas Eggert ◽  
Christian Linden ◽  
Ursula Bommhardt ◽  
...  

Abstract Mouse spleen contains CD4+, CD8α+, and CD4−/CD8α− dendritic cells (DCs) in a 2:1:1 ratio. An analysis of 70 surface and cytoplasmic antigens revealed several differences in antigen expression between the 3 subsets. Notably, the Birbeck granule–associated Langerin antigen, as well as CD103 (the mouse homologue of the rat DC marker OX62), were specifically expressed by the CD8α+ DC subset. All DC types were apparent in the T-cell areas as well as in the splenic marginal zones and showed similar migratory capacity in collagen lattices. The 3 DC subtypes stimulated allogeneic CD4+ T cells comparably. However, CD8α+ DCs were very weak stimulators of resting or activated allogeneic CD8+ T cells, even at high stimulator-to-responder ratios, although this defect could be overcome under optimal DC/T cell ratios and peptide concentrations using CD8+ F5 T-cell receptor (TCR)–transgenic T cells. CD8α− or CD8α+DCs presented alloantigens with the same efficiency for lysis by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and their turnover rate of class I–peptide complexes was similar, thus neither an inability to present, nor rapid loss of antigenic complexes from CD8α DCs was responsible for the low allostimulatory capacity of CD8α+ DCs in vitro. Surprisingly, both CD8α+ DCs and CD4−/CD8− DCs efficiently primed minor histocompatibility (H-Y male antigen) cytotoxicity following intravenous injection, whereas CD4+ DCs were weak inducers of CTLs. Thus, the inability of CD8α+ DCs to stimulate CD8+ T cells is limited to certain in vitro assays that must lack certain enhancing signals present during in vivo interaction between CD8α+ DCs and CD8+ T cells.


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