1
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Zhao L, Yang Z, Zheng M, Shi L, Gu M, Liu G, Miao F, Chang Y, Huang F, Tang N. Recombinant adeno-associated virus 8 vector in gene therapy: Opportunities and challenges. Genes Dis 2024; 11:283-293. [PMID: 37588223 PMCID: PMC10425794 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, significant breakthroughs have been made in the field of gene therapy. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is one of the most promising gene therapy vectors and a powerful tool for delivering the gene of interest. Among the AAV vectors, AAV serotype 8 (AAV8) has attracted much attention for its efficient and stable gene transfection into specific tissues. Currently, recombinant AAV8 has been widely used in gene therapy research on a variety of diseases, including genetic diseases, cancers, autoimmune diseases, and viral diseases. This paper reviewed the applications and challenges of using AAV8 as a vector for gene therapy, with the aim of providing a valuable resource for those pursuing the application of viral vectors in gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Zhao
- Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230000, China
- Yangtze Delta Drug Advanced Research Institute, Yangtze Delta Pharmaceutical College, Nantong, Jiangsu 226133, China
- InnoStar Bio-tech Nantong Co., Ltd., Nantong, Jiangsu 226133, China
| | - Zixuan Yang
- Shanghai Innostar Bio-Technology Co., Ltd, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Minhui Zheng
- Shanghai Innostar Bio-Technology Co., Ltd, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Shanghai Innostar Bio-Technology Co., Ltd, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mengyun Gu
- Shanghai Innostar Bio-Technology Co., Ltd, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Gang Liu
- InnoStar Bio-tech Nantong Co., Ltd., Nantong, Jiangsu 226133, China
| | - Feng Miao
- InnoStar Bio-tech Nantong Co., Ltd., Nantong, Jiangsu 226133, China
| | - Yan Chang
- Shanghai Innostar Bio-Technology Co., Ltd, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Fanghua Huang
- Center for Drug Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration, Beijing 100022, China
| | - Naping Tang
- Yangtze Delta Drug Advanced Research Institute, Yangtze Delta Pharmaceutical College, Nantong, Jiangsu 226133, China
- Shanghai Innostar Bio-Technology Co., Ltd, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
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2
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Wang Y, Wang Q, Yang TW, Yin JM, Wei F, Liu H, Yang PX, Li J, Liu N, Zhu Y, Chen D. Analysis of Immune and Inflammatory Microenvironment Characteristics of Noncancer End-Stage Liver Disease. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2023; 43:86-97. [PMID: 36749162 DOI: 10.1089/jir.2022.0172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic liver injury eventually progresses to cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease (ESLD), which are the leading causes of death in patients with liver disease worldwide. ESLD has a variety of etiologies and a complex pathogenesis. This study analyzed the characteristics of ESLD by studying the immune microenvironment and inflammatory microenvironment of ESLD caused by 4 noncancer diseases, including HBV-ALF, ALF, AILD, and AH. We collected transcriptome data from noncancer ESLD patients, collected liver tissue samples and blood samples from ESLD liver transplant patients, and analyzed the immune and inflammatory microenvironments in the liver and blood. The results showed that with the exception of HBV-induced ESLD, there were no significant differences in immune microenvironment scores among patients with ESLD caused by other noncancer diseases. Moreover, there were no significant differences in the inflammatory microenvironment in the liver and blood of patients with ESLD caused by the 4 noncancer diseases. Furthermore, we found that the cytokine, IL-15, could predict the prognosis of ESLD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing DiTan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Organ Transplant Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Tong Wang Yang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Academician Workstation, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, China.,Organ Transplant Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ji Ming Yin
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Feili Wei
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Huan Liu
- Organ Transplant Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Peng Xiang Yang
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxi Li
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ning Liu
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yunxia Zhu
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Dexi Chen
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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3
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Meumann N, Schmithals C, Elenschneider L, Hansen T, Balakrishnan A, Hu Q, Hook S, Schmitz J, Bräsen JH, Franke AC, Olarewaju O, Brandenberger C, Talbot SR, Fangmann J, Hacker UT, Odenthal M, Ott M, Piiper A, Büning H. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Is a Natural Target for Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) 2 Vectors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14020427. [PMID: 35053588 PMCID: PMC8774135 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14020427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Gene therapy is a novel approach to treat diseases by introducing corrective genetic information into target cells. Adeno-associated virus vectors are the most frequently applied gene delivery tools for in vivo gene therapy and are also studied as part of innovative anticancer strategies. Here, we report on the natural preference of AAV2 vectors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared to nonmalignant liver cells in mice and human tissue. This preference in transduction is due to the improved intracellular processing of AAV2 vectors in HCC, resulting in significantly more vector genomes serving as templates for transcription in the cell nucleus. Based on this natural tropism for HCC, novel therapeutic strategies can be designed or existing therapeutic approaches can be strengthened as they currently result in only a minor improvement of the poor prognosis for most liver cancer patients. Abstract Although therapeutic options are gradually improving, the overall prognosis for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still poor. Gene therapy-based strategies are developed to complement the therapeutic armamentarium, both in early and late-stage disease. For efficient delivery of transgenes with antitumor activity, vectors demonstrating preferred tumor tropism are required. Here, we report on the natural tropism of adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype 2 vectors for HCC. When applied intravenously in transgenic HCC mouse models, similar amounts of vectors were detected in the liver and liver tumor tissue. In contrast, transduction efficiency, as indicated by the level of transgene product, was moderate in the liver but was elevated up to 19-fold in mouse tumor tissue. Preferred transduction of HCC compared to hepatocytes was confirmed in precision-cut liver slices from human patient samples. Our mechanistic studies revealed that this preference is due to the improved intracellular processing of AAV2 vectors in HCC, resulting, for example, in nearly 4-fold more AAV vector episomes that serve as templates for gene transcription. Given this background, AAV2 vectors ought to be considered to strengthen current—or develop novel—strategies for treating HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Meumann
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (N.M.); (A.-C.F.); (O.O.); (U.T.H.)
- REBIRTH Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany;
| | - Christian Schmithals
- Department of Medicine 1, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany; (C.S.); (A.P.)
| | - Leroy Elenschneider
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine Preclinical Pharmacology and In-Vitro Toxicology, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (L.E.); (T.H.)
| | - Tanja Hansen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine Preclinical Pharmacology and In-Vitro Toxicology, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (L.E.); (T.H.)
| | - Asha Balakrishnan
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (A.B.); (Q.H.); (S.H.); (M.O.)
- Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Qingluan Hu
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (A.B.); (Q.H.); (S.H.); (M.O.)
- Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hook
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (A.B.); (Q.H.); (S.H.); (M.O.)
- Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jessica Schmitz
- Nephropathology Unit, Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (J.S.); (J.H.B.)
| | - Jan Hinrich Bräsen
- Nephropathology Unit, Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (J.S.); (J.H.B.)
| | - Ann-Christin Franke
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (N.M.); (A.-C.F.); (O.O.); (U.T.H.)
| | - Olaniyi Olarewaju
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (N.M.); (A.-C.F.); (O.O.); (U.T.H.)
