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Niu L, Jang E, Chin AL, Huo Z, Wang W, Cai W, Tong R. Noncovalently particle-anchored cytokines with prolonged tumor retention safely elicit potent antitumor immunity. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk7695. [PMID: 38640236 PMCID: PMC11029804 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk7695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Preclinical studies have shown that immunostimulatory cytokines elicit antitumor immune responses but their clinical use is limited by severe immune-related adverse events upon systemic administration. Here, we report a facile and versatile strategy for noncovalently anchoring potent Fc-fused cytokine molecules to the surface of size-discrete particles decorated with Fc-binding peptide for local administration. Following intratumoral injection, particle-anchored Fc cytokines exhibit size-dependent intratumoral retention. The 1-micrometer particle prolongs intratumoral retention of Fc cytokine for over a week and has minimal systemic exposure, thereby eliciting antitumor immunity while eliminating systemic toxicity caused by circulating cytokines. In addition, the combination of these particle-anchored cytokines with immune checkpoint blockade antibodies safely promotes tumor regression in various syngeneic tumor models and genetically engineered murine tumor models and elicits systemic antitumor immunity against tumor rechallenge. Our formulation strategy renders a safe and tumor-agnostic approach that uncouples cytokines' immunostimulatory properties from their systemic toxicities for potential clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqian Niu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 635 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Eungyo Jang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 635 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Ai Lin Chin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 635 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Ziyu Huo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 635 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Wenbo Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 445 Old Turner Street, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Wenjun Cai
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 445 Old Turner Street, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Rong Tong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 635 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
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2
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van Stevendaal MME, Hazegh Nikroo A, Mason AF, Jansen J, Yewdall NA, van Hest JCM. Regulating Chemokine-Receptor Interactions through the Site-Specific Bioorthogonal Conjugation of Photoresponsive DNA Strands. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:2089-2095. [PMID: 37856672 PMCID: PMC10655040 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Oligonucleotide conjugation has emerged as a versatile molecular tool for regulating protein activity. A state-of-the-art labeling strategy includes the site-specific conjugation of DNA, by employing bioorthogonal groups genetically incorporated in proteins through unnatural amino acids (UAAs). The incorporation of UAAs in chemokines has to date, however, remained underexplored, probably due to their sometimes poor stability following recombinant expression. In this work, we designed a fluorescent stromal-derived factor-1β (SDF-1β) chemokine fusion protein with a bioorthogonal functionality amenable for click reactions. Using amber stop codon suppression, p-azido-L-phenylalanine was site-specifically incorporated in the fluorescent N-terminal fusion partner, superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP). Conjugation to single-stranded DNAs (ssDNA), modified with a photocleavable spacer and a reactive bicyclononyne moiety, was performed to create a DNA-caged species that blocked the receptor binding ability. This inhibition was completely reversible by means of photocleavage of the ssDNA strands. The results described herein provide a versatile new direction for spatiotemporally regulating chemokine-receptor interactions, which is promising for tissue engineering purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marleen
H. M. E. van Stevendaal
- Laboratory
of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Hazegh Nikroo
- Laboratory
of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander F. Mason
- School
of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jitske Jansen
- Department
of Pathology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - N. Amy Yewdall
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, 8041 Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Jan C. M. van Hest
- Laboratory
of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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3
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Yang H, Tel J. Engineering global and local signal generators for probing temporal and spatial cellular signaling dynamics. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1239026. [PMID: 37790255 PMCID: PMC10543096 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1239026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells constantly encounter a wide range of environmental signals and rely on their signaling pathways to initiate reliable responses. Understanding the underlying signaling mechanisms and cellular behaviors requires signal generators capable of providing diverse input signals to deliver to cell systems. Current research efforts are primarily focused on exploring cellular responses to global or local signals, which enable us to understand cellular signaling and behavior in distinct dimensions. This review presents recent advancements in global and local signal generators, highlighting their applications in studying temporal and spatial signaling activity. Global signals can be generated using microfluidic or photochemical approaches. Local signal sources can be created using living or artificial cells in combination with different control methods. We also address the strengths and limitations of each signal generator type, discussing challenges and potential extensions for future research. These approaches are expected to continue to facilitate on-going research to discover novel and intriguing cellular signaling mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haowen Yang
- Laboratory of Immunoengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Jurjen Tel
- Laboratory of Immunoengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
