Immune monitoring of blood in advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma patients treated with an anti-MMP9 monoclonal antibody in combination with nivolumab.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5_suppl) ◽  
pp. 13-13
Author(s):  
Shigehisa Kitano ◽  
Makiko Yamashita ◽  
Kei Muro ◽  
Taroh Satoh ◽  
Kensei Yamaguchi ◽  
...  

13 Background: A phase 1b study was conducted in Japanese patients with >2nd line advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) to evaluate the safety, tolerability and explore efficacy and biomarkers, of andecaliximab (ADX), an anti-MMP9 monoclonal antibody, in combination with nivolumab (nivo). In this study, 5 of the 10 enrolled patients had a partial response and the remaining 5 had progressive disease. A larger parallel study in western patients showed no improvement in response or survival for the addition of ADX to nivo. A biomarker study is reported here which explored the hypothesis that baseline levels or early changes in the frequency of peripheral immune cells might identify responders to immunotherapy. Methods: Blood samples were collected at screen, C1D1, C1D8, C1D15, C2D1, C2D15 and then at CXD1 until end of treatment and processed to viably-frozen PBMCs. Immune cell analysis was conducted by flow cytometry (FCM), and included evaluation of T cells, B cells, myeloid derived suppressor cells, NK cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells (DCs). Baseline status and on treatment changes were explored. Results: FCM analysis of peripheral blood showed that the 5 responders had higher frequency of LAG3+CD8+ T cells and myeloid DCs, and lower frequency of plasmacytoid DC than non-responders at baseline. The number of CD8+ T cells decreased at C1D8 and then recovered in responders. In contrast, no CD8+ T cell changes were observed in non-responders. CTLA-4+ CD4+ T cells also increased after treatment in responders but not in non-responders. Changes in other evaluated cell populations were not observed. Conclusions: The observation that baseline levels of LAG3+CD8+ T cells and DCs were higher in responders is consistent with a prior anti-tumor immune response. Transient decreased peripheral CD8+ T cells might reflect T-cell trafficking into tumor in response to immunotherapy, and increased peripheral CTLA-4+ CD4+ T cells may also relate to tumor-localized response. Although in a very small number of patients, the observations are consistent with early changes in peripheral immune cells that may relate to response to immunotherapy. Clinical trial information: NCT02862535.

Hypertension ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 64 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Hatahet ◽  
Olga Y Gasheva ◽  
Valorie L Chiasson ◽  
Piyali Chatterjee ◽  
Kelsey R Bounds ◽  
...  

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder characterized by vascular endothelial dysfunction and excessive immunity and inflammation. Activation of the dsRNA receptor Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) or the ssRNA receptor TLR7 elicits a pregnancy-dependent PE-like syndrome in mice by inducing a pro-inflammatory immune response. CD74 (MHC Class II invariant chain) acts as a chaperone for MHC Class II surface expression on immune cells during antigen presentation and is cleaved into Class II-Associated Invariant Peptide (CLIP) following polyclonal activation of immune cell TLRs. The presence of CLIP in the groove of MHC Class II prevents T cell-dependent death leading to persistent immune cell activation. We hypothesized that genetic deletion of CD74 and subsequent depletion of CLIP on immune cells prevents TLR-induced immune responses and the development of PE in mice. Pregnant WT and CD74 KO mice were given i.p. injections of normal saline (P), poly I:C (TLR3 agonist; P-PIC), or R837 (TLR7 agonist; P-R837) on gestational days 13, 15, and 17 and euthanized on day 18. P-PIC and P-R837 WT mice had significantly increased splenic levels of pro-inflammatory CD3+/gd T cells and plasma levels of the gd T cell-derived cytokines IFNg, TNFa, and IL-17 compared to P WT mice whereas P-PIC and P-R837 CD74 KO mice had significantly increased anti-inflammatory CD3+/gd T cells and no significant increases in plasma IFNg, TNFa, and IL-17 levels. P-PIC and P-R837 CD74 KO mice did not develop the hypertension (gd17 SBP in mmHg: P WT=102±3, P CD74 KO=100±3, P-PIC WT=147±4*, P-PIC CD74 KO=95±3, P-R837 WT=133±2*, P-R837 CD74 KO=97±1; *p<0.05 vs. P WT), endothelial dysfunction, proteinuria, or placental necrosis seen in P-PIC and P-R837 WT mice. In conclusion, CD74 is crucial for the development of TLR-induced PE-like symptoms in mice and CD74/CLIP depletion may be a promising therapeutic target for women with PE.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 32-33
Author(s):  
Tomohiro Aoki ◽  
Lauren C. Chong ◽  
Katsuyoshi Takata ◽  
Katy Milne ◽  
Elizabeth Chavez ◽  
...  