- REBIRTH Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Christina Brandenberger
- Institute of Functional and Applied Anatomy, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
- Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Research (BREATH), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Steven R. Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Josef Fangmann
- KRH Klinikum Siloah, Liver Center Hannover (LCH), 30459 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Ulrich T. Hacker
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (N.M.); (A.-C.F.); (O.O.); (U.T.H.)
- Department of Oncology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Pulmonology, and Infectious Diseases, University Cancer Center Leipzig (UCCL), Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Margarete Odenthal
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany;
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Ott
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (A.B.); (Q.H.); (S.H.); (M.O.)
- Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Albrecht Piiper
- Department of Medicine 1, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany; (C.S.); (A.P.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hildegard Büning
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (N.M.); (A.-C.F.); (O.O.); (U.T.H.)
- REBIRTH Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany;
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-511-532-5106
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4
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Malik A, Thanekar U, Amarachintha S, Mourya R, Nalluri S, Bondoc A, Shivakumar P. "Complimenting the Complement": Mechanistic Insights and Opportunities for Therapeutics in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 10:627701. [PMID: 33718121 PMCID: PMC7943925 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.627701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver and a leading cause of death in the US and worldwide. HCC remains a global health problem and is highly aggressive with unfavorable prognosis. Even with surgical interventions and newer medical treatment regimens, patients with HCC have poor survival rates. These limited therapeutic strategies and mechanistic understandings of HCC immunopathogenesis urgently warrant non-palliative treatment measures. Irrespective of the multitude etiologies, the liver microenvironment in HCC is intricately associated with chronic necroinflammation, progressive fibrosis, and cirrhosis as precedent events along with dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses. Central to these immunological networks is the complement cascade (CC), a fundamental defense system inherent to the liver which tightly regulates humoral and cellular responses to noxious stimuli. Importantly, the liver is the primary source for biosynthesis of >80% of complement components and expresses a variety of complement receptors. Recent studies implicate the complement system in liver inflammation, abnormal regenerative responses, fibrosis, carcinogenesis, and development of HCC. Although complement activation differentially promotes immunosuppressive, stimulant, and angiogenic microenvironments conducive to HCC development, it remains under-investigated. Here, we review derangement of specific complement proteins in HCC in the context of altered complement regulatory factors, immune-activating components, and their implications in disease pathogenesis. We also summarize how complement molecules regulate cancer stem cells (CSCs), interact with complement-coagulation cascades, and provide therapeutic opportunities for targeted intervention in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astha Malik
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Unmesha Thanekar
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Surya Amarachintha
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Reena Mourya
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Shreya Nalluri
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Alexander Bondoc
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Pranavkumar Shivakumar
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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5
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Li K, Qin L, Jiang S, Li A, Zhang C, Liu G, Sun J, Sun H, Zhao Y, Li N, Zhang Y. The signature of HBV-related liver disease in peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA methylation. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:81. [PMID: 32513305 PMCID: PMC7278209 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00847-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver disease induces liver damage by hepatic immune and inflammatory response. The association between aberrant peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) DNA methylation and progression of liver disease and fibrosis remains unclear. Results Here we applied Infinium 450 K BeadChip investigating PBMC genome-wide methylation profiling of 48 HBV-related liver disease patients including 24 chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 14 compensated liver cirrhosis (LC), and 10 decompensated liver cirrhosis (DLC). In total, there were 7888 differentially methylated CpG sites (36.06% hypermethylation, 63.94% hypomethylation) correlate with liver disease progression. LC was difficult to be diagnosed, intermediating between CHB and DLC. We used least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-logistic regression method to perform a LC predictive model. The predicted probability (P) of having LC was estimated by the combined model: P = 1/(1 − e−x), where X = 11.52 − 2.82 × (if AST within the normal range − 0.19 × (percent methylation of cg05650055) − 0.21 × (percent methylation of cg17149911 ). Pyrosequencing validation and confusion matrix analysis was used for internal testing, area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of model was 0.917 (95% CI, 0.80–0.977). On the fibrosis progress, there were 1705 genes in LC compared with CHB, whose differentially methylated CpG sites loading within the “promoter” regions (including TSS1500, TSS200, 5′UTR, and the 1st exon of genes) subject into the enrichment analysis using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). There were 113 enriched immune-related pathways indicated that HBV-related liver fibrosis progression caused epigenetic reprogramming of the immune and inflammatory response. Conclusions These data support idea that development of HBV-related chronic liver disease is linked with robust and broad alteration of methylation in peripheral immune system. CpG methylation sites serve as relevant biomarker candidates to monitor and diagnose LC, providing new insight into the immune mechanisms understanding the progression of HBV-related liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Li
- Biomedical Information Center, Beijing You'An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Qin
- Biomedical Information Center, Beijing You'An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Schools of Basic Medical Science, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Ang Li
- Biomedical Information Center, Beijing You'An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Biomedical Information Center, Beijing You'An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guihai Liu
- Biomedical Information Center, Beijing You'An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jianping Sun
- Biomedical Information Center, Beijing You'An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Huanqing Sun
- Biomedical Information Center, Beijing You'An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Clinical Laboratory Center, Beijing You'An hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ning Li
- Departments of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Beijing You'An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Yonghong Zhang
- Biomedical Information Center, Beijing You'An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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6
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Yang H, Xuefeng Y, Jianhua X. Systematic review of the roles of interleukins in hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Chim Acta 2020; 506:33-43. [PMID: 32142718 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2020.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver cancer with high morbidity and mortality that is often accompanied by immune system disorders and local lymphocyte infiltration. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, cancer cells, stromal cells, and the numerous cytokines they produce, such as chemokines, interferons, tumor necrosis factors, and interleukins, collectively constitute the tumor microenvironment. As a main type of immune effector, interleukin plays opposing roles in regulating tumor cell progression, adhesion, and migration according to its different subtypes. Many reports have concentrated on the roles that interleukins play in HCC, but understanding them systematically remains challenging. This study reviewed the current data to comprehensively summarize the relationships between HCC progression and human interleukin gene families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Yang
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421002, China
| | - Yang Xuefeng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421002, China
| | - Xiao Jianhua
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China.
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7
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Fernandez-Sendin M, Tenesaca S, Vasquez M, Aranda F, Berraondo P. Production and use of adeno-associated virus vectors as tools for cancer immunotherapy. Methods Enzymol 2019; 635:185-203. [PMID: 32122545 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2019.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) are attractive tools for research in cancer immunotherapy. A single administration of an AAV vector in tumor mouse models induces a progressive increase in transgene expression which reaches a plateau 1 or 2 weeks after administration. The rAAV is then able to maintain the expression of the immunostimulatory transgene. Thus, the use of these vectors obviates the need for frequent administrations of the therapeutic protein to achieve the antitumor effect. The long-term expression of AAV vectors can be exploited for the evaluation of the antitumor activity of immune-enhancing proteins. Most preclinical studies have focused on the expression of cytokines and on the induction of immune responses elicited by tumor-associated antigens expressed by rAAVs. Notwithstanding, rAAVs may not be suitable for immunostimulatory proteins that require high and/or immediate expression. In this chapter, we review a feasible, reliable and detailed protocol to produce and purify AAV vectors as a tool for cancer immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Fernandez-Sendin
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Shirley Tenesaca
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Marcos Vasquez
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Fernando Aranda
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomédiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Immunologia, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Berraondo
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain.