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4
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Birnbaum L, Sullivan EC, Do P, Uricoli B, Raikar SS, Porter CC, Henry CJ, Dreaden EC. Multicolor Light-Induced Immune Activation via Polymer Photocaged Cytokines. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1164-1172. [PMID: 36745712 PMCID: PMC10015458 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cytokines act as potent, extracellular signals of the human immune system and can elicit striking treatment responses in patients with autoimmune disease, tissue damage, and cancer. Yet, despite their therapeutic potential, recombinant cytokine-mediated immune responses remain difficult to control as their administration is often systemic, whereas their intended sites of action are localized. To address the challenge of spatially and temporally constraining cytokine signals, we recently devised a strategy whereby recombinant cytokines are reversibly inactivated via chemical modification with photo-labile polymers that respond to visible LED light. Extending this approach to enable both in vivo and multicolor immune activation, here we describe a strategy whereby cytokines appended with heptamethine cyanine-polyethylene glycol are selectively re-activated ex vivo using tissue-penetrating near-infrared (NIR) light. We show that NIR LED light illumination of caged, pro-inflammatory cytokines restores cognate receptor signaling and potentiates the activity of T cell-engager cancer immunotherapies ex vivo. Using combinations of visible- and NIR-responsive cytokines, we further demonstrate multiwavelength optical control of T cell cytolysis ex vivo, as well as the ability to perform Boolean logic using multicolored light and orthogonally photocaged cytokine pairs as inputs and T cell activity as outputs. Together, this work demonstrates a novel approach to control extracellular immune cell signals using light, a strategy that in the future may improve our understanding of and ability to treat cancer and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lacey
A. Birnbaum
- Coulter
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Emily C. Sullivan
- Molecular
and Systems Pharmacology Graduate Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, United States
| | - Priscilla Do
- Coulter
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Biaggio Uricoli
- Coulter
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Sunil S. Raikar
- Winship
Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Aflac
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Christopher C. Porter
- Winship
Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Aflac
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Curtis J. Henry
- Winship
Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Aflac
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Erik C. Dreaden
- Coulter
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia
Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- Winship
Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Aflac
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Petit Institute
for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia
Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
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5
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Kong YW, Dreaden EC. PEG: Will It Come Back to You? Polyethelyne Glycol Immunogenicity, COVID Vaccines, and the Case for New PEG Derivatives and Alternatives. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:879988. [PMID: 35573237 PMCID: PMC9092184 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.879988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wen Kong
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Yi Wen Kong, ; Erik C Dreaden, ,
| | - Erik C Dreaden
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: Yi Wen Kong, ; Erik C Dreaden, ,
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Uricoli B, Birnbaum LA, Do P, Kelvin JM, Jain J, Costanza E, Chyong A, Porter CC, Rafiq S, Dreaden EC. Engineered Cytokines for Cancer and Autoimmune Disease Immunotherapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2002214. [PMID: 33690997 PMCID: PMC8651077 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202002214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cytokine signaling is critical to a range of biological processes including cell development, tissue repair, aging, and immunity. In addition to acting as key signal mediators of the immune system, cytokines can also serve as potent immunotherapies with more than 20 recombinant products currently Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved to treat conditions including hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and various cancers. Yet despite their biological importance and clinical utility, cytokine immunotherapies suffer from intrinsic challenges that limit their therapeutic potential including poor circulation, systemic toxicity, and low tissue- or cell-specificity. In the past decade in particular, methods have been devised to engineer cytokines in order to overcome such challenges and here, the myriad strategies are reviewed that may be employed in order to improve the therapeutic potential of cytokine and chemokine immunotherapies with applications in cancer and autoimmune disease therapy, as well as tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. For clarity, these strategies are collected and presented as they vary across size scales, ranging from single amino acid substitutions, to larger protein-polymer conjugates, nano/micrometer-scale particles, and macroscale implants. Together, this work aims to provide readers with a timely view of the field of cytokine engineering with an emphasis on early-stage therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biaggio Uricoli
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Lacey A. Birnbaum
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Priscilla Do
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - James M. Kelvin
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Juhi Jain
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Emma Costanza
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Andrew Chyong
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Christopher C. Porter
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Sarwish Rafiq
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine
- Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Erik C. Dreaden
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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