Introduction: Classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) features a unique crosstalk between malignant cells and different types of normal immune cells in the tumor-microenvironment (TME). On the basis of histomorphologic and immunophenotypic features of the malignant Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells and infiltrating immune cells, four histological subtypes of CHL are recognized: Nodular sclerosing (NS), Mixed cellularity, Lymphocyte-rich (LR) and Lymphocyte-depleted CHL. Recently, our group described the high abundance of various types of immunosuppressive CD4+ T cells including LAG3+ and/or CTLA4+ cells in the TME of CHL using single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq). However, the TME of LR-CHL has not been well characterized due to the rarity of the disease. In this study, we aimed at characterizing the immune cell profile of LR-CHL at single cell resolution. METHODS: We performed scRNAseq on cell suspensions collected from lymph nodes of 28 primary CHL patients, including 11 NS, 9 MC and 8 LR samples, with 5 reactive lymph nodes (RLN) serving as normal controls. We merged the expression data from all cells (CHL and RLN) and performed batch correction and normalization. We also performed single- and multi-color immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue microarray (TMA) slides from the same patients. In addition, an independent validation cohort of 31 pre-treatment LR-CHL samples assembled on a TMA, were also evaluated by IHC. Results: A total of 23 phenotypic cell clusters were identified using unsupervised clustering (PhenoGraph). We assigned each cluster to a cell type based on the expression of genes described in published transcriptome data of sorted immune cells and known canonical markers. While most immune cell phenotypes were present in all pathological subtypes, we observed a lower abundance of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in LR-CHL in comparison to the other CHL subtypes. Conversely, we found that B cells were enriched in LR-CHL when compared to the other subtypes and specifically, all four naïve B-cell clusters were quantitatively dominated by cells derived from the LR-CHL samples. T follicular helper (TFH) cells support antibody response and differentiation of B cells. Our data show the preferential enrichment of TFH in LR-CHL as compared to other CHL subtypes, but TFH cells were still less frequent compared to RLN. Of note, Chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 13 (CXCL13) was identified as the most up-regulated gene in LR compared to RLN. CXCL13, which is a ligand of C-X-C motif receptor 5 (CXCR5) is well known as a B-cell attractant via the CXCR5-CXCL13 axis. Analyzing co-expression patterns on the single cell level revealed that the majority of CXCL13+ T cells co-expressed PD-1 and ICOS, which is known as a universal TFH marker, but co-expression of CXCR5, another common TFH marker, was variable. Notably, classical TFH cells co-expressing CXCR5 and PD-1 were significantly enriched in RLN, whereas PD-1+ CXCL13+ CXCR5- CD4+ T cells were significantly enriched in LR-CHL. These co-expression patterns were validated using flow cytometry. Moreover, the expression of CXCR5 on naïve B cells in the TME was increased in LR-CHL compared to the other CHL subtypes We next sought to understand the spatial relationship between CXCL13+ T cells and malignant HRS cells. IHC of all cases revealed that CXCL13+ T cells were significantly enriched in the LR-CHL TME compared to other subtypes of CHL, and 46% of the LR-CHL cases showed CXCL13+ T cell rosettes closely surrounding HRS cells. Since PD-1+ T cell rosettes are known as a specific feature of LR-CHL, we confirmed co-expression of PD-1 in the rosetting cells by IHC in these cases. Conclusions: Our results reveal a unique TME composition in LR-CHL. LR-CHL seems to be distinctly characterized among the CHL subtypes by enrichment of CXCR5+ naïve B cells and CD4+ CXCL13+ PD-1+ T cells, indicating the importance of the CXCR5-CXCL13 axis in the pathogenesis of LR-CHL. Figure Disclosures Savage: BeiGene: Other: Steering Committee; Merck, BMS, Seattle Genetics, Gilead, AstraZeneca, AbbVie: Honoraria; Roche (institutional): Research Funding; Merck, BMS, Seattle Genetics, Gilead, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Servier: Consultancy. Scott:Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy; NanoString: Patents & Royalties: Named inventor on a patent licensed to NanoString, Research Funding; NIH: Consultancy, Other: Co-inventor on a patent related to the MCL35 assay filed at the National Institutes of Health, United States of America.; Roche/Genentech: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy. Steidl:AbbVie: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy; Curis Inc: Consultancy; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guohe Song ◽  
Yang Shi ◽  
Meiying Zhang ◽  
Shyamal Goswami ◽  
Saifullah Afridi ◽  
...  