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8
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Xiao R, Mansour AG, Huang W, Chrislip LA, Wilkins RK, Queen NJ, Youssef Y, Mao HC, Caligiuri MA, Cao L. Adipocytes: A Novel Target for IL-15/IL-15Rα Cancer Gene Therapy. Mol Ther 2019; 27:922-932. [PMID: 30833178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
IL-15 is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays an essential role in the development and activation of natural killer (NK) cells. Adipose tissue acts as an endocrine organ that secretes cytokines and is an important reservoir for lymphocytes. We hypothesized that activation of the IL-15 signaling in adipose tissue will activate and expand the NK cell population and control tumor growth. We recently developed an adipocyte-targeting recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vector with minimal off-target transgene expression in the liver. Here, we used this rAAV system to deliver an IL-15/IL-15Rα complex to the abdominal fat by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. Adipose IL-15/IL-15Rα complex gene transfer led to the expansion of NK cells in the adipose tissue and spleen in normal mice without notable side effects. The i.p. injection of rAAV-IL-15/IL-15Rα complex significantly suppressed the growth of Lewis lung carcinoma implanted subcutaneously and exerted a significant survival advantage in a B16-F10 melanoma metastasis model. The antitumor effects were associated with the expansion of the NK cells in the blood, spleen, abdominal fat, and tumor, as well as the enhancement of NK cell maturity. Our proof-of-concept preclinical studies demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the adipocyte-specific IL-15/IL-15Rα complex vector as a novel cancer immune gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Run Xiao
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Anthony G Mansour
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Wei Huang
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Logan A Chrislip
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ryan K Wilkins
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Nicholas J Queen
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Youssef Youssef
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Pathology, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Hsiaoyin C Mao
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | | | - Lei Cao
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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9
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Wu CJ, Tsai YT, Lee IJ, Wu PY, Lu LS, Tsao WS, Huang YJ, Chang CC, Ka SM, Tao MH. Combination of radiation and interleukin 12 eradicates large orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma through immunomodulation of tumor microenvironment. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7:e1477459. [PMID: 30228946 PMCID: PMC6140549 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1477459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies have shown promising results in certain cancer patients. For hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the multiplicity of an immunotolerant microenvironment within both the tumor, and the liver per se may limit the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. Since radiation induces immunogenic cell death and inflammatory reactions within the tumor microenvironment, we hypothesized that a combination therapy of radiation and lasting local immunostimulating agents, achieved by intratumoral injection of an adenoviral vector encoding interleukin 12, may reverse the immunotolerant microenvironment within a well-established orthotopic HCC toward a state favorable for inducing antitumor immunities. Our data showed that radiation and IL-12 combination therapy (RT/IL-12) led to dramatic tumor regression in animals bearing large subcutaneous or orthotopic HCC, induced systemic effect against distant tumor, and significantly prolonged survival. Radiation monotherapy induced tumor regression at early times but afterwards most tumors regained exponential growth, while IL-12 monotherapy only delayed tumor growth. Mechanistic studies revealed that RT/IL-12 increased expression of MHC class II and co-stimulatory molecules CD40 and CD86 on tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells, suggesting an improvement of their antigen presentation activity. RT/IL-12 also significantly reduced accumulation of tumor-infiltrating myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and impaired their suppressive functions by reducing production of reactive oxygen species. Accordingly, tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells and NK cells were significantly activated toward the antitumor phenotype, as revealed by increased expression of CD107a and TNF-α. Together, our data showed that RT/IL-12 treatment could reset the intratumoral immunotolerant state and stimulate activation of antitumor cellular immunity that is capable of eliminating large established HCC tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Jen Wu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ting Tsai
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - I-Jung Lee
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Yi Wu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Long-Sheng Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Shan Tsao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jou Huang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Cheng Chang
- National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Bioethics, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shuk-Man Ka
- Graduate Institute of Aerospace and Undersea Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mi-Hua Tao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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10
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Liu X, Li Y, Sun X, Muftuoglu Y, Wang B, Yu T, Hu Y, Ma L, Xiang M, Guo G, You C, Gao X, Wei Y. Powerful anti-colon cancer effect of modified nanoparticle-mediated IL-15 immunogene therapy through activation of the host immune system. Theranostics 2018; 8:3490-3503. [PMID: 30026861 PMCID: PMC6037032 DOI: 10.7150/thno.24157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer around the world. Over the past several years, immunotherapy has demonstrated considerable clinical benefit in CRC therapy, and the number of immunologic therapies for cancer treatment continues to climb each year. Interleukin-15 (IL15), a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine, has emerged as a candidate immunomodulator for the treatment of CRC. Methods: In this study, we developed a novel gene delivery system with a self-assembly method using DOTAP and MPEG-PLA (DMA) to carry pIL15, denoted as DMA-pIL15 which was used to treat tumor-bearing mice. Results: Supernatant from lymphocytes treated with supernatant derived from CT26 cells transfected with DMA-pIL15 inhibited the growth of CT26 cells and induced cell apoptosis in vitro. Treatment of tumor-bearing mice with DMA-pIL15 complex significantly inhibited tumor growth in both subcutaneous and peritoneal models in vivo by inhibiting angiogenesis, promoting apoptosis, and reducing proliferation through activation of the host immune system. Conclusion: The IL-15 plasmid and DMA complex showed promise for treating CRC clinically as an experimental new drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China
- Department of Pharmacy, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yanyan Li
- Department of radiation oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiaodong Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | | | - Bilan Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ting Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yuzhu Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Lu Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Mingli Xiang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Gang Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Chao You
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yuquan Wei
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
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11
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Guo Y, Luan L, Patil NK, Sherwood ER. Immunobiology of the IL-15/IL-15Rα complex as an antitumor and antiviral agent. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2017; 38:10-21. [PMID: 28888485 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-15 is essential for natural killer (NK), NKT and memory (m) CD8+ T cell development and function, and is currently under investigation as an immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer. Recently, the creation of IL-15 superagonist by complexing IL-15 and its high affinity receptor alpha (IL-15 Rα) in solution, inspired by the natural trans-presentation of IL-15, advances the potential of IL-15-based tumor immunotherapy. IL-15 superagonist shows promising advantages over monomeric IL-15 such as sustaining high circulating concentrations due to prolonged half-life and more potently stimulating NK and CD8+ T effector lymphocytes. So far, there are three different forms of recombinant IL-15 superagonist fusion protein based on configurational modifications. Gene therapy using engineered cells co-expressing IL-15/IL-15 Rα complex for cancer treatment is also emerging. All forms have demonstrated efficacy in causing tumor regression in animal studies, which provides strong rationale for advancing IL-15 superagonist through clinical trials. To date, there are fourteen phase I/II IL-15 superagonist trials in cancer patients and one phase I trial in HIV patients. Information generated by ongoing trials regarding the toxicity and efficacy of IL-15 superagonist is awaited. Finally, we elaborate on immunotoxicity caused by IL-15 superagonist in preclinical studies and discuss important safety considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Guo
