Creating a robust framework for the analysis of cryopreserved samples in quantitative immunological experiments

Novel Method Enabling the Use of Cryopreserved Primary Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells in Functional Drug Screens

The ability to assess antileukemic drug activity on primary patient samples is a powerful tool in determining potential drug targets and selection of therapeutic agents with biological and functional rationale. We previously established small molecule inhibitor screens for use on freshly isolated leukemia cells for this purpose. Here we describe a method that produces functional small molecule inhibitor screening results using cryopreserved primary acute myeloid leukemia cells. This method was established to take advantage of biorepositories containing archival material, such as those established by the Children's Oncology Group, and to enable validation of potential pathway dependencies uncovered by genomic analysis. Various conditions used to thaw and culture cryopreserved specimens were assessed for effect on viability, differentiation, and the ability to recapitulate sensitivity results obtained on fresh samples. The most reproducible results were obtained by quick-thawing and culturing samples in cytokine rich media before performing drug screens. Our data suggest that cytokine-enriched media aids in maintaining the viability and numbers required to perform functional analysis on cryopreserved leukemia cells. This method can aid in producing informative data on therapeutic targeting and precision medicine efforts in leukemia by making use of biorepositories and bio banks.

Comparative phenotypical analysis of B cells in fresh and cryopreserved mononuclear cells from blood and tissue of rhesus macaques

Cryopreservation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is common for large clinical trials for which phenotypical characterization of lymphocytes is retrospectively performed in specialized core laboratories. It is therefore essential to assess the comparability between fresh and frozen samples. No side-by-side comparison of B and plasma cells of rhesus macaques (RM), which serve as useful models for several human diseases has been conducted until now. Hence, we performed an extensive comparative analysis between fresh and thawed mononuclear cells (MNCs) from blood and various tissues of healthy RM to analyze for the possible effects of cryopreservation on phenotype and functionality. Our data demonstrate that -80°C cryopreservation induces profound changes compared to fresh ex vivo-derived material. Percentages of B cells were stable in PBMCs, but were increased in all organs analyzed. The expression of CD27, a marker for differentiation between naïve and memory B cells, was massively reduced in PBMCs and MNC from organs with the most severe changes observed in cells from bone marrow (BM). Additionally, similar low percentages of CD27(+) memory B cells were detected in PBMCs and BM samples stored in liquid nitrogen. Therefore, cryopreservation is not suitable for the phenotypical and functional characterization of B cells. Further optimization of cryoconservation protocols monitoring the surface expression of CD27, which was identified as a marker for the quality of cryopreserved material of RM, will be essential.

Influence of frequent infectious exposures on general and varicella-zoster virus-specific immune responses in pediatricians

Reexposure to viruses is assumed to strengthen humoral and cellular immunity via the secondary immune response. We studied the effects of frequent exposure to viral infectious challenges on immunity. Furthermore, we assessed whether repetitive exposures to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) elicited persistently high immune responses. Blood samples from 11 pediatricians and matched controls were assessed at 3 time points and 1 time point, respectively. Besides the assessment of general immunity by means of measuring T-cell subset percentages, antibody titers and gamma interferon (IFN-γ)/interleukin 2 (IL-2)-producing T-cell percentages against adenovirus type 5 (AdV-5), cytomegalovirus (CMV), tetanus toxin (TT), and VZV were determined. Pediatricians had lower levels of circulating CD4(+)-naive T cells and showed boosting of CD8(+) effector memory T cells. Although no effect on humoral immunity was seen, repetitive exposures to VZV induced persistently higher percentages of IFN-γ-positive T cells against all VZV antigens tested (VZV glycoprotein E [gE], VZV intermediate-early protein 62 [IE62], and VZV IE63) than in controls. T cells directed against latency-associated VZV IE63 benefitted the most from natural exogenous boosting. Although no differences in cellular or humoral immunity were found between the pediatricians and controls for AdV-5 or TT, we did find larger immune responses against CMV antigens in pediatricians. Despite the high infectious burden, we detected a robust and diverse immune system in pediatricians. Repetitive exposures to VZV have been shown to induce a stable increased level of VZV-specific cellular but not humoral immunity. Based on our observations, VZV IE63 can be considered a candidate for a zoster vaccine.