AbstractDiverse immune cells in the tumor microenvironment form a complex ecosystem, but our knowledge of their heterogeneity and dynamics within hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still remains limited. To assess the plasticity and phenotypes of immune cells within HBV/HCV-related HCC microenvironment at single-cell level, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on 41,698 immune cells from seven pairs of HBV/HCV-related HCC tumors and non-tumor liver tissues. We combined bio-informatic analyses, flow cytometry, and multiplex immunohistochemistry to assess the heterogeneity of different immune cell subsets in functional characteristics, transcriptional regulation, phenotypic switching, and interactions. We identified 29 immune cell subsets of myeloid cells, NK cells, and lymphocytes with unique transcriptomic profiles in HCC. A highly complex immunological network was shaped by diverse immune cell subsets that can transit among different states and mutually interact. Notably, we identified a subset of M2 macrophage with high expression of CCL18 and transcription factor CREM that was enriched in advanced HCC patients, and potentially participated in tumor progression. We also detected a new subset of activated CD8+ T cells highly expressing XCL1 that correlated with better patient survival rates. Meanwhile, distinct transcriptomic signatures, cytotoxic phenotypes, and evolution trajectory of effector CD8+ T cells from early-stage to advanced HCC were also identified. Our study provides insight into the immune microenvironment in HBV/HCV-related HCC and highlights novel macrophage and T-cell subsets that could be further exploited in future immunotherapy.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (10) ◽  
pp. 5184-5193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana M. Brainard ◽  
William G. Tharp ◽  
Elva Granado ◽  
Nicholas Miller ◽  
Alicja K. Trocha ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Cell-mediated immunity depends in part on appropriate migration and localization of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), a process regulated by chemokines and adhesion molecules. Many viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), encode chemotactically active proteins, suggesting that dysregulation of immune cell trafficking may be a strategy for immune evasion. HIV-1 gp120, a retroviral envelope protein, has been shown to act as a T-cell chemoattractant via binding to the chemokine receptor and HIV-1 coreceptor CXCR4. We have previously shown that T cells move away from the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) in a concentration-dependent and CXCR4 receptor-mediated manner. Here, we demonstrate that CXCR4-binding HIV-1 X4 gp120 causes the movement of T cells, including HIV-specific CTL, away from high concentrations of the viral protein. This migratory response is CD4 independent and inhibited by anti-CXCR4 antibodies and pertussis toxin. Additionally, the expression of X4 gp120 by target cells reduces CTL efficacy in an in vitro system designed to account for the effect of cell migration on the ability of CTL to kill their target cells. Recombinant X4 gp120 also significantly reduced antigen-specific T-cell infiltration at a site of antigen challenge in vivo. The repellant activity of HIV-1 gp120 on immune cells in vitro and in vivo was shown to be dependent on the V2 and V3 loops of HIV-1 gp120. These data suggest that the active movement of T cells away from CXCR4-binding HIV-1 gp120, which we previously termed fugetaxis, may provide a novel mechanism by which HIV-1 evades challenge by immune effector cells in vivo.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-241
Author(s):  
Deepa Rana Jamwal ◽  
Raji V Marati ◽  
Christy A Harrison ◽  
Monica T Midura-Kiela ◽  
Vanessa R Figliuolo Paz ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial disorder, with the innate and adaptive immune cells contributing to disease initiation and progression. However, the intricate cross-talk between immune cell lineages remains incompletely understood. The role of CD8+ T cells in IBD pathogenesis has been understudied, largely due to the lack of appropriate models. Methods We previously reported spontaneous colitis in mice with impaired TGFβ signaling due to dendritic cell–specific knockout of TGFbR2 (TGFβR2ΔDC). Here, we demonstrate that crossing TGFβR2ΔDC mice with a Rag1-/- background eliminates all symptoms of colitis and that adoptive transfer of unfractionated CD3+ splenocytes is sufficient to induce progressive colitis in Rag1-/-TGFβR2ΔDC mice. Results Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are required for the induction of colitis accompanied by activation of both T-cell lineages and DCs, increased expression of mucosal IFNγ, TNFα, IL6, IL1β, and IL12, and decreased frequencies of CD4+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. Development of colitis required CD40L expression in CD4+ T cells, and the disease was partially ameliorated by IFNγ neutralization. Conclusions This novel model provides an important tool for studying IBD pathogenesis, in particular the complex interactions among innate and adaptive immune cells in a controlled fashion, and represents a valuable tool for preclinical evaluation of novel therapeutics.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 598
Author(s):  
Valérie Janelle ◽  
Jean-Sébastien Delisle