- Departments of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Anesthesiology. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Liming Luan
- Department of Anesthesiology. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Naeem K Patil
- Department of Anesthesiology. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Edward R Sherwood
- Departments of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Anesthesiology. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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12
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Dhungel B, Jayachandran A, Layton CJ, Steel JC. Seek and destroy: targeted adeno-associated viruses for gene delivery to hepatocellular carcinoma. Drug Deliv 2017; 24:289-299. [PMID: 28165834 PMCID: PMC8241004 DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2016.1247926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer with high incidence globally. Increasing mortality and morbidity rates combined with limited treatment options available for advanced HCC press for novel and effective treatment modalities. Gene therapy represents one of the most promising therapeutic options. With the recent approval of herpes simplex virus for advanced melanoma, the field of gene therapy has received a major boost. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is among the most widely used and effective viral vectors today with safety and efficacy demonstrated in a number of human clinical trials. This review identifies the obstacles for effective AAV based gene delivery to HCC which primarily include host immune responses and off-target effects. These drawbacks could be more pronounced for HCC because of the underlying liver dysfunction in most of the patients. We discuss approaches that could be adopted to tackle these shortcomings and manufacture HCC-targeted vectors. The combination of transductional targeting by modifying the vector capsid and transcriptional targeting using HCC-specific promoters has the potential to produce vectors which can specifically seek HCC and deliver therapeutic gene without significant side effects. Finally, the identification of novel HCC-specific ligands and promoters should facilitate and expedite this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bijay Dhungel
- a Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital , Brisbane , QLD , Australia.,b School of Medicine, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD , Australia.,c University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute , Woolloongabba , QLD , Australia , and
| | - Aparna Jayachandran
- a Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital , Brisbane , QLD , Australia.,b School of Medicine, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD , Australia
| | - Christopher J Layton
- b School of Medicine, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD , Australia.,d Ophthalmology Department, Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital , Brisbane , QLD , Australia
| | - Jason C Steel
- a Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital , Brisbane , QLD , Australia.,b School of Medicine, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD , Australia
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13
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IL-15 receptor alpha as the magic wand to boost the success of IL-15 antitumor therapies: The upswing of IL-15 transpresentation. Pharmacol Ther 2016; 170:73-79. [PMID: 27777088 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2016.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-15 as a stand-alone therapy can activate the antitumor functions of immune effector cells resulting in significant tumor regression. Interestingly, combining IL-15 with the α-moiety of its receptor (IL-15Rα), also called IL-15 transpresentation, increases the in vivo half-life of IL-15 and enhances binding of IL-15 with cells expressing the IL-15Rβγ, such as NK cells and CD8+ T cells. These features enlarge the signal transmission of IL-15, resulting in improved proliferation and antitumor activities of both NK cells and CD8+ T cells, eventually leading to enhanced killing of tumor cells. In this review, we discuss the antitumor strategies in which this IL-15 transpresentation mechanism is implemented, that are currently under preclinical investigation. Furthermore, we give an overview of the studies in which the IL-15/IL-15Rα complexes are combined with other antitumor therapies. The promising results in these preclinical studies have incited several clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of IL-15 transpresentation strategies to treat both hematological and advanced solid tumors.
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14
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Lacotte S, Slits F, Orci LA, Meyer J, Oldani G, Delaune V, Gonelle-Gispert C, Morel P, Toso C. Impact of myeloid-derived suppressor cell on Kupffer cells from mouse livers with hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncoimmunology 2016; 5:e1234565. [PMID: 27999748 PMCID: PMC5139644 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2016.1234565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Kupffer cells represent the first line of defense against tumor cells in the liver. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) have recently been observed in the liver parenchyma of tumor-bearing animals. The present study investigates the function of the MDSC subsets, and their impact on Kupffer cell phenotype and function. RIL-175 mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells were injected into the median liver lobe of C57BL/6 mice. Three weeks later, the median lobe hosting the tumor nodule was removed, and Kupffer cells and MDSCs were sorted from the remaining liver. Mouse livers devoid of HCC served as control. Kupffer cells expressed less co-stimulatory CD86 and MHCII and more co-inhibitory CD274 molecules in HCC-bearing livers than in control livers. Corresponding to this phenotype, Kupffer cells from HCC-bearing mice were less efficient in their function as antigen-presenting cells. Three CD11b+ cell populations were identified and sorted from HCC-bearing mice. These cells had various phenotypes with different levels of MDSC-specific surface markers (Ly6Ghigh cells, Gr1high cells, and Ly6Clow cells), and may be considered as bonafide MDSCs given their suppression of antigen-specific T cell proliferation. Primary isolated Kupffer cells in co-culture with the three MDSC subsets showed a decrease in CCL2 and IL-18 secretion, and an increase in IL-10 and IL-1β secretion, and an increased expression of CD86, CD274, and MHCII. In conclusion, these data demonstrated the existence of three MDSC subsets in HCC-bearing animals. These cells altered Kupffer cell function and may decrease the migration and activation of anticancer effector cells in the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Lacotte
- Hepatology and Transplantation Laboratory, Division of Abdominal and Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Florence Slits
- Hepatology and Transplantation Laboratory, Division of Abdominal and Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lorenzo A Orci
- Hepatology and Transplantation Laboratory, Division of Abdominal and Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy Meyer
- Surgical Research Unit, Division of Abdominal and Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Graziano Oldani
- Hepatology and Transplantation Laboratory, Division of Abdominal and Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vaihere Delaune
- Hepatology and Transplantation Laboratory, Division of Abdominal and Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Gonelle-Gispert
- Surgical Research Unit, Division of Abdominal and Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Morel
- Surgical Research Unit, Division of Abdominal and Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; Hepato-pancreato-biliary Centre, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christian Toso
- Hepatology and Transplantation Laboratory, Division of Abdominal and Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; Hepato-pancreato-biliary Centre, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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15
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Jiao J, Ooka K, Fey H, Fiel MI, Rahmman AH, Kojima K, Hoshida Y, Chen X, de Paula T, Vetter D, Sastre D, Lee KH, Lee Y, Bansal M, Friedman SL, Merad M, Aloman C. Interleukin-15 receptor α on hepatic stellate cells regulates hepatic fibrogenesis in mice. J Hepatol 2016; 65:344-353. [PMID: 27154062 PMCID: PMC5048472 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2016.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Interleukin-15 (IL-15) and its high affinity receptor interleukin-15 receptor alpha (IL-15Rα) are widely expressed in immune cells and hepatic resident cells. IL-15 signaling has important functions in homeostasis of natural killer (NK), natural killer T (NKT) and cytotoxic T (CD8(+) T) cells, and in liver regeneration. We hypothesized that IL-15 has a protective role in liver fibrosis progression by maintaining NK cell homeostasis. METHODS Fibrosis was induced using two mechanistically distinct models. Congenic bone marrow transplantation was used to evaluate the contribution of IL-15 signaling from various compartments to NK, CD8(+) T and NKT cell homeostasis and fibrogenesis. The gene expression profile of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) from IL-15Rα knockout (IL-15RαKO) mice and wild-type mice were captured using microarray analysis and validated in isolated HSC. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to assess repressors of collagen transcription. RESULTS IL-15RαKO mice exhibited more fibrosis in both models. IL-15 signaling from specific types of hepatic cells had divergent roles in maintaining liver NK, CD8(+) T and NKT cells, with a direct and protective role on radio-resistant non-parenchymal cells beyond the control of NK homeostasis. HSCs isolated from IL-15RαKO mice demonstrated upregulation of collagen production. Finally, IL-15RαKO HSC with or without transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) stimulation exhibited increased expression of fibrosis markers and decreased collagen transcription repressors expression. CONCLUSIONS IL-15Rα signaling has a direct anti-fibrotic effect independent of preserving NK homeostasis. These findings establish a rationale to further explore the anti-fibrotic potential of enhancing IL-15 signaling in HSCs. LAY SUMMARY We investigated how a cellular protein, Interleukin-15 (IL-15), decreases the amount of scar tissue that is formed upon liver injury. We found that IL-15 and its receptor decrease the amount of scar tissue that is created by specialized liver cells (called stellate cells) and increase the number of a specific subgroup of immune cells (natural killer cells) that are known to eliminate stellate cells. TRANSCRIPT PROFILING ACCESSION NUMBER GSE45612, GSE 68001 and GSE 25097.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Jiao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kohtaro Ooka
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Holger Fey
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maria Isabel Fiel
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adeeb H. Rahmman
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kensuke Kojima
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xintong Chen
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tatiana de Paula
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Diana Vetter
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Sastre
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ka Hin Lee
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Youngmin Lee
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Meena Bansal
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Scott L. Friedman
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Miriam Merad
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Costica Aloman
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Division of Digestive Diseases, Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA
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16
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Song Y, Liu Y, Hu R, Su M, Rood D, Lai L. In Vivo Antitumor Activity of a Recombinant IL7/IL15 Hybrid Cytokine in Mice. Mol Cancer Ther 2016; 15:2413-2421. [PMID: 27474151 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Both IL7 and IL15 have become important candidate immunomodulators for cancer treatment. However, IL7 or IL15 used alone suffers from shortcomings, such as short serum half-life and limited antitumor effect. We have cloned and expressed a recombinant (r) IL7/IL15 fusion protein in which IL7 and IL15 are linked by a flexible linker. We then compared the antitumor effect of rIL7/IL15 with the individual factors rIL7 and/or rIL15. We show here that rIL7/IL15 has a higher antitumor activity than the combination of the individual factors in both murine B16F10 melanoma and CT-26 colon cancer models. This was associated with a significant increase in tumor infiltration of T cells, DCs, and NK cells and a decrease in regulatory T cells (Tregs). In addition, rIL7/IL15-treated DCs had higher expression of costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86. The higher antitumor activity of rIL7/IL15 is likely due to its longer in vivo half-life and different effects on immune cells. Our results suggest that rIL7/IL15 may offer a new tool to enhance antitumor immunity and treat cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(10); 2413-21. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinhong Song
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut. Medical College, Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Yalan Liu
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Rong Hu
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Min Su
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Debra Rood
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Laijun Lai
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut. University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut.
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17
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Kamiya T, Chang YH, Campana D. Expanded and Activated Natural Killer Cells for Immunotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Immunol Res 2016; 4:574-81. [PMID: 27197065 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-15-0229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Viral infection of the liver is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Natural killer (NK) cells recognize virally infected and oncogenically transformed cells, suggesting a therapeutic role for NK-cell infusions in HCC. Using the K562-mb15-41BBL cell line as a stimulus, we obtained large numbers of activated NK cells from the peripheral blood of healthy donors. Expanded NK cells exerted remarkably high cytotoxicity against HCC cell lines, which was generally much higher than that of unstimulated or IL2-activated NK cells. In immunodeficient NOD/scid IL2RGnull mice engrafted with Hep3B, treatment with expanded NK cells markedly reduced tumor growth and improved overall survival. HCC cells exposed for 48 hours to 5 μmol/L of sorafenib, a kinase inhibitor currently used for HCC treatment, remained highly sensitive to expanded NK cells. HCC cell reductions of 39.2% to 53.8% caused by sorafenib in three cell lines further increased to 80.5% to 87.6% after 4 hours of culture with NK cells at a 1:1 effector-to-target ratio. NK-cell cytotoxicity persisted even in the presence of sorafenib. We found that NKG2D, an NK-cell-activating receptor, was an important mediator of anti-HCC activity. We therefore enhanced its signaling capacity with a chimeric NKG2D-CD3ζ-DAP10 receptor. This considerably increased the anti-HCC cytotoxicity of expanded NK cells in vitro and in immunodeficient mice. The NK expansion and activation method applied in this study has been adapted to clinical-grade conditions. Hence, these results warrant clinical testing of expanded NK-cell infusions in patients with HCC, possibly after genetic modification with NKG2D-CD3ζ-DAP10. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(7); 574-81. ©2016 AACR.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Biomarkers
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/immunology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/mortality
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Combined Modality Therapy
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Disease Models, Animal
- Humans
- Immunophenotyping
- Immunotherapy/methods
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism
- Liver Neoplasms/immunology
- Liver Neoplasms/mortality
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Liver Neoplasms/therapy
- Lymphocyte Activation/immunology
- Niacinamide/analogs & derivatives
- Niacinamide/pharmacology
- Phenylurea Compounds/pharmacology
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Sorafenib
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Kamiya
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yu-Hsiang Chang
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dario Campana
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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18
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Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors in cancer gene therapy. J Control Release 2016; 240:287-301. [PMID: 26796040 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Gene delivery vectors based on adeno-associated virus (AAV) have been utilized in a large number of gene therapy clinical trials, which have demonstrated their strong safety profile and increasingly their therapeutic efficacy for treating monogenic diseases. For cancer applications, AAV vectors have been harnessed for delivery of an extensive repertoire of transgenes to preclinical models and, more recently, clinical trials involving certain cancers. This review describes the applications of AAV vectors to cancer models and presents developments in vector engineering and payload design aimed at tailoring AAV vectors for transduction and treatment of cancer cells. We also discuss the current status of AAV clinical development in oncology and future directions for AAV in this field.