Over the last decades, cellular immunotherapy has revealed its curative potential. However, inherent physiological characteristics of immune cells can limit the potency of this approach. Best defined in T cells, dysfunction associated with terminal differentiation, exhaustion, senescence, and activation-induced cell death, undermine adoptive cell therapies. In this review, we concentrate on how the multiple mechanisms that articulate the various forms of immune dysfunction impact cellular therapies primarily involving conventional T cells, but also other lymphoid subtypes. The repercussions of immune cell dysfunction across the full life cycle of cell therapy, from the source material, during manufacturing, and after adoptive transfer, are discussed, with an emphasis on strategies used during ex vivo manipulations to limit T-cell dysfunction. Applicable to cellular products prepared from native and unmodified immune cells, as well as genetically engineered therapeutics, the understanding and potential modulation of dysfunctional features are key to the development of improved cellular immunotherapies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caleb R. Stoltzfus ◽  
Ramya Sivakumar ◽  
Leo Kunz ◽  
Brandy E. Olin Pope ◽  
Elena Menietti ◽  
...  

Tumors are populated by a multitude of immune cell types with varied phenotypic and functional properties, which can either promote or inhibit anti-tumor responses. Appropriate localization and function of these cells within tumors is critical for protective immunity, with CD8 T cell infiltration being a biomarker of disease outcome and therapeutic efficacy. Recent multiplexed imaging approaches have revealed highly complex patterns of localization for these immune cell subsets and the generation of distinct tumor microenvironments (TMEs), which can vary among cancer types, individuals, and within individual tumors. While it is recognized that TMEs play a pivotal role in disease progression, a better understanding of their composition, organization, and heterogeneity, as well as how distinct TMEs are reshaped with immunotherapy, is necessary. Here, we performed spatial analysis using multi-parameter confocal imaging, histocytometry, and CytoMAP to study the microanatomical organization of immune cells in two widely used preclinical cancer models, the MC38 colorectal and KPC pancreatic murine tumors engineered to express human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Immune responses were examined in either unperturbed tumors or after immunotherapy with a CEA T cell bispecific (CEA-TCB) surrogate antibody and anti-PD-L1 treatment. CEA-TCB mono and combination immunotherapy markedly enhanced intra-tumoral cellularity of CD8 T cells, dominantly driven by the expansion of TCF1-PD1+ effector T cells and with more minor increases in TCF1+PD1+ resource CD8 T cells. The majority of infiltrating T cells, particularly resource CD8 T cells, were colocalized with dendritic cells (DCs) or activated MHCII+ macrophages, but largely avoided the deeper tumor nest regions composed of cancer cells and non-activated macrophages. These myeloid cell – T cell aggregates were found in close proximity to tumor blood vessels, generating perivascular immune niches. This perivascular TME was present in untreated samples and markedly increased after CEA-TCB therapy, with its relative abundance positively associated with response to therapy. Together, these studies demonstrate the utility of advanced spatial analysis in cancer research by revealing that blood vessels are key organizational hubs of innate and adaptive immune cells within tumors, and suggesting the likely relevance of the perivascular immune TME in disease outcome.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia Y. Kim-Wang ◽  
Abigail G. Holt ◽  
Alyssa M. McGowan ◽  
Stephanie T. Danyluk ◽  