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Sun H, Liu D. IL-15/sIL-15Rα gene transfer suppresses Lewis lung cancer growth in the lungs, liver and kidneys. Cancer Gene Ther 2016; 23:54-60. [PMID: 26742578 DOI: 10.1038/cgt.2015.67] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nearly 40% of people with lung cancer have tumor growth in other organs at the time of diagnosis. Current treatment strategies for patients with late-stage lung cancer are primarily palliative and only showed modest efficacy. The current study takes advantage of the hydrodynamic gene delivery technique to evaluate the antitumor activity of interleukin (IL)-15/sIL-15Rα on lung tumors growing in the lungs, liver and kidneys. We demonstrate that hydrodynamic tail vein injection of 2 μg of AG209 DP muIL-15sRα+IL-15 plasmid resulted in serum IL-15/sIL-15Rα reaching a peak level of ~10 μg ml(-1) 1 day after the injection and gradually declined to ~5 ng ml(-1) within 3 days. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that overexpression of IL-15/sIL-15Rα induced the activation of natural killer and T cells, evidenced by increased mRNA levels of marker genes including granzyme B, perforin, Ifn-γ, T-bet and Cd8 in the lungs, liver and kidneys. Importantly, transfer of the Il-15/sIl-15Rα gene alone, or in combination with gemcitabine chemotherapy, significantly inhibited the tumor growth in these three organs and prolonged median survival time of treated mice by 1.7- and 3.3-fold, respectively. The therapeutic benefits are principally blockade and elimination of tumor growth in the liver and kidneys. Taken together, these results suggest that IL-15/sIL-15Rα-based gene therapy could be an effective approach to treat late-stage lung cancer with metastases in other organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Sun
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - D Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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Guo Y, Luan L, Rabacal W, Bohannon JK, Fensterheim BA, Hernandez A, Sherwood ER. IL-15 Superagonist-Mediated Immunotoxicity: Role of NK Cells and IFN-γ. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015. [PMID: 26216888 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1500300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
IL-15 is currently undergoing clinical trials to assess its efficacy for treatment of advanced cancers. The combination of IL-15 with soluble IL-15Rα generates a complex termed IL-15 superagonist (IL-15 SA) that possesses greater biological activity than IL-15 alone. IL-15 SA is considered an attractive antitumor and antiviral agent because of its ability to selectively expand NK and memory CD8(+) T (mCD8(+) T) lymphocytes. However, the adverse consequences of IL-15 SA treatment have not been defined. In this study, the effect of IL-15 SA on physiologic and immunologic functions of mice was evaluated. IL-15 SA caused dose- and time-dependent hypothermia, weight loss, liver injury, and mortality. NK (especially the proinflammatory NK subset), NKT, and mCD8(+) T cells were preferentially expanded in spleen and liver upon IL-15 SA treatment. IL-15 SA caused NK cell activation as indicated by increased CD69 expression and IFN-γ, perforin, and granzyme B production, whereas NKT and mCD8(+) T cells showed minimal, if any, activation. Cell depletion and adoptive transfer studies showed that the systemic toxicity of IL-15 SA was mediated by hyperproliferation of activated NK cells. Production of the proinflammatory cytokine IFN-γ, but not TNF-α or perforin, was essential to IL-15 SA-induced immunotoxicity. The toxicity and immunological alterations shown in this study are comparable to those reported in recent clinical trials of IL-15 in patients with refractory cancers and advance current knowledge by providing mechanistic insights into IL-15 SA-mediated immunotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Guo
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232; and Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Liming Luan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Whitney Rabacal
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232; and
| | - Julia K Bohannon
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Benjamin A Fensterheim
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232; and
| | - Antonio Hernandez
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Edward R Sherwood
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232; and Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
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Overexpression of IL-15 promotes tumor destruction via NK1.1+ cells in a spontaneous breast cancer model. BMC Cancer 2015; 15:293. [PMID: 25879689 PMCID: PMC4428091 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-015-1264-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural Killer (NK) cells play an important role in tumor prevention, but once tumors form, the numbers as well as the cytotoxic functions of NK cells are reduced. IL-15 is a cytokine that increases and activates NK cells. Here we will examine the anti-tumor role of IL-15 in a spontaneous breast cancer model. METHODS To achieve this, Polyoma Middle T (MT) mice that form spontaneous breast cancer were crossed with mice that either overexpress IL-15 (IL-15 transgenic (TG)) or mice that lack IL-15 (IL-15 knockout (KO)). We compared survival curves and tumor formation in IL-15 KO/MT, MT and IL-15 TG/MT groups. In addition, the phenotype, activation and contribution of NK cells and CD8 T cells to tumor formation were examined in each of these mouse strains via flow cytometry, ELISA, adoptive transfer and antibody depletion experiments. RESULTS IL-15KO/MT tumors formed and progressed to endpoint more quickly than MT tumors. These tumors displayed little apoptosis and poor CD8 T cell infiltration. In contrast, IL-15 TG/MT mice had increased survival and the tumors displayed extensive cell death, high proportions of activated NK cells and a higher infiltration of CD8 T cells than MT tumors. CD8 T cells in IL-15 TG/MT tumors were capable of secreting IFNγ, possessed markers of memory, did not display an exhausted phenotype and were frequently NK1.1+. Long-term antibody depletion studies in IL-15 TG/MT mice revealed that NK1.1+, but not CD8 T cells, were critical for tumor destruction. Lastly, human NK cells, when exposed to a similar cytokine environment as that found in IL-15TG/MT tumors, were capable of killing human breast cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals that high levels of IL-15 can promote tumor destruction and reduce metastasis in breast cancer via effects on NK1.1+ cells. Our results suggest that strategies aimed at increasing NK cell activation may be effective against solid epithelial cancers.
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Hyper-IL-15 suppresses metastatic and autochthonous liver cancer by promoting tumour-specific CD8+ T cell responses. J Hepatol 2014; 61:1297-303. [PMID: 25016226 PMCID: PMC4332697 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2014.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Liver cancer has a very dismal prognosis due to lack of effective therapy. Here, we studied the therapeutic effects of hyper-interleukin15 (hyper-IL-15), which is composed of IL-15 and the sushi domain of the IL-15 receptor α chain, on metastatic and autochthonous liver cancers. METHODS Liver metastatic tumour models were established by intraportally injecting syngeneic mice with murine CT26 colon carcinoma cells or B16-OVA melanoma cells. Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN). A hydrodynamics-based gene delivery method was used to achieve sustained hyper-IL-15 expression in the liver. RESULTS Liver gene delivery of hyper-IL-15 robustly expanded CD8(+) T and NK cells, leading to a long-term (more than 40 days) accumulation of CD8(+) T cells in vivo, especially in the liver. Hyper-IL-15 treatment exerted remarkable therapeutic effects on well-established liver metastatic tumours and even on DEN-induced autochthonous HCC, and these effects were abolished by depletion of CD8(+) T cells but not NK cells. Hyper-IL-15 triggered IL-12 and interferon-γ production and reduced the expression of co-inhibitory molecules on dendritic cells in the liver. Adoptive transfer of T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic OT-1 cells showed that hyper-IL-15 preferentially expanded tumour-specific CD8(+) T cells and promoted their interferon-γ synthesis and cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS Liver delivery of hyper-IL-15 provides an effective therapy against well-established metastatic and autochthonous liver cancers in mouse models by preferentially expanding tumour-specific CD8(+) T cells and promoting their anti-tumour effects.
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Van den Bergh JMJ, Van Tendeloo VFI, Smits ELJM. Interleukin-15: new kid on the block for antitumor combination therapy. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2014; 26:15-24. [PMID: 25306466 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-15 is one of the most promising molecules to be used in antitumor immune therapy, as it is able to stimulate the main killer cells of both the innate and adaptive immune system. Although this cytokine can be used as a stand-alone immunotherapeutic agent, IL-15 will probably be most efficient in combination with other strategies to overcome high tumor burden, immune suppression of the tumor microenvironment and/or the short half-life of IL-15. In this review, we will discuss the combination strategies with IL-15 that have been tested to date in different animal tumor models, which include chemotherapy, other immunostimulatory cytokines, targeted therapy, adoptive cell transfer and gene therapy. In addition, we give an overview of IL-15 combination therapies that are currently tested in clinical studies to treat patients with hematological or advanced solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan M J Van den Bergh
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO), Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Viggo F I Van Tendeloo
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO), Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Evelien L J M Smits
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO), Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Center for Oncological Research Antwerp, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Sun CP, Wu TH, Chen CC, Wu PY, Shih YM, Tsuneyama K, Tao MH. Studies of efficacy and liver toxicity related to adeno-associated virus-mediated RNA interference. Hum Gene Ther 2014; 24:739-50. [PMID: 23829557 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2012.239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated RNA interference shows promise as a therapy for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, but its low efficacy and hepatotoxicity pose major challenges. We have generated AAV vectors containing different promoters and a panel of HBV-specific short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) to investigate factors that contribute to the efficacy and pathogenesis of AAV-mediated RNA interference. HBV transgenic mice injected with high doses of AAV vectors containing the U6 promoter produced abundant shRNAs, transiently inhibited HBV, but induced severe hepatotoxicity. Sustained HBV suppression without liver toxicity can be achieved by lowering the dose of AAV-U6 vectors. AAVs containing the weaker H1 promoter did not cause liver injury, but their therapeutic efficacy was highly dependent on the sequence of the shRNA. Mice treated with the toxic U6-promoter-driven shRNA showed little change in hepatic microRNA levels, but a dramatic increase in hepatic leukocytes and inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Hepatotoxicity was completely absent in immunodeficient mice and significantly alleviated in wild-type mice depleted of macrophages and granulocytes, suggesting that host inflammatory responses are the major cause of liver injury induced by the overexpressed shRNAs from AAV-U6 vectors. Our results demonstrate that selection of a highly potent shRNA and control its expression level is critical to achieve sustained HBV suppression without inducing inflammatory side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Pu Sun
- Molecular Medicine Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
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Gillgrass A, Ashkar A. Stimulating natural killer cells to protect against cancer: recent developments. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2014; 7:367-82. [DOI: 10.1586/eci.10.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Gaston DC, Odom CI, Li L, Markert JM, Roth JC, Cassady KA, Whitley RJ, Parker JN. Production of bioactive soluble interleukin-15 in complex with interleukin-15 receptor alpha from a conditionally-replicating oncolytic HSV-1. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81768. [PMID: 24312353 PMCID: PMC3842420 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic type-1 herpes simplex viruses (oHSVs) lacking the γ134.5 neurovirulence gene are being evaluated for treatment of a variety of malignancies. oHSVs replicate within and directly kill permissive cancer cells. To augment their anti-tumor activity, oHSVs have been engineered to express immunostimulatory molecules, including cytokines, to elicit tumor-specific immune responses. Interleukin-15 (IL-15) holds potential as an immunotherapeutic cytokine because it has been demonstrated to promote both natural killer (NK) cell-mediated and CD8(+) T cell-mediated cytotoxicity against cancer cells. The purpose of these studies was to engineer an oHSV producing bioactive IL-15. Two oHSVs were constructed encoding murine (m)IL-15 alone (J100) or with the mIL-15 receptor α (mIL-15Rα, J100D) to determine whether co-expression of these proteins is required for production of bioactive mIL-15 from oHSV. The following were demonstrated: i) both oHSVs retain replication competence and cytotoxicity in permissive tumor cell lines. ii) Enhanced production of mIL-15 was detected in cell lysates of neuro-2a cells following J100D infection as compared to J100 infection, suggesting that mIL-15Rα improved mIL-15 production. iii) Soluble mIL-15 in complex with mIL-15Rα was detected in supernates from J100D-infected, but not J100-infected, neuro-2a, GL261, and CT-2A cells. These cell lines vary in permissiveness to oHSV replication and cytotoxicity, demonstrating soluble mIL-15/IL-15Rα complex production from J100D was independent of direct oHSV effects. iv) The soluble mIL-15/IL-15Rα complex produced by J100D was bioactive, stimulating NK cells to proliferate and reduce the viability of syngeneic GL261 and CT-2A cells. v) J100 and J100D were aneurovirulent inasmuch as no neuropathologic effects were documented following direct inoculation into brains of CBA/J mice at up to 1x10(7) plaque forming units. The production of mIL-15/mIL-15Rα from multiple tumor lines, as well as the lack of neurovirulence, renders J100D suitable for investigating the combined effects of oHSV and mIL-15/IL-15Rα in various cancer models.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Gaston
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America ; School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
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Xu W, Jones M, Liu B, Zhu X, Johnson CB, Edwards AC, Kong L, Jeng EK, Han K, Marcus WD, Rubinstein MP, Rhode PR, Wong HC. Efficacy and mechanism-of-action of a novel superagonist interleukin-15: interleukin-15 receptor αSu/Fc fusion complex in syngeneic murine models of multiple myeloma. Cancer Res 2013; 73:3075-86. [PMID: 23644531 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-12-2357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
ALT-803, a complex of an interleukin (IL)-15 superagonist mutant and a dimeric IL-15 receptor αSu/Fc fusion protein, was found to exhibit significantly stronger in vivo biologic activity on NK and T cells than IL-15. In this study, we show that a single dose of ALT-803, but not IL-15 alone, eliminated well-established 5T33P and MOPC-315P myeloma cells in the bone marrow of tumor-bearing mice. ALT-803 treatment also significantly prolonged survival of myeloma-bearing mice and provided resistance to rechallenge with the same tumor cells through a CD8(+) T-cell-dependent mechanism. ALT-803 treatment stimulated CD8(+) T cells to secrete large amounts of IFN-γ and promoted rapid expansion of CD8(+)CD44(high) memory T cells in vivo. These memory CD8(+) T cells exhibited ALT-803-mediated upregulation of NKG2D (KLRK1) but not PD-1 (PDCD1) or CD25 (IL2RA) on their cell surfaces. ALT-803-activated CD8(+) memory T cells also exhibited nonspecific cytotoxicity against myeloma and other tumor cells in vitro, whereas IFN-γ had no direct effect on myeloma cell growth. ALT-803 lost its antimyeloma activity in tumor-bearing IFN-γ knockout mice but retained the ability to promote CD8(+)CD44(high) memory T-cell proliferation, indicating that ALT-803-mediated stimulation of CD8(+)CD44(high) memory T cells is IFN-γ-independent. Thus, besides well-known IL-15 biologic functions in host immunity, this study shows that IL-15-based ALT-803 could activate CD8(+)CD44(high) memory T cells to acquire a unique innate-like phenotype and secrete IFN-γ for nonspecific tumor cell killing. This unique immunomodulatory property of ALT-803 strongly supports its clinical development as a novel immunotherapeutic agent against cancer and viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxin Xu
- Altor BioScience Corporation, Miramar, FL 33025, USA
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Liver gene transfer of interkeukin-15 constructs that become part of circulating high density lipoproteins for immunotherapy. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52370. [PMID: 23285013 PMCID: PMC3528770 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2012] [Accepted: 11/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) is a major component of high density lipoproteins (HDL) that transport cholesterol in circulation. We have constructed an expression plasmid encoding a chimeric molecule encompassing interleukin-15 (IL-15) and Apo A-I (pApo-hIL15) that was tested by hydrodynamic injections into mice and was co-administered with a plasmid encoding the sushi domain of IL-15Rα (pSushi) in order to enhance IL-15 trans-presentation and thereby bioactivity. The pharmacokinetics of the Apo A-I chimeric protein were much longer than non-stabilized IL-15 and its bioactivity was enhanced in combination with IL-15Rα Sushi. Importantly, the APO-IL-15 fusion protein was incorporated in part into circulating HDL. Liver gene transfer of these constructs increased NK and memory-phenotype CD8 lymphocyte numbers in peripheral blood, spleen and liver as a result of proliferation documented by CFSE dilution and BrdU incorporation. Moreover, the gene transfer procedure partly rescued the NK and memory T-cell deficiency observed in IL-15Rα−/− mice. pApo-hIL15+ pSushi gene transfer to the liver showed a modest therapeutic activity against subcutaneously transplanted MC38 colon carcinoma tumors, that was more evident when tumors were set up as liver metastases. The improved pharmacokinetic profile and the strong biological activity of APO-IL-15 fusion protein holds promise for further development in combination with other immunotherapies.