Adam P. Goode ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus tears are common knee injuries. Despite the high rate of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) following these injuries, the contributing factors remain unclear. In this study, we characterized the immune cell profiles of normal and injured joints at the time of ACL and meniscal surgeries. Methods Twenty-nine patients (14 meniscus-injured and 15 ACL-injured) undergoing ACL and/or meniscus surgery but with a normal contralateral knee were recruited. During surgery, synovial fluid was aspirated from both normal and injured knees. Synovial fluid cells were pelleted, washed, and stained with an antibody cocktail consisting of fluorescent antibodies for cell surface proteins. Analysis of immune cells in the synovial fluid was performed by polychromatic flow cytometry. A broad spectrum immune cell panel was used in the first 10 subjects. Based on these results, a T cell-specific panel was used in the subsequent 19 subjects. Results Using the broad spectrum immune cell panel, we detected significantly more total viable cells and CD3 T cells in the injured compared to the paired normal knees. In addition, there were significantly more injured knees with T cells above a 500-cell threshold. Within the injured knees, CD4 and CD8 T cells were able to be differentiated into subsets. The frequency of total CD4 T cells was significantly different among injury types, but no statistical differences were detected among CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets by injury type. Conclusions Our findings provide foundational data showing that ACL and meniscus injuries induce an immune cell-rich microenvironment that consists primarily of T cells with multiple T helper phenotypes. Future studies investigating the relationship between immune cells and joint degeneration may provide an enhanced understanding of the pathophysiology of PTOA following joint injury.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Xu ◽  
Jianping Jia

The peripheral immune system is thought to affect the pathology of the central nervous system in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, current knowledge is inadequate for understanding the characteristics of peripheral immune cells in AD. This study aimed to explore the molecular basis of peripheral immune cells and the features of adaptive immune repertoire at a single cell level. We profiled 36,849 peripheral blood mononuclear cells from AD patients with amyloid-positive status and normal controls with amyloid-negative status by 5’ single-cell transcriptome and immune repertoire sequencing using the cell ranger standard analysis procedure. We revealed five immune cell subsets: CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, and monocytes–macrophages cells, and disentangled the characteristic alterations of cell subset proportion and gene expression patterns in AD. Thirty-one cell type-specific key genes, comprising abundant human leukocyte antigen genes, and multiple immune-related pathways were identified by protein–protein interaction network and pathway enrichment analysis. We also found high-frequency amplification clonotypes in T and B cells and decreased diversity in T cells in AD. As clone amplification suggested the activation of an adaptive immune response against specific antigens, we speculated that the peripheral adaptive immune response, especially mediated by T cells, may have a role in the pathogenesis of AD. This finding may also contribute to further research regarding disease mechanism and the development of immune-related biomarkers or therapy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Zhang

Abstract Brucellosis is one of the most prevalent zoonoses in the world. Incidence of the disease has increased significantly in recent years and has seriously affected the health of human beings and the development of animal husbandry. The pathogenesis of brucellosis remains unclear. Current studies suggest that this disease may be related to changes in natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages in immune cell subsets. Brucellosis may be also related to T helper (Th) 1 cell/Th2 cell imbalance in the CD4+ T cell subset, immunoregulation of regulatory T cells and Th17 cells, and the mechanism of action of CD8+ T cell. This paper aims to review the research progress on these inherent immune cells, the CD4+ T cell subset, and CD8+ T cells in Brucella infection.


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