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Stone JD, Chervin AS, Schreiber H, Kranz DM. Design and characterization of a protein superagonist of IL-15 fused with IL-15Rα and a high-affinity T cell receptor. Biotechnol Prog 2012; 28:1588-97. [PMID: 22961781 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.1631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2012] [Revised: 08/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
To avoid high systemic doses, strategies involving antigen-specific delivery of cytokine via linked antibodies or antibody fragments have been used. Targeting cancer-associated peptides presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules (pepMHC) increases the number of potential target antigens and takes advantage of cross-presentation on tumor stroma and in draining lymph nodes. Here, we use a soluble, high-affinity single-chain T cell receptor Vα-Vβ (scTv), to deliver cytokines to intracellular tumor-associated antigens presented as pepMHC. As typical wild-type T cell receptors (TCRs) exhibit low affinity (K(d) = 1-100 μM or more), we used an engineered TCR, m33, that binds its antigenic peptide SIYRYYGL (SIY) bound to the murine class I major histocompatability complex protein H2-K(b) (SIY/K(b) ) with nanomolar affinity (K(d) = 30 nM). We generated constructs consisting of m33 scTv fused to murine interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 15 (IL-15), or IL-15/IL-15Rα (IL-15 linked to IL-15Rα sushi domain, called "superfusion"). The fusions were purified with good yields and bound specifically to SIY/K(b) with high affinity. Proper cytokine folding and binding were confirmed, and the fusions were capable of stimulating proliferation of cytokine-dependent cells, both when added directly and when presented in trans, bound to cells with the target pepMHC. The m33 superfusion was particularly potent and stable and represents a promising design for targeted antitumor immunomodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D Stone
- Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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Balsamo M, Vermi W, Parodi M, Pietra G, Manzini C, Queirolo P, Lonardi S, Augugliaro R, Moretta A, Facchetti F, Moretta L, Mingari MC, Vitale M. Melanoma cells become resistant to NK-cell-mediated killing when exposed to NK-cell numbers compatible with NK-cell infiltration in the tumor. Eur J Immunol 2012; 42:1833-42. [DOI: 10.1002/eji.201142179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2011] [Revised: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - William Vermi
- Servizio di Anatomia Patologica; Spedali Civili di Brescia; Brescia; Italy
| | - Monica Parodi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale; Università di Genova; Genova; Italy
| | - Gabriella Pietra
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale; Università di Genova; Genova; Italy
| | - Claudia Manzini
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale; Università di Genova; Genova; Italy
| | - Paola Queirolo
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino - IST; Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro; Genova; Italy
| | - Silvia Lonardi
- Servizio di Anatomia Patologica; Spedali Civili di Brescia; Brescia; Italy
| | - Raffaella Augugliaro
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino - IST; Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro; Genova; Italy
| | | | - Fabio Facchetti
- Servizio di Anatomia Patologica; Spedali Civili di Brescia; Brescia; Italy
| | | | | | - Massimo Vitale
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino - IST; Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro; Genova; Italy
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Liu TA, Jan YJ, Ko BS, Chen SC, Liang SM, Hung YL, Hsu C, Shen TL, Lee YM, Chen PF, Wang J, Shyue SK, Liou JY. Increased expression of 14-3-3β promotes tumor progression and predicts extrahepatic metastasis and worse survival in hepatocellular carcinoma. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 179:2698-708. [PMID: 21967815 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2011] [Revised: 07/20/2011] [Accepted: 08/11/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
14-3-3β is implicated in cell survival, proliferation, migration, and tumor growth; however, its clinical relevance in tumor progression and metastasis have never been elucidated. To evaluate the clinical significance of 14-3-3β, we analyzed the association of 14-3-3β expression and clinicopathologic characteristics in primary and subsequent metastatic tumors of hepatocellular carcinoma patients. 14-3-3β was expressed abundantly in 40 of 55 (70.7%) primary tumors. Increased 14-3-3β expression in primary tumors predicted a higher 5-year cumulative incidence of subsequent extrahepatic metastasis, and multivariate analysis revealed 14-3-3β overexpression was an independent risk factor for extrahepatic metastasis. Patients with increased 14-3-3β expression in primary tumors had worse 5-year overall survival rates, and 14-3-3β overexpression was an independent prognostic factor on Cox regression analysis. Furthermore, stably overexpressed 14-3-3β enhanced hepatocellular carcinoma cell migration and proliferation and increased anchorage-independent cell growth. In addition, in vivo study in a nude-mice model showed tumor formation significantly increased with 14-3-3β overexpression. In conclusion, this is the first report to show that increased 14-3-3β expression is associated with subsequent extrahepatic metastasis and worse survival rates, as well as cancer progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, 14-3-3β may be a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-An Liu
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli, Taiwan
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Lo CH, Chang CM, Tang SW, Pan WY, Fang CC, Chen Y, Wu PY, Chen KY, Ma HI, Xiao X, Tao MH. Differential antitumor effect of interleukin-12 family cytokines on orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gene Med 2011; 12:423-34. [PMID: 20440753 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.1452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. The interleukin (IL)-12 family cytokines, including IL-12, IL-23 and IL-27, display overlapping, but not redundant, roles in regulating lymphocyte subpopulations. IL-12 is known as a potent antitumor cytokine, whereas the results of the antitumor effect of IL-23 and IL-27 are inconsistent. The present study aimed to directly compare the relative antitumor efficacy of these three IL-12 family cytokines on HCC. METHODS A murine orthotopic BNL HCC model, in which the tumor is located in an environment heavily populated with different lymphocyte subsets, was established. The hepatotropic adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8) vector was used to deliver the cytokine genes aiming to achieve sustained cytokine expression in the liver. RESULTS AAV8/IL-12 treatment significantly reduced hepatic metastases and prolonged survival time, whereas treatment with AAV8/IL-23 or AAV8/IL-27 had only moderate antitumor effects at a high dose. The antitumor efficacy of these cytokines was positively correlated with their ability to regulate hepatic T cells, natural killer cells and natural killer T cells, with IL-12 greatly increasing the number and activation status of these cells, whereas IL-27 had no effect and IL-23 had a negative effect. AAV8/IL-12 treatment also resulted in a marked decrease in tumor vessel density, which was not observed with AAV8/IL-23 and AAV8/IL-27 treatment. CONCLUSIONS The data obtained in the present study highlight the importance of local lymphocytes and anti-angiogenesis for influencing the antitumor activity of these three IL-12 family cytokines and suggest that IL-12 is the best candidate for treating HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hui Lo